
ESP Guitars announces 43 new LTD and LTD Deluxe guitar models to kick off the new year.
A new Camo finish has been made available for the LTD and ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte. The Snakebyte features set-neck construction at 24.75" scale, 22 extra-jumbo frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and James' own EMG JH SET active pickups.
The LTD Arrow Series has expanded with four new additions. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000 offers a quilted maple top in a Charcoal Burst Satin finish. It features neck-thru-body construction, a reverse headstock with matching finish, Macassar ebony fingerboard with stainless steel frets, a set of direct mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups, and a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000NT (Charcoal Metallic Satin) offers a recessed TonePros TOM bridge with string-thru-body, neck-thru-body construction, stainless steel frets, and direct mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups. The LTD Deluxe Arrow-1000 EverTune includes the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge system, and comes in Black. All Arrow 1000 models have compound radius fingerboards. The LTD Arrow-200 (Military Green Satin) offers a more affordable version of the Arrow Series with a set-neck design, an LTD Floyd Rose tremolo, and a set of high output ESP LH-301 pickups with black covers.
Seven new guitars have joined ESP’s popular LTD EC Series. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000 Baritone comes in a 27” baritone scale, with a Charcoal Metallic Satin finish and black single-ply binding. Features include 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side dots, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker active pickups with black nickel covers. The new LTD Deluxe EC-1000 in See Thru Purple Sunburst offers 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of EMG 60TW-R (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM EverTune has a traditional full-thickness body, custom multi-ply binding on the guitar’s front and back, and the EverTune constant tension bridge system. It also features Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker pickups and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets.
The new LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM in Violet Shadow has a gorgeous flamed maple top, traditional thickness body and multi-ply binding. This guitar includes a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups with multiple voicings, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a TonePro locking TOM bridge and tailpiece. The LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM in Charcoal Burst combines an elegant quilted maple top and a traditional full-thickness mahogany body (with no waist cut). It features a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, matching headstock finish, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups. Another new EC Series guitar is the LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM Vintage Gold Satin, which features a traditional full-thickness mahogany body, multi-ply binding, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic Humbucker pickups with multiple voicings. Finally, a more affordable version of the EC Series has been announced with the LTD EC-201, which offers set-neck construction, 24 extra-jumbo frets, and a single ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover, which can be split for single-coil sounds with a push-pull volume knob.
ESP’s EX Series has two new models for 2022. The LTD EX-7 Baritone Black Metal is a seven-string guitar at 27” baritone scale. It offers the Black Metal design theme of all-black finish, components, and hardware, and a Macassar ebony fingerboard with no inlays and glow-in-the-dark side markers. It features a set-thru maple neck, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, and a single direct-mount EMG 81-7H pickup with black logo. The LTD EX-201 is an affordable way to get into the extreme EX shape, and offers a reverse matching headstock and a single direct-mount ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover, which can be split for single-coil sounds with a push pull volume knob. A high output pickup, the LH-150B is great for rock and metal, and has an antique nickel cover. ESP also made an addition to their F Series with the LTD Deluxe F-1001, which comes in the multihued, iridescent Violet Andromeda Satin finish. It features set-thru construction, an extra-thin maple neck that has a compound radius for maximum speed and comfort, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and a single direct-mount EMG 81TW active pickup with a brushed black chrome cover.
New models in the H Series and H3 Series include the new LTD Deluxe H-1000 EverTune in See Thru Purple Sunburst, featuring the EverTune constant tension bridge, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. Available in Snow White finish, the LTD Deluxe H3-1000FR has an extra-thin maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and EMG 66TW (neck) and EMG 57 (bridge) pickups in brushed gold covers. The LTD Deluxe H3-1000 in See Thru Black Cherry has a quilted maple top, and features a compound neck radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe H3-1007 Baritone is a 7-string, 27” baritone scale extended range guitar with a flamed maple top in See Thru Black Sunburst finish. It includes a set of direct-mount Seymour Duncan Sentient (neck) and Pegasus (bridge) pickups.
ESP has added new finishes for its popular ’87 Series guitars. The LTD M-1 Custom ’87 offers neck-thru body construction, a top-mounted Floyd Rose 1000 bridge, a single Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 pickup with a push-pull control for coil splitting, and an EMG PA-2 boost switch for when you need that extra push of raw power. For 2022, it is being made available in Dark Metallic Purple and Metallic Gold finishes. The LTD Mirage Deluxe ’87 features a Floyd Rose 1000 bridge and a pickup set that includes a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge and Hot Rail single coil in the neck. Its new finishes for 2022 include Snow White and Metallic Gold.
