Logitech's Premier Edition Guitar Hero wireless axe is ready to commit rock fraud

How much would you spend to be a fake rock star? $250 you say? Good, this is the guitar for you. As rumored, Logitech's Wireless Guitar Controller Premier Edition for Guitar Hero: World Tour is now official with features like a wooden neck, metal frets and tuning peg handles, and a rosewood fingerboard. It's compatible with the PS3 or PS2 consoles (via 2.4GHz wireless USB receiver) and claims a range of 30 feet and "hundreds of hours" of battery life off a pair of AAs. December, that's when \m/.

Gallery: Logitech's Premier Edition Guitar Hero wireless axe is ready to commit rock fraud

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[Surfaced @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:55AM]

Its not compatible with Xbox 360?

I must say it looks superb and worthy of its name, but at that price, and without support for the 360, it wouldn't sell nearly as well as it could.

[Intrepid @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:54AM]

I was equally suprised by the lack of 360 support.

[OneLove @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:02AM]

Why does the gaming industry always try to rape consumers when they see a trend? They are as bad as politicians.

[Orpheus @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:58AM]

Ok nothing against Guitar Hero enthusiasts but at this price aren't you nearing being able to afford a real guitar?

[gad get @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:02AM]

People will pay a lot to pretend.

[j_g_puff @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:10AM]

Am I the only one who thinks this has gone too far?

[maveric101 @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:55AM]

real guitars are for old people.

[tekd @ Oct 24th 2008 2:30AM]

Somewhat ironically you can buy a decent real electric guitar for a lot cheaper than this thing. Admittedly you'd also need a decent amp before you could rock out, but at this price you could almost buy both.
You couldn't buy a very high end guitar admittedly, but something like a Squier bullet strat is under $100 and a pretty decent first guitar.

[dervheid @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:00AM]

Only one set of fret buttons?
Apart from that V.nice, but too high a price (like Orpheus says...)

[plake @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:03AM]

What's that brown thingy - a touch screen à la the new Guitar Hero: World Tour guitar?

[El Taco @ Oct 23rd 2008 4:42PM]

no, just touch sensor. no screen.

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:22AM]

250$ for a wooden Guitar Queero guitar? Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaahhhaaahhhaaaahhaaaahhahahhaah
Some people are so fucking stupid. My guitar cost 250 bucks but when I plug that into an amp it makes helluva noise not only clickety-clack. The more this phenomenon takes off the more pathetic it gets. Soon we'll have an entire generation of kids that have multiple guitars at home that can't even play music. Too ridiculous. I can see why people like this type of game but seriously it's getting out of hand.

[Zorque @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:31AM]

Ooh, you paid $250 for a guitar, aren't you a big spender.

[dos @ Oct 23rd 2008 5:39AM]

i agree. sure play the game and enjoy it but dont delude yourself with this crap. if you want to be a real musician get a real guitar and practice practice practice. even bad players get respect.

[From My Cube @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:04AM]

how does this differ from the person who spends 5k on a cell phone or 100k for a car...sure i can go buy a POS car for 700 bucks that gets me from point a to point b....if your not hurting for $$ $250.00 is nothing

[Hold McGroin @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:23AM]

$250 does not buy a "real" guitar. Did your mom get that at the grocery store in the checkout for you?

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:34AM]

"$250 does not buy a "real" guitar. Did your mom get that at the grocery store in the checkout for you?"

What? You have absolutely no sense of reality whatsoever. What ten thousand dollar guitar do you have at home? How many mid-20s guys with 5000 dollar Fenders do you know? I'm asking myself where you got your perspective from. Hi-End luxury instruments are for enthusiasts and professional musicians. Where does a "real guitar" start then? So all students have to learn on an instrument that costs a couple of thousand dollars? Your ignorance is hilarious. Not everyone can afford to live in a polished dream world like you do. Who am I even talking to. You are so far off the ground that you don't even know what's going on outside. Jeez.

[lowdef @ Oct 23rd 2008 10:37AM]

well, a real American guitar starts at $999 for a strat standard and 1300+ for a Les Paul.

