Lately the guitar internet is buzzing about Manson's MB1, Matt Bellamy's signature guitar, with its famous embedded KAOSS pad. Since I know this guitar, I love the idea - I used some heavy electronics on guitars myself and I much prefer this use of digital technology than the modeling of 50-year old electro-acoustic devices. But I've always been disappointed with Bellamy's guitar, since it seems obvious to me than the MIDI screen should not be behind the bridge where it cannot be really integrated in guitar playing, then just adds some special effects on sustained notes. So it should be just below the strings and usable while hitting them, like the volume knob. I guess that it wasn't done because it would have meant a complete modification of the guitar's quite classic design, and forced to explore the dire paths of experimental design.
So I made a little sketch of what I expect from a KAOSS padded guitar with an easier access touch screen, trying to keep it ergonomic, and rebalancing more or less the same amount of wood to keep the same sound. It looks then a little bit like these Soviet guitars of the 70s when they used constructionist design - the form follow the function - though I try to keep it a little bit more sexy...