Available in Black Satin finish, the LTD Deluxe MH-1000 Baritone offers the extended range of a 27” baritone scale. It features neck-thru-body construction, a compound neck radius, 24 extra jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and direct-mount EMG 81 and EMG 60TW-R pickups with brushed black chrome covers. The LTD Deluxe MH-1000 comes in the beautiful new Black Ocean finish on its quilted maple top, and includes 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers with brushed stainless steel covers.
Three new models are being added to the Phoenix Series. The LTD Phoenix-7 Baritone Black Metal is an extended-range version of the Phoenix with seven strings and 27” baritone scale. It features neck-thru body construction, a Fishman Modern 7-String Humbucker pickup, and 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body. The LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1000 EverTune is the first Phoenix model to offer the EverTune constant tension bridge. Finished in Silver Sunburst Satin, it features neck-thru-body construction, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers with black nickel covers. The LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1000 has a quilted maple top in a See Thru Black Sunburst finish. Features include neck-thru-body construction, a reversed headstock with matching finish, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cat (neck) and Custom (bridge) pickups.
The SN Series is expanding with four new models. The LTD Deluxe SN-1000 EverTune is the first SN Series guitar to include the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge. Available in Charcoal Metallic Satin finish, it comes in an H/S/S pickup configuration with two Seymour Duncan Hot Strat single coils in the neck and middle positions, and a high-output Pegasus in the bridge. Other features include a roasted maple neck with compound radius, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a matching-finish headstock, and a special mini toggle switch (same as found on the ESP Snapper models) provides even more tonal options. The LTD Deluxe SN-1007 Baritone HT is the first SN Series model with the extended range of seven strings and a 27” baritone scale. Offered in the textured Black Blast finish, it has a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers.
The LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT Fire Blast has a textured, sandblasted Fire Blast finish over a swamp ash body, a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 22 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a black bone nut, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. The LTD Deluxe SN-1000FR (Snow White finish) includes a double-locking Floyd Rose 1000SE bridge with stainless steel screws, a roasted maple neck with a compound radius, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets (scalloped from frets 17-24), a matching-finish headstock, and an H/S/S pickup configuration with two Fishman Fluence Single Width pickups in the neck and middle positions and a Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker in the bridge.
Three new models are also joining the TE Series. The LTD Deluxe TE-1000 Snow White offers set-thru construction, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a Hipshot hardtail bridge with string thru body, and a set of Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers. Two new lower-priced TE models join the series with the LTD TE-200 (Black finish, LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body and a set of ESP LH-150 pickups) and the LTD TE-201 (Black Satin finish, LTD fixed bridge with string-thru-body, and a single ESP LH-150B pickup with antique nickel cover).
A new finish comes to the LTD TL-6. Now in Purple Sparkle Burst, the TL-6 is a chambered transducer electric guitar with a Graphtech NuBone-XB nut and saddle, a Fishman SONICORE pickup, and TL-3 preamp with onboard tuner.
Finally, three new guitars have been added to the Viper Series. The LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 Baritone is a 27” baritone scale guitar with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, and a set of EMG 60TW-R (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe Viper-1000 EverTune includes the innovative EverTune constant tension bridge, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, and a set of EMG 60TW-R (neck) and EMG 81 (bridge) pickups. The LTD Deluxe Viper-1000M offers a mahogany body in See Thru Black Cherry finish, 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets, a TonePros locking TOM bridge with string-thru-body, and a set of direct-mount Fishman Open Core Humbucker pickups.
Detailed information and specifications for all “New for 2022” ESP and LTD guitar models is available at the ESP web site at espguitars.com
- ESP LTD Vintage-204 Bass Review - Premier Guitar ›
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- ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar Review - Premier Guitar ›
The legendary Louisville rockers brought tons of vintage tone tools on the road this year.
My Morning Jacket’s Is, their 10th album, released on March 21, and as we reported in our feature on the band in our May print issue, it showcased a band exercising their classic strengths as well as newfound vision and curiosity. Helmed by superstar producer Brendan O’Brien, Is finds MMJ at their anthemic, psychedelic best.
