Guitar Trends that need to start

[Gearmond]

lefty everything

im totally with you on the "more tremolo experimentation" deal too. hell i guarantee you could design an attractive looking mountable jaguar-esque trem that looks like a bigsby or an old trapeze bridge.

mine:
-affordable methods of creative guitar manufacturing (like Vox virage, n junk. more chambered bodies {which ironically used to be a cost cutting thing, rite?})
-a universal mounting system (sorta there. i believe someone has a pup system where you can just like pop and drop new pickups in a snap)
-wider array of finishes
-soft touch switches instead of push pull
-MORE SHAPES
-a return of different types of pickups
-steinberger style necks with an integrated capo (lotsa banjos have moveable capos for the drone string)
-companies that cater to a wider array of guitar styles more effectively (like in the way ibanez and ESP cater especially to the metal scene, but still do other stuff)
-guitar ranges w/ wide pickup options instead of like... if you want a tele w/ hss you gotta get a blacktop or w/e, etc. etc. make it a standard option >:c

i think most of y'all are talkin more from the angle of things-i-want-on-a-dream-guitar than viable-trends-that-should-happen-and-would-be-enjoyed-by-more-than-the-ILF-crowd

[hollowhero]

-wider array of finishes
-MORE SHAPES
-a return of different types of pickups

Yes to all of this. Also, we don't just need the resurrection of quirky pickups from the past: we need entirely new pickup designs

[Mudfuzz]

lefty everything

im totally with you on the "more tremolo experimentation" deal too. hell i guarantee you could design an attractive looking mountable jaguar-esque trem that looks like a bigsby or an old trapeze bridge.

mine:
-affordable methods of creative guitar manufacturing (like Vox virage, n junk. more chambered bodies {which ironically used to be a cost cutting thing, rite?})
-a universal mounting system (sorta there. i believe someone has a pup system where you can just like pop and drop new pickups in a snap)
-wider array of finishes
-soft touch switches instead of push pull
-MORE SHAPES
-a return of different types of pickups
-steinberger style necks with an integrated capo (lotsa banjos have moveable capos for the drone string)
-companies that cater to a wider array of guitar styles more effectively (like in the way ibanez and ESP cater especially to the metal scene, but still do other stuff)
-guitar ranges w/ wide pickup options instead of like... if you want a tele w/ hss you gotta get a blacktop or w/e, etc. etc. make it a standard option >:c

i think most of y'all are talkin more from the angle of things-i-want-on-a-dream-guitar than viable-trends-that-should-happen-and-would-be-enjoyed-by-more-than-the-ILF-crowd

I agree with pretty much everything there. Actually though most of my ideas are a want to see guitars evolve more then what I want... I do think though that if guitar doesn't evolve a bit more I could see it die out in the next 50 years to some extent.

[Gearmond]

well if we're talking about guitar evolution, one could arguably say that these suggestions are all past ideas just with the intent to be enacted on a large scale, rather than isolated models over the years, and that the way to keep ANY non-electronic/synth instrument relevant would be to essentially change the definition of instrument to format-of-input-of-sound-production rather than how it makes sounds. i dont think its a far cry to say that compatibility with electronic interfaces will be vital to all future instruments, so that problem isn't exclusive to guitars.

so yeah, in the long run, most of these suggestions are just making bells and whistles standard, but thats how most things evolve (cars as the prime example), and its kinda like slow gradual change vs. big simple change kinda thing

[mathias]

You know, it might be neat to have a USB audio interface right in the guitar under the pickguard. Plug in a USB cable and start recording into GarageBand or whatever immediately.

Although I kinda feel like there was a cheap Strat knockoff that had this :/

[Mudfuzz]

well if we're talking about guitar evolution, one could arguably say that these suggestions are all past ideas just with the intent to be enacted on a large scale, rather than isolated models over the years, and that the way to keep ANY non-electronic/synth instrument relevant would be to essentially change the definition of instrument to format-of-input-of-sound-production rather than how it makes sounds. i dont think its a far cry to say that compatibility with electronic interfaces will be vital to all future instruments, so that problem isn't exclusive to guitars.

so yeah, in the long run, most of these suggestions are just making bells and whistles standard, but thats how most things evolve (cars as the prime example), and its kinda like slow gradual change vs. big simple change kinda thing

True, true. Almost every thing in this thread I have seen people try, the problem always is it ends up being too quirky and too exclusive to one builder.. i.e. a guitar builder vs a pickup builder act...

And really I am very unhappy with the way interface evolution has gone.. maybe I expect too much... maybe most people are more interested in playing freebird then something new.. I'm really amazed that a REAL midi guitar doesn't exist in a fully functional format. But then look at keyboards... not much has really changed in the last 15 years.. compared to computers and virtual instruments.

[mathias]

People are in the habit of playing what they know -- and even things like synths had an interface (keys) laid out based on pianos which were based on harpsichords.. all familiar tools to create our music, while the technology underneath changes at faster and faster rates..

[dubkitty]

You know, it might be neat to have a USB audio interface right in the guitar under the pickguard. Plug in a USB cable and start recording into GarageBand or whatever immediately.

Although I kinda feel like there was a cheap Strat knockoff that had this :/

i believe this is implemented in the Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III.

[Gearmond]

And really I am very unhappy with the way interface evolution has gone.. maybe I expect too much... maybe most people are more interested in playing freebird then something new.. I'm really amazed that a REAL midi guitar doesn't exist in a fully functional format. But then look at keyboards... not much has really changed in the last 15 years.. compared to computers and virtual instruments.

thats what im getting at sorta. like why should keyboards be the default format for making-electronic-music these days? it, in theory, should be anything, but unfortunately, anything else is just written off as novelty.

its also way to easy to have a lot of rigor with learning guitar, which lends to people playing the same stuff. if i was a better guitarist than i am, i would LOVE to write a book about the flaws of how guitar (and maybe instruments in general) have been taught for decades, and because of that theres a stronger pull for new guitarists to go after something thats already been done

[WeHuntKings]

i want a les paul with jazzmaster electronics and hardware to be a thing.

[mathias]

I think it's already hard enough to master the existing instruments, and then every new interface/instrument has to be evaluated.. eventually someone will come along and be the Hendrix of the Karlax or whatever, but so far that person doesn't exist.

And because people buy what is sold, and because most people start instruments fresh (no musical background).. I imagine it's easier to learn to play some new instrument if you've already got the experience from other instruments and/or a deep knowledge of music theory and composition.. Not to mention cost and acccessibility.. acoustic guitars are available at Wal-Mart but really obscure instruments are hard to find even in some cities. Not to mention the materials to invent/build your own instrument.

That said, I found this TED talk really interesting and related: http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_applebaum ... music.html

[mathias]

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2012/11/w ... -mutating/


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JX-Wa7fqPY[/youtube]

Looks like we all better become cyborgs to keep up.

[fuzzypumpkins]

Well, with the exception of Les Pauls, I pretty much hate rosewood boards and inlays! Also there needs to be more trans-white finishes. Trans-white with a bit of flame top showing through and an inlay-free ebony neck. Sex.

[Greenfuz]

no/minimal inlays should be more of a thing

[backwardsvoyager]

Fenders with wizard necks.
Seriously have always wanted a jazz/jag but bought a prestige ibby RGA instead just cause I can actually play without feeling like the neck is slowing me down (and no I am not a 'shredder') . Anyone else have this problem?
And I agree with whoever said aluminium guitars/basses that don't cost $3000
Also more colours for tuners and bridges, like anodised purple/green/whatever instead of just chrome/black/cosmo. If that isn't already a thing.