While we love
Rock Band 2 as much as the next guy, playing that miniaturized
plastic controller will forever look a little dorky (or just make us look like giant men, which is kind of cool). Nothing wrong with looking dorky -- heck, we make a living of it -- but
Mad Catz's new full-size Stratocaster and Precision Bass controllers for Rock Band 2 are bringing the cool back. They're exactly what you think they are: actual Fender Squire axes turned into Rock Band 2 controllers, with the size, heft, and weight you'd expect from dad's electric guitar. Of special note was the Precision Bass controller, which has a dual flipper and thumb rest to allow fast pickers to do their thing Entwistle-style. They are also wireless, will come with a foot pedal for overdrive, and the guitar controller will have a whammy bar, of course. Unfortunately, Mad Katz didn't add the optical sensor for display calibration, but we'll forgive them for now. Look for these for $199 in Q1 2009 for both Xbox 360 and PS3. We caught them live at E3, and they look as impressive as they sound. Peep the gallery below if you dare.
posted Jul 17th 2008 11:31AM
A great way to perpetuate the idea that playing (Rock Band/Guitar Hero) is actually playing an instrument.
"(...) with the size, heft, and weight you'd expect from dad's electric guitar".
Sad. Just sad.
Plus, you can get a decent electric guitar for 170$.
I just don't get the whole Rock Band thing. This seems like overkill for a game. Just my opinion.
Nothing to get, it is just fun. No need to over think it.
So am I looking at this right?
$60 for the game, $300 for the drums and now $200 for the guitar? That is kind of expensive. I love rock band as much as the next guy but there is no way I can afford all of that stuff.
What you are talking about are the high end drums and guitars.The regular drums and guitars are going to cost between $50-$100.
Drums for 100$? yeah... only if they're made out of plastic.
and 50$ guitars will never stay in tune for more than are few minutes of use.
@allislost
You realize this is for rock band, and that there is no need to worry about the drums being made out of plastic, because they most certainly are...
And keeping the guitar in tune... I hope you mean TV calibration....
@allislost
He is talking about the regular rockband instruments. Gotta try and put things into context...
Do any real musicians find this offensive? Gutting a real guitar to make it into a fake one?
yes.
Nah, I was thinking of whipping out the soldering iron and trying to do the same thing with my crappy old Squier. This is much easier. (Though I would like to see it in the class black-and-white Clapton-style color scheme.)
The key, I should add, is that they're doing this with such a craptastic guitar. I would cry if it were a real Fender, Gibson, or god forbid, a PRS.
@ CrystaljDesign: coming from a musician I personally think this is a great idea. And I wouldn't exactly call Fender's Squire line "real" instruments. The Fender Standards (their base models) typically start at $349. The Squire series are more or less the starter, or student versions and are of very low quality. For $200 you're getting a real guitar stripped of all the electronics and retro-fitted with a toy guitar's electronics. Imagine how cheap this guitar would be on its own.
On another note, while this does look pretty cool, the fret board seems incredibly thick to me - at least 3 if not 4x thicker than a regular fret board. On a normal guitar the fretboard is only a couple cm thick - probably about as thick as the fretboard is underneath the buttons.
Yeah, I actually find this really sad for two reasons: one, making people think they can "play" an instrument and two, because it's not coming for PS2 :(
MADCATZ=FAIL
My bass belong to me. All of it.
well the fact that they are using a squire doesnt offened me... i think that it would be better use as a controller than a guitar.
I agree. I think they botched the neck with the "bolt on" frets. Here's how I gutted a craptastic real guitar and embedded the frets. It's just as thin as a real guitar neck. http://picasaweb.google.com/willgilliland/2006_07_06
That split strum bar and thumb rest is a godsend especially during the never ending set list. Cant wait!
I'm not sure why, I'm able to do quads on the single just as I'm able to do on a single string on my bass. I think it's dumb, but we'll see.
They look as impressive as they sound? I take it that means they don't look impressive at all? Because they certainly don't make any noise, you know, being fake guitars and all.
Seems a bit overkill to me.
My thoughts exactly.
I wish I were good at that game. I try so hard but fail so miserably.
