I still remember the days when musicians would bristle at the mere mention of Guitar Hero. It seemed like they fundamentally missed the point. Nobody genuinely believed a video game controller would dethrone an instrument with centuries of history. Guitar Hero was simply a fun game, and if it inspired even a few people to pick up a real guitar, that was a win for everyone.
That same feeling of déjà vu washed over me when I saw the LiberLive C1 on display at CES 2025. If the guitar is facing any challenges in the modern age, it certainly isn’t due to the emergence of what’s being called the “first-ever stringless smart guitar.” In fact, calling this device a guitar at all feels like missing the point.
Learning a musical instrument is notoriously difficult. It demands time, dedication, and a thick skin to endure the inevitable frustration. Speaking from personal experience as a perpetually struggling guitar player, suggesting that the C1 poses an existential threat to guitars would be as absurd as fearing Guitar Hero did. Let’s be honest, the shift in popular music away from guitar-centric genres has already done most of the “heavy lifting” in any perceived guitar decline.
However, there’s an undeniable appeal to an instrument you can simply pick up and immediately play. Ironically, my years of (mediocre) guitar playing might have actually been a hindrance when approaching the C1. You really have to rewire your brain to appreciate the instrument’s inherent simplicity.
The C1 operates with a series of buttons on the side of its neck, each assigned to a specific chord. By holding down a button and “strumming” the paddle located on the instrument’s body, you produce a chord. And honestly, that’s the core functionality. Forget about playing individual notes or attempting any kind of guitar shredding. The C1 is designed for strumming along and singing with songs using its companion app. Think of it as karaoke, but with a tactile, guitar-like element.
This Stringless Guitar is undeniably fun and incredibly portable. It comes with a price tag of $699 and boasts a six-hour battery life on a single charge. But let’s be clear: the stringless guitar isn’t poised to replace traditional guitars anytime soon. It occupies a different space, offering instant gratification and musical accessibility in a way that traditional instruments simply can’t.
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