The Megatar is a stringed

String instrument

A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...

 musical instrument

Musical instrument

A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...

 designed to be played with two-handed tapping

Tapping

Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...

. It is manufactured by the U.S. company 'Mobius Megatar'.

Description

The Megatar is a fretted

Fret

A fret is a raised portion on the neck of a stringed instrument, that extends generally across the full width of the neck. On most modern western instruments, frets are metal strips inserted into the fingerboard...

 instrument with 12 strings, divided in two sections of six, where one set of strings is for bass and the other for melody. Both sides are normally tuned in fourths

Perfect fourth

In classical music from Western culture, a fourth is a musical interval encompassing four staff positions , and the perfect fourth is a fourth spanning five semitones. For example, the ascending interval from C to the next F is a perfect fourth, as the note F lies five semitones above C, and there...

 intervals. Other tunings and setups are common. The scale length

Scale length

*Length scale, - a significant concept in physics used to define the order of magnitude of a system*Scale height, - a specific parameter in physics denoting the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of e...

 is similar to an electric bass guitar. It uses electronic pickups

Pickup (music technology)

A pickup device is a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations, usually from suitably equipped stringed instruments such as the electric guitar, electric bass guitar, Chapman Stick, or electric violin, and converts them to an electrical signal that is amplified, recorded, or broadcast.-...

 that should be connected to an amplifier

Amplifier

Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...

 to produce sound. The instruments have two embedded, dual-action truss rods

Truss rod

The truss rod is part of a guitar or banjo used to stabilize and adjust the lengthwise forward curvature , of the neck. Usually it is a steel rod that runs inside the neck and has a bolt that can be used to adjust its tension...

 and a stereo 1/4" output. The Megatars are usually made with bolt-on necks. However from 2007 all new instruments are exclusively "neck-through". All models are either built from light-colored maple and alder or premium dark woods like mahogany, sapele, wenge and rosewood.

Models

There are several types of models of the Megatar available, the "TrueTapper" and the "MaxTapper" being the basic models.
One model of the Megatar, the "ToneWeaver", is equipped with the Ralph Novak

Novax Guitars

Novax Guitars is a guitar manufacturing company founded by Ralph Novak. His instruments feature frets which are not perpendicular to the instrument's neck , but rather fan out at various angles to allow for more comfortable, ergonomic playing and for proper intonation.Charlie Hunter, an acclaimed...

 "Fanned Frets" System. The "MidiTapper" is also equipped with a midi pickup system, which can drive synthesizers. The "Piezo-tapper" has GraphTech “Acoustiphonic” piezo

Piezo

"Piezo", derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press, is a prefix used in:* Piezoelectricity* Piezoresistive effect* Piezometer* Piezo ignition* Piezoelectric sensor* Piezoelectric loudspeakers* Piezo Audio Amplifier...

pickups installed.
A Megatar LapTapper comes with a custom table-top support system built in, so that the instrument can be played on a table or stand, like a keyboard.