Below, check out a recently posted demo video for the ServoBender guitar.
What is it, you ask? It's the latest—and perhaps the most successful—attempt at replicating the sound of a 10-string pedal steel guitar using the six-string variety (You know, the thing most of us play). One could even call it a guitar/pedal steel hybrid.
While there are guitars with B-benders and G-benders (and both benders at the same time), the ServoBender uses four servos, all of which are mounted to a metal plate below the bridge. Each one has a spring-and-cam system made from 3D-printed parts.
The de-tuning is controlled by an Arduino and sustain pedals retrofitted with hall-effect sensors.
If you want (a lot) more info about the project, plus photos documenting the building process, head here, here and here. Also, be sure to let us know what you think of this guitar in the comments or on Facebook!
Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World. He's a B-bending guitarist who collects B-bender-equipped guitars. He has four at the moment. Follow him on Twitter if you dare.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
