Will Paul Vo's Wond make you a more expressive guitarist?

If Harry Potter played the guitar, he'd have one of these. Probably.
If Harry Potter played the guitar, he'd have one of these. Probably.

Billed as a "magnetic plectrum", Paul Vo's Wond is a handheld string exciter, sustainer and controller for players of the guitar and other stringed instruments.

Based on technology that was previously seen in the Moog Guitar and Vo-96 acoustic synthesizer, the Wond promises infinite sustain (if that's what you want) and the option to pinch your finger and thumb for control over amplitude and harmonics. You can also use the device as a slide.

Furthermore, the Wond offers tactile feedback - it vibrates with increasing intensity as strings vibrate with more force - and works completely wirelessly (it contains a rechargeable, replaceable battery).

Comparisons will inevitably be made to the E-Bow, but Vo claims that the Wond is based on different technology and uses a "patented collocated vibration control system".

Head to Paul Vo's Wond Kickstarter page to find out more. A pledge of $179 should get you a Wond in September 2015.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.