Gibson Guitars 1550-07 GUS User's Manual
Contents
1. Volume controls The two knobs closest to the fingerboard control the volume of the pickups The volume Knob nearest the bridge controls the front or neck pickup the knob nearest the edge of the guitar controls the back or bridge pickup Tone controls The knob or knobs farthest away from the fingerboard control tone The tone knob nearest the bridge controls the front or neck pickup the knob nearest the edge of the guitar controls the back or bridge pickup The tone controls are the treble roll off or cut variety The tonal quality of the instrument is darkened by the reduction of treble rather than the addition of bass The tone control turned all the way counterclockwise results in maximum reduction of treble and produces the dark est sound The tone control turned clockwise to its maximum position allows the pickup s full harmonic freguencies to pass through producing the guitar s brightest sound Pickup selector switch The selector switch has three positions The up position selects only the front or neck pickup The down position selects only the back or bridge pickup The middle position engages both pickups The tone and volume controls will only be active when the corresponding pickup is selected On models with three pickups the selector switch activates the front pickup front position the middle and back pickup together middle position and the back pickup back position2. The Tune o matic Bridge The Tune o matic bridge allows for adjustment in overall bridge height and individual string length Height is adjustable up and down by means of thumb wheels under the bridge at either end Each string saddle is adjustable forward and back with a small standard screwdriver Action adjustment up and down is set at the factory to the correct height for playing comfort and for buzz free action Raising the bridge will result in stiffer action lowering the bridge will result in faster action but may also result in fret buzz Climatic or humidity changes or changes in string gauge may necessitate a bridge adjustment Any change in bridge height string gauge or climate can affect the intonation and cause a guitar to play out of tune in some fret positions When this happens the string length needs to be adjusted and this is accomplished by moving the individual saddles forward toward the neck or backward toward the tailpiece The screw heads are on the pickup side of the bridge although there are many Gibsons that have the screw heads facing the tailpiece To check into nation compare the pitch of a string that is fretted at the 12th fret against the harmonic at the 12th fret accomplished by touching the string lightly with the left hand without pressing it all the way to the fret If the fretted note is higher than the harmonic the string should be lengthened by moving the saddle toward the tailpiece until the
3. I will flash on and off in blue Reference Tuning Tune to selected reference pitch I LED shining red Should you wish to store your new Reference Tuning T by pressing the display simply turn the MCK to one of the factory preset MCK Position The letter I will shine positions E A D G B or e and press the display green and ALL string indicate your new Reference Tuning has been stored at that position and can be recalled in the same manner as any other preset by choosing that position Pull MCK out and LEDs will shine red turn to LED Remember that you don t have to store your new Reference Tuning Simply push the MCK back into normal position and you are ready to go once The display LEDs will flash blue 3 times to L_ 22 22 2222 nn nnn nnn nnn nnn nn Function Display LEDs Action Remarks To create your own Custom Altered Tuning disengage each Powerhead of the Custom Altered Tuning When all strings of your Custom Altered Tuning have been registered the string LEDs will flash blue 3 times You may now store i your Custom Altered Tuning to one of the string required and tune Wr it manually to the pitch factory preset positions Select E A D 6 B you want Then press ore and press the display once The display the display once and LEDs will flash blue 3 times to indicate your the Peg LED will shi
4. P 90 single coll Only a few Gibsons some Les Paul Juniors Les Paul Specials and Melody Makers have single coil P 90 pickups Some have the original dog eared covers those without the dog ears are nicknamed soapbar because the original cream colored plastic covers on the 1952 Les Paul Model resembled bars of soap When the P 90 was introduced in 1946 it was the most powerful pickup of its kind And it still is Among the many exam ples of the P 90 sound are Carlos Santana s Les Paul Special on Santana s classic recordings Leslie West s Les Paul Jr with the group Mountain and the Who s Pete Townshend with an SG Special on Live at Leeds and at Woodstock Pickup adjustments AIthough the pickups on each Les Paul are set to Gibson standards at the factory they can be adjusted The height of the pickup can be adjusted by the two screws found at either end of the pickup in the mounting ring Individual string volume can be adjust ed by turning the polepiece screws Bringing the pickup or pole screw closer to the strings makes the signal stronger or hotter Gontrols The standard Gibson electronic configuration is two pickups four knobs and a pick up selector switch The four Knobs provide individual tone and volume control for each pick up Models with only three knobs provide individual volume and master tone control Single pickup models have only two knobs for volume and tone control and no pickup selector
