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Introducing Gibson's Dusk Tiger: A World Premiere!!

Anderton

By Anderton
in High-Tech Guitar

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Anderton Rookie

Anderton

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Well not to be an apologist, but...I have seen a prototype in person, and the photos seem like iPhone photos or something else that don't really show what the guitar looks like for real. That doesn't mean people would necessarily like or dislike the look if they saw the "real thing," but it is quite different...more muted, with the yellows being more like a burnt yellow than taxi cab yellow, and the grain being darker as well.

 

As to cost, I don't know anything definitive but I've heard under $2K street floating around. That sounds possible, given that the electronics are more streamlined than Dark Fire, and Gibson has presumably already amortized some of the R&D; but there's still a high parts cost, so we'll see what happens.

 

Overall though, I have to say that I'm more concerned with the capabilities, because that's what got me into Dark Fire. The biggest difference is that the Dusk Tiger clickstream is far easier. Gibson held a focus group in LA with both Dark Fire and Dusk Tiger available for playing, and just about every guitarist said Dark Fire's clickstream/user interface was way too complicated. If it's possible to access the multiple outs, Chameleon tone technology, and tunings in a more streamlined way, that would be great. Also, I think not having a custom battery and instead using off-the-shelf batteries is a :thu: move - not just because you can swap batteries easily, but I always get nervous about any kind of custom part.

 

Speaking of which the high-tech guitar thing is tricky, because as guitarists, we're used to having instruments that can be decades old but for which you can still find parts. I mean, just because my Tele was made in 1966 doesn't mean I can't get 0.10 high E strings! But because I'm also a keyboard player, I've logged enough time with synths that are now useless because the company went out of business, and some weird, crucial part is nowhere to be found. It's even worse for software - nothing that ran on my System 9 Mac runs on my OS X Intel Mac, and Apple no longer supports "classic" mode. Or PowerPC processors, for that matter. My Windows machines are much more tolerant of, uh, "vintage" software.

 

There are two solutions that I see. The first is to carry a bunch of spare parts for older products. The other is to make products that are upgradable to newer versions. From what I've seen of the body design and electronics, it looks possible to put the Dusk Tiger electronics in a Dark Fire body if Gibson ran out of Dark Fire parts. Now, that has its own issues, as some people might not WANT an improved set of electronics, just like some keyboard players like the gritty sound of their 12-bit samplers and would hate to see them "upgraded" to 16 bits.

 

I don't think Dusk Tiger will be for everyone any more than Dark Fire was, and of course, Gibson continues to pump out traditional guitars so it's not like there isn't a choice. But, as I've said before, Dark Fire has changed the way I play guitar and opened up possibilities I've never had before. I really hope that Dusk Tiger becomes the equivalent of "2.0" software, where a company takes what it's learned from previous experience, and applies it to a new product. Some parts in Dusk Tiger weren't even available when Dark Fire was being designed, and while part of me hates surfing the "bleeding edge" of technology, I'm willing to put up with the warts to get the advantages. I'd be very surprised if Dusk Tiger isn't an improvement over Dark Fire in several significant ways, including a lower price tag. But, we'll see...and I'll probably see sooner than most, because I expect to be writing the manual for it.

 

One thing I do know is there will be a companion computer-based editor for making your own tonal tweaks involving the pickup, coil taps, switching, and onboard EQ. I'm not sure if it will be backward compatible with Dark Fire, but I've seen betas of the editor and it's really quite impressive in terms of making it easier to access what's inside the instrument.

 

So...I'm really looking forward to Dusk Tiger, but I also readily admit I'm not your typical guitarist. I will say that all the guitar players in LA were totally wowed by the patches I came up with for Dark Fire, so I don't think I'm alone in digging the possibilities of the multiple outs, FireWire interface, and sim software. I'll post more as I know more.

 

P.S. - I think the comment above about the look being "polarizing" hits the mark. Some people are going to love it, others are going to hate it. Personally, I think it looks pretty cool on stage from 20 feet back.

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elantric Newbie

elantric

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I'd be very surprised if Dusk Tiger isn't an improvement over Dark Fire in several significant ways, including a lower price tag.

 

 

If this guitar was actually street priced at under $2K USD - that would change things considerably,

 

Sadly this is my direct correspondence with a Dealer in the UK - GAK, just a few days ago.

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/84790

 

Hi, many thanks for your email.

 

These are priced at

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Undertaker4 Newbie

Undertaker4

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I admit I'm dense when it comes to this guitar; it has a piezo, HB, and P90, and the Chamelon allows you to blend these 3 tones, is that correct? Plus it has self tuning?

Or is there more to this?

Gibson is saying it's not a modeller, so how would you get, say, strat/tele/12 string/sitar/banjo type tones? Or is it basically a tool for coming up with unique tones based on the ability to mix the 3 pickups?

I again apologize, but I'm actually intrigued by bleeding edge stuff, just not sure the concept here.

