A MOST AMAZING MUSIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMItems included... Godin Freeway SA Synth Guitar & User manual - Roland VG-8EX wi Power cord & User manualBrand New Gator GTSA CaseNew Roland 15 foot 13 pin GK cable, plus a generic 30 foot 13 pin GK cable -  one Guitar strap - (your choice)J.D'addario Planet Waves 'Auto-Trim' Tuning Machines installed.(Several youtube videos demo the Auto-Trim string installation.)The original Godin tuners are also included. Three sets of D'addario XL strings.Thoroughly tested together, all patches in the Roland work.Free shipping! The item will be shipped in two separate packages.The Heart of this system is of course the great and wonderful Godin 'Freeway SA’ Synth Guitar.I guess one could say the Roland VG-8EX is the system's Brain.Now how are we to know whether any musical instrument is great or not?We can look at it's specs, but that tells us little about how it plays and sounds. I personally do not have enough experience with a lot of different guitars to judge,therefore I will show you how someone who does, feels about it,namely the great John McLaughlin, seen in the photo with one of his Godins.Here is a quotation excerpted from an article about him on the Godin website…“I’m playing a Freeway SA on stage these days, which I really like,” he says.“I spent seven months in India, and due to baggage restrictions,I opted to take only the Freeway. It’s not that I’ve gone off the LGXT,which is a great instrument, but I like the Freeway’s neck and fingerboard;as well as the fact that it is lighter, without sacrificing the sustain.The pickups are also very good, and the MIDI captors are excellent.”(One can find the complete article on the Godin site)Regarding The Roland VG-8EX, I only played with it a few times,so I can't personally say a lot about it either,But Jimmy Page really liked the original VG-8, as you can see in the advertisement.Roland made upgrades to the original, with a better sound engine, more patches, and released it as VG-8EX.Of course, you are able to modify programed in sounds, and also create your own.Note: One line of pixels in the LCD died :(   But everything can be seen and understood.For those not familiar with the Roland VG-8EX, you need to know this...It is not a Guitar synthesizer.It would more accurately be considered a SUPER DUPER effects processor.(The following was copied from the "VGuitar Forums" and edited by myself )"A synthesizer can produce more traditional sounds, like trumpets, piano, drums, violins, organs etc.,which the VG-8EX does not. [Well, it does do a few nice ones, but not like a synth]The VG-8EX on the other hand, is a billion times more sensitive to play feeland subtleties in your playing than a synthesizer.Since it works on the sound of your strings, you can do things likescratch your strings or bang your guitar and you will get sound,with a synthesizer, the unit will just be confused.Also, the VG-8 doesn't "track" in the traditional sense of the word.It is actually processing effects on your actual string sound,not converting that sound into MIDI data.Speed metal players have no problem fitting in all those random notes!"Here's a description from the Roland site...“The Roland VG-8 is a breakthrough guitar processor that uses advanced modeling technologyto emulate the most popular guitars and amplifiers in music history.Using Roland’s Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) technology,the VG-8EX combines multiple "sound objects"—like double-cutaway guitar bodies,vintage tweed amplifiers, and humbucking pickups,to create a perfect reproduction of these components that can be playedfrom any steel-stringed guitar with a Roland GK-2A [And newer] pickup.[And the Godin's pickups also]The VG-8EX also has a built-in polyphonic pitch shifter for creating 12-string guitarsand open tunings, as well as a complete digital effects processor and parametric EQ.128 Preset Patches, 64 User Patches.VGM (Variable Guitar Modeling) provides multiple sound object models,including guitars, pickups, amps, cabinets, microphones and even mic placementHRM (Harmonic Restructure Modeling) for creating new synth-type soundsNo tracking delay through the GK-2A pickup, the VG-8 converts the actual waveform produced by each stringinto a totally new sound in realtime.Polyphonic intelligent pitch shifter for 12-string guitars, open tunings, bass guitar emulation, etc.High-speed digital effects processing including reverb, chorus, hexa-pan, delay and parametric EQ – all simultaneously."Funds from this sale will go towards producing the song "FREE"Here is the link --> robbin-rohners-forum.freeforums.net/thread/3/free (c/p into your browser) If you search youtube exactly like this... "ROLAND VG-8 Guitar System Review" - (not "reviews")you will find one of the best demos at the top of the list, and some others as well.NOTE TO NEWBIES! - If you have not used a VG-8 before. The sounds are easily accessible,however, as with all technology, there is a learning curve before you master all of the functionsThese would include editing, and creating your own patches, Etc.As the old saying goes... "Patience is a virtue" (And well worth the effort)Robbin Rohner