We caught up with Carl Broemel for a Rig Rundown back in 2015, but on this year’s tour, PG’s John Bohlinger checked in with all three axemen—Jim James, Broemel, and bassist Tom Blankenship—to hear about their road rigs. In Broemel’s estimation, they’re lazy—they just like to bring everything.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Three's a Crowd
This gorgeous Gibson Jimi Hendrix 1967 SG Custom, aged by Murphy Labs, initially had three humbuckers, but James kept hitting his pick on the middle pickup, so it got the yank—as did the hefty bridge and Maestro Vibrola system, which were replaced with a simple stopbar tailpiece.
Mirror Image
James picked up this 1998 Gibson Flying V right around when My Morning Jacket got started. He traced and ordered the flashy mirror pickguard himself. It’s got Gibson pickups, though James isn’t sure of the models.
Jim James' Jimmy
James plucked this one-of-a-kind from Scott Baxendale’s collection of restored vintage guitars. He guesses it’s either an old Kay or Harmony guitar, but the decorations, including the custom plastic headstock plaque, make exact identification difficult. But it was clear this one was meant for James, since it has his name on it.
Elsewhere backstage is James’ Epiphone Jim James ES-335, a custom shop Fender Telecaster and Strat, a 1967 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, and a Gibson Barney Kessel.
Make Love, Not War
James loves repurposing old military equipment for creative, peaceful purposes, which is how this old radar system came to be a part of his live amplification kit. Along with the old tech, James runs two 3 Monkeys Orangutan heads through a 3 Monkeys cab.
Jim James' Pedalboard
James’ board is built around a pair of GigRig QuarterMaster switching systems, which lets him navigate the stomps you see here: a Devi Ever US Fuzz, Boss BD-2w, SoloDallas Schaffer Boost, Boss OC-2, EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery, Strymon blueSky, EQD Ghost Echo, Malekko Spring Chicken, ISP Deci-Mate, Electro-Harmonix Mel9, UA Starlight Echo Station, and UA Astra Modulation Machine. A D’Addario Chromatic Pedal Tuner duo keep things on pitch, a Strymon Zuma and Ojai pair handle the power, and a Radial SGI-44 line driver maintains clarity.
Arts and Crafts Night
One night while a bit tipsy, Broemel took out his paint pens and set to work on this Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, resulting in this masterpiece. He also removed the pickup selector switch; even though the neck pickup remains, it never gets used.
Relic By Broemel
This 1988 Les Paul Standard predates the band, and Broemel has given it its aged finish over the years—on one occasion, it fell out of a truck. It’s been treated to a Seymour Duncan pickup upgrade and occasional refrets when required.
Carl's Creston
This Creston Lea offset has two Novak lipstick pickups in the neck, with a switch to engage just one or both, plus a low-end roll-off control. It’s finished in the same blue-black color as Broemel’s house and sports a basil leaf on the headstock in tribute to Broemel’s son, Basil.
Also in the wardrobe are a shiny new Duesenberg tuned to open G, and a custom shop Fender Telecaster with a fattened neck and Bigsby to swing it closer to Broemel’s beloved LPs.
Milk Route
Broemel routes his GFI Ultra pedal steel, which is tuned to E9, through a board which includes a Milkman The Amp, which is projected through the speaker of a Fender Princeton Reissue combo. Operated with another GigRig QuarterMaster, the board also includes an Eventide H9, Moog MF Delay, Fender The Pelt, MXR Phase 90, EHX Nano POG, Xotic Effects EP Booster, Source Audio C4, and a Peterson StroboStomp HD.
Side-Carr
This time out, Broemel is running two Carr Slant 6V heads in stereo.
Carl Broemel's Pedalboard
Broemel commissioned XAct Tone Solutions to build this double-decker board, which depends on a GigRig G3S switching system. From top to bottom (literally), it includes a Boss TU-3, Durham Electronics Sex Drive, JAM Pedals Tubedreamer, Source Audio Spectrum, JAM Retrovibe, MXR Phase 100, Fender The Pelt, Origin Effects SlideRIG, 29 Pedals EUNA, two Eventide H9s, Kingsley Harlot V3, JAM Delay Llama, Merix LVX, Hologram Chroma Console, and EHX POGIII. A wah and Mission Engineering expression pedal sit on the left side, while a Lehle volume pedal and Gamechanger Audio Plus hold down the right edge.
Utility units include two SGI TX interfaces, two Strymon Ojais and a Strymon Zuma, and a Cioks Crux.
More From the Creston Crew
Blankenship, too, has brought along a few guitars from Lea, including these Precision-bass and Jazz-bass models. The dark-sparkle P-style rocks with GHS flatwound strings, while the natural-finish J-style has roundwounds.
