Re: autotune + mamabear-ish modeling for electrics !!
It does look cool, but I have to question, why have a normal looking guitar? Do you need tuners (as we know them) anymore? And if you aren't using the magnetic pickups, why have them?
I am all for a non-clumsy looking (BTW, this looks kinda clumsy) new way of approaching guitar modeling and alternate tuning, but this seems like a baby step compared to what it could be later on.
As far as the GR55, I haven't tried it although I have been around while other people have used it. It is a great way to be introduced to guitar synth as well as VG-style modeling. However, Roland's modeling is still behind Line6's, and the GR55 is more of a watered down version of a real synth. If it gets people into playing more than the horn parts on Stevie Wonder songs, or the piano part to Color My World, then awesome, but it seems more suited to the top-40 or dance/wedding band guitarist than someone into exploring their own sounds.
Honestly, I want a USB guitar that can trigger synths, do alternate tunings and have effects and amp modeling from a laptop. Computers have more processing power than any hardware device, so let them do all of the work.