I guess I should also add that I play guitar, which makes it difficult for me to play Guitar Hero.
I guess I should add that I play guitar, which makes it difficult for me to play Guitar Hero.
Awkward ...
*steps cautiously backwards out of the room*
"Awkward ...
*steps cautiously backwards out of the room*"
My thoughts exactly. And that was just in response to his facial hair.
Why would playing a real guitar make it difficult for you to play guitar hero?
I manage both just fine. Yes I am bragging.
Just what I always wanted!To be a fake guitarist!
WTF is the point of this crap.
Dorky when you play a music game with a plastic guitar? I think the guy that pays 200$ for a real fake guitar to play a music game will be the dorky one...I will laugh so hard if one of my friends buy this crap...
I don't think these are "Live" shots. They look like photographs to me.
+1
Stoopid. But really I love it. *blush*
How 'bout just start a band.
@crystaljdesign: I'm right there with you man, of all axes the Fender is a key symbol in rock legend, why don't you just take a cross from your favorite church and widdling that down into one....because it's sacrilege that why! What do you rock banders think real musicians are muttering under their breath as it is.....?
My guess is it's because most of you are miserable pricks who spent a ton of time learning to play instruments and now kids are having fun pretending to play. I play real hockey, yet I don't get all pissy when some kid does well or enjoys a hockey video game. I guess what I'm saying to all of you musicians who are being douches is...STFU, we don't care what you think. Now take your UBER REAL guitar down to the corner and maybe if I'm feeling froggy I'll drop a quarter in your case as I walk by...
thats actually a pretty clever idea with the p bass controller, whenever i play guitar hero (only thing friends ever want to play) i play it like a bass (which i play for real so its natural for me) and it doesn't work the best, but i'm also not that great at the game so that may be it... anywho, they should have also made it so you can play slap bass on it too
It's funny because I had that exact split bar idea for a plastic bass ukulele myself, and I also sometimes try to play it with my fingers upturned. It'd be good if they split the strum bar on a cheaper guitar, but this I reckon is indeed pretty overkill. All that really needs to be done with a guitar controller is to make the fret buttons and strum bar feel right (buttons not feeling cheap and the right amount of travel and cushion--the Rock Band controller nearly had it; and a strum bar which doesn't click loudly, and pings instead of feeling like you're whacking a piece of rubber), as well as a thin enough neck.
Man if I hadn't given up on engineering at school I could totally work on peripheral design~
@ Deed
I hope you mean putting the split strum bar on a cheaper rock band/guitar hero guitar, because squiers are about as cheap as they come
Anyone who buys this crap, let alone buying into the whole Rock Star/Guitar Hero loser fad, is a fool and a sucker. If the Nintendo "virtual orchestra" show at E3 didn't show you clowns a general idea how ridiculous you can all look or will look, then I don't know what will.
GO LEARN TO READ MUSIC AND PLAY A REAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.
Shut up.
YEAH! STOP HAVING FUN ALL OF YOU NOW! JUST BECAUSE ITS NOT POSSIBLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO PLAY A REAL INSTRUMENT BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY LACK THE DISCIPLINE OR NATURAL TALENT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HAVE FUN PRETENDING TO PLAY ONE! DAMN THE LOT OF YOU! (CAPS MAKES MY POINT MORE VALID)
/sarcasm off
That being said, yeah these are way too over the top for your average home user, but seeing as a lot of bars etc have started to have Rock Band nights kind of like Karaoke I think these would be perfect for a place like that to invest in.
How many rock stars read music?
Very, very few.
This is coming from someone who does read music, and plays piano, guitar, and (if I absolutely have to) bass.
@Eric
Bass doesn't count as an instrument.
Do these have plastic necks attached to what I'm assuming is either plywood or bassood bodies? I expected real maple necks with the electronics embedded.
That being said, the P-Bass is missing the fifth fret marker. It has 3 and 7...
"They're exactly what you think they are: actual Fender Squire axes turned into Rock Band 2 controllers"
I don't think they're plastic necks. I could be wrong though, I haven't looked at Strats in a while.
I made a mistake. I was looking at picture 4, which is a close-up of the plastic P-Bass. I though it was the Squier, because the picture before it was...
