A Great Learning Tool?

[TRandy16]

I've always thought the Optek system had great potential as a learning tool.

Anyone ever tried it?


http://www.optekmusic.com/newhome.htm

[bleujazz3]

You know, I've always been fascinated by the Optek system, but secretly worried that I might look a bit "geeky" using it in real life. I know my fears are unfounded. I've just never been able to get around the initial fear. I don't know what the guitars themselves are like, for playability, tone, aesthetics, etc., and the unavailability to try one first hand has kind of prevented me from purchasing one, sight unseen.

I might be more inclined to buy if they had more of a market presence, but like I said, not being able to try one first puts me off. Not so the case with PRSi, which are readily available to try. Most "good" sales reps can describe the sound you're going to get with certain wood/neck/pup configs, which makes buying a PRS that much easier if you don't know PRS.

I did the same for my PS AT (maple back/front/neck, ebony board, mahogany sides, Archtop pups). Was it a pig-in-the-poke? Nope. My rep nearly accurately described the brightness, clarity, and tonal range I was going to get before I ordered.

I can't say that would happen for Optek, but I guess the overriding feature of the Optek is the Fretlight System, not its tonal capacity. For noodling and as a learning tool it might be worth the cost (?), but for the same amount of money (much less) I might as well try to buy some good instructional books or DVDs and use trial and error to learn. That's half the fun of discovering your sound, not what a given pattern has to offer.

Interesting concept, though. :cool:

[bishop2332]

The thing about using your eyes to connect the dots via Optek or just patterns/scales written on tab sheets is that you end up playing with your eyes and neglecting your EARS.


I know this from first hand experience.

Not with the Optek, but with the visual aspect and how that doesnt really make you play music, it makes you know which notes are "right"...

I guess we all go through our own unique learning curve, no matter how we go about it, but if I had a magic wand and could do it all over again, I'd do it like a blind man and use only my ears to tell me which notes were the ones that sounded right.

Instead of my eyes.

[TRandy16]

You know, I've always been fascinated by the Optek system, but secretly worried that I might look a bit "geeky" using it in real life. I know my fears are unfounded. I've just never been able to get around the initial fear. I don't know what the guitars themselves are like, for playability, tone, aesthetics, etc., and the unavailability to try one first hand has kind of prevented me from purchasing one, sight unseen.

I might be more inclined to buy if they had more of a market presence, but like I said, not being able to try one first puts me off. Not so the case with PRSi, which are readily available to try. Most "good" sales reps can describe the sound you're going to get with certain wood/neck/pup configs, which makes buying a PRS that much easier if you don't know PRS.

I did the same for my PS AT (maple back/front/neck, ebony board, mahogany sides, Archtop pups). Was it a pig-in-the-poke? Nope. My rep nearly accurately described the brightness, clarity, and tonal range I was going to get before I ordered.

I can't say that would happen for Optek, but I guess the overriding feature of the Optek is the Fretlight System, not its tonal capacity. For noodling and as a learning tool it might be worth the cost (?), but for the same amount of money (much less) I might as well try to buy some good instructional books or DVDs and use trial and error to learn. That's half the fun of discovering your sound, not what a given pattern has to offer.

Interesting concept, though. :cool:
Their point is that it's a great learning tool....and that's the business they're in....not necessarily a great guitar...merely an adequate instrument to support the learning tool contain within.

[vangit]

Looks VERY cool to me Tim. If you go to Fretlight.com, there is an introduction video playing. They give the analogy that learning from a guitar book without the fretboard lights would be like typing on a keyboard but none of the keys have letters on them and you would have to look at a chart identifying the keyboard. Pretty interesting.Bishop raises an interesting point about learning guitar like a blind man, by ears only. I am a teacher of an art form (not guitar) and there is an old saying, "repetition is the mold, perfect is the goal". I do tend to believe that repetition can "wire" your brain. I can see the lighted fretboard making it easier to perform your repition which will train your ears, and hands. For $500 bucks it's tempting not to try.