Gibson Digital Guitar Wins Innovations 2003 Award At CES

Jan. 7, 2003 – Gibson Guitar brought the world’s first digital electric guitar to the Consumer Electronics Show and brought home a prestigious Innovations 2003 Award in the Personal Electronics category.

Outwardly, the revolutionary new instrument displayed at CES looks very similar to Gibson’s legendary Les Paul model, which is recognized around the world as an icon for rock ’n’ roll music. The only differences are an additional “Hex” pickup that separates the guitar’s sound into six individual signals (one for each string) and a new jack that will accept standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable.

Inside, the prototype is equipped with chips developed by Gibson Labs along with 3Com and Xilinx that convert the analog signals from the pickup into a digital signal. The signal is transported via Gibson Labs’ revolutionary MaGIC® technology, which makes standard Ethernet cable act like a supercable, with higher bandwidth, lower latency and bi-directional capability. A “breakout box” converts the digital signal back to analog for compatibility with conventional equipment. Gibson is also working with AMD to develop a digital audio workstation interface.

The CES Innovations 2003 Design & Engineering Awards, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (producers of CES) and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), is the most widely renowned consumer technology awards program. The awards recognize the best designed and engineered products in the categories of accessibility, accessories, audio, computer hardware, digital imaging, electronic gaming, home appliances, home data networking, integrated home systems, mobile electronics, mobile office, office equipment, online/Internet, personal electronics, retail resource, satellite systems, software/ embedded technology, telephones, video and wireless communications.

Entries were judged by a panel of 30 prominent industry experts. Product evaluations are based on weighted criteria: value to user, aesthetics, contributions to the quality of life as well as the product’s innovative qualities.

For more information visit labs.gibson.com.

SOURCE Gibson Labs