However, the best guitar for the money is a PRS SE custom, got mine for $480

just so you know. and yes your guitar blows.

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 12:25PM]

@lowdef: So you've heard my guitar eh? Sounds pretty bad what? Must be shit for that price right? Yeah right. At least it produces actual sound ...

[lowdef @ Oct 23rd 2008 3:49PM]

well i do play and can tell you that if you have the ability to discern tone then by all means, you WILL be able to tell a $250 guitar from a $1000 guitar. you are a douche bag. I am fine with beginners having "cheap" guitars but you are fucking flaunting it. If there was a $250 guitar that sounded identical to the $1000 guitars, there would be no $1000 guitars.

So are you suggesting that my guitar does not produce sound?

Bottom line is, this is a $250 controller for people who may have no interest at all in learning to play guitar (out of laziness, lack of dexterity, apathy, age etc), which is totally fine. However, if you have the slightest interest in picking up a new instrument, then yes I agree that this money is better spent on a "real guitar."

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:03AM]

"tuning peg handles" Sold! I tried to resist, but this is the deal maker for me.
/sarcasm.

[G @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:03AM]

It's a pretty good looking controller but why is it that these controllers always try to mimic real guitars? For this price you could get a decent first guitar and an amp. I don't really have anything against guitar hero and I'm a guitarist but why can't manufacturers accept it's not a real guitar and come up with designs based on that? You could have some crazy designs that couldn't be done for real guitars. Instead of trying to pretend it's not just a frickin game.

[dervheid @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:14AM]

G.
You CAN play guitar. Cool. I'm pleased for you.
However.
There are LOADS of people out there with NO musical ability whatsoever.
These people will, in all likelihood, never ever be able to master even the basics of playing a real guitar.
Guitar Hero is a FANTASY GAME where players get to PRETEND to be playing a real guitar.
For some, the closer you can get to that experience, the better. If they can afford the price, what harm are they doing anyone, apart from themselves maybe.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:31AM]

But surely for most $250 dollars for a 'fantasy' is just too damn rediculous? They can still live out the fantasty with the stock guitar that came with it!

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:33AM]

@dervheid:
There are LOADS of people out there with NO musical ability whatsoever.
These people will, in all likelihood, never ever be able to master even the basics of playing a real guitar.


I hate to break it to you but that's a load of bullshit. If you can learn to hit six different buttons in tune with the music and some symbols on screen and manage a wammie bar button then you can learn how to play a god damned guitar. If you have enough "musical ability" to understand when to hit a note in Guitar Hero then you've already managed step 1 to becoming an actual musician. Fretting is nothing else but training your hands to do certain things at a certain moment for a short period of time. Just what you do to push these buttons you have to hold one or two strings down. Big deal. Hell, I play Black Sabbath songs that have less riffs than that. All this Guitar Hero shit is a giant excuse for people who are too lazy to actually try to learn how to play a guitar. Learning guitar means crampy hands and callouses, that's what most people don't want because they're lazy and want pay-off without actually putting some work behind it. GH and Rockband is instant gratification with a cushioned fall, even if you screw up the song goes on. A real guitar sounds absolutely horrible if you misfire a note but that's what learning is.

[dervheid @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:51AM]

meist3r (and others of the same ilk)
Boy, do you have some serious issues to deal with.
I'm all for live and let live, but you seem to be of the opinion that everyone should be compelled to learn to play guitar. Did you ever stop to consider that maybe, just maybe, some of the people who enjoy Guitar Hero, aside from my proposed lack of musical ability, have absolutely no inclination to learn to play a real guitar.
Some people enjoy playing guitar, some people enjoy playing Guitar Hero, some people even enjoy both.
GET THE FUCK OVER IT!

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:00AM]

@dervheid (and the like): No I'm not getting over it. Not at all. I refuse to accept that there are people out there that waste their talent and time on PRETENDING to do something instead of at least trying to achieve the real thing and then decorating themselves with phony ranks that mean nothing. Can you spell ridiculous? That's why we got so many poorly educated people, the decline in music quality has to do with it. The overall rampant sellout and quality deