Is This The Future of Guitars?
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- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2024
- The Impulse by Somnium guitars is packed with amazing features! Let's take a look.
The guitar: www.somniumguitars.com/shop-3/
My Only Guitar Course: oneguitarcourse.com
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0:00 Intro
0:30 Amazing Body
4:00 Neck details
6:23 Pickups & tones
11:00 Special pickup
11:55 Vibrato test 
Видеоклипы
I'm conflicted. You know me, I think innovation is always necessary in the guitar world and this is the exact definition of it, which is awesome. It just makes me wonder, personally, how far is too far? When is a guitar over engineered? Got Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park is echoing round my brain 😂 The fact it exists though can only be a positive and I'm sure it'll find an audience. Top tier video as always bro!
Jack, I won’t stop until there’s an over engineered ergonomic guitar in every musician’s collection. 😂
@@andrefludd I can get behind that, dude 😂 Far too many folks seem a little bit scared of change imo!
As long as this guitar doesn't force us to use their proprietary pickups and they don't charge an arm and a leg for the modules, I have no problem with any features of this guitar! I'm reminded of the Honda cars from the 1990's, rhe USA had mandated use of seatbelts on all vehicles and Honda wanted to be ahead of the curve. Honda sold all of their vehicles in the US with motorized seatbelts, man, everyone including Honda hated and regretted that "feature"!!!
@@cchavez248the thing is, in order for those features to not cost an arms there should be appropriate amount of demand, but demand for these will never be high enough because - be honest, how many guitarists actually care for switching pickups on the go? It’s not something too many people do or need to do.
@@bruno_gatti that's probably true considering that Relish guitars recently went under. 😩
Please, Andre. My bank account is begging you to stop showing us these amazing forward-thinking, revolutionary guitars.
If any guitar is worth $4k its this one. My Caparison Horus retails for around the same price and I think Id rather have have an Impulse. I'd love to see one in person to try out.
@@sole__doubt If I didn't already have a Dean Gordon Virtus Headless custom build going right now, I'd probably buy one, but this custom build is gonna cost me close to $5K total after taxes and shipping, and it's meant to be my "The One" guitar, with 10 pickup positions/tones and supreme ergonomics.
This might be the most well thought out guitar I have ever seen!
Your video editing is next level on this one. I have enjoyed your content for some time and your delivery and editing are becoming far more polished and professional. Thanks for keeping us entertained and informed.
Thanks for noticing. This took me forever to finish. 😂
Dude, the edits you make in these videos are so good. The cuts when you are talking about multiple guitars, but the talking keeps flowing, is absolutely amazing
Especially stoned af, kinda mindblowing. Very entertaining and informative video!
Rhythm is a beautiful thing.
It's great to have so many options. Funny thing is over the I've reduced my Strat to a single Humbucker Pickup in the Bridge location, and a Volume and Tone knob. The guitar seems to sound better with the simplified electronics, and since I use a Modeler, I can get a huge variety of sounds and tones, all with the press of a single stomp button. When I turn on a Preset, I also get all the Effects I wanted, turned on set the exact Parameters I saved previously.
In the past, I tried many different Pickup configurations, and up to a 7-way blade switch. While it provide a lot of numerical variety, I think I get better results with a single pickup and Modeler, and it's faster and simpler in the end when it comes to playing. YMMV
I could tell from here, how well that neck had been dressed with the frets.
Great video as always, freeway have a 10-way switch like the 6-way on that guitar. I have one installed on a strat and its a pretty cool piece of kit at a reasonable price. might be worth a vid :D
I really, really like the pickup system. I like experimenting with different pickups, so this is right up my alley. My only concern would be how it holds up in the longer term, whether corrosion becomes an issue, parts wear, etc.
Great question. Our cartridges are molded composite plastic so they don't corrode, and they don't interfere with the magnetics in your pickups. The locking pins are stainless steel and they lock into brass bushings, not plastic. Finger pulls are either aluminum or molded plastics. All parts are non-magnetic and made to last several lifetimes.
