Guitar Synth

Short for “guitar synthesizer.” This can actually refer to two similar types of synthesizer, both that use notes played on a guitar rather than a keyboard for input and/or triggers. The first is a synthesizer that uses the output of an electric guitar string as its oscillator or sound source. Old analog guitar synths such as the Roland GR-300 operated this way. However, since the advent of MIDI, a guitar synthesizer can also refer to a synthesizer trigged by MIDI notes from a guitar. In these cases, some kind of guitar-to-MIDI-converter will be used to translate the played guitar notes and chords into MIDI for the synthesizer.