Emperor's New Groove
Blankenship just got these brand-new Emperor cabinets, through which he cranks his Mesa Boogie WD-800 Subway heads.
Tom Blankenship’s Pedalboard
Like James, Blankenship uses a GigRig QuarterMaster to jump between his effects. After his Boss TU-3, that includes an Origin Effects Cali76, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Pepers’ Pedals Humongous Fuzz, MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, Tronographic Rusty Box, and EHX Bassballs Nano. A Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus lights things up, and a Radial SGI TX keeps the signal squeaky clean.
Shop My Morning Jacket's Rig
EarthQuaker Devices host Echo Reverb Pedal
ISP Technologies DECI-MATE Micro Noise Reduction Pedal
Electro-Harmonix Mel9 Tape Replay Machine Pedal
EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery Envelope Filter Pedal
Universal Audio UAFX Starlight Echo Station Delay Pedal
Universal Audio UAFX Astra Modulation Machine Pedal
Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
Experience the pinnacle of Taylor playing comfort and tone with the Builder’s Edition 514ce, 514ce Kona Burst, and 524ce. These models feature solid Shamel ash back and sides, uniquely voiced V-Class bracing, Gotoh 510 tuners, ES2 electronics, and a Deluxe Hardshell Case.
The Builder’s Edition 514ce, 514ce Kona Burst and 524ce join our acclaimed Builder’s Edition Collection, giving you more ways to experience the pinnacle of Taylor playing comfort and tone.
Each model boasts a gloss-finish cutaway Grand Auditorium body with solid Shamel ash back and sides, an artfully applied Kona burst on the back, sides and neck, uniquely voiced V-Class interior bracing, Gotoh 510 antique chrome tuners, ES2 electronics, and a Deluxe Hardshell Case.
Refined, comfort-enhancing features include a beveled armrest and cutaway, chamfered body edges and a smoothly contoured Curve Wing bridge. Italian acrylic “Compass” inlays and a vibrant firestripe pickguard add tasteful aesthetic accents.
Responsibly sourced from cities in Southern California, Shamel ash is given a second life as a tonewood in our premium-class guitars. It yields a focused, fundamental-strong voice with midrange power and balance comparable to Honduran mahogany.
Models:
- Builder's Edition 514ce - $3,399 - Featuring a natural Sitka spruce top paired with solid Shamel ash back and sides, the Builder’s Edition 514ce delivers warmth, depth and musical versatility for any style or genre.
- Builder's Edition 514ce Kona Burst - $3,499 - Showcasing a vintage aesthetic flair, this solid Shamel ash/Sitka spruce model features a Tobacco Kona burst top.
- Builder's Edition 524ce - $3,499 - This model pairs solid Shamel ash back and sides with a mahogany top—also featuring a Tobacco Kona burst—that adds a bit of natural compression to help create incredible tonal balance across the frequency spectrum.
For more information, please visit taylorguitars.com.
Expansive range of subtle thickening and focusing tones to fuzz. Great alternative to run-of-the-mill overdrive and fuzz. Enables surgical shaping of guitar sounds within a mix.
Interactive, sometimes sensitive controls make certain tones elusive and lend the pedal a twitchy feel.
$179
Catalinbread Airstrip
With the preamp from a Trident A-Range console as their target, Catalinbread conjures up a varied gain device that can massage or mangle your guitar tone.
Replicating a recording console preamp in a pedal is a pretty elementary idea, but it’s inspired stompboxes as varied as theJHS Colour Box andHudson Broadcast. All recording desks—and the pedals that imitate them—have their own color. Catalinbread’s Airstrip chases the sound of a Trident A-Range channel strip. (Search “Trident Studios” to get a handle on the kind of clientele the place attracted back in the ’60s and ’70s).
Presently, a new Trident A-Range channel strip costs thousands of dollars. An original? Well, only 13 desks were made, so you can probably get a nice used Rolls Royce for less—if you can find one. Rightly then, one should temper expectations about how well a $179 pedal can ape a priceless console. But like many preamps in a box, the Airstrip excels at a wide range of gain-shaping tasks, from surgical boost and EQ shadings to fuzzy, filtered, ready-to-rip-through-a-mix Jimmy Page/Beatles/Neil Young-style direct-to-desk tones. Even at extremes, the Airstrip is sensitive to touch, volume, and tone dynamics, enabling pivots from light (if very focused) overdrive to ’60s germanium-fuzz-like sounds with changes in guitar volume and tone. And though it’s dynamic and responsive, at many settings it also exhibits lovely compression tendencies, softening transients before giving way to wide-vista tone blooms—a great recipe for spare, lyrical, melodic leads with a ’60s biker-flick-soundtrack edge. Without any of its market-leading competitors around for comparison, it’s hard to say exactly how the Airstrip aligns with their EQ biases and core tones. What is certain is that there are scores of mellow to unconventionally aggressive colors here to explore.