Such a great video - you explained everything succinctly and now I sort of want to buy one of these even though I don't really need one. Your playing was, as ever, excellent and the quality of your videos improves all the time.
Thanks Simon!
Every guitar should have two kickstands - one for the leg and a second in the back to quickly prop it up for a sec (along with an inconspicuous rubber strip at the bottom to prevent slipping).
The ability to swap pickups is great. I have, however, seen other brands do magnetic pickup switching witchcraftery without routing out the guitar for that large cassette tape style system the way Somnium does it. I saw a brand shown in a NAMM video with normal looking cavities where the pickups just magnetically popped in and out. They didn’t get into a full explanation, but I suspect it’s similar to wireless headphones. I’m guessing those pickups have one piece attached to the pickup itself and the rest is hidden within the cavity out of view. I really prefer the latter design just because it retains more wood and looks no different than any other guitar - and it seems like a variety of pickups could fit. I can’t recall the name of the brand, but it might have been in KDH’s videos or SixStringTV’s. I never understood why Somnium went with their approach to have that giant cassette like deal with a major chunk of the guitar routed out. I’d love to understand that design choice better.
I’ve seen Somnium on Dylan Talks Tone going back several years. They seem to be improving over time. Overall, I wish large brands would make it easier to change pickups. There are some that come with quick connects, but they still require a ground being soldered to the bridge, as well as taking a little time to remove backplates and such. And many pickups don’t come wired for quick connects. If all brands could use a standardized magnetic system that would work with any standard guitar cavity and without needing further routing (kind of like USB standards), it would be a major deal. Anyone want to invent that and make it possible for us?! That would be totally novel and useful!
Great video!
You could do it! I wonder whether a system that uses magnets could also accommodate all the circuitry options that Somnium does, for instance, passive/active, 250/500K pot, phase reversal, etc.
I own a Somnium, and while it at first felt odd for it to be “missing” so much wood, it has grown on me so much that I’m selling other guitars (a Tele American Standard this week) and playing mostly the Somnium. The tone is really good, balanced , the pickups really shine through. Anyway, semi-hollow body guitars are missing a lot of wood, without any sonic compromise… and I like my collection of handmade pickups, can’t carry around 20 guitars for them to call home
Great demo. This episode was a real treat for understanding new feature sets on an instrument and maker I'd never heard of. Great real-time pick-up swap outs.. very nicely done. One of your best videos yet IMO.
Thank you!
Wow I like everything about it... except the way it looks.
Maybe it'll grow on me after Ive seen in a few times in different colors.
Awesome guitar and video.
The headstock is certainly a new, innovative take on making the already too-small Music Man headstock look even more unbalanced.
@@none_remaining The headstock was designed for the guitar to be balanced without being headless. Smaller = lighter to prevent neck dive, therefore the guitar balances perfectly on your thigh with the neck at a high angle for playing comfort. The 4/2 configuration keeps the tuners tightly together but allows for a straight string pull through the guide nut, and straight string pull provides tuning stability, especially with a vibrato system. Beauty can be just skin deep if looks are the only thing that is important. When something provides exceptional performance and capabilities, that's a different kind of beauty that isn't appreciated until you pick that thing up and take it for a test drive.
One of your best videos imho. Thank you!
This guitar is unbelievable! It’s not exactly my usual aesthetic, but it still just rocketed to the top of my dream guitar list.
I personally bought one a couple of years ago… it’s not the ergonomic one, but I bet if you have a specific design in mind, Mark would make it with the ergo features
Really cool!
im glad someone picked up where relish guitars left off
Fender Musicmaster & the 2 PU Bronco had a treble slanted single neck coil, but few well known guitars have that option
Looks very useful, all of it. Now the only thing they have to figure out for mass appeal, is looks. If the form factor can be more like any shape that people assocate with an electric guitar, while keeping all the ergonomic stuff, we got a winner!
