What are the downsides to the VG-99? One is in the area of alternate tunings. The unit can easily process straight octave conversions (and its modeled bass tones are pretty nifty), but some alternate tunings seem to generate some very slightly suspect pitches on the higher strings of my Roland-Ready Strat. For the player who needs to switch to Keith Richards’ favorite Open-G tuning to bash out “Brown Sugar” once a night, the VG-99 is more than up to the task. For more delicate studio work, some guitarists may still want to retune their guitars. (And incidentally, the VG-99 features a decent built-in tuner.)

Also, the VG-99’s plastic case, bristling with controls, seems like it might be slightly more fragile for stage use than the steel-cased “stealth doorstop” floor-mounted design of its predecessors. But no more so than the average keyboard synthesizer.

And like a keyboard synth, expect a bit of a learning curve coming to grips with all of the VG-99 options, which are myriad. But just playing the presets will provide hours and hours of fun for any guitarist. Not to mention provide the ability to flip through patches to find the perfect sounds when recording, in a way that synthesizer players have taken for granted for the last 25 years. The guitar of the future is here, if you want it.