I have a friend who is a middle school teacher. At his school they offer beginning and advanced guitar. They are seeing kids signing up for advanced guitar because they are "good" at Guitar Hero/Rock band. Only to find them having to drop to class (then subsequently beginning guitar) because they are actually not good at guitar. go figure...
Well yeah. But hey at least it got them to try something new right? And it would seem to me that unless they pass some kind of audition that it's foolish of the school to let people sign up for Advanced Guitar without having taken beginning guitar 1st. That's like letting all the kids that watch anime sign up for AP Japanese at my old high school without having take Japanese 1-4 or being able to prove your are proficient enough to take that advanced version. But there I go with my logic again.
Its all part of the dumbing down of America - scratch that, the world...
Maybe they click beautifully....
This was supposed to be a response to Billy G... weird....
I was thinking this was a possible weakness in my argument...
I love all the snobby comments from the "uber musicians". After you are done learning a real instrument and starting a real bad why don’t you try the following:
Instead of playing Gran Turismo why don’t you learn how to drive a real racecar, dork!
And to all those Madden players, come on now just get your ass off the couch and get drafted in the NFL.
Hey loser, yea you playing GTA. Why don’t you grab a bat and start stealing cars and beating some hookers in real life.
These are games people, get over yourselves. It’s not like they took a real guitar and gutted it to make a controller, they made it specifically and I’m sure much cheaper for the game.
dude... you forgot Halo! :D
There is a fatal flaw in your argument...anyone can go pick up the guitar and attempt to learn it. The other games you mentioned are nearly impossible to replicate...not many people have the good fortune of owning a racecar, getting signed to the NFL, etc.
That said, I agree that some people overreact. If these games didn't exist, it would likely mean people would play more GTA/Madden/whatever, and fewer people would develop an interest in music as a whole.
Buying a real guitar is a whole lot easier than joining the nascar circuit. I have no problem with video games being games, but when a pointless case comes out like this, it offends some of us musicians who worked very hard to get to the level we are at.
But all in all, playing guitar hero is a useless talent, and buy not being outraged by this case your basically cosigning some executive thats going to make 10's of thousands off of this thing
"Buying a real guitar is a whole lot easier than joining the nascar circuit"
so becoming a mega rich and famous rock star is easy?
so what mega rich and famous rock group are you a member of retard?
do you think that football players get pissed off at people wearing replica shirts?
or racing drivers get annoyed when they see a child playing scalectrix?
sad sad people moaning about nothing, get a life.
Wow... lots of pissed off "musicians" around these parts eh?
Spending countless hours sitting in the grass playin your Clapton tabs in hopes that she'd notice you doesn't make you any better. If you have a real band, with actual skill, you wouldn't give a damn about RB/GH. You'd be too busy bangin groupies.
as one of those "musicians", that spent hundreds of hours sitting, not on grass, but on steps, chairs, park benches, and so on... perfecting my "nothing else matters" or my "Layla", I might be offended :P
but no... instead I relish the few times I've spent "Rockin'out" my GH self...
real instrument vs virtual is a pointless debate.. and anyone that feels his/hers musical talent threatened by all the GH rockers out there... plz... I'm not even going to say anything....
@paco
You cant be serious, playing a real instrument is about self expression, there is none of that in GH/RB. With out self expression you are no individual
I don't think that there is a fatal flaw in my argument at all. I'm sorry but I actually think that its harder to be an arena level professional Rock Band musician (per the objective of the game) as it is to race cars professionally or play a professional sport. Correct me if I am wrong about that?
I race SCCA in an old mr2 that prob costs less than a professional musicians setup. I don't go spouting off how insulting it is that Logitech has a new steering wheel for PS3 because people should go out an really learn how to race a car.
Pull the drum stick out out your butt and let people have a moment to escape the drudgery of failing mortgages, high gas prices and a never ending war. If someone wants to enjoy what it feels like to hold a real guitar what the hell is wrong with that. I just don't see the point in taking the design of a game controller personally.
Well, to me, playing RB/GH with a real gutted out guitar would be the equivalent of playing Grandturismo with a gutted out sportscar made into a controller.
