Mad Catz intros Fender Precision Bass for Rock Band

Just in case you didn't have enough fake instruments cluttering up your living room, Mad Catz has now let loose its Fender Precision Bass for Rock Band, which it helpfully reminds us is the first ever bass guitar for the game. Among other things, this one drops the whammy bar normally found on Rock Band / Guitar Hero guitars (the volume knob does the job instead), and it incorporates a new Split Strum Bar, which promises to let you strum and pluck notes faster than a standard strum bar. Unfortunately, it's only available for the Xbox 360 at the moment, but at least the $70 price tag isn't quite as excessive as some of the other "premium" guitars out there. Now, if only someone would offer a Neil Peart-style drum kit, we'd really be able to do Rush justice, or at least out-do their now infamous performance on The Colbert Report.

[fieldcar @ Sep 8th 2008 4:07PM]

You know, i stopped in the best buy the other day, and to my amazement, they are selling real instruments now! I was excited as they had station set up with fl studio on it. As much as I dislike the fake instruments, its the gateway drug to the real stuff. And that's certainly a good thing.

[fieldcar @ Sep 8th 2008 4:09PM]

The destruction of engadget's commentary system starts... again... lol, though... just lol.

[ds @ Sep 8th 2008 4:11PM]

If they offer it in brown, it's mine. Bad Religion FTW

[Dan Fruzzetti @ Sep 8th 2008 4:22PM]

And there will be sorrow no more...

[dvsbstrd @ Sep 8th 2008 4:14PM]

I would like nothing more than to Command+Delete your account.

To be promptly followed by a Command+Shift+Delete.

[jpw21683 @ Sep 8th 2008 4:16PM]

Is it not wireless. WTF, mate???

[Dan Fruzzetti @ Sep 8th 2008 4:21PM]

Anyone want to go in with me on designing an actual guitar that also works as a GH / RB controller? I'm thinking it would need to be able to tune itself or at least transpose the pitches to match each key, but it's probably possible to do in interpretive software between the source and a midi controller.

[Kane @ Sep 8th 2008 4:31PM]

volume knob? yeah, that's gonna make it harder to use for no good reason.

[Q @ Sep 8th 2008 4:32PM]

I picked one of these last week when I stumbled into a Gamestop in Boston looking for a bass guitar for Rock Band 1. This thing is awesome. It is about 20% larger than the standard Rock Band 1 guitar and the split strum bar is very click-y not mushy at all. There is a piece of plastic above the strum bar to rest your thumb on. Overall it is very nice and solid. very close to holding a real guitar...minus....the real guitar part.

[ynx @ Sep 8th 2008 4:44PM]

So first they effin bastardize one of the greatest bass guitars in the world. and now the volume knob is a fucking whammy bar? What has the world come to??

[Mike K. @ Sep 8th 2008 4:53PM]

Where's the thumb rest?

[russlar @ Sep 8th 2008 5:09PM]

Screw the thumb rest, where's the Geddy Lee edition?!

[Eric @ Sep 8th 2008 5:26PM]

It's right above the strum bar, along the edge of the pickguard.

I quite like them.... I will be attaching a thumb rest to the guitar I've designed, if I ever get around to building it.

I saw this at GameStop yesterday.

[mypalmike @ Sep 8th 2008 4:56PM]

It is OS X compatible. There's a driver for these USB guitar controllers, and you can use it to play "Frets on Fire". So your dumb comment is even dumber by the fact that it's wrong.

[Snooze @ Sep 8th 2008 5:09PM]

Mad Catz is to game accessories what [negative thing/person] was to [good stuff]

[JMMGoalster @ Sep 8th 2008 5:54PM]

Your User ID couldn't be further from the truth....

[Barak @ Sep 8th 2008 5:54PM]

Please stop saying "GOBAMA!"

[Hafk @ Sep 8th 2008 9:16PM]

Ditching the Whammy Bar for realism is good and bad at the same time. It looks more like a bass, but getting every drop of the Overdrive/Star Power will be impossible, especially for fast sections with tiny sustains. Then again, most of the high-scorers are completely happy with the guitars they own, and they are used to them. I actually know a guy who still uses his X-plorer because he can't stand the feel of the Les Pauls and Stratocasters. And of course, I don't know many PS2 players that do not use the SG as compared to its wireless counterparts.

The best way to maintain realism for the bass guitar, but still make it high-score competitive, is place a touch surface on every fret, and let you bend the notes. Of course, that would severely increase the price, and make the frets heavier. So if you want an authentic fake bass experience, but you want to be score king, it won't happen. Oh well.

This was clearly designed for a market that just wants to have some fun with a big neck and easier upstrum. Honestly, it does sound really fun! Not gonna buy it though, already enough plastic instruments, and $70 is too much. I only buy my instruments in bundles.

[Dan @ Jan 3rd 2009 9:24PM]

Your post sounds like the ramblings of a crazy person.

[Zorque @ Sep 8th 2008 9:55PM]

Subtlety isn't your forté.

[Nytrojen @ Sep 8th 2008 11:42PM]

Finally, a little something for the bassist. Now they just need to make the bass tracks actually interesting and fun to play... it usually just ends up being a war over who goes guitar and who gets relegated to bass. Kind of a kick in the pants for bass players... maybe they need some Vic Wooten or Jaco tracks :P

[Riley @ Sep 9th 2008 3:06AM]

yeah, but doesn't that make it more like real life, then?

:)

[bort @ Sep 9th 2008 12:18AM]

for the record -- Geddy Lee uses a Jazz Bass, not a Precision.

[Adamwho @ Sep 9th 2008 1:03AM]

I always thought that he [Geddy Lee] played a Rickenbacker? Or am I just dated, I haven't listened to them since Signals

[kevencage @ Sep 9th 2008 8:33PM]

another gizmo for gamers
http://store.gameshark.com/viewItem.asp?idProduct=3328&idCategory=186
http://www.pricestealer.com/deal/1303/Guitar-Hero:-Aerosmith-Bundle/

[Anstiss24 @ Dec 25th 2008 10:32AM]

Could anyone tell me if the rockband precision bass works on Guitar Hero: World Tour please? and if not is there anyway of getting it to work? thanks
:)

[Dan @ Jan 3rd 2009 9:39PM]

Could anyone tell me if the rockband precision bass works on Guitar Hero: World Tour please? and if not is there anyway of getting it to work? thanks

NO! PRECISION BASS DOES NOT WORK WITH WORLD TOUR! Works fine with RB2.