The Worst Guitar 2023 is something any budding new guitarist should avoid at all costs. It could well be the most overpriced beginner’s guitar aid we have seen in a long time. Introducing the AeroGuitar which is currently attempting to raise money via Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
UPDATE 21/10/23
In the last 24 hours, readers of Guitar Bomb may have noticed that three of the linked videos below have been pulled from YouTube.
Also, a video has been posted online by the well-known YouTube content creator TheGuitarGeek in which he/they state/s that he/they has/have been threatened with legal action.
All I can say is please remember that many (though admittedly not all) gear reviews on YouTube are often paid-for reviews.
The Worst Guitar of 2023?
Normally, we tell you about the Best Guitars of the year, but this new Kickstarter campaign for the AeroGuitar aimed at beginners is so bad we just had to share.
Advertised as a “smart and painless way to learn to sing and play in 3 min” this guitar looks, in my opinion, to be pretty poor from the get-go.
Features
It features 12 colourful fret indicators and pressure-sensitive silicone strings, allowing new players to effortlessly pick up their favorite song in 3 minutes, by using AeroGuitar’s Easy Chord Mode.
“Play hours on end without pain, strumming away as you experience the fun of guitar playing and singing!”
In actual fact what appears to happen is new players get an unresponsive toy-like playing experience, which could do very little to help them start playing a real guitar.
They give reasons including finger pain and not having callouses on their fingertips as obstacles for new guitarists. Yet, AeroGuitar will not solve any of these potential minor issues and as it plays nothing like a real guitar. So how could it help when you decide to pick up a real guitar?
The 9 included guitar sounds are all pretty poor and the whole system looks flawed from the ground up.
Thankfully, the AeroGuitar can be broken down into two pieces and this means it will easily fit into most household bins.
Free App
Apparently, the free AeroBand app breaks down users’ favorite tunes into easy-to-follow interactive games for advanced learning.
Though, I doubt any app is going to make this guitar playable.
High-quality Amp?
They also state that it has a 0.75″ tweeter paired with a 3″ woofer for what is described as “crisp, detailed sound across a wide range of volume levels.”
Thus, allowing backing tracks to play via Bluetooth on the built-in powerful 50W amp. Whereas, all the tests we have heard make it sound awful and tinny at best.
It also features a USB-C and MIDI connection, but as it appears to be unresponsive at best, I can’t see how you could effectively use it to control anything.
Verdict
The guitar sound has been overdubbed on the promotional videos and it looks to be a complete waste of money.
Thankfully, YouTube channel sixstringtv has created an honest review of the new AeroGuitar and essentially exposes it as being a poor-quality, overpriced toy at best.
He exposes the ‘digital capo’ that doesn’t work. Plus, the fact that the onboard sensors trigger palm muting continuously when the bridge cover is left on.
The AeroGuitar also appears not to track notes and the silicon strings cannot keep up, register pressure or allow for any type of string bending, etc
Whereas, some YouTube reviewers have instead tried to spread the hype about this new learning tool. Don’t believe everything you watch is all I will say.
Considering that the AeroGuitar is set to retail for around $499 (full price) it is a product that any budding new guitarist should avoid.
The Kickstarter campaign offers early bird discounts, but I would advise that you pass on this one.
Anyone wanting to learn to play the guitar, feel free to contact us for some genuine advice on where to start.
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