Yep... you read that right. An optical pickup. I know innovation is good an all, but this is a few too many steps in one go. And do we really need this much fretboard access? Read for yourself.

The Hoag K-MAX-25 fret guitar extends the playing range that allows the player to slide to the 36th fret position.

In the past, fingerboard length has been limited by pickup placement. This concept has been eliminated with the use of Hoag's optical pickup. It is now possible to make the fingerboard length to a few inches of the bridge. However, Hoag's approach is to make this area playable without changing the musician's playing technique. This guitar is offered with the 24.75" scale and other scales are forthcoming.

Hoag optical pickups have on board electronics and have tone contour controls. This pickup is responsive to string movement below and well above human hearing. Lower the string pitch to "shake the walls" or play the upper register to make violin sounds, is up to the musician. Because the pickup is optical it can see any type of string, steel, nylon, bronze, gut etc. or intermix. These instruments are hand made and of the highest quality of woods. Available with bolt on and neck through construction.

Check out the sound samples of the K-MAX guitar and K-MAX-Bass on the web site.

For more information, visit their web site at www.opticalguitars.com.

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