The job with rubber strings and built-in rhythm box. Jerry Uwins has his preconceptions brushed aside. But he's all right now.

Gibson Explorer Synth

If you want Roland guitar synth sounds, you can now choose what guitar you use to play them. Paul White looks at a Gibson with a difference.

Roland GR09

Down-to-earth guitar synth

Guitarcheck

Plug in, lean back, legs apart — and sound like an accordionist. Tony Mills taxes the axe

Digitar

Full MIDI guitar strumming emulator

Roland GR1 Guitar Synthesizer

What the world needs is a guitar synth that sounds good and behaves predictably. Does Roland's latest model pass the test?

Shadow MIDI Guitar

Geoff Twigg takes a look at the latest guitar synth technology. Now you can have a Synclavier system behind the strings of your old acoustic.

Guitar-to-MIDI Converter

Paul White, who's owned almost every Roland guitar synth built, puts the new GK1 synth driver and GM70 "brain" under test. Is this the first pitch-to-MIDI system that really works?

Steve Hackett and Paddy Kingsland set out to test the merits and demerits of the Roland GR-500 and ARP Avatar. Synthesise watches, lads.

Guitar Synthesiser

Roland's latest guitar synthesiser is quickly earning a reputation as the most playable guitar synth yet built. Aaron Hallas turns from widdly-widdly merchant to MlDdly-widdly merchant.

Review. In colour.

Preview of Roland's latest products

The 'guitar synthesizer' appears to be going through a new lease of life at present, with many manufacturers releasing guitar-based synth controlling devices that make good use of MIDI's powers of expression. Ian Gilby tries out one such model: the Shadow GTM-6.

GuitarCheck

Who knows how good a MIDI add-on for your guitar can be? The Shadow knows, as Paul Trynka finds out....

Shadow MIDI Guitar system

Few instruments have caused as great a stir in the marketplace as the futuristic-looking DG1. Stepp describe it as "a radically new instrument that plays like a guitar, and which can produce some of the most phenomenal sounds you're ever likely to hear." Ian Gilby visited Stepp to find out for himself and talk with its creator, Stephen Randall.

The "guitar player's synthesiser" is now in full production. We analyse the mechanics of the Stepp, and let two musicians - a guitarist and a keyboard player - give their views on its playability.

GuitarCheck

Paul Fishman avoids all references to giant leaps for mankind, but still likes Stepp's digital guitar synth

SynthAxe

We return to bring you the latest news and developments on the astounding SynthAxe.

digital guitar science

update on THE guitar synth