Twelve years ago, a modular pickup system was among the guitar inventions I conceived. I opted to pursue a different one first, and poverty delayed my prototyping such that this (more limited) system got to market before I could begin development. Oh well, my prototype and a second guitar with my completed invention will be part of my new channel's gear lessons and reviews. I could definitely see myself buying a hardtail Impulse and lots of modules if I came into a lot of money, sort of a guitar compliment to my Synergy preamp modules.
And a Kahler! This would be an awesome do-it-all studio guitar.
It is cool. It looks like Frankenstein’s monster. I’m hoping they make a blacked out version to avoid the patchwork look.
The cartridges can be painted to match the body color, and if we add pickguards then every cartridge matches the pickguard so you can't even tell there is anything different about the center until you get up close.
Very impressive...!
I totaly dig this cardridge pickup change system without soldering, that's a huge benefit...
But with this large hole in the guitar i would worry about breaking the "frame" at the thin lower horn... And maybe it warp's a bit because it's not a solid body...?
This system in a more metal looking guitar would be a dream...😊
What metal shape are you thinking of? FYI we reinforce the neck joint by building the core of the guitar so solid that there is never an issue with that lower horn cut-in. We've built many of these, even put one in the hands of an aggressive, abusive local bar-band guitarist who beat the heck out of our guitars on stages all over Florida for over a year. Never had an issue.
wow, this aluminum arm to adjust the angle and the guitar's position is just genius. I would consider asking a luthier to adapt my guitars and install something like it, no kidding. The pick-ups solution is also incredible, but harder to imagine being adapted to a regular guitar.
You don't need to "adapt" our pickup system to a regular guitar, we already make them. We make a tele-style and strat-style models, exact copies of the name-brand body shapes, made out of normal woods just like those are. We have installed our system several Gibson Les Pauls also, and these guitars aren't changed at all except now you can put in any pickups you want, in seconds. Our guitars ARE regular guitars, just taken to the next level. - Mark, Somnium Guitars
@@guitartonecentral I'm brazilian and I'm quite sure I couldn't afford it lol but your work is amazing, man! I hope I can try one of your guitars one day
I’m genuinely trying to agree and like your recommendations because I’m getting older and my hands and back don’t hold up like they used to. However after buying a strandberg I just don’t get the attraction. I think it’s what you get used to. I can’t bond with the strandberg. I can see the ergonomics and feel the weight relief but I’m still going to pick up a Les Paul and choose an axcess model every time.
For someone new to this world, this was insightful!
what is perfect action?
Is there another company with the modular pickups? I thought i heard they went out of business revently. Which company am I confusing them with?
That was Relish guitars
Absolutely astounded something like this exists.
@andrefludd I'm assuming this isn't actually you?
So many guitars come and go over the years with new styles and fancy electronics , but only a few succeed as most people still want the traditional iconic brands as do the rich collectors.
Please compare the emi6 to the somnium. Just your anecdotal thoughts about it.
How do you like the YY10? It is like the perfect strat, despite not being a strat lol
Can you put a sustainer in it since it has the 9v already
We haven't tried a Sustainiac yet, might work, but the accompanying board needs some modifications to fit in our cartridge. The Veyz sustainer has a smaller circuit board, that should fit but we haven't ordered one yet to try it.
Would love to see you try out a Rick Toone ergonomic guitar. His designs seem to be very refined and the hardware is very unique, especially his headless tuning systems.
It’s coming we were talking just today :).
@@andrefludd looking forward to it!🤩
So, just to be clear, when you say built in 9v battery, is it accessible and replaceable?
Yes!
Man! Out of all the high end joints you've reviewed, this might be the one I make a long term investment in down the line; that shit is tight, beautiful and versatile in exciting ways! 🔥
Innovative is an understatement on this one. The locking mechanism for the pickups certainly sounds hefty. Does it feel like its going to last a while?
