JAMSTIK Classic MIDI Guitar (Onyx Black)

If you want to see just how much fun the Jamstik Classic MIDI guitar is, stop reading this and head over to your YouTube channel. We sent one to the awesome Kal The Guitar Hero from the band Color 8 out of Phoenix. Just look at Kal’s face light up as he turns the guitar into a bass synth machine, or adds piano runs to his song using the guitar as a controller. It’s inspiring, and you can see on-camera how the creative spark took off once he realized the power that a MIDIequipped guitar could afford him.

So, don’t take our word for it, but….well, also take our word for it. Because we got to spend a little time with it before we packaged it back up and shipped it off to Kal. And boy were we impressed. Past MIDI guitar designs were OK, but things like the Roland pickup system were bulky, had proprietary connectors and sometimes the tracking of notes was…let’s just say not super great, at least to start. Thankfully, technology has gotten much better, and the folks behind the Jamstik Classic MIDI Guitar really have a winner on their hands.

Turning a traditional guitar (yes, with traditional pickups, a 5-way switch and output) into a MIDI controller is no mean feat, but the ease with which you can get set up is astonishing. Simply plug into your computer from the USB or 3.5mm TRS-MIDI port and you’re off and running. Open up your DAW or the included software package to browse countless sounds, start playing the guitar, and listen as your picking is transformed into synths, strings, keys and more.

Latency is solid, with no major noticeable lag time, and best of all the processing power inside the system tracks things like bends and slides like you’ve been hoping for, for years. It even handles finger tapping and hammer-ons/pull offs.

We were a bit skeptical at first, having been let down by guitar-based controllers in the past. But if you want a new secret weapon for your studio rig or stage setup, picking up one of these might just be the ticket to a new world of sonic possibilities.

Benjamin Ricci

feels like a real guitar, awesome MIDI control and tracking, easy setup.