Anyone who’s played one of those music based games, be it Guitar Hero, Rock Band, or even Donkey Konga, surely enjoyed it but also felt that mild pang of guilt.  The reality that if we spend the same time and effort learning a real instrument we could actually have a skill we would be proud of.

But learning a musical instrument is a long hard practice that often lacks the pizzazz and gratification the games offer.  Perhaps, karaoke company Xing’s new Joysound f1 can help in that area, as their new karaoke system offers support for guitars and bass guitars.

All you need to do is bring your guitar or bass and a patch cord to your nearest Joysound f1 karaoke box and you’re off to the races. Just plug in the guitar and right away you can start tuning it.  You can also add effects through the karaoke machine. The box has two sockets so a guitar and bass can play at the same time.

This is a great addition for players in their 30’s and 40’s who want to keep it up but have trouble playing around their homes for fear of waking the kids or annoying the spouses.  These people also can’t go outside or other public playing areas for fear of being called an old fogy by teenager who don’t appreciate the subtle nuances of the solo to Working for the Weekend.

Even for beginner players it can be a great practice space.  You can use the typical karaoke speed settings to slow down the song if need be. There is also tab available on screen for you to learn how to play your favorite songs.

At Joysound f1 you can sit back with a beer and play to your heart’s content without fear of unsolicited opinions.  It brings the much needed lack of criticism and casual atmosphere of karaoke to guitar playing.

Having just been released on June 20th, Joysound f1 is only available in limited areas. However they have plans to gradually spread throughout Japan.  For those outside Japan, you may have to wait a little longer.  It’s surely a great addition that will hopefully spread beyond guitarioke into maybe pianoke, or drummyoke.

Photos & Video: RocketNews24

You can find locations with Joysound f1 here in Japanese.

▼Mr. Sato takes his guitar to Joysound f1 for a test play.  Warning: after 30 seconds he starts singing and may attract stray cats in heat.

▼The left channel is for a regular guitar and the right channel is for a bass guitar.

▼ You can check your tuning using the screen.

▼ You can also refer to the tab and chord progressions on the screen.

[ Read in Japanese ]