Gibson Dark Fire Guitar

When Gibson launches a new product ? especially a product as historical and thrilling as Dark Fire ? we strive for nothing less than excellence.

Gibson is a whole team of forward-thinking inventors, engineers, luthiers, craftsmen and tech experts worked for years to conceive of and create Dark Fire. For many members of their team, Dark Fire is truly the culmination of a lifetime’s worth of work.

In Dark Fire, Gibson set out to make not only the world’s best guitar, but the most technologically-advanced guitar — one where the technology is in service of the musician. Just when we thought the guitar was loaded to the brim with mind-boggling, industry-changing features, Gibson’s technology would come up with another feature. And we’d add that too.

Gibson didn’t want guitarists to be limited to just that classic Les Paul tone ? as lovely as it is ? but also to have the ability to recreate any other guitar sound in the world, as well as sounds that never existed before. And to have analog and digital and acoustic capabilities. And to have self-tuning capabilities. And to work seamlessly with today’s computer-based recording studios. Dark Fire’s features are endless, and engineered to standards that prior to Dark Fire, didn’t even exist.

Dark Fire Delivery Delayed

On Dec. 15, 2008, Gibson introduced the world to Dark Fire. The most high-tech product that any guitar company has ever produced, Dark Fire promised to sell out overnight. Dark Fire events were held at Gibson Showrooms and dealers across the globe, but very few of the 2,000 models we’d predicted to be out the door were actually shipped.

Unfortunately, Dark Fire just wasn’t ready ? almost, just barely, but not quite.

Dark Fire has to be flawless. Period. Because there are so many software and hardware components and because we’d set the bar so high, we didn’t anticipate the amount of time it would take to go from “it works” to “it’s perfect.” And for you, our valued and respected customers, it must be perfect. Anything less, and it would not be a Gibson.

Gibson apologized for the delay. But they assure you that by the time Dark Fire is in your hands, it will be the guitar that before now, existed only in your dreams … and ours.

How is Gibson Proceeding

Production on all Dark Fire models is currently on hold while we await the arrival of a shipment of Robot Interface Packs (RIPs). The RIP is a crucial part of the Dark Fire experience that provides a sophisticated link between Dark Fire and Windows and Mac computers, and we want to make sure that when you get Dark Fire, you can immediately take advantage of these advanced capabilities. The RIPs have been tested extensively on multiple platforms and is rock-solid; it has been released for full-scale manufacturing and once we have the finished units in hand we will resume shipping Dark Fires.

What Should Come In Your Dark Fire Guitar Case

Dark Fire case contents

• Limited Edition First Run Dark Fire
• Gibson USA Owner’s Manual
• Two Dunlop Strap Locks (Click here for installation instructions.)
• Dark Fire/Robot Guitar II signal splitter/charger box
• AC adapter for the signal splitter/charger box
• 1/4-inch stereo (TRS) cable
• Dark Fire Quick Start Guide
• Robot Interface Pack rebate form

Dark Fire Robot Interface PackHow to Redeem Your Robot Interface Pack (RIP)

If you already received your Dark Fire, you noted that it was mailed without the RIP boxes or the Dark Fire software pack (which includes a full version of Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 3 and the Gibson Studio Edition of Ableton Live).

Instead, the Dark Fire cases included a rebate form for the RIP box and software pack.

You may immediately claim your RIP box and software pack by calling one of the Customer Service numbers on your redemption form or at the bottom of this page.

However, these items will not be shipped to you until we have received them at the factory and they’ve undergone full testing. The full RIP package is set to ship to all Dark Fire owners by Friday, Jan. 9.

Dark Fire Firmware Updates

Every computer has software and most software needs to be updated at some point or another ? the same is true for Dark Fire, which has a computer inside. Included with the guitar is firmware that allows us to constantly upgrade and improve the usability of the instrument.

In fact, we’ve already made significant improvements that will require a firmware update upon receipt of your RIP package. Once the RIP software is installed on your computer, you can run the RIP console, which will automatically check both the RIP and the guitar.

A message will appear on your computer screen notifying you that your firmware is out of date; you will need to update immediately to ensure that your Dark Fire works properly with your RIP.

Gibson will also notify you via email as other features become available ? these features will be accessible with free firmware updates that can be downloaded from Gibson.com. However, if you are happy with your Dark Fire the way it is, it’s not recommended that you try a firmware update.

Dark Fire Owner’s Manual

The Dark Fire Owner’s Manual is available for download on the Dark Fire product page on Gibson.com.

The manual will be updated periodically to accommodate for firmware updates and new applications so check the Web site for the latest version.

Already Dark Fire owners are coming up with innovative applications we never anticipated, and these tips and techniques will be added to the manual so they can be shared with the Dark Fire community in the months ahead.

Also, bundled with the downloadable Owner’s Manual on Gibson.com is a Quick Start Guide for the Dark Fire, Quick Start Guide for getting started with RIP/Guitar Rig/Live, and a full version of the RIP manual.