Less than 2k sounds intriguing, but $3,500 makes this a no-go IMO.

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Nik Newbie

Nik

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So it tunes itself, but what else does it do that I cannot do with my Godin?

I'm sure it's great, but what angers me is that they describe the piezo hex pickup as revolutionary. It isn't. It's been done before by several companies.

It's like when Line6 merketed the Pod as new and revolutionary technology and later the Variax when the Roland VG8 was already available.

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elantric Newbie

elantric

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Gibson Banned my work IP address from accessing their User Forums a couple weeks ago.

 

Today they banned my Home IP address, and also my Iphone IP address.

 

This company does not welcome open debate. Or dissenting dialog. and just spending a bit of time on their forum:

 

http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=24098

 

It does not take a rocket scientist to see their forums prefer to actively promote red neck misogynistic racist ideologies that died in most places on earth back in the 1950's

 

Their target customer plays a 1959 product, and has a head to match.

http://www.futureguitarnow.com/forum/index.php?topic=206.0

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girevik Newbie

girevik

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Amen!


I'm looking forward to the Keith McMillen Stringport as my 2010 new gear purchase:




Funny how the same set of people keep popping up all these years!

 

 

Despite the somewhat unflattering portrayal of Mr. McMillen, I too would be interested once the software for cello and guitar usage is out.

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elantric Newbie

elantric

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http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2009/12/01/-gibson-launch-the-dusk-tiger/

 

 

Gibson Dusk Tiger Is Coming Next Week

Gibson say the most astounding innovation in the history of the guitar will be rolled out next Monday 01-Dec-09

The next generation of Robot Technologies from Gibson Guitar in the form of the Dusk Tiger will be rolled out next Monday at a

launch event with guests Puddle Of Mudd in L.A and at retail sites worldwide. Here's the Gibson press release with all the details...

The third generation of Gibson technologies will be introduced on December 7th, 2009 at only 200 retail sites worldwide. There

will be a limited run of only 1000 units produced. There will be 200 store sites

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aliensporebomb Rookie

aliensporebomb

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Elantric: maybe we should start a thread for the stringport? It almost looks like I could route my GK3 guitar into it, then output it via USB into the computer but also do a passthru into the VG99 and then have multiple outputs going with multiple signals. One man orchestra anybody?

 

I'm personally waiting for the Gibbo Rust Tiger. It's a slightly fleabitten housecat but generally agreeable.

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elantric Newbie

elantric

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not only the stereo 1/4 inch output but also an XLR output. Thus you can use either standard guitar cables, stereo guitar cables, or
XLR

microphone cables which will allow you to plug directly into sound boards
,

 

 

 

I Guess nobody told Henry the Dusk Tiger has the wrong gender XLR - standard Mic cables will not work.

 

 

Finally, Gibson is including a MIDI out cable as part of the package.

 

 

Apparently he does not know the difference between a MIDI cable and a Roland 13 pin cable either.

But then, these guitars are purchased by collectors, not users.

 

if he keeps emitting flagrant false advertising he may soon have more problems than Madagascar Rosewood.

 

https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx

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aliensporebomb Rookie

aliensporebomb

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OMG. My first "guitar like object" I ever owned was a very similar red and black plastic Emenee.

 

The weirdest thing is I honestly can't remember what happened to it. I must have been, what, eight? nine years old?

 

I'm pretty sure my parents must have set it on fire and buried the remains.

 

I don't remember it having any electronics to speak of though.

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elantric Newbie

elantric

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http://mewzik.com/research/emenee/guitar/wingding/index.php

Perhaps it was the sears "wingding"?
Sears Wing-Ding Plastic Guitar by Emenee

Description by Dwight Newton, 2006

This is a Wing-Ding plastic guitar by Emenee. It has a predictable thin sound and the strings don't stay tuned well, but is nearly full-size and actually plays in tune. U purchased this on Ebay for a very low price (I'm not a fool) and saw one identical to it (and not is as good condition) sell for about eight times the price a week or so later (the heart wants what it wants). Wing-Ding is a Sears model. Emenee sold the same instrument under it's own brand as the Tiger Guitar.


IMG_0337-tt.jpg


IMG_0345-t.jpg
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elantric Newbie

elantric

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Due to the devallued dollar and bad economy - I guess Gibson can ship 2010 Dusk Tiger with a price over $500 above 2009 Dark Fire's MSRP , - yet ship it with a lower value software bundle - (no NI Guitar Rig). It only comes with Ableton Lite ( worth under $40), but throw in the free PEQ Config Tool, and RIP to Roland cable.

 

I think the MSRP $4128 - not exactly a "working Man's priced guitar IMHO.

 

and - owing to its looks, and past sales track record for Robot guitars note that very few dealers sell the Dusk Tiger on Dec 7- compared to Dark Fire a year ago.

 

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Dusk-Tiger/Buy-Now.aspx?mappath=/Support/Dealers/North-America/United-States/California

 

 

But I do think all 1000 will sell out next week.

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