No matter how fast your favorite shredder picks, there’s no way they can compete with the Circle Guitar.
This ingenious design, assembled by builder Anthony Dickens, uses a built-in mechanical step sequencer that rotates up to 250bpm beneath the strings.
As a result, it can “generate sounds, textures and rhythms that would be impossible with a conventional electric guitar”, says its creator.
The sequencer has 128 holes into which a pick can be placed, and the circle can be programmed using five color-coded pick intensity settings.
A hexaphonic pickup captures the signal, which means each string can be outputted and processed individually, while six body-mounted switches control whether the signal passes to your amp, mixing desk or computer interface. You can even sync its tempo via USB to the clock of any DAW.
In terms of more regular guitar features, the Circle Guitar features an ash body, rosewood fretboard and laser-cut matte black acrylic electronic cover. A single 3D printed unit houses the mechanical parts.
The Circle Guitar is a working prototype that underwent two years of development, and was built at London’s Makerversity.
We look forward to seeing what players could do with this…
"It’s on a lot of records, and it only cost me 285 bucks!" It's ugly and beat to hell, but Adrian Belew's Stratocaster is behind landmark albums by Frank Zappa, David Bowie, King Crimson and Talking Heads
"They're among some of the most versatile electrics ever made." Gibson's ES-345 struck a middle ground between the 335 and 355. It remains an underrated gem worth your time