5. 1959 the Special went to the rounded horn double cutaway shape and was renamed the SG Special SG for Solid Guitar In 1960 all four models were revamped and given a new SG body shape featuring a thinner double cutaway body with pointed horns The Custom Standard and Jr retained the Les Paul designation through 1962 after which they became SG models Gibson s design innovation continued into the 1960s when Ted McCarty hired legendary auto motive designer Ray Deitrich to design a Gibson The result was the Firebird series and the companion Thunderbird bass series of 1963 The Firebirds reversed conventional designs with their elongated treble side horn and treble side tuners They also introduced neck through body construction and smaller mini humbucking pickups to the Gibson line In response to the rising demand for 1950s style Les Pauls the carved top models were rein troduced in 1968 A new model the Les Paul Deluxe featuring mini humbucking pickups appeared in 1969 The Special was revived in the 1970s and the Jr reappeared in the 1980s The Flying V Explorer and Firebird were also brought back into regular production as musi cal styles began to catch up with these ahead of their time designs While the original four Les Paul models continued as the foundation of the line Gibson offered new variations such as the Studio Classic and Double Cut Standard in order to give musi cians all the features they wan
6. A a CALIBRATING POWERHEADS The Robot Guitar will be pre calibrated for a standard 010 046 set of strings If you change string gauges restore factory defaults or are installing the system yourself you may first want to calibrate the Powerheads individually using the Motor Calibration Mode as described below Remember though each Powerhead is self regulated with a Dynamic Runtime Algorithm that ensures the change of runtimes according to each string After several tunings the system will perfect itself automatically MANUAL CALIBRATION OF POWERHEADS Enter Setup Mode and turn to LED I press display The Peg and LEDs will shine white Now you are ready to calibrate any or all of your Powerheads First turn the MCK to the Powerhead you want to calibrate selected strings are indicated by solid blue and press the display once Strum the string and it will begin to alternate between flashing red and green Pause a few seconds and strum it again Repeat this simple procedure while the Powerhead adjusts itself When the LED for that string changes to the next string in order you know that the Powerhead you selected first is done It s that simple CHARGING AND BATTERY INFORMATION The Robot Guitar comes with a battery pack containing two rechargeable batteries A special charger is also included with the system The battery charge level is indicated each time you activate your system as indicated below You may expect more than 2
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8. a pickup installed on the top Gibson added a second pickup to the ES 300 in 1948 and then became the first company to offer a three pickup model with the introduction of the ES 5 in 1949 Although the advantages of a solidbody guitar had been known to Hawaiian steel guitarists for almost 2O years it took the persuasive powers of Les Paul the world s most famous guitarist in the early 1950s to convince Gibson to make a Spanish style solidbody Gibson designed the new model with a carved top not only to give it the look of a traditional archtop a style invented by Gibson but also to make it difficult for other makers to copy Les who had been playing a homemade solidbody guitar nicknamed The Log since 1941 specified a maple top cap to increase sustain coupled with a mahogany back to lighten the weight Les also speci fied the famous Goldtop finish The Les Paul Model debuted in 1952 The bridge and tailpiece were upgraded when Gibson introduced the patented tune o matic bridge in 1954 and the original single coil pickups were upgraded with the introduction of Gibson s patented humbuckers in 1957 Otherwise the orig inal Les Paul is essentially the same guitar today as it was when it was introduced In 1954 the growing popularity of the Les Paul Model prompted Gibson to expand the line On the high end the Les Paul Custom sported an Ebony finish and low frets for fast action and it immediately gained two nicknames the B
9. colored blink i code displays the i appropriate correction For each green LED i turn the screw half i turn clockwise for the intonation screw For example ICEA 5 half turns clockwise For example i UeBGDA 6 half turns counter clockwise Repeat Intonation Mode for each string i A correctly intonated i string is indicated by a blue LED I U 1 1 D 1 DEE e EE Function Action Remarks Calibration Mode MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn to C LED Display LEDs C LED shinesred g Access Calibration i Mode by pressing the i display for 3 seconds i The C LED will shine blue Now turn the MCK to select your funda i mental frequency from i the following list i Note while selecting i your fundamental i pressing the display I will toggle the red LED on and off and i the other displayed i LEDs will remain blue 435Hz C and E LED blue 436Hz C and E LED blue LED red 437Hz C and ALED blue 438Hz C and A LED blue LED red 439Hz C and D LED blue A40Hz C and D LED blue LED red 441Hz C and G LED blue 442Hz C and G LED blue LED red A43Hz C and B LED blue AAAHz C and B LED blue LED red A45Hz C and e LED blue A46Hz C and e LED blue LED red PLEASE NOTE Once you have selected your desired fundamental press the display down for three seconds Now choose a tuning and strum the st
