The urge to RAWK OUT really can hit at any time or place, but who wants to be that weirdo who's always lugging a guitar around?
Now there's FretPen, which makes even your hipster ukelele look big and clumsy.
Pop off the cap, snap the ball-point end into the guitar body and pluck the tiny string; a Bluetooth-connected smartphone acts as a wireless amp that can make a host of sounds, from clean acoustic to dirty garage.
Since there’s only one actual string, you also need to play a directional pad on the body to move across the strings, which isn’t all that hard for a seasoned player. Though FretPen is too small to create actual string vibrations — electronics in the fretboard recognize your finger positions instead — its external materials are just like a real electric guitar. The fretboard is wood, the frets are steel and the string is also the real deal:
(And yes, it’s actually a functional pen, so you can jot down those epic lyrics you channeled from the cosmos during that face-melting riff.)
You can’t buy the FretPen just yet; the Colorado-based makers just launched a campaign Monday on Kickstarter. But you can pre-order it there, with delivery expected sometime in November — just in time for your huge tour (of the waiting area at the airport gate during holiday travel).
IMAGE: FRETPEN FRETPEN