Techno-guitarmaker Ovation just came up with another great idea. This one's aptly named the Ovation iDea, the first guitar ever equipped with a built-in mp3 recorder, snagging your best ideas anytime. Besides recording your playing, it can play back a song so you can play along, and also slows down the music without changing the key, making it easier to learn a song.

There's also a built-in condenser microphone, letting you record vocals along with your guitar playing. You can also repeat or loop a track for continuous practicing along with previously recorded music. When you're done recording, there's a USB port that lets you transfer your recordings to a Mac or PC.

I have mixed feelings about the Ovation guitar itself, with its composite synthetic back instead of a traditional wooden back and sides, but I like its built-in electric pickups that let you unobtrusively amplify its acoustic guitar sound. It's an acquired taste, though — some think it's ugly, and rather than a synthetic guitar, I prefer the warm acoustic sound of a Martin D-28. Either way, there's a lot of good tech inside for $600, great for rehearsing. Click Continue for a larger pic and a video of this handsome axe:

Ovation iDea, via Oh Gizmo