Yes! The pickup harness and the leg rest feel bullet proof and that is by design. I def swapped pickups over a 100 times while I had it and I had zero signs of wear or anything else that made me question the reliability
Andre thank you for review of our Somnium Guitar. I work with Mark and built and setup that guitar. If any questions or suggestions please let me know.
dude where did your mayones duvell review go ?
Have you considered using a footrest, like what classical guitarists do?
As a long time footrest user I'd like to share my two cents. It is terrible. If you practice for long hours, your hip and pelvis literally start tilting and you get horrible horrible horrible back issues. Heck, the reason I started watching Andre Fudd's channel and getting into ergonomic guitars is because footstools ruined my back. I have thus far switched to using guitar lift for my acoustic and classical guitars and waiting to get a performaxe for my electrics. This guitar seems like it fits the bill but like at 4k dollars, I'd like to wait for a video comparing the somnium to the Emi6.
Hey doctor, are you going to sell that RC-One? I mainly play 7 strings, but I'd love to buy it off you, especially if you'd sign it :D
You can shoot me an email. I'm def going to sell it eventually.
I love the idea of modular guitars. I really think they are the next step in innovation. Once they incorporate microtonal frets and composite materials, in addition to the modular electronics, I honestly don't think there could be much else done to improve on the instrument.
There's always room for innovation. Like there were guitars with Autotune and people rejected them, self-tuning tuners and people rejected them, but what about a self-restringing guitar that also self-orders a new string set when the one in use is worn out? 😉
@@riangarianga I think there's a fine line between innovation and whatever ideas are floating around in Jeff Bezos's head lol
I mean theres already Aristides for composite materials
@@user-en5mk4nv6v yeah, but I mean a guitar that has it all in one. Ovation started using composite materials decades ago.
This is the first time I see a professionally build guitar with an build in leg rest. I build three guitars with different variants of this system so far, one of them is actually the exact same thing, just with a bigger angle. I'd love to see this becoming a standard!!
3:37 By the way, there is at least one classical (contra) guitar with a build in leg rest ;-)
Steinberger guitars had and have folding leg rests. Non-adjustable, though.
@@riangariangaThank you! Looks like the perfect simple and efficient way to do it! Both the Impulse and the Steinberger would sit to low for me, but if more models are coming, i would guess more flexibility will come as well!
Yea, I have one and I mentioned it in the video but cut it because the video was getting too long lol. One day I should released the unedited videos. It’s WAY too much detailed.
You reviewed guitars made by Cor-tec, how about reviewing a Cort guitar. I own many PRS, ESP and Ibanez. I bought a used Cort G280 select and was blown away. The sounds , build and playability exceed my high end guitars. I think Corts keeping the best for their own brand and a real sleeper secret.
I have that idea that detachable pickups. I was planning to ask our local luthier to make it for me. But its too expensive 🤣🤣
Not anymore!
Dr. Andre, you observations about neck angle are spot on. I struggle with playing guitar because I can't get the neck angle right. It is so damn frustrating. I fidget constantly finding the right position and I never can find it. It's like trying to fall asleep on an uncomfortable bed. Just not happening. The Les Paul design is the worst. It keeps the neck too low and the body position to far backward. I find myself strumming on the neck instead over the pickups. Boo.
Yep. That annoying feeling is what started me in this ergonomic journey
@@andrefludd I just preordered my Performaxe today..fingers crossed :)
This is the 1 guitar to rule them all. So versatile that this could literally be the 1 and done guitar that gets all the sounds. Such a cool guitar! Only down side is that I find it a bit on the ugly side. None the less, its actually not terrible looking. Its Incredible how far guitar technology has come. Great review!
If your sitting down all the time ergo might be important,but you should be able to play standing and with the neck in any position,I've noticed players who were trained on classical guitar often hold the guitar between their legs at a 45,rock and rollers don't worry about what position the neck is in,you should always learn to stand as well as sit while performing, big difference.
The coolest feature of the guitar in my opinion is the retractable support.
Very nice demo ! This guitar and its features are impressive. It is not my cup of tea, as I prefer much simpler guitars (one-pickup-guitars) and I don't like the aesthetic (I can't get along with the headstock nor the body shape). Dr Fludd's video are always a "must-watch".
I’m calling it. This is gonna be the future of guitars and relish guitars are gonna be revered like an old Les Paul.
I think you would be interested in my last podcast. "The Golden Age of Guitar". Because we discuss stuff like this guitar, but the conversation doesn't go where you think it would.
And yes, we still plan to have you on! ❤ I'm just getting my ducks in a row.
do you know there is a french guitar produce who make a 11 000 dollars guitar and unique patent system which permit to have rotation mecanisme with 3 pickup attacked so you can rotate them in place so you can change the schema of your bridge neck pickups in real time during playing !
There name are Gyrock guitars !
I want it with a hardtail
It comes in that too
Well, that may be the coolest new guitar in ages.
The shape is very much a Musiclander.
Guitar Reviews are keeping you big as hell
It's very cool, from the standpoint that you could almost* get rid of all guitars and just have this one to do it all. However, their marketing is rough. For this particular guitar, there is nothing on their website to suggest what options are available. If you go to the Upgrades section, it claims that body color is sold out. Sold out of paint? Really? Cool concept as soon as they get their shit together.
That was a paint upgrade that had an error on the page, thanks for noticing. However that page also had a bunch of other upgrades that you didn't notice, which are some of the options available. We build these as custom guitars so the options are almost infinite, and that's a bit hard to list on the web site. The list of what we can't do is far shorter than what we can. We've done all sorts of fretboard woods, body woods, different scale lengths and neck profiles, custom paint schemes including airbrushing, engraving and electro-burning, custom inlays of Luminlay, custom circuitry, I could go on and on. Just call us and let us know what you had in mind. The highest quality may not be in our marketing, but it is definitely in our guitars.
Tell it to the marines had me cryin lol
Inspector Gadget'a signature guitar. (I'm too old 😅)
As a long time enjoyer of the channel, a beginner luthier with an ergonomic focus, and an admirer of luthiers whose work has been viewed by some as "ugly" (Toone, Klein, Sankey, etc.), I think that I can say with some confidence that this guitar is... not to my taste in terms of appearance. I'm also not a huge fan of how narrow the lower horn has been made, given that it doesn't help with proper hand positioning at high frets, but my complaints stop there. Great video as always!
Holy crap, is that a Kahler? I haven't seen one of those in years.
Mr Fludd you said there was 22 frets when you have 24
impulse buy-somnium?
Mixing active pickups with passive ones? Naw thats just crazy talk, man. crazy talk.
The big question? Price?
I should have added....ball park price ....and who caries this, I want one....from an old fat Irish guitar guy your input is wonderful professional and stellar.....thank you my freind
I think it’s a range depending on features : www.somniumguitars.com/shop-3/
I need an excuse to justify buying more basses. As soon as things have quick swap electronics, my excuse of "oh well the pickups/preamp are different" goes out the window
I don't even know how to react to this. Its like alien technology.
Your videos are fantastic. But about the leg rest: i hate things that can, and eventually will, break. Maybe it would be better as an attachment than as part of the guitar. Also: headless. There is nothing like it for ergonomics. Period.
I get your concern, but literally everything breaks one day. Even strap pins! The rest is honestly extremely sturdy. I don’t see it breaking anytime soon.
my man for real how tf do u afford so much guitars without being sponsored
Some videos are sponsored and I don’t get to keep the really expensive stuff.
I like the interchangeable pickups, wish that was a more common feature
Im a dad rock Fender and Gibby at heart and not particularly fond of modern designs (with maybe the exception of headless) but wow these seem pretty sweet!
