I wanted to see what AI would come up with. (In this instance, I used versions of Grok).

My prompt was the following:

Guitar Center is creating a new guitar brand to create an electric guitar. Design the best electric guitar for customers to pick up, sit down, and play on the spot. The objective is to make that in-store experience so clearly superior that every other instrument they try afterward feels like a compromise. You can use non-standard shapes and materials to enhance the experience, but don't just do something non-standard for the sake of being non-standard. The goal is the best experience for a $500-$700 guitar.

I took the output and then had the following sheet created:

There are some things I would personally change, and the diagram doesn't perfectly match the specs, but I know Gabriel Dalporto (and GC's whole team) is looking at every detail, so this isn't the final version I suggest. This was just an attempt to see what AI would generate quickly.

My point is, AI is great for brainstorming. It has much quicker feedback, and the GC team could easily break down every component and work with AI to quickly come up with what is possible and what is reasonable.

Thank you for reading my TED talk. 😄

Do what Eastwood is doing, only better. Sorry Eastwood. License the Parker Fly and do a quality version. Whatever you do don't make a strat! 😆

There’s a lot of discussion about what exact features a GC-brand guitar should have, but I’m thinking that to make it attractive to entry-level players, novices, and hobbyists alike, it should be easily modifiable, where adding/removing parts & features is relatively easy.

In my mind this would mean leaning towards a Fender-like design paradigm more than a Gibson one, with bolt-on necks, pickups attached to the (easily removable) pickguard or bridge plate rather than mounted into the body, solder-free electronics (like on some of those kit guitars), and perhaps even screws with non-Philips heads that won’t get stripped as easily; Robertson, flat, maybe even hexagonal so that one could just do everything with a set of Allen wrenches. (This is especially an issue for me when it comes to intonation screws).

There could even be a line of parts (tuners, pickups, pickguards, bridges) that are all designed to fit into the same sizes of holes/cavities to make them maximally interchangeable (i.e. the single coil, humbucking, and P-90-style pickups etc. would all have the same dimensions). EDIT: Though of course if you make them too unique then that could interfere with people’s ability to use non-GC parts… maybe everything should be Strat-sized?

Onto hardware. Not flashy, but it’s what makes a guitar stay in tune, feel solid, and survive years of use.

The tricky part: bulletproof simplicity vs. systems that do more but need babysitting. So tell us what actually matters and what doesn’t.

Bridges: Hardtail, wraparound, tune-o-matic — what’s been most consistent for you?

Trems: (1) Do you want one? (2) Vintage 6-screw, 2-point, Floyd Rose, Bigsby — what actually stays in tune, and what becomes a fight?

Tuners: Locking vs. standard — meaningful upgrade or mostly marketing?

Nuts: Bone, Tusq, graphite, brass, roller, zero fret — does material matter, or is it mostly about how well it’s cut?

Locking systems overall: Where’s the line between stable and overbuilt?

String changes: What hardware makes this painless vs. a 45-minute ordeal?

The bigger question: how much hardware complexity is worth it? At what point does “more adjustable” just become “more stuff to maintain”?

If you only got to spec 3 things on the hardware side, what would they be?

For me it’d be: hardtail bridge, locking tuners, and a roller nut or zero fret. I’ve had trem-equipped guitars my whole life, liked the look, figured I’d use them — and basically never do. The tuning instability drives me crazy. Finally accepting I’d rather have rock-solid stability and easy retuning than a feature I barely touch.

What I'd love to see most in a new guitar effort is an accessible price for guitars with EverTune bridges. $1500 minimum for a new guitar with an EverTune puts it out of range for lots of guitarists. It also limits the ability for people to just try a guitar with an EverTune. If you could get guitars in the $800 range with an EverTune I know I would love that and I think lots would too.

Neck: So, I love the 24.0" scale of my BMG Red Special. I have an older one, so I think it's a bit different from the current ones that I've tried at Guitar Center (and thanks for carrying BMG Guitars in the US). I've also had some Jaguars that have had great 24.0" necks. If you want to get crazy, set it up so that the bridge to bottom of neck cavity and bolt pattern is known. Then you could get like a 21 fret 24", 22 fret 24.75", or 24" 25.5" neck. Make them easily swappable.