10. flash green and a running display of green LEDs on the MCK will indicate charge level The charging unit s LED will flash green too Le A A EEN EMERGENCY CHARGE MODE The system has an Emergency Charge Mode ECM if its rechargable battery pack goes completely dead or too low in charge to run the normal Charge Function Pull out MCK and turn it to roughly the middle position It s OK if the lights don t come on ECM will fix that Put all the other controls in roughly the middle position and use a short patch cord 1 foot or less to lower resistance Plug your patch cable into the charger into the guitar and connect your power supply to the charger and power it up The charger will soon blink red seeking a guitar The charger will recognize the problem and after 30 seconds will blink yellow It will soon provide enough charge to activate and switch to normal chaging mode automatically The length of time it takes to re activate the normal charging mode can be from a few seconds to a minute or more AUTOMATIC SWITCH OFF MODE If the MCK is left in the on position for more than 120 seconds the system enters Switch Off Mode indicated by a flashing green light After 30 minutes the system turns into Standby Mode indicated by a very slow flashing yellow light You can re activate the system in either status by turning the MCK Note It is recommended not to store the guitar with the MCK out as this will fully d
11. 00 tunings between charges There is no need to open your guitar to access any of the battery charging functions When the system is enabled but inactive for more than one minute the battery will switch off automatically A special protection mode is built into the charging system so always begin the charging process by connecting your guitar cord to the charger last Short patch cords are most effective during charging BATTERY LEVEL Fach time the MCK is first activated it will indicate if charging is needed immediately by showing the battery symbol flashing red Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Now you will see a For optimum performance flashing red battery you will want a charge symbol on the MCK level of 8 10 green flashing indicating your system LEDs A fully charged is looking for its charger Plug in the AC power battery pack will show a Charge Mode Pull MCK out turnto Your current charge C LED and press level will be displayed i display Jor about 3 seconds The level of charge will be indicated by how many green LEDs plug of your charging Solid blue light on the you see betweeen unit and the charger will charging unit Push MCK 1 and 10 i flash red too Connect back to its normal position the charging unit to the when charging is complete guitar with a standard A full charge should take eek oe no more than 90 minutes charge the charging unit will
12. BRIEF HISTORY OF GIBSON ELECTRIC GUITARS Gibson s legendary acoustic engineer Lloyd Loar was experimenting with electric instruments in 1924 at the dawn of electronic amplification However Gibson s struggle to dominate the banjo market took precedence through the 1920s and it wasn t until the mid 1930s that the company once again turned its attention to electric guitars In 1935 Gibson s Walt Fuller designed a pickup that was introduced on the E 150 an aluminum body lap steel Early in 1936 the pickup was put in a midline archtop model and named the ES 150 ES for Electric Spanish 150 for the retail price of 150 for the guitar and amplifier set The original ES 150 bar pickup with its hexagonal housing is now known as the Charlie Christian pickup because it was installed on the ES 150s and ES 250s that Christian used to establish the new concept of electric jazz guitar Gibson made several improvements in pickup design before World War II although many play ers still consider the Christian pickup to be the best Jazz pickup ever made Immediately after World War II Gibson introduced the P 90 single coil with six adjustable polepieces and a black plastic cover usually with dog ear mounting extensions The P 90 is still in produc tion and still sets the industry standard for a single coil pickup The first postwar Gibson electrics followed the prewar concept of an electric guitar as a conventional acoustic archtop with
13. Mode at A440 unless you have changed tuning defaults see page 46 but six factory presets have been provided for your use Each preset can be changed to your liking but you can always restore the factory defaults as later described in this Owner s Manual The MCK s LED display will show various symbols and colors and these will be explained in the various modes of operation available to you During the tuning process they will behave as follows String LEDs Display Actions During Tuning Operations string not tuned solid red measuring frequency red flashing Powerheads turning yellow flashing signal clipping solid blue string frequency at extreme range solid purple individual string in tune solid green all strings in tune all LEDs flash blue 3 times During the tuning process the guitar will be nearly 100 percent muted After the MCK is pushed back in full volume retums PRECAUTIONS e Never try to manually turn the tuning pegs on the Powerheads unless they are in the disengaged position pulled out and away from the peghead e Do not attempt to open the cover of the peghead electronics the Powerheads or the body CPU as this will void your warranty e Do not fret a string while attempting to tune the Robot Guitar Strings must be open for the system to function properly unless you are performing the intonation routine e t does not require much force to detect pitch and to tune each desired
