If your justification for jamming out on an air guitar instead of the real deal has always been related to portability issues, get ready to drop that excuse. Meet Jammy, a smart, portable guitar that will ensure that you never say, “I didn’t have room” when it comes to toting along your axe.
The latest product from Internet of Things company RnD64 (the maker of AI-powered kitchen assistant Hello Egg), Jammy promises to be “the most compact yet most fully functioning digital guitar ever.” Think of it as a guitar without the body. Comprised solely of the strings and fretboard of your traditional instrument, this 21st century answer to an approximately 3,300-year-old invention promises a “full-fledged creative musical experience” at about a quarter of the size.
Featuring steel strings and a full-scale telescopic neck that allows the Jammy to measure just 12.6 inches in its unextended position, this smart guitar promises both a real guitar feeling and genuine acoustic range … without a real guitar. If you’re just learning to play, the LED-equipped frets will show your fingers where to go, and if you don’t want to assail your neighbors with your beginner’s sounds, you can use the Jammy’s direct audio output to stream music straight into your earphones. Alternatively, if you’re already a pro, you can use the same output to send sound to an amp.
In free-play mode, you can play the Jammy just as you would a regular acoustic or electric guitar, or if you enter jamming mode, you can select a genre, your back-up band, and live out your on-stage dreams in your living room.
“A desire to take up music often fades away when we realize that it takes long hours of practice to master playing virtually all the instruments,” said Dmitry Shemet, RnD64’s CEO. “Our product is the perfect solution for inexperienced people who still want to express themselves in music and fully explore their creativity. Its innovative built-in technology gives users a choice of playing modes that help to develop guitar skills organically.”
He added, “The unique construction of the neck allows Jammy to fit where your standard 6-stringer never will, providing immersive creative experience anywhere.”
The Jammy will be made available in the fourth quarter of 2017 and is currently available for preorder at playjammy.com. While pricing has yet to be announced, you can leave your email address with the company in exchange for a “special price.”