| The TAPLOID |
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The Online Newspage of Orphic Touch-Style Music Monday 19th May 2003 |
MEGATAR ROCKS LONDON GUITAR SHOW If you visited The London Guitar Show at Wembley Conference Centre this May, you may have witnessed an extraordinary stand featuring The Mobius Megatar. (The name Megatar comes from the words ‘mega’ plus ‘guitar’, because it is far more than a guitar). |  |
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Exhibited by the UK and European distributors, Orphic Touch-style Music, hourly demonstrations left the general public open-mouthed as they watched Myron Edwards play this incredible instrument. Several people commented to me that this was the most mesmerising demonstration at the Show. Equipped with 12 strings, it’s an all-in-one electric bass, rhythm and lead guitar, that is designed to be played in an upright position. You play the bass, rhythm and melody all on your own, and at the same time! |
Two-handed tapping was developed in the 1940s by guitarists Jimmie Webster and Mark Laughlin, though it is possible the technique had been in use, undocumented, by earlier players. Tapping with both hands at once opens up a range of music playing techniques that cannot be played by one person on a bass or six string guitar. The first specialised tapping instrument produced commercially was the double-necked Bunker Touch Guitar, dating from the 1960s and with new models in production today, but the credit for devising the modern technique |
of tapping on two sets of strings on a single fretboard goes to Emmett Chapman, inventor of the Stick®, in production since the mid-seventies and still going strong. The Mobius Megatar arrived on the scene just in time to greet the new millennium. The Megatar has a wide neck, on which are six bass strings which are tuned in 5ths, and six higher pitched harmony strings tuned in 4ths, although alternative tunings are available. By tapping and touching these strings with the fingers of both hands, you can create a |
fantastic sound. This method makes a piano-like playing technique possible, such as playing a left handed bass-line and right handed chords simultaneously. The Megatar comes in several models: Truetapper, Maxtapper, Toneweaver and a midi version, The Miditapper, all constructed with high quality materials. The first 12-stringed tapping instrument to break the £1000.00 barrier, prices start from £990 including UK delivery, the manual, case, cables, set-up tools, strings, strap and limited offer free t-shirt whilst stocks last. It’s well |
worth a visit to their website www.orphic.co.uk to visualise this amazing instrument. For further information, orders and trade enquiries contact Myron Edwards via email at myron@orphic.co.uk or telephone
Steve Warner |
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