It’s not a toy, but a real guitar. You can see the introductory video here.

More info at Fretlight.com

Curious as to what the guitar players here think. Is this useful? Junk?

Yeah, I've seen one of these in person, but it's been a really long time, back then the computer interface was pretty terrible.

Honestly I think it's barely a step over showing a fretboard on screen, with similar controls to listen to the song, control the speed, etc. Programs like that have been around a long time. Encouraging a player to look at the fretboard to learn a song is probably not the best idea long term.

Nothing will ever replace the real thing (especially with crappy MIDI audio!) But at least the interface (guitar) is massively improved on Guitar Hero's dissapointing arcade toy. It's a shame the technology is a couple of decades old...

Personally I'd prefer to have something on screen than on my frets. I learned the chords easily enough, its getting them in the right order thats the trouble when learning a song

inorder to make this a realy good system you would need a sensor on the gutar that moniters what u do then a piont system and a way to reward well played notes + decent music quality not midi. then u could have something that was a realy fun way to lern how to play the gutar . the problem with most instrmants ore real world activaties is that thay dont have a smooth ore progressive lerning curve. its alot esear to olern something if its fun + its alot esear to find motivatoin to do something id it has a smooth lerning cerv that rewards you at each tern

Nothing of picking hand, nothing of proper technique for either (pretty much the most important thing), notation or theory, and a need for midi versions of the song you want (which are limited as hell in and of themselves). In other words, it's gimmicky junk.

Omg, that music, that sound is awful. I wouldn't stand it long enough to learn anything.

Does anyone remember the Roy Clark Big Note Guitar Book? They had these little stickers on it you put on your guitar fretboard that shows different fingerings for different chords. I was wondering when they would get around to doing a computerized version of this.

I learned the old fashion way...listening to a "record" or "album" (these were recordings that used to be pressed into vinyl back in the old days...it's how we listened to music), then trying to figure out what they were playing. The drummer would learn his part, the bassest his...etc etc.

But hey, time marches on....

that is the opposite of everything i love about music, right there in one handy video.