As I read this article, I thought to myself, yeah, here's another technology driven idea that makes very little business sense, something a high-tech hobbyist might concoct for himself, but is not cost effective compared to existing (manual, low-tech) solutions. In other words, technology for technology's sake. I think the last line of the article says it all -- why pay so much for a [high-tech, microprocessor-controlled] self-tuning piano, when you can have a regular piano tuned two or three times a year for a lot less?

At least with a guitar you only have to tune six strings, instead of the 200+ in a piano. (Yes, some keys have two or even three strings in a good piano.)

There is design for a self tuning guitar -- and it's one that can quickly alter the tuning of the strings. Jimmy Page thinks it's the greatest thing in the World (not that he *ever* plays alternate tunings.)

http://www.selftuning.com/index2.htm

If you hit the whammy bar, and you detune, something's wrong. Most likely, you don't have a locking nut and bridge, or they aren't in fact keeping the string from sliding over the nut/bridge, or your intonation is completely whacked.

Or, you're playing a Strat with too loose a neck -- which is about 85% of them, from what I hear.

I'd rather have a self-tuning guitar, or at least a movable bridge that doesn't go out of tune every time you touch the whangy bar.