Active Band Man Chats - “Why not just build it in?”

So, what shall we do today?

Organ.

Huh?

Organ...

Huh? Are you talking about the keyboard instrument?

Nope...

Shall we play it today?

Nah, it’s fine. Thanks.

What’s wrong? Do you want to stop the column for now?

Internal...

Internal? Like heart or liver? Not the brain? (Kizuhiko underwent brain tumor surgeries in 2011 and 2020.) Are you in pain?

Thanks for worrying! But no, it’s just ‘internal’ I’m saying.

I don’t get it... is it the brain after all?

Nope!

Not internal organs? Maybe you mean internal built-in stuff?

Yes!

Nice! You figured it out!

Built-in things are great, right?

Wait, internal organs, like the stomach?

Nooo! Not that! But you’re sort of right, but not my intention!

Alright, alright. So, what should we build in?

Bingo! Now we can finally start the column!

Who’s fault!?

There are so many things that would be great to have built into guitars and basses!

That’s true... since the previous topic was about gradually stripping things away with ‘less’, maybe this is a reaction to that?

Exactly!

So... what should we build in?

First, a tuner, of course!

That’s a pretty good idea.

You often see built-in tuners in acoustic electric guitars, but I’d love to see it in electric guitars too!

Definitely in electric basses as well! I think even some electric guitars have built-in tuners. I think VOW WOW’s Kyoji Yamamoto had the built-in tuner...

You can’t even attach a clip-on tuner to a headless bass.

Ugh... Not that I’m bragging, but I can’t even use the type of stand that hooks onto the headstock.

Right... Oh, what if we built a head into a headless guitar? So, when needed, it could just grow out!

Ugh. Gross. Rejected. Is that okay? To use a hanging type of stand, you’d need a head that’s wider than the neck, right? So, where would you build a head wider than the neck...?

Well, that’s a valid point... but isn’t it boring if we only talk about logic?

I guess so. Anyway, let’s move on to the next one.

A metronome!

I see... that’s great for rhythm practice.

Right! Some clip-on tuners even have built-in metronomes.

BOSS / TU-03
I’d love to have both in a guitar.

But if it makes sounds like ticking or beeping, it would be hard to use during a live performance.

In that case, let’s add a silent mode. The back of the body would vibrate to indicate the BPM... How about that?

It sounds like it could be a really complicated structure... and it might feel a little ticklish.

Let’s take it further and add a rhythm machine too!

Uh... Maybe something simple would be better?

Alright, next! A mute switch!

There are pedal tuners that have that kind of feature. It’s also called a kill switch.

Exactly, like that. It could allow for switching techniques like on a Les Paul.

Kind of like Morse code, right?

Alright, next! A pick holder! This way, even if your hands slip and you drop your pick, you’ll be fine!

Practical... right? There are pick holders available that can be attached to the body and other parts of the guitar.

Ernie Ball / Pick Buddy
And there are ones that clip onto the strings of the headstock.

Rombo / Guitar Pick Holder Rombo

I want it built-in!

Okay, but what about for bass? I play with a pick, so I’d be happy to have one, but it might be a nuisance for fingerstyle players.

What if there was a groove carved into the headstock for inserting a pick?

Hmm... not bad, but does that count as ‘built-in’? That’s more of a design feature.

By the way, the Steinberger I have has a built-in capo. It’s attached to the headstock and can be slid into place when needed...

Ah, that definitely sounds convenient. I know some people became interested in Steinbergers because of that feature.

That’s right. Alright, next! Tools!

Hmm? Oh, like wrenches?

Exactly!

That’s practical too. There are models that allow you to store or attach a wrench (for bridge adjustments) on the back of the headstock.

SCUD / WRE-HS

Ibanez / Wrench Holder Set [WHS4]

HexHider / HH3B1P

Just by integrating these small items, it can make things much easier. Because if you don’t, it’ll end up like this:

Ugh, yeah, it’s definitely a bit of a mess...

Right? And then! Effects pedals!

I thought you’d say that. Well, something with a simple circuit, like a fuzz, might be easier to integrate, and in fact, there are models that already have it built in.

Exactly!

But it’d be hard to switch it on and off while playing, and I’d still want to stomp on it with my foot.

I knew you’d say that! But what about a preamp, something like what Horry uses?

Ah! Well, since it’s generally always on, it’s fine!

Right, right! Let’s go with it!

Actually... preamps built in already exist. The preamp that was built into the bass was turned into an outboard effect, so it’s essentially a preamp as an effect pedal. We’ve talked about this before... quite a while ago.

〈Active Band Man Chats - Preamps – August 9, 2021〉

Ah... back then, I was seriously talking about gear...

I still think I’m talking seriously about it though. Anyway, how about a microphone?

You don’t mean a pickup microphone, do you?

A vocal microphone!

That’s quite something...

I’ve seen something like that before.

What is it?

A guitar with both a speaker and a microphone.

Oh, I see.

It has a port for a microphone on the body. You plug it in and bring the microphone up to your mouth with a gooseneck.

That’s a great idea.

It might be convenient for people who perform solo on the street.

Exactly. No need for a vocal amplifier or microphone stand. By the way, was it Larry Graham? I think he had a microphone on his bass body in a similar fashion. And if I’m not mistaken, he also had a built-in wireless system... with that, you can play bass, sing, and even dance.

Right, you can dance! Any steps you want. Super convenient.

Do you have any more ideas for things to build in?

MTR！

Huh?

This one for sure! Since we’ve already added a microphone!

Alright. But where would you put the faders?

Let’s place an LCD touch panel on the surface of the body, about the size of a smartphone.

Bold! There are indeed guitars with built-in touch panels, but isn’t that more like a synth pad? The one Matthew Bellamy from Muse uses, for example.

Basically, I want to include all the functions of my long-time favorite Zoom R8.

ZOOM / R8 Multi-Track Recorder

I have one too, and it’s really handy. It’s got a tuner, effects, rhythm machine, and a microphone... but it’d get ridiculously heavy. If you were holding it, it would definitely give off street performer vibes.

Yeah. Can’t deny that! And there’s more!

You’ve got more?

At this point!

How far have we come... or rather, how far will we go?

At this point, let’s also build in Wi-Fi, so we can instantly send the recorded audio!

Hmm... like pocket Wi-Fi? Not sure.

This would be perfect! When recording demo tracks, I’d normally need an MTR, a guitar, shield cables, and a bunch of other stuff, and then after recording, I have to save it to my computer. It’s such a hassle.

That’s some serious laziness. Let’s enjoy the process!

It’s fine when there’s time, but when the deadline is approaching, having everything in one built-in guitar would save so much hassle!

Well, sure, that makes sense...

The Mooer GTRS is getting pretty close to that idea!

Mooer / GTRS P801 Dark Silver

What’s your perspective on that?

And so, the well of ideas never runs dry... because everything is?

For love!