Guitar synth controller question

[AlChuck]

Hey all you Roland GR-33 and compatible synth guitarists out there -- all three of you

I'm thinking of getting a GR-33 sometime in the next year and I'm wondering about controllers. My basic choices seem to be

• Buy a "Roland-ready" Strat from Fender, which I believe is a Mexican-made Strat with a built-in GK2AH divided pickup.
• Buy a similar Roland-ready guitar from Godin, Brian Moore, or a few other guitar makers.
• Buy a GK2AH divided pickup and install it on one of my current guitars -- probably my Hohner Steinberger clone

Any opinions/advice/guidelines?

 

[adam]

There is also the option of the RMC bridge synth converter. Fits like a piezeo, very clean look. This might be the one in the godin's, but it is also available as a stabdalone. Of course, it wouldn't work with ur steinberger bridge. With the small bodied steinbergers I have also heard that getting the external roland pu and controller to fit on the guitar is a challenge.

 

[adam]

There is also the option of the RMC bridge synth converter. Fits like a piezeo, very clean look. This might be the one in the godin's, but it is also available as a stabdalone. Of course, it wouldn't work with ur steinberger bridge. With the small bodied steinbergers I have also heard that getting the external roland pu and controller to fit on the guitar is a challenge.

 

[teknomike]

I had never been happy with my GK-2A. It was a bright day when I bought my Godin LGX-SA and never looked back.
However, this is a large investment you'd be making. Not sure what the strat would cost you, but probably not much less than a Godin.
However, if I did it all again, I'd probably look at the Axon gear Dr. Stawl has pointed me to rather than Roland.
See this thread:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=63547

Good luck, and have fun.
mike

 

[mixmkr]

get the roland ready strat...or a mim(if you want an inexpensive alternative) strat and stick the gk2a on it... the strat seems to be the best 'layout' of INEXPENSIVE guitars for adding the pickup. I've tried other guitars, but with string spacing, string height and all that other nonsense, the strat wins hands down. my gr33 and strat/gk2a combo works great btw. you play slop, you get slop. plug the output of the gr33 into another synth...layered...phew!!

 

[mikeh]

I agree that the GK-2A works best on a Strat style guitar. Some guitars don't have the right spacing or a proper area to mount the pick-up.

I use a GK-2A with a Mexican Strat and it works reasonably well. You are correct the Roland ready Strat is a standard Mexican Strate - I think they cost about $600 (so that's about $350 for the guitar and $250 for the MIDI pick-up).

I've played a Roland ready and the GK-2A are set up very effectively. If you put your own MIDI pick-up on it's a pain in the ass to get it set up right.

If I ever did it over - I would get a guitar with the MIDI already setup - it would save on the headaches of trying to set it up correctly (alot of trial and error). An added advantage is you don't have to drill holes in a guitar.

I've heard good comments about the Axon (but never tried one).

 

[adam]

Another tip I have heard is that if you have a dedicated guitar, you can string it with all the same guage strings, tuned to the same pitch. Probably use the high e or b or g. Supposedly you get much better tracking this way, particularly on low strings. I think you need to make adjustments to the settings on the synth though - transposing the strings. And of course, you couldn't blend a guitar sound with they synth sound.

The axon is discussed alot. I have heard it is very complex, but has faster tracking once you get it working right vs. the roland stuff which is easier to use but doesn't track as well.

I thought they finally solved it by including all the stuff in a guitar and having a regular 5 pin midi out. The midifly and BM had this option. Doesn't seemed to have caught on though, and the company, midiaxe looks like it might not even be around any more, but I can't confirm that. Oh well, I guess I will just wait another 20 years.

BTW, I was reading about another product that can convert polyphony sound into midi. And it is like $79. Was on harmony central the other day. Very interesting.

BTWii, I tried the gr33 out for a long time and I didn't like it. The tracking wasn't good (but i have played one set up correctly and it was decent), but the sounds were CHEEZY and offensive to me. All these great strides in synth tech and the sounds were terrbible, with a few expections. I liked the bass sounds and a few others. Add that to increased latency using it to control external synths and it just wasn't for me.