I know im being harsh, but once again, upon spending many hours to play a real instrument, it feels as if im being mocked buy the devs, not particularly buy the end user.
And yeah, this game isnt easy, id never say that, but i will back my criticism of it being a useless talent. Your not actually playing music or notes, your hitting buttons that literally activates nonspecific sounds as i alternates between chords, this control is luxury entertainment at its finest... its just feel like a punch in the face though
Ray, you're one of those people who has it in their head that people playing Rock Band think they're really playing instruments - you guys are the only people who think that. People playing Rock Band don't make that mistake. They're just having fun. And the singing is as real as you want it to be.
This "personal expression" crap you spout is just as naive - like the rhythm videogame craze spawned the idea of someone doing something musical without personal expression? Like a kid never sat through years of piano lessons without becoming a virtuoso, then stopped immediately once the parents realized the child just wasn't interested? Yeah right. These are video games - as soon as you frustrated musicians realize that too, these comment threads will be a lot more civilized.
Beware, foolish mortals. Whoever so plays this fake guitar, will suffer the wrath of the ghost of Hendrix, who will pummel you dead, with the holy flames of electric fury.
I'm a huge fan of Rock Band, but this is getting a little ridiculous (not to mention pricey).
I can understand the idea of the "premium" drum kit, as you can actually hook up a brain to it and use it as a fully (I guess that's debatable) functional electronic drum set. As an avid video game fan, who plays a lot of Rock Band, I can't justify the cost of $199 for one of these controllers.
I would also like to add that Rock Band has been a gateway drug for me in regards to getting into real music. Considering that a decent beginner guitar is in that price range, it simply doesn't make sense. There's not a whole lot of value there, especially when compared to the drum kit.
Man, what is the deal with all the elitist BS that gets spewed toward the GH/Rock Band games? I mean, last I checked, the purpose of EVERY videogame EVER to hit the market in the history of the UNIVERSE was to simulate a real act. By your logic, you should also:
- Purchase and tune a real automobile rather than play Grand Turismo
- Hit the gym and try out for the NFL rather than play Madden
- Join the military, risk getting drafted and dying in war rather than play Call of Duty 4
- Ride go carts at Michael Jacksons neverland ranch rather than playing Mario Kart
etc...etc...so forth and so on.
Its just a fucking videogame. Hop of ur high horses.
"I love all the snobby comments from the "uber musicians". After you are done learning a real instrument and starting a real bad why don’t you try the following:
Instead of playing Gran Turismo why don’t you learn how to drive a real racecar, dork!
And to all those Madden players, come on now just get your ass off the couch and get drafted in the NFL.
Hey loser, yea you playing GTA. Why don’t you grab a bat and start stealing cars and beating some hookers in real life.
These are games people, get over yourselves. It’s not like they took a real guitar and gutted it to make a controller, they made it specifically and I’m sure much cheaper for the game."
EXACTLY
It's just a game. Some people like spending their extra cash on goodies for their cars. Do they need them? No. It makes them happy.
Why knock people for spending their extra cash on a game that makes them happy?
And really? I know plenty of people in local bands here in NY, and MOST of them either play rockband or at the least, have tried it, and man, if you can't find the fun in just getting together with some of your friends and some beers, and banging away on the drums, or in my case, TRYING to sound decent on the mic, well, then maybe you should be outside doing outdoor, physical stuff. Instead of commenting on these boards about how all the people that are HAVING fun are losers.
Commenting on blogs, about rockband reviews? Why don't you go out and become a real journalist.
Sheesh.
If the accessories for Grand Turismo costed as much as an entry level race car, I'd go for the race car.
it will come soon in few weeks and not 2009 and wont be $199, at Best Buy pre-order for only $69.99 and there is more than this Guitar from Mad Catz, for Rockband, there is the Mic with controller, other Guitar, Coffin case accessories, Portable drums, premium drums, other in the pipeline.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8910333&st=mad+catz&type=product&id=1213047312613
Actually, that's just the replica you linked to, which is plastic. These here are real Fenders.