If they came with pre-installed wireless system and even a 7 string version, then claim me an interested buyer!
bravo, for development in ergonomics. while i feel lightly corksniffy about removing so much wood for the pickup module btw bridge and neck, i have to say that is the ugliest headstock i.ve seen in a long time. no angle or curve seems right. but BRAVO! for the first telebrige pu in neck position i´ve seen ever. thats cool. a kahler? seriously?
best guitar to play sat down is a flying v
I’ll have that on the channel soon
@@andrefludd you are doing a wonderful job !
Looks like a MusicMan copyright infringement with the 4+2
Didvyou mean ..Is (this) the...?
Since you have the Impulse now why don't you sell me the Emi 6. I live in Jersey also so you wouldn't have to ship it.
I only borrowed the guitar to review! But I would like to get one. I gotta talk to them about it.
rarely I find a guitar ugly ...but ...this...
As a parker fly owner I can finally feel proud there is an uglier guitar out there. Not as fan of offsets to begin with though.
Not the the....?
great guitar, 3800 tho so it's not for all of us >
I hope it´s not only as far from the future as possible, it´s probably the worst looking guitar I and everyone have and will ever see, the only thing that may be salvageable it´s the beautiful neck.
You cannot buy skill, technique and creativity. Get yourself a quality one or two pickup guitar and put in the time. The guitar is the ultimate polygraph.
I agree, though I think one should develop their skill and vocabulary without electronics.
Seems too gimmicky, for my taste. I'm more of a traditionalist. For me, I would never use most of the features on that guitar. I never have issues with holding any of my guitars. Ergonomics isn't an issue for me. All the new widgets are cool though, for those who are into that sort of thing.
I don't want a piece of aluminum in every solid guitar, man. I love the versatility but that's never going to sound like a jazz box or lp. The giant hole in the body is taking something from the tone.
love the innovation and i usually dont mind other weird shapes too much, but honestly this guitars actual body ('the adjustable piece aside) is really ugly. the top horn looks like a strat but the bottom horn looks like an SG and the whole body overall just looks like someone didnt finish modeling the guitar. its very boxy.
i mean sure its a nice guitar but for 5k i dont know
Many people don't like the likes of Strandberg or Abasi Concepts for their looks because they look too modern to them. I was one of those for may years but now I've grown to love both for their ergonomics and looks. And I'm all for innovations and improvments on the guitar, but I gotta be honest, that is the ugliest guitar I have ever seen, and I have seen a few. For many guitarist, myself included, looks matter alot. I just simply wouldn't want to play a guitar that looks like that, however good it plays or sounds.
And I know designing a good looking guitar body/headstock desing alone isn't easy, but combining it with ergonomics and other innovations is infinitely more difficult.
But it looks like that 😂
When you say the action is "perfect", what exactly do you mean? Some people like high action and some like low. Both of which are "perfect" to them.
It was perfect for me. But it can certainly
Be adjusted to anyone’s likings.
At some point, maybe the problem is with human beings… We need to be more ergonomically designed.
That’s also true. We walk on only two legs and don’t have fur. Horrible ideas.
@@andrefludd Let’s get to work on it. I love the built-in stand.
Really love the innovation and features, but sadly that guitar is still quite ugly.
Ive gotta disagree looked good in the thumbnail minus the little built in prop
Great features, but $3,200+? This is a guitar for really financially successful professionals, and that's not me.
for study inside my room,... maybe it is an opition,... but for my taste this is ugly as fuck,... I would never use this on the stage
No reason for it to be that ugly. I don't care how good it sounds, I don't buy ugly guitars.
It's a very expensive guitar and it looks quite ugly. I'm happier with regular strat, 335's and les pauls.
It’s not nerdy so much as it is plain ugly. Sorry dude - not for me.
Cool concept but incredibly ugly in my opinion.
The guitar of the future has a Kahler? No thank you.
Dude at least skim the video first. It comes in a fixed bridge as well.
no thanks.
it looks disgusting no matter how good it is