New Instrument for Frustrated Beginners

US Sweetwater launches GUITAR RACKET! 01/04/03

Rather than write our own story for TODAY we'll let the Sweetwater press release speak for itself! SWEETWATER UNLEASHES GUITAR RACKET! In a special press conference held today, Sweetwater’s Research & Development department announced the release of the Guitar Racket, also called the Stringless Guitar, Sweetwater’s first foray into the music instrument field. David Stewart, director of Sweetwater’s R & D Department, explained the appeal of the Guitar Racket. "There are many people who love music, who love the sound of a guitar, but just aren’t guitarists. Rather, they enjoy pretending to be guitarists in the privacy of their own homes. They have all the moves, they certainly have the enthusiasm, but they find the cost of a real guitar too prohibitive, especially since they’re not going to learn to play it. Those are the people who need the Guitar Racket." The Guitar Racket is a virtual instrument that doesn’t require a power source to play. When combined with a CD collection, the Guitar Racket offers practically limitless variations of tones, playing styles, and amp sounds. Users can put their favorite album into a CD player, strap on the Guitar Racket, and in no time at all they’ll be rocking out just like all the great guitar heroes. It’s also expandable; as the users musical tastes change, the Guitar Racket will easily accommodate new playing styles and tones, ensuring it will be part of any non-guitarists arsenal for a long time to come. "The Guitar Racket will allow non-guitarists to take their performance to a whole new level," said Jeff Radke, Vice-President of Sales. Radke demonstrated the Guitar Racket unaccompanied by background CD, performing windmills and making "BROWWW" noises. He then executed a blistering solo, moving his fingers rapidly over the neck, scrunching his eyes shut and going "deedle-eeedle-eeedle, skweeeee!" in a high, screeching voice. "With the Guitar Racket, you’re not restricted to only one style like you might be with another guitar," Radke added. "It frees you up to do all kinds of things. I can play like Stevie Ray Vaughn one minute — CHUNKA CHUNKA CHUNKA, NEEWW NEEWW — and then immediately switch over to a perfect Angus Young tone — BA. BA-DA-DA. BA-DA-DA…" Radke concluded his demonstration with rapturously received versions of Deep Purple’s "Smoke On the Water" and Led Zeppelin’s "Heartbreaker." "The audience for Guitar Racket is enormous," stated Chuck Surack, President of Sweetwater. "It might be the only instrument available whose only limit truly is your own imagination. We’re very happy to be able to offer it to our customers." When asked if calling the Guitar Racket the world’s first "Stringless Guitar" was accurate, Surack responded, "Sure, it has strings. But not guitar strings." Sweetwater will begin taking orders for the Guitar Racket immediately. It should be ready to ship by NAMM 2004.