Information is up on the Gibson website about their new Dark Fire Limited Edition First Run guitar, and said information is staggering. We'll try to process i for you, but a bit of a warning: their copy tends to be a bit more flowery than informational, and some details are still a little obscure. That said, let's dig in:

The concept, as Gibson describes it, is a "marriage between Chameleon Tone Technology and Second-Generation Robot Guitar Technology." The Robot Guitar technology should be familiar by now. The motorized Power Tuners can automatically tune (and retune) the guitar to any tuning you specify with the press of a button. The "Generation Two" system now tunes-up in under a second, making alternate tunings during the performance of a song possible, and has an improved, rechargeable battery system that lasts over twice as long.

What, exactly, the "Chameleon Tone Technology" is is a little less clear. It seems to refer to a combination of the guitar's pickup configuration, "Robot Interface Pack" and NI Guitar Rig 3, which comes bundled with the guitar.

The guitar's substantial pickup options include a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge and a P-90h in the neck position. These magnetic pickups are in addition to the six-saddle piezo system at the bridge. The acoustic tones from the piezos and the electric tones from the magnetic pickups can be blended together with a constant-grade potentiometer, meaning any combination of the two tones can be achieved from control and blended through the same output.

Gibson's copy also includes a description of something called the Robot Interface Pack, which seems to be a separate firewire interface (or is it?), though they don't provide pictures. From their description:

"The RIP's front panel carries a single 1/4-inch stereo input for the Dark Fire, a 1/8-inch headphone out with level control and a pilot light, which changes from dim blue to bright blue when the Dark Fire input is detected. The rear panel carries two balanced 1/4-inch line outs, a FireWire connector to link to your PC or laptop and a hex connector that carries the outputs of each string and a composite piezo output. An optional adapter provides easy connection from this hex output to popular MIDI guitar interfaces such as those made by Roland and Axon, or allows you to divide out the six individual signals to their own balanced one-quarter inch connectors. There's also a 12-volt DC connector for the RIP's power supply, which both powers the RIP itself and recharges the Dark Fire's battery when required.

What exactly the connection between the Dark Fire guitar and the Robot Interface Pack entails is not clear, but there seems to be more than just audio voltage being transferred: how does the hex-out from the back of the RIP receive the requisite info from the Dark Fire Guitar? Or is it actually built into the guitar? More confusion: the Master Control Knob.

While it seems that the MCK grants instant acess to the Robot-Tuning functions as well as some preset pickup settings, it seems to offer other control options as well, though again, Gibson's copy just isn't super clear. Will it also provide control over Guitar Rig 3? Over the RIP?

The more traditional elements of the Dark Fire are easier to grasp. The chambered mahogany body is finished in a pretty amazing-looking "Dark Fire" nitrocellulose finish matched with a dual-black binding. The neck is slim-tapered and compound-radiused, and finished with a satin coat for fast left-hand position changes. The block inlys are acryllic and made to look like carbon fiber, as are the pickup covers. The nut is made of a Teflon-based composite, and the bridge lcoks to the studs, resulting in some of the longest sustain of any Gibson guitar ever made (so they say). The classic flowerpot inlay at the headstock is a classy touch.

And let's not forget the contest. Gibson wants you to write a song about the new Dark Fire, and submit a video of you performing it. There's no stylistic constraints, just make sure you pay homage to this newest member of the Gibson family. Select songs' composers will be placed in a drawing to win a trip for two to New York City to attend the December 15th Times Square press conference and demonstration that will, we assume, answer all our unanswered questions about the dark fire. Also, the user-submitted video that garners the highest rating (based on a public vote) will win a Gibson Dark Fire Limiter Edition First Run of their very own.

This is all intriguing news indeed, but it looks like we'll still have to wait for the whole Dark Fire picture until Dec. 15th. Until then, work on your song.