Somerville Sounds has just unleashed Rubber Bridge Plucks, a sample-based virtual instrument featuring acoustic guitar samples, and it’s absolutely FREE.
As a seasoned guitarist, I’m always intrigued by virtual guitar instruments. I’ve witnessed friends work wonders with tools like Shreddage and various libraries, so exploring new offerings is always a treat.
Today’s spotlight falls on something a bit out of the ordinary compared to your typical guitar plugins and samples. Somerville Sounds’ Rubber Bridge Plucks is ostensibly a sampled acoustic guitar, but its sound is delightfully peculiar.
Originally, Rubber Bridge Plucks began life as a simple parlor acoustic guitar—a modest little gem perfect for impromptu jam sessions.
Jon Meyer, the mind behind it, replaced the bridge with a piece of rubber and inserted a rubber eraser beneath the strings. The result? A considerably dampened, almost percussive sound.
Unlike the rich resonance of a high-end acoustic guitar, Rubber Bridge Plucks delivers a mid-range, electric bass-like tone, which has perfectly complemented my recent Warp Records-inspired experimentation.
If you’re not keen on delving into the sound design realm to craft unconventional guitar tones, Rubber Bridge Plucks offers an excellent alternative. It’s a pre-packaged organic element that injects instant character into your productions.
While Rubber Bridge Plucks exudes an intimate and subdued vibe on its own, you can elevate its sound further with your favorite reverb and delay plugins for a lush atmosphere.
One of the best features? Despite its initial appearance as a Kontakt library, it’s a standalone plugin, freeing you from the clutches of Native Access and ensuring accessibility for everyone.
I had the pleasure of testing Rubber Bridge Plucks on both my Windows PC and MacBook, and it performed admirably on both systems.
All you need is a 64-bit host, which is pretty standard nowadays. Supported plugin formats include VST3, AAX, and AU. Plus, it’s Silicon-native, but fear not Intel Mac users—compatibility is assured.