14. OWNER S MANUAL 1550 07 GUS N a AN y Gil wau 2007 Gibson Guitar Corp To the new Gibson owner Congratulations on the purchase of your new Gibson electric guitar the world s most famous electric guitar from the leader of fretted instruments Please take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the information in this booklet regarding materials electronics how to care maintenance and more about your guitar And then begin enjoying a lifetime of music with your new Gibson The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Gibson Innovations The History of Gibson Electric Guitars oo E DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body IS Neck and Headstock 13 Pickups 14 Controls 15 Bridge 17 Tailpiece 18 CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish 19 Your Guitar on the Road 19 Things to Avoid 20 Strings 21 Install Your Strings Correctly 22 String Gauge 23 Brand of Strings 23 NEW TECHNOLOGY The Gibson Robot Guitar 24 Strap Stopbar Tune o matic Three way 12th Fret Button Tailpiece Bridge Pickups Toggle Switch Marker Inlay Neck Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a Les Paul Standardin Heritage Cherry Sunburst Input Jack Tone Volume Binding Body Single Truss Machine Tuning Controls Controls Cutaway Rod Heads Keys Cover Strap Stopbar Tune o matic 12th Fret Button Body Tailpiece Bridg
15. anging one string at a time in order to maintain ten sion on the neck and bridge The pressure of the strings holds the bridge and saddles in place and removing all the strings could necessitate a new setup Use high quality strings The most obvious action you can take to maximize the life and per formance of your strings is to use high quality strings Your Gibson comes from the factory with a set of strings made by Gibson and designed exclusively for Gibsons Although the string set from the Gibson factory is suitable for virtually any style of music Gibson offers a variety of string styles and gauges for specialized purposes Install your strings correctly Improperly installed strings can slip which will cause your Gibson to constantly go out of tune To correctly install strings 1 Be certain the first winding of the string around the machine head stem tuner post goes over the exposed tip of the new string The rest of the winding should then go under the exposed tip of the new string When pressure is applied by tightening the string to pitch a clamping action keeps the string from slipping around the machine head stem 2 Be certain the string is wrapped around the tuner post an adequate number of times For unwound strings at least five turns around the machine head stem are necessary For wound strings two or three turns are adequate What gauge strings should be used Your Gibson guitar comes strung with 10s which mea
16. ches off Mode at any time saving changes Exit Setup Mode Dependent on Setup All outer LEDs will Setup Mode i Your Setup Mode saving changes Mode function last i flash blue green 3 i function applied j function is now stored utilized times FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function Restore Factory Defaults Display Software Release MCK Position Enter Setup Mode and turn to LED D Enter Setup Mode and turn to E LED and press Enter Display LEDs LED D shining blue Peg LED shines white Peg LED flashing sequence indicates software release edition Action Press display once and Factory Defaults are restored Press display once Peg LED will begin flashing Remarks Restoring Factory Defaults will do the following e Preset positions set to default tunings e Runtime Correction Data set to default e Dynamic Runtime Correction is switched on e eFunction Correction is switched on e Tuning accuracy is set to 4 out of 6 e Calibration Data is restored Red Major Release Number Green Minor Release Number Blue Revision Level For Example Software Release 2 3 5 would be shown as 2 red flashes followed by 3 green flashes followed by 5 blue flashes a Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Global Enter Setup Mode 1 LED C shining blue Turn MCK left Wien a Calibration Calibration turn to LED Cand Peg LED shines white Coun
17. cotton cloth such as a guitar polishing cloth and using a guitar stand only for temporary storage of your instrument Avoid sharp blows to any part of your instrument Be particularly alert to possible blows to the back of the headstock machine heads tuners and in the neck heel area Many headstock breaks are the result of a guitar being knocked over or dropped while it s still in the case so do not stand the case on its end Should major adjustments become necessary contact your local authorized Gibson dealer or service center Strings Fresh strings are a vital part of that new instrument sound When strings begin to go dead a guitar loses its edge and as the strings undergo further wear and tear they go dead Your Gibson will sound its best with new strings How often should you change strings That depends on how much you play your guitar how hard you play and also on your individual body chemistry Some professional musicians change strings before every show in order to maintain the brightest edge on their sound More casual players may only need to change strings every month or two For some players even light per spiration shortens the life of their strings The sound of the strings is the only sure way to judge whether or not they need to be changed And if one string needs to be changed the others can t be far behind To maintain tonal balance change the whole set When changing strings we recommend ch
