Andrew Heinzman
Popular effects pedal and amplifier manufacturer Mooer is about to launch an IndieGoGo campaign for its first guitar, the “intelligent” S800 GTRS. Equipped with a digital signal processor, the GTRS connects directly to your smartphone or tablet, providing instant access to 126 effects, a drum machine with 40 presets, an 80-second looper, a tuner, and a metronome.
While Mooer hasn’t revealed the full scope of its smart guitar’s capabilities, most of its features seem to revolve around the GTRS mobile app, where you can create and modify digital pedalboards. The GTRS also has a built-in Super Knob to control its parameters, plus an optional GWF4 wireless footswitch to help navigate effects and presets while playing live.
It isn’t clear how guitarists can control the S800’s drum machine or looper, though it may be possible to link these features to the Super Knob and GWF4 footswitch. I’m rooting for the Super Knob, though, because the GWF4 footswitch only has a 15-hour battery when it’s on standby (it’s probably a lot less when you’re jamming).
Ignoring its digital features, the GTRS is a Stratocaster-styled guitar with an American basswood body, standard C roasted Canadian maple neck, and 12″-radius rosewood fingerboard. It features two single-coil pickups, the SC-1N Alnico V and SC-1M Alnico V, plus a HM-1B Alnico V humbucking bridge pickup. This pickup combination makes for a pretty versatile guitar, which should help the GTRS fit into a variety of playing styles.
Mooer hasn’t announced pricing or shipping dates for the guitar. But given the company’s history of affordable effects pedals and amps, the GTRS may not be that expensive. If you want to be first in line when Mooer launches the S800 GTRS on IndieGoGo, you can sign up for email updates ahead of the product’s debut.
Source: Mooer via GuitarWorld
