NAMM 2025 was, as ever, full of massive gear drops and absolutely ridiculous releases in equal measure. For every Marshall amp-in-a-box pedal, there was a next-gen Fart pedal, a MonoNeon Whammy, or something just as bonkers.
But perhaps the most eye-catching innovation of the entire show was the Circle Guitar – a new innovation developed by Circle Instruments, which has been described as “a hyperinstrument that transforms what a guitar can do”.
It utilizes a motorized rotating wheel that features removable picks, encircling the bridge and pickup to create “rhythms impossible to replicate by hand”. A total of 16 magnetic picks can be attached at any one time, with the Circle Guitar effectively strumming itself and freeing up players to go beyond the traditional physical limitations of the instrument.
“This innovative design,” Circle adds, “allows musicians to explore new sounds and playing techniques, changing how they interact with a guitar and revolutionizing their approach to music-making.”
Elsewhere, its sole pickup is multi-channel so that each string has an isolated signal, and the strings can be added in and out via dedicated sliders. Each string can also be gated, creating arpeggiator-type sounds.
The wheel is controllable via the guitar using tap-tempo, or its dedicated Speed dial. Beyond the guitar, it can be manipulated via MIDI, lending itself to a more tapping-based playing style.
Guitar World did actually highlight this mad invention way back in 2020, but it seems it’s gone through some major upgrades since, which Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien has already wax lyrical about it. In fact, he’s already ordered the first of the new design.
“Occasionally, you see or get to play something that makes you think in a totally different way,” he says. “This is an extraordinary new guitar, and I’ve already put an order in to buy the first one.”
Over the course of the Anaheim shenanigans, producer Malte Hagemeister and YouTuber 60 Cycle Hum also took the guitar for a, err, spin, and seemed to love how expansive and inspiring the instrument is.
Idles' Lee Kiernan also got in on the action, saying: “This guitar is one of the most inspiring and forward-thinking instruments I have ever played on. The moment you hold it, you are forced to think differently about what is possible.”
The 25.5" scale guitar itself has an alder body, a maple neck with reinforced titanium rods, and a sustainable Richlite fretboard. There's also Jescar 47104 frets, Gotoh hardware, and a Graphtech nut – but all of that feels of secondary importance when considering the merry-go-round of madness that headlines this instrument.
Players are encouraged to customize their instruments too, with Circle saying it can accommodate almost any sprayed color or finish for those placing an order.
There is currently a waiting list for the first full batch of Circle guitars, with the model currently undergoing beta testing. Owning one will cost £7,995 (approx. $10,000) with Circle taking £500 (approx. $632) deposits.
Check out Circle Instruments for more.
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