18. e Pickups Neck Marker Inlay Fret Fingerboard Nut Headstock Three way Toggle Switch The Components of the Solidbody Electric Guitar Featuring a V Factor Faded in Worn Cherry Input Jack Tone Volume Pickguard Truss Machine Tuning Control Controls Rod Heads Keys Cover Here are just a few of the Gibson innovations that have reshaped the guitar world 1894 First archtop guitar 1922 First f hole archtop the L 5 1936 First professional quality electric guitar the ES 150 1947 P 90 single coil pickup introduced 1948 First dual pickup Gibson the ES 300 1949 First three pickup electric the ES 5 1949 First hollowbody electric with pointed cutaway the ES 175 1952 First Les Paul guitar 1954 Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Jr introduced 1955 Les Paul Special introduced 1957 First humbucking pickup 1958 Flying V and Explorer introduced 1958 First semi hollowbody guitar the ES 335 1961 SG body style introduced in the Les Paul line 1963 Firebird guitars and Thunderbird basses introduced 1969 Les Paul Personal and Professional with low impedance pickups introduced 1979 L P Artist with active electronics introduced 1982 First solidbody acoustic the Chet Atkins CE 1983 Les Paul Studio introduced 1990 Les Paul Classic introduced 1996 Les Paul SmartWood introduced 1998 Double Cutaway Les Paul Standard introduced 2002 Gibson Digital Guitar introduced A
19. g Mode When all strings are removed don t allow the tailpiece to move or it could damage its connector TO ACTIVATE STRING UP MODE FOR A SINGLE STRING as in the case of replacing a string broken while playing Install the string in the manner described above remember saddle contact is crucial Simply select the LED for the string you are replacing turn to the green revolving arrow and toggle it from green to red and back to green Press the display for three seconds The Powerhead of the selected string will begin winding close to normal tuning and when it stops you will be ready to fine tune it using Normal Tuning Mode INTONATION MODE ONLY GIBSON MODELS Before starting the Intonation Mode we recommend to perform Normal tuning 440Hz Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Intonation Mode Pull MCK out and turn LED shining blue Activate Intonation tol LED i Mode by pressing the display for 3 seconds Strum one of the i strings until the i according LED i shines green For example D After 2 seconds b LED turns off and i LED shines green i Pick the same t string now in the 12th fret and strum it Function Intonation Mode MCK Position MCK is now in the position of the string you are intonating Display LEDs LED shining blue Action For each red LED i turn the screw i half turn counter i clockwise Remarks Now a
20. is a durable instrument It is likely to outlive you If you take care of it In determining whether conditions might be harmful to your guitar the rule of thumb is if you are comfortable then your guitar will be comfortable Here are some conditions to avoid Heat and cold Gibson s nitrocellulose finish can expand or contract to adjust to extreme tem peratures and humidities but not to sudden changes in temperature or humidity Just as a hot drink will crack a chilled glass the finish of a Les Paul will crack if a guitar that has been sitting in the trunk of a car in wintertime is suddenly exposed to the warm air of a heated room In these conditions let the guitar warm up gradually inside the case before opening the case Rain Water wipes off the instrument s finish easily but if allowed to remain it can cause ugly water spots in the lacquer Sun Avoid direct rays of the sun on your Gibson Direct sunlight can blister or discolor the finish Nore Things to Avoid When using a shoulder strap for a standing playing position check that all contact points and strap fasteners are secure Guitar stands with rubber supports that contain dye or plasticizers can eat away at the lac quer finish or leave a stain on your guitar that goes through the lacquer finish and into the wood These stains are permanent and this sort of damage is not covered under your warran ty We recommend covering the rubber parts of the stand with a soft
21. lack Beauty and the Fretless Wonder On the more affordable end the Les Paul Jr featured a flat slab top and a single pickup and it became the best selling Les Paul of the 1950s One year after the Les Paul Jr Gibson offered a two pickup version of the slab body model called the Les Paul Special The Special was further distinguished by its yellow stained TV finish The double coil humbucking pickup invented by Gibson engineer Seth Lover debuted in 1957 on the Standard and Custom introducing the sound that would shape rock n roll music in the 1960s In 1958 Gibson introduced more important design innovations than in any other year in the company s history Gibson president Ted McCarty combined the look of an f hole archtop with the perfomance of a solidbody and came up with a completely new type of gui tar the semi hollowbody ES 335 McCarty also designed two radically modern solidbody shapes the Flying V and Explorer The body of the Les Paul Jr received a pair of rounded horns to become Gibson s first double cutaway solidbody And the finish color on the Les Paul Model was changed to Cherry Sunburst which let the grain of the maple top show through The model name was changed to Les Paul Standard and the sunburst Standards from 1958 60 would become some of the most valuable collectibles in the guitar world All of this happened in 1958 The new Les Paul Jr set in motion a complete redesign of the Les Paul line In