AI, which generated this image in seconds, can obviously do amazing things. But can it actually replace human creativity?
Technology has always disrupted the music biz, but we’ve never seen anything like this.
AI has me deeply thinking: Is guitar (or any instrument) still valid? Are musicians still valid? I don’t think the answer is as obvious as I’d like it to be.
As a professional musician, I’ve spent the vast majority of my days immersed in the tones of tube amps, the resistance of steel strings under my fingers, and the endless pursuit of musical expression. Each day, I strive to tap into the Source, channel something new into the world (however small), and share it. Yet, lately, a new presence has entered the room—artificial intelligence. It is an interloper unlike any I’ve ever encountered. If you’re thinking that AI is something off in the “not-too-distant future,” you’re exponentially wrong. So, this month I’m going to ask that we sit and meditate on this technology, and hopefully gain some insight into how we are just beginning to use it.
AI: Friend or Foe?
In the last 12 months, I’ve heard quite a bit of AI-generated music. Algorithms can now “compose,” “perform” (with vocals of your choosing), and “produce” entire songs in minutes, with prompts as flippant as, “Write a song about__in the style of__.” AI never misses a note and can mimic the finer details of almost any genre with unnerving precision. For those who are merely curious about music, or those easily distracted by novelty, this might seem exciting … a shortcut to creating “professional” sounding music without years of practice. But for those of us who are deeply passionate about music, it raises some profound existential questions.
When you play an instrument, you engage in something deeply human. Each musician carries their life experiences into their playing. The pain of heartbreak, the joy of new beginnings, or the struggle to find a voice in an increasingly noisy and artificial online world dominated by algorithms. Sweat, tears, and callouses develop from your efforts and repetition. Your mistakes can lead to new creative vistas and shape the evolution of your style.
Emotions shape the music we create. While an algorithm can only infer and assign a “value” to the vast variety of our experience, it is ruthlessly proficient at analyzing and recording the entire corpus of human existence, and further, cataloging every known human behavioral action and response in mere fractions of a second.
Pardon the Disruption
Technology has always disrupted the music industry. The invention of musical notation provided unprecedented access to compositions. The advent of records allowed performances of music to be captured and shared. When radio brought music into every home, there was fear that no one would buy records. Television added visual spectacle, sparking fears that it would kill live performance. MIDI revolutionized music production but raised concerns about replacing human players. The internet, paired with the MP3 format, democratized music distribution, shattered traditional revenue models, and shifted power from labels to artists. Each of these innovations was met with resistance and uncertainty, but ultimately, they expanded the ways music could be created, shared, and experienced.
Every revolution in art and technology forces us to rediscover what is uniquely human about creativity. To me, though, this is different. AI isn’t a tool that requires a significant amount of human input in order to work. It’s already analyzed the minutia of all of humanity’s greatest creations—from the most esoteric to the ubiquitous, and it is wholly capable of creating entire works of art that are as commercially competitive as anything you’ve ever heard. This will force us to recalibrate our definition of art and push us to dig deeper into our personal truths.
“In an age where performed perfection is casually synthesized into existence, does our human expression still hold value? Especially if the average listener can’t tell the difference?”
Advantage: Humans
What if we don’t want to, though? In an age where performed perfection is casually synthesized into existence, does our human expression still hold value? Especially if the average listener can’t tell the difference?
Of course, the answer is still emphatically “Yes!” But caveat emptor. I believe that the value of the tool depends entirely on the way in which it is used—and this one in particular is a very, very powerful tool. We all need to read the manual and handle with care.
AI cannot replicate the experience of creating music in the moment. It cannot capture the energy of a living room jam session with friends or the adrenaline of playing a less-than-perfect set in front of a crowd who cheers because they feel your passion. It cannot replace the personal journey you take each time you push through frustration to master a riff that once seemed impossible. So, my fellow musicians, I say this: Your music is valid. Your guitar is valid. What you create with your hands and heart will always stand apart from what an algorithm can generate.
Our audience, on the other hand, is quite a different matter. And that’s the subject for next month’s Dojo. Until then, namaste.