Self-tuning guitar computerized
If you’re a guitarist and tone deaf, or fed up with electric tuners, two Colorado men can help, one self-tuning guitar at a time. With the push of a button or foot pedal, their TransPerformance guitars can be tuned to any key – even in the middle of a song. With home offices in Fort Collins and Erie, Neil Skinn and Frank Strazzabosco have spent 10 years perfecting and retrofitting electric guitars, making all six strings change tension without having to use the tuning keys. A computer installed inside the guitar controls motors that are attached to each string.
“It opens up a whole new world of performing opportunities,” Strazzabosco said. “We’ve made improvements to where it’s totally working and really sweet.”
Generally, Skinn and Strazzabosco charge $3,500 to install the one-touch tuning technology on guitars their clients have already purchased. They’re selling their latest model, The Performer, on eBay at the starting price of $5,399. According to the TransPerformance website, the guitars have been endorsed by several musicians, including Jimmy Page and Graham Nash. Strazzabosco said they’re working on a new model, which would be more affordable for the average guitarist.
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Want to know how vulnerable personal data on your PC is to hackers? Run Winferno Software’s free privacy scan at www.winferno.com/pcconfidential.aspx on your computer. The company hopes the experience will prompt you to try PC Confidential, a new program that guards private information from online intruders. The title features a privacy report tool, a data-file shredder and options to manage cookies, chat logs and other files containing sensitive information. After running the program’s privacy report, you can identify potential trouble spots, and set the program to automatically purge some data while leaving less sensitive files alone. It costs $40.