22. material for guitar necks and the necks of most Gibson USA models are constructed of a single piece of mahogany The Firebird or Thunderbird IV bass neck is made of nine ply mahogany and walnut or all mahogany laminates and it extends completely through the body Fingerboards are of ebony or rosewood Neck Specifications Gibson designs its guitar necks to complement and enhance the unique characteristics of each model Neck profiles can be rounded 50s or slim 6Os or a slight V shape available only on the BluesHawk Scale length string length is 24 3 4 on the Les Paul X Factor and SG models 25 1 2 on the Chet Atkins Americana and Hawk models and 34 on basses Pickups Humbucking double coil Most Les Pauls have double coil humbucking pickups which were designed to do what their name says buck the hum caused by fluores cent lights rheostats and other electrical interference They accomplish this with two coils of wire wound in opposite directions so that they cancel out interference Also they produce a powerful sound that is the foundation of rock n roll music Gibson produces humbuckers in a variety of subtle variations achieved by the use of different magnets and different combinations of winding turns In addition some Les Pauls have humbuckers without the metal cover pieces which results in a hotter signal For individ ual model and pickup specs please refer to Gibson s website www gibson com
23. n accuracy setting of approx 1 Cent which is practical for most applications Relaxing this setting will cause the overall tuning process to run at a faster rate and this can be useful in live applications In the studio you would want the maximum accuracy measurable In this case range will be changed and adjusted by rotating the MCK The high end of accuracy 2 Cent is indicated by 6 green LEDs The low end i e fastest speed is indicated by one green LED Even at the low end accuracy of tuning is still 2 5 Cent To store your chosen setting press display once You will leave Setup Mode automatically FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Dynamic Runtime Enter Setup Mode will be shining green Tu m MCK left to shines green when DRC Control On Off i turn toG LED and orb will be shining red switch off DRC ison b shines red when press Enter i G LED shines blue Peg tum MCK right DRC is off LED shines white clockwise to switch on DRC Press Enter to store eFunction Enter Setup Mode will be shining green Tum MCK left ff shines green when Correction andtumtoBLED orb will be shining red to switch off eFunction is on b shines On Off press display i BLED shines blue Peg eFunction turn red when eFunction is off i LED shines white MCK right clockwise to switch on eFunction Press Enter to store Leena
24. ne new Custom Reference Tuning has been green and the string stored at that position and can be recalled LEDs will shine red in the same manner as any other preset Now strum all strings one by one do not strum too hard and MCK Position Pull MCK out and Remember that when you store your Custom turn to Peg LED when their frequencies Altered Tuning you will override the preset have been measured position you have chosen and stored their corre sponding LEDs will shine green a nn STRING UP STRING DOWN MODES Function String Up Mode String Down Mode MCK Position Pull MCK out and turn to Revolving Arrow LED Display LEDs Revolving Arrow and LED shine green Pull MCK out and turn to Revolving Arrow LED Revolving Arrow and LED shine green Activate String Up Mode by pressing i the display for 3 i seconds Press the display i once and it will toggle to String i Down Mode i indicated by the Revolving Arrow switching from green to red Now activate String i Down Mode by pressing the dis i play for 3 seconds H I I l l i I llo LL LL u EENEG Remarks Powerheads will begin winding strings up i close to normal tuning When they stop turning activate Normal Tuning i mode to finish tuning your instrument Powerheads will begin to unwind all strings When they stop turning unsc
25. nings the system will perfect itself automatically A special eFunction algorithm is provided by the software to assist the tuning process We recommend using it in the enabled mode This Owner s Manual is intended to provide a working understanding of the Robot Guitar s features to bring you the greatest benefits as you explore the exciting possibilities it has to offer For guestions or more in depth technical information feel free to contact us at 1 800 4GIBSON or www gibson com THE MASTER CONTROL KNOB MCK The Master Control Knob not only serves as the master control for all aspects of this amazing self tuning system but it will communicate with you as you learn its language The MCK is quite powerful and has many uses and we believe you will find that MCK functions will become second nature to you once you have tried them a few times Caution Do not attempt to manually turn the Powerheads unless they are pulled away from the peghead so they are in the disengaged position Otherwise the Powerheads can be damaged BASIC OPERATIONS The Robot Guitar s Master Control Knob MCK is what is commonly referred to as a push pull knob When in the normal position it behaves as a regular volume or tone pot depending on which series you have When the MCK is pulled out the system Is activated When the system becomes active by pulling out the MCK it immediately places your instrument in Standard Tuning
26. ns the high E string is O10 inches in diameter The low E is 046 inches in diameter The set is designed so that all strings are in proportion to one another ensuring that the action and the volume will be consistent across the entire fingerboard Gibson offers 9s 11s and a variety of other gauges and compositions all of which are balanced for consistent tension What brand of strings should be used Gibson has been offering its own strings since 1907 and Gibson has more experience than any other string maker when it comes to matching strings to Gibson guitars Gibson strings are manufactured to exacting standards to achieve the highest level of guality and performance NEW TECHNOLOGY THE GIBSON ROBOT GUITAR The Impossible is Now Possible Introducing the Gibson Robot Guitar the world s first guitar with robot technology Gibson s Robot Guitar is the only guitar available with the auto tuning system described herein as original equipment Your Gibson Robot Guitar will be pre calibrated for a standard 010 046 set of strings If you change string gauges restorefactory defaults or are installing the system yourself you may first want to calibrate the Powerheads individually using the calibration method as described in the Setup Mode section of this guide However since each Powerhead is self regulated with a Dynamic Runtime Algorithm DRA which ensures the change of runtimes according to each string after several tu