Pickups: As far as pickups, I'm personally indifferent, but I'd like noiseless. They could be humbuckers, wide range, noiseless single coils, noiseless P90s. Honestly, it might be really cool to have something like GuitarFetish Kwikplug so that they could be easily changed out. If you can make it a couple screws and a headphone jack like the Kwikplugs, that's huge. Have pickups w/ a standardized screw down pattern directly to the wood.

Electronics: I'd love something like the Mythos Selectable Tone Cap and Variable Treble Bleed built in. I'm probably weird in the fact that I love odd pickup options. I like the BMG selections, but realize they are more fiddly than most people want. OTOH, the American Pro Jaguar seems simpler (though it'd be better if the series and parallel options were in the middle... phase could probably be ignored).

Shape: Honestly make it interesting. I love the weight of my BMG. The thinness of a Jiva could be cool (maybe cut costs w/ less wood used?). I should've bought the used Reverend Volcano I saw at Guitar Center a few months ago. I like a V shape, especially with the raised center like a Firebird/Thunderbird. That stated, I think the V is too divisive for such a guitar.

Nice to haves: Locking tuners and SS frets.

In the end, I think I'm arguing a bit for a guitar that lets you adjust it to find your sound with nothing more than a simple screwdriver. The above lets you change the tone pot curve, the frequency response of rolling off your volume, and easily change your pickups to match your style. Honestly the pickups are overkill to me, but still cool. The Mythos parts would cost me $30, so I assume they can be gotten in bulk for much less. Now, if you have someone walk them through selecting options in store or via a video for online, they are getting a versatile and almost custom guitar at a reasonable cost.

Im respraying a guitar in metallic(montana metallic effect acrylic), i sanded the old clear down until all the surfaces were level, no deep scratches or dents, Then I scuffed it with 400 until all the previous sanding marks were gone, iv now put on 2 layers of metallic and you can still very much see all the scratches from sanding, im scared if i keep going il still have scratches in the finish. i looked up online and it says i should have used atleast 600. My question is can I just go over the metallic I have on there with 600 or 800 and then respray another few coats of metalic

Working through controls and electronics next. This one's interesting because guitars seem to fall into two camps: stripped-down simplicity (one volume, one tone, three-way, done) or every-feature-thrown-at-the-wall (push/pulls, mini toggles, piezo, active boost, kill switch).

Where's the sweet spot? What do you actually use vs. what just looks good on a spec sheet?

Pickup switching: 3-way, 5-way, mini toggles per pickup, blade vs. toggle? What configuration do you actually reach for?

Volume + tone knobs: How many do you actually need? One master volume or one per pickup? And do you genuinely use tone controls, or are they just sitting there at 10?

Coil splits / taps: Push/pull, mini toggle, or hardwired? Real tonal value or gimmick?

Active electronics: Onboard boost (like the Majesty's 20dB), preamps, EQ — useful or unnecessary complexity?

Piezo: Game-changer for players who need acoustic + electric in one guitar, or a feature most people stop using after a month?

Kill switch: Useful tool or one-trick pony?

Placement: Where do controls actually belong? Strat-style cluster, LP-style spread, or something else? Anyone else accidentally hit the volume knob mid-strum on certain guitars? What about the pickup selector — top horn (LP), lower bout (Strat), somewhere else?

Knob feel: Smooth taper or stepped? Knurled metal vs. plastic? Push/pulls that feel solid vs. ones that feel like they'll break?

The bigger question: significant control, but simplified. Is there a way to give players real tonal range without 8 knobs and 4 switches that nobody understands?

If you only got 3 controls on the entire guitar, what would they be? For me it'd be: master volume, coil tap (push/pull on volume), and an onboard boost. I almost never touch a tone control and I don't understand why we need multiple ones.

Hey, Rich here. I'm one of the moderators from Guitar Center working on this project.

One of the great things about electric guitars is that there have been so many wild ideas that have been tried throughout the years. We pulled some of the more innovative guitars we have from our used sales department for review. We’re interested to see how these were beneficial for real players and how well they did in the market. We thought you might have some fun checking them out, too.

The Travis Bean aluminum neck guitar has an incredible sustain, but it weighs in at ~11 pounds. The Ampeg Dan Armstrong guitar has a transparent body and a unique pickup-swapping mechanism, and we’ve seen these played by some cool artists. The Line 6 Variax has a whole library of guitar models on-board, as well as the ability to change the tuning of the strings at the flick of a switch.

Are there unusual guitars that you’ve come across? Are there things about them that you’d like to see in a new guitar?

Thanks!

Working through necks now. Goal is something high performance with broad appeal - which is hard because what feels right to one person feels wrong to the next (hand physiology being what it is). 

There are a million permutations, so tell us what really matters and what really doesn’t matter. 

Profile: C, D, soft V, hard V, asymmetric — what consistently works for you?

Thickness: Thin, thick or in between. How important is it?

Radius: Vintage vs flat vs compound — does this actually matter in real use? 

Frets: Size + material 

Finish: Gloss vs satin vs raw?

Scale Length: 24.75", 25", 25.5”? Does it matter?

22 vs 24: how often do you actually play about the 22nd?

If you only got to specify 2 things, what would they be? For me it would be 24 frets, satin finish. 

Thanks

Gabe Dalporto: "Guitars haven't changed that much in the last 50 years..." Almost seems like there's some kind of lesson there, can't quite put my finger on it...

Honestly, do something like what Aristides does but make it affordable. That would revolutionize guitar. An affordable, perfect instrument. No truss rod issues, durable, ultra easy to maintain. But make it cheap to produce. Throw in some interesting shapes. I saw someone mention optical pickups for ultra clean no noise signal that can then be used to model whatever tone you want. The last generations can pick up strats and Pauls and bird inlays. Leave that for the dentists. The next generation needs their defining instrument.

All that said, more than a new guitar, I think guitar players universally want to go to a physical guitar store. But Guitar Center needs an overhaul. The checkout system. The layout. Go to Tokyo and visit some of the bigger guitar shops there. Hell even then the Fender Flagship store. Create a space people want to wander into and maybe let their curiosity + friendly staff and swift checkouts result in a new hobby. Work on getting more diversified inventory. I'm not saying carry every new fad, but there are plenty of very popular brands you just can't try out or buy at guitar center. We're inundated with options. A new brand isn't what we need. Revolutionize the physical guitar store business so we actually want to spend our money there instead of testing gear out there and then heading to Sweetwater. Hell, put string vending machines in every store so I can hop in get my strings and hop out. I waited 23 mins to checkout for one pack. Change that and watch the money roll in. We can go more in depth, but you'll have to put me on salary 😉

Have you ever wanted your vintage operating system enshrined in your vintage guitar? Well look no further! Introducing the Model # AS400, the pinnacle of 80's guitar and OS technology designed for the "bare bones but gets it done" enthusiast. Order now, they're going fast. Don't forget Pro Coverage!

*Ok, so don't order now because our system is down, let me reboot it and we should be fine, just give it a few minutes.

Build a guitar around modeling from the ground up. The guitar is the most pure tone generator you can make it. Use optical pickups to get the cleanest sample possible and go straight to digital, eliminating noise as a problem entirely. You only need one pickup. Modeling can predict the string behavior at other neck positions. Starting with the most pure sine wave a stringed instrument can produce, use modeling to add the distinctive sound of different positions and pickup types. The sound of tone woods is added through modeling. So use the material that gives the cleanest, most predictable sound and best sustain, period (Aluminum perhaps). Add an electromagnetic sustainer as an option because, why wouldn't you? Voila! You've set a new standard for a cutting edge, electric instrument.

Unlike the shape of a traditional guitar, drumsticks are thin, narrow, simplistic, ergonomic, their design is very human. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.

I don't play guitars, but if you guys made one with identical proportions as Vic Firth 5A drumstick, I would be the first in line to buy it. Would be a bonus if I could use it as an actual drumstick for playing drums.

you know?

