Wednesday February 26th, 2003

Scorpions try out Gibson digital guitar

Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions are practically synonymous with Gibson Flying Vs and Explorers, but backstage before a recent concert in San Jose, CA, the heavy metal legends were playing a different tune on Gibsons new digital guitar.

Rudy Schenker of the Scorpions, with the Gibson digital guitar prototype

Gibson Labs engineers Andreas Schmidt and Jeffrey Vallier, who were in town for the Intel Developers Forum (Feb. 18-21), set up a Gibson digital guitar in the Scorpions dressing room, just before their show at the HP Pavilion. Schmidt has been talking up the digital guitar ever since he first met Schenker and Jabs in July 2002, but this was the first time the Scorpions had ever had one in their hands.

The Gibson Labs booth, with Andreas Schmidt presiding

Schenker liked the "clean" sound of the digital guitar but in the short time he played it he couldnt quite find the "crunch" sound that he was looking for. He plans on letting his brother Michael (an original Scorpion, member of UFO and leader of the Michael Schenker Group) in on the new technology. Jabs was equally interested in the digital guitar and said he wanted to try it out the familiar surroundings of his home in order to fully explore its possibilities. The Scorpions begin pre-production for a new album in April in Schenkers home studio.

Chuck Yamek, Gibson clinician and former L.A. session guitarist, put the digital guitar through its paces at the Gibson Labs booth

The Gibson digital duitar is here and Gibson Labs here. The Gibson MaGIC(r) starts here.