27. opped D Tuning Pull MCKoutandturn DLED shining blue See above See above 440Hz DADGBE toD LED Delta Blues Tuning Pull MCK out and um GLED shining blue 1 See above See above Au DGDGBD toGLED Fe __ 3 Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks EFlatTuning PullMCKoutandtum BLED shiningblue Enter by pressing While you strum Powerheads 440Hz to BLED i the display once start turning individual EbAbDbGbBbeb i b and all string strings will shine green when in tune all LEDs will flash blue 3 times when i tuning is complete After blue lights flash push MCK back in LEDs will shine red Double Dropped PullMCKoutandtum eLEDshiningblue See above See above DTuning i toelED i DADGBD Pte __ 3 Function Display LEDs Action Remarks Pull out disengage the peg of the Powerhead you choose to tune to a reference pitch Now tune this string to match your chosen ref erence Push peg back into engaged position Begin tuning your guitar Strum the SAME string you have just tuned to your reference pitch When this string s LED shines solid green its frequency has been measured and stored Now strum all strings and the Powertune system will tune your guitar to normal tuning based on your chosen reference string LEDs will behave the same as during normal tuning When the reference tuning is achieved the
28. rain the battery eventually and Emergency Charge Mode must be employed SHORT CIRCUIT WARNING In the event of a short circuit from negative to ground Strings E or A to D or G the white peg symbol will flash This can be caused if strings are not trimmed properly at the headstock lf the short circuit runs from B or hi E to D A or low E the peg will flash yellow Check to make sure no strings touch one another Dra af Let ec Ewe Et tne Sangare Unten anal ahi Epoche Wa dai deal sc THe ante an responded or on Es pains cicada that fre zk v re e loeksid sy Ze reed er ti r id ganu n EC Die et arte ara aleertnynin pen trn Ev ec au Bes pa Kt In MA OI CHIC Yf AE fedi Feet pardje Esta dt hag Sur MWM mL Ae tha acererenant Bret hora heaks witch v i wi Da eps Apr afar bar el Bee Z it E ag H hht ee tot Fair A org Cee Piero AR erg of s Okt Goen org Dr kcal Gi a EL We Ip reg BENADE ON a San Wis nu yn HT HR e but KE yaaa Ggs Dee rabo ed dem P ge reet Beiner reng echt nc an at Hwb Decker al e Geer Mi elen Ste el border be mn cert er terre iir dat Zoe r i ymn peri on eltern ersten FRECHE hl Mute HE Ch eh Ep hey a a E dr a Arde echia Se de wei un Gan Sao Zen WERTET Ehre chet al At biha ut e e Eicher ce THO ENG zehn Z WS E AER He TC SL a HE ne Tao ses Be IE teg op d cken dl Fferm certs Bar See e ded APA pra Sa TG rt yrl EFE nith Beech gun SEE o EE EA A op Drog ep boer za eise
29. rew each post s locking nut so that you are able to remove old strings TO RESTRING YOUR ROBOT GUITAR First ensure that all Powerheads are disengaged by pulling the pegs away from the peghead This is very important Guide each string through your tailpiece over the center of each saddle where contact Is essential and through the nut slot If you are using String Up Mode allow 1 2 wrap or more around the post on wound bass side strings before sending it through the post hole and locking it down tightly For unwound strings allow two windings around the post before lock ing down the nut Whether you are going to manually tension the strings with the Powerheads disengaged or using String Up Mode the point is to ultimately have at least a full wrap around the bass keys and at least two full wraps around the treble unwound posts when the strings are fully tensioned Cut the loose end of each string close to the post so that they will not make contact with other strings as that would cause the system to function improperly Also do not use any strings which have frayed wraps at the ball end because that could short circuit the tail plece Now you are ready to engage String Up Mode MCK should be on the green revolving arrow as described on the previous page After the display is pressed for 3 seconds all strings will wind themselves close to their correct pitches whereupon you must fine tune your guitar using Normal Tunin
30. rings The Global Calibration Offset is applied to each selected tuning To check the selected Global Calibration Offset pull MCK out and press LED C for three seconds Now a colored blink code displays the fundamental in Hz red hundreds green tens blue ones yellow O Example 440Hz 4 red LEDs Pause 4 green LEDs Pause 1 yellow LED Example 436Hz 4 red LEDs Pause 3 green LEDs Pause 6 blue LEDs red LED Spin lower than 440Hz Concert Pitch Example 445Hz 4 red LEDs Pause 4 green LEDs Pause 5 blue LEDs green LED Spin higher than 440Hz Concert Pitch SETUP MODE The various important functions in Setup Mode can be accessed individually once Setup Mode is activated We will now describe how to enter and exit Setup Mode and we ll list the various functions it contains afterward Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Enter Setup Pull MCK out and turn b and shine red Press display for 3 This is the first step to i Mode i all the way down to 0 seconds When the Enter Setup Mode display turns blue release the display button Now press the display again for 3 seconds lt will flash 3 times i and stop Now the Peg LED willbe solid white and b will be red You are now in Setup Mode counter clockwise Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Exit Setup Push MCK back in Setup Mode i You can exit Setup Mode without i swit