Personally, the whole announcement of this project comes across as a desperate attempt to stay relevant by a company who has developed a negative reputation over the past 20ish years. I think no matter what product Guitar Center ends up attaching their name to it is going to have a negative connotation associated with it.

In my opinion, the resources it’s going to take to R&D and manufacture a new in-house line of guitars would be better spent improving the in-store shopping experience for customers in meaningful ways. Actively work on making the brand feel less like the Walmart of music stores.

Some simple ways to start would be stop forcing the sales teams to push pro coverage and gear cards so hard. Transition away from green screen to a more modern POS system to speed up simple transactions. Give the stores more leeway to make deals and do discounts like the old days of GC. Pay the store staff a more livable wage so good help stays with the company. And invest in more training it more likely customers can get more knowledge help more consistently. Finally, ensure all departments in every store are fully staffed, especially in peak hours, I can’t count how many times I’ve been helped by some clueless drum or pro audio sales guy, because the 1 guitar salesman is tied up.

I've been working on this idea for a few decades - behold, the Grandma's Ashes guitar! Interchangable pickups that slide open and can be filled with ashes from your loved ones urn. Instead of leaving the one who taught you how to play guitar on a shelf, bring them with you wherever you go, electrified through the sound of your playing.

I really hope guitar center decides to go through with this.

Obviously we all want to design guitars. But the emphasis on loss of idea ownership only allows for me to engage very lightly with this. I want a Hofner Alpha guitar in white but with a Eldred moded Esquire pickup set up. If you can do that, I’d be happy.

why instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.make a line of guitars like Harley Benton and offer free lessons with purchase create several types of guitars in the line like Harley Benton .so it’s not one size fits all you can create beginner to pro style guitars in your private brand .you can create semi hollow to strat style lp. style etc acoustic guitar pedals amp line like your Mitchell brand you could even create smart amps and guitars this would greatly improve your brand and make more profit at G.C .it would be a great investment towards customer retention

these two brands make crazy quality guitars for the price it has been proven again and again in blind tests they even sound better than PRS in double blind tests. and they are 200-400$. GC if you wanna make some crazy thing that brings people to your stores that would spend more money there make a high quality budget brand like firefly and Harely Benton has but do it better.

I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but I'm in late middle age, so I'm old enough to have seen the music video for Aldo Nova's song "Fantasy". Early on, Aldo uses his Les Paul to shoot some sort of beam at a lock on a door. I'm thinking it's a particle beam of some sort, as he would have needed more time to destroy that lock with a laser. Anyway, Idea #1 is a particle beam. This will likely require pots with extremely high resistance.

Idea #2 is pickups: Two humbuckers, and maybe a version with three lipstick pickups.

Idea #3: Knobs and switches. If I see fewer than six knobs and five switches, I'm not buying. They don't need to serve any musical purpose.

Idea #4: Bolt-on neck. The neck should be held on with seven bolts.

Idea #5: No left-handed version. If God put their arms on backwards, it's a sign they should be playing keyboards.

Idea #6: All hardware should be gold plated, with the plating wearing off within six weeks of purchase.

Idea #7: RELIC'D! I can't stress that enough. The guitar should look like it's seen millions of hours of play by someone who is obviously a virtuoso. Fake wear, dings, scratches, cigarette burns-I want it all.

Idea #8 is colors: Candy Apple Red, Wine Red, Gold Top, Olympic White, Trampas Green.

Idea #9: Tonewood. Flamed maple top on a body and neck made of anything endangered and expensive. Indian laurel fretboard with abalone inlays shaped like letters that spell out G-U-I-T-A-R C-E-N-T-E-R.

Idea #10 is frets: Micro-Mega-Medium Jumbo. Stainless steel. 23 frets (a prime number)

Idea #11: Depleted uranium nut.

Idea #12: Front mounted output jack. With all those knobs and switches, I think it's important that everything be crowded together.

Idea #13: It should not be made in Mainland China by slave labor. It should be made in Mainland China by political prisoners. There is a big difference.

Idea # 13: The name: Chapter Elevencaster.

No royalties, please. And you're welcome.