If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time you know that I don’t post about musical instruments very much, mostly because anything new is just a modern rehash of something rather old and traditional. The new Sine electric guitar from Verso changes all that, as it’s the most innovative take on electric guitar maybe since Leo Fender’s Nocaster.
Sine has a solid ash body, a set neck, and a fixed bridge, 6 strings, a couple of pickups and connects via ¼” phone plug, but that’s where the similarity stops. This is a guitar designed to work in our electronic world, and how it does that is through out-of-the-box thinking.
For instance, the pickups are magnetic and instantly moveable on a pick guard designated as the “Sine Pad.” This allows for different tones and even stereo operation in just a few seconds.
But the Sine Pad also provides the player with an every bigger benefit as it also acts as a whammy bar, allowing you to control the level for a nice user-operated tremolo (volume change), or vibrato (pitch change) using a pedal.
Speaking of pedals, Sine is built with pedal interface in mind. There’s an optional add-on module, developed in cooperation with pedal maker LEHLE, that uses a wear-free magnetic hall sensor to measure the distance to the Sine Pad. This generates a control signal that can be used in four ways:
- EXPRESSION: two expression outputs allow you to control two pedals (or synths) with expression capabilities.
- USB MIDI: Control any parameter in your DAW by connecting via a USB-B cable
- CONTROL VOLTAGE (CV): Control any analog synth that accept a CV.
- SWITCH: It can switch your amp or pedal using a internal relay.
That said, Sine’s wiring is 100% passive and, sound-wise, is completely independent from the LEHLE Expression electronics. Just like your Strat, Sine doesn’t need power to produce sound.
Sine is available with plenty of options, including left-handed and 7 string versions. It’s base price is around $3,000USD, and the optional Expression module is an additional $200USD.
You can find out more here, or watch the video below that will explain a lot by listening that just reading about it can’t communicate.