31. string accurately and quickly Strumming the strings gently will provide best results S il GUIDE TO FUNCTIONS AND DISPLAY MODES DURING TUNING OPERATIONS Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Instantly Pull MCK out All string LEDs Strum all strings While you strum Powerheads Activated Tuning shining red i gently start turning individual 440Hz EADGBE strings will shine green g when in tune all LEDs will SR i flash blue 3 times when i tuning is complete After i blue lights flash push MCK i back in b and shining red Enter by pressing Regular Tuning MCK out and turned the display once SE 440Hz EADGBE all the way down to 0 b and all string counter clockwise LEDs will shine red ELED shining blue See above See above E major Tuning Pull MCK out and turn 440Hz EBEG BE toELED ass ass A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E XX A _ _ cI EIEI I I itOEECR AAA A _ QvP_EEEOEOEECO gt AA Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks DADGAD Tuning Pult MCK out and tum ALED shining blue Enter by pressing While you strum Powerheads 440Hz DADGAD toALED i the display once Start turning individual i b and all string S will Y i when in tune a swi ES flash blue 3 times when tuning is complete After i blue lights flash push MCK back in Dr
32. ted in a Les Paul guitar In the 5O plus years of the Les Paul Gibson has offered more than 100 different variations In 2003 Gibson honored Les Paul for his achievements as a performer recording innovator and guitar designer by presenting him with a special Artist for Eternity Award As Gibson celebrated the 5Oth anniversary of the Les Paul in 2002 the company rocked the guitar world once again by introducing the first digital electric guitar It represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design since the instrument was invented and moreover it serves notice that Gibson electric guitars will continue to epitomize the highest levels of Guality Prestige and Innovation DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Body The solidbody guitar was invented to increase sustain produce a brilliant tone and eliminate feedback caused by a vibrating top These qualities are enhanced by wood with high density such as maple Les Paul would have preferred for his model to have had a solid maple body but density translates to weight and a solid maple Les Paul Model would have been exceed ingly heavy A compromise was reached with lighter weight mahogany used for the main part of the body and maple for the top cap Most of the carved top Les Pauls have the combination maple mahogany body while the slab or flat top models have a solid mahogany body Flying V s Explorers and Firebirds have a solid mahogany body Neck and Headstock Mahogany is a time proven
33. terclockwise Mode is in effect Offset press display once i to switch off your selected On Off Global Calibration fundamental i frequency will now i apply to all your i presets red B LED indicates OFF Turn MCK left clockwise to switch on Global Calibration green LED indicates ON Press Enter to store dal FUNCTIONS INCLUDED IN SETUP MODE Function MCK Position Display LEDs Action Remarks Instantly Enter Setup Mode Turn MCK to I and Last Tuning is Activated and turn to LED tJ i press Enter i activated on startup Last Tuning and press Enter Instantly Activated Enter Setup Mode Turn MCK to one Select Preset Tuning is Preset Tuning and turn to LED 3 of the Presets and i activated on startup i and press Enter press Enter Function Display LEDs Action Speed Pegs shines white Press display once Accuracy A shines blue Current Speed Settings i Accuracy setting will i be indicated by flashing green LEDs as described below MCK Position Enter Setup Mode and turn to ALED To xx ss A A A A Remarks The Powertune system is adjustable to a pitch accuracy of 2 Cent However this will cause tuning functions to take slightly longer and in live applications a relaxed accuracy is advisable There are 6 levels of setting The factory preset setting will show 4 green flashing LEDs indicating that you are using a
34. two notes are the same If the fretted note is lower than the harmonic the string length should be decreased The tune o matic bridge was designed to adjust for string changes gauge or type and other physical changes but not for problems with intonation due to string wear Should a string lose its intonation due to wear we strongly recommend changing the string and not the bridge setting Adjustable Stopbar Tailpiece The stopbar tailpiece may be adjusted up or down to change the downward pressure across the bridge There is usually no need to adjust the stopbar unless the strings are moving out of the saddles in which case the stopbar should be lowered CARE AND MAINTENANCE Finish A Gibson instrument always attracts attention whether it is on a concert stage before thousands or on a guitar stand in a home studio After the classic body lines of a Gibson the finish makes the strongest impression Perspiration acids heavy fingerprinting dust and grime from on the job usage are unavoid able However a minute or two spent with Gibson s instrument care products guitar polish fretboard conditioners string cleaner lubricant and polishing cloth will restore a finish to like new condition Gibson s nitrocellulose lacquer finish not only looks great it is also easily repairable by a professional Minor scratches and dings can be fixed without completely refinishing the instrument Keeping Your Guitar on the Road Your Gibson
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