Variax will definitely tune in song, this system will too, but it will set you back a lot more: http://axcenttuning.com/.
 
Im not saying this guitar is the answer, but at least someone is pushing the envelope and I think its pretty cool that it is Gibson. I think the way everyone is piling on tells me that Gibson is doing the right thing. Ive been around enough to know that guitar players tend to resemble conspiracy theorists who line their apartments with tin foil at their reactions to anything new and original. They pile on until an Eddie Van Halen or a Jimmy Page are seen using it.  
 
Marrying a guitar, the modeling world and a computer is something that is close but has not happened yet. The closest is what Line 6 is doing, but the naysayers will never buy into it no matter how great it is because its not a strat or a LP. You could make it sound beautiful and some message board will be full with guys blasting it because it doesnt look and sound like their '59 burst.

Well, personally I don't own a Strat or a Les Paul, and I've taken down most of the tin foil around my house (it does help with the cosmic interference in my brain though).   I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on the topic of how innovative this really is, seeing as how I still think it's just the latest take on something that's been done since the 1960's.  Right now I'm planning on building my own tribute to David Gilmour's Pete Cornish board.  I'm going to include a Ram's Head Muff, and Colorsound Overdrive, a Vibrato, a tremolo, and digital delay all in one enclosure.  Sure they won't be housed in my guitar, but I've never felt that was a limitation as long as I could step on a switch.  I young, but I still recall when a third party ap for guitar meant reading about someone's settings.   It still works for me.

Sorry, double post.
 
(Message edited by hydrargyrum on November 16, 2010)

Oh my stars and garters.  I stopped by that Gibson page again just to read the comments and found a reference that led me to this:  http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Melody-Maker/Gibson-USA/Jonas-Brothers-Melody-Maker.aspx
 
The horror, the horror...  Colonel Kurtz in Apolcalypse  Now.
 
The mind simply shrivels.  There is no jumping back over this shark, Gibson.

I saw that, too, Paul, but did not think it something I should mention in polite society.....
 
Peter

There definitely was no one in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 2000's allowing 3rd party developers to make apps for their guitars. Its something that has never been done before and that is the definition of innovation.  
 
Not sure if it will amount to a whole lot, but it is certainly new, ground breaking and interesting. To me at least.

On Manring - is it me, or is he spending more time manipulating keys/levers than actually playing.  Don't get me wrong - it's impressive enough and a great tune.  But to me it's a hell of a lot of work.   I know he's amazing without that stuff - wonder why he uses it other than the obvious reasons (push the envelope, do something different, etc.)?

I will concede that the only interesting, unique, or innovative aspect of this guitar is the third party feature.  But it's still ugly.

Jonas Brothers signature guitar!?!?!?!?!?  
LOL!!!  Of course they made a Dale Earnhardt LP a few years ago.  That made a lot of sense.  If I ever become a famous musician (yea... right), perhaps PING will name a line of golf clubs after me.

Speaking of sharks...... http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Designer/Gibson-USA/Shark-Fin.aspx
 
~Taylor

GIbson also made a 7 string Explorer, I think it looks pretty sweet http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Explorer/Gibson-USA/7-String-Explorer.aspx  
 
~Taylor

The Corvus may win the the ugly Gibson contest.
 

The 7-string Explorer makes some sense - it's a popular guitar with metal players, who need that low B.
 
The shark-fin just screams Skwisgaar Skwigelf after a three-day drunk.

I actually like the Explorer 7 as well.  The change is so subtle from the six string version that I had to look twice.  I'd like a 7th string more for jazz than metal.

I once had a silver Gibson Corvus!!! I thought (at the time) that it looked pretty cool. Looks aside, though, it sounded pretty bad! Soon after I got rid of it I got another Gibson from the same era, a white SG Special. It was another piece of junk... extra-muddy sound no matter how you played it and which pickup you used. Those two put me off Gibsons for a while, but then I got recent-issue Melody Maker and that one's a keeper.