Markus Pahl: Inventor and Founder of Vibesware
The Idea
The Guitar Resonator has been originated when I joined a band playing exclusively with earphones. All instruments plugged in a mixer. Amazing transparent sound and with DDrums we could play all together in an appartment house. A real challenge for a guitarist. At that time there was still no amp modeling available. Getting a powerful rock guitar sound was not so easy with earphones. But after weeks of experiments with speaker simulators it sounded pretty good. However, I missed this typical passing into feedback of a turned up tube amp which gives the sound this distinctive liveliness and fullness. More weeks of experiments. In the end the Guitar Resonator was born. All of us were impressed by its new playing options. Later I patented the device and decided to develope it further to series production.
This step was much more work than expected! We had to find the best components that provide optimal performance and responsiveness. Each item has to have the same powerful magnetic field and high quality. Guitar Resonators are still handmade. Key components are selected and adjusted manually.
Looking back, one of the most important step was in 2008 when I met Uli Jon Roth showing him the first prototypes. He was very exited from the very beginning and started playing with it directely. In several meetings we talked about the "optimal" GR's. Some months later I showed him the first prototype of the Footcontroller. His concert started some hours later and it was so amazing to see him using it on stage that night! In the follwing years I acommpanied him at several concerts. His suggestions for the design and usability were invaluable and influenced the way how the GR's are build today.
Philosophy of Sound
It is interesting for me that the Guitar Resonator is not only "a new effect" but a new way of playing. What is important for guitarists today? There are almost any sound gadgets to buy. Outstanding sounds are created more by playing techniques than by setting up effects and parameter sets. Simply try something new and crazy that sound thrilling and can touch our hearts.