There is absolutely nothing new here, except that this argument is now taking place in the mainstream instead of on uber-niche fan forums. Those of us who have been into the music game scene long enough know that Guitar Hero wasn't the first game that let you pretend to play a plastic guitar and Rock Band wasn't the first game to let you play guitar/bass/drums together with your friends (though admittedly both have executed on the concept much better than the Konami games that inspired them).
We've argued to death over whether following arrows on a screen is the same as dancing (it isn't), whether mashing keys and spinning a plastic turntable makes you a DJ (it doesn't), and whether beating on fake drum pads will make you the next Keith Moon (it won't). But they're all really, really fun.
We also know that when it comes to music games - or any game with a specialized controller for that matter - the quality of the controller matters. Hardcore fans of Beatmania IIDX and Pop'n Music have never been content with the shortcomings of the standard home controllers, instead opting to pay $400-500 to import "Arcade Style Controllers" from Japan. Likewise, Dance Dance Revolution players seeking to capture the arcade experience at home will pay several hundred dollars for high quality metal dance pads.
To be fair, the home controller offerings included with Guitar Hero/Rock Band are of higher quality than some of those offered for the earlier Konami music games, and neither has the pressure of having to live up to the experience offered by a $10,000 arcade cabinet, but for players who take the hobby seriously, a few hundred dollars is a small investment when the return is more enjoyment from the game you love.
I love all the comments about participating in real experiences rather than playing a game.
It gets even more ludicrous if you look at older-style games:
1. Turn into a blue hedgehog and spin instead of running.
2. Become a plumber and jump on mushrooms to kill them.
3. Defend the universe from a giant space centipede.
It's just a game people, enjoy it for what it is.
I'm sorry, but $199 for a video game controller that's only useful with a very small handful of games? Are they fucking high?
And before you start calling me a snob, let me say that I am a HUGE GH/RB fan. The beauty of the games is that you don't have to have a lot of talent and you don't have to have a lot of cash to play "pretend rock star". Just like "Grand Turismo" and "NBA Live" let you play "pretend race car" or "pretend Kobe." I get that.
But to gut a Strat, make it into a game controller, and then charge as much as you'd pay for a decent used actual Strat - that just seems to nullify one-half of the game's raison d'etre - the low price point.
But hey, if you reallllllllllly don't want to learn how to play a real guitar, but are nonetheless cool with dishing out the money for one, more power to you. Everybody's got their something.
Whoa, weight? My J-Bass weighs like twelve pounds...I don't want that on my shoulders while I'm playing games.
Definitely takes the little tikes, playskool feeling away from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band controller schematic. Way to go Mad Catz!
that bag is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that bag is awesome where can i get one?
Yeah, that's a bit overkill, but it's a great idea and kind of makes me want to take it on as a project to create one myself. I even have an extra squire I don't play. Too bad I don't have rock band OR guitar hero.
I love Rock Band. I took piano lessons for about 12 years.. all classical.
Anyway, if I had $1000 to spend I might actually make the tragic mistake of buying the $200 Bass, the $200 guitar, the $300 drum set, an $80 drum throne, a $30 mic stand, and a keg of beer.
That would be one hell of a party my friends. And just think how beautiful those puppies would look on two guitar stands on opposite sides of the amazing ion drum set. oh, man... pure music-gaming bliss...
I can definitely say I have friends who would never put a plastic guitar around their necks but would have no problem strapping one of these on just because it's not as foreign to them as the plastic guitar. Everyone knows the weight and feel of a real electric guitar.
There's no way I will ever buy these things, but it's always nice to dream.
p.s. I'm also one of these people that would buy the Rock Band stage kit just because I'm a total completist.
If flight simmers can have full size cockpits in their house for a game than why not have these? I probably won't get one but I think it's great.
I read that Pete Townshend enjoys playing Rock Band with his wife and son and as far as I know he has accomplished more musically than any artistic pretender on this bloody forum board will ever hope to achieve.
but then maybe he knows the difference between a game and real life.
I for one, will be spending the money for a game controller and it can sit quite happily next the SG and thunderbird IV in my room and I'm almost 100% sure that I will be quite happy playing on it as well. I guess I just love video games more than I love faking artistic integrity on forum boards.
where do you buy these 2 guitars, is there any where on line you can order them the fender stratocaster and the percision bass