Fretlight, makers of the innovative light-up fretboard system, have introduced an acoustic guitar model, utilizing their Fretlight Studio software.
The FG-507 is built like a standard cutaway guitar, but with a fretboard made from an advanced polymer material, with embedded LEDs where each string and fret meet. When plugged into a computer running the Fretlight software, the LEDs light up to show you where to place your fingers as each song plays through the computer.
The system is something to behold, throwing a wrench at the age-old question of whether learning by ear or from printed music is more effective.
Here’s a video of it at work, using one of the Fretlight electric guitars in a rock setting.
All of these instruments come packaged with everything you need to start using their system, including software, cable and a pack of ready-to-learn songs.
Unfortunately, there is no specifically bluegrass source material in their catalog. One wonders if they could be nudged in that direction by repeated requests from potential customers. There might be a good opportunity here for a motivated bluegrass or flatpicking guitar instructor.
What would really be cool is a Fretlight banjo! I’m sure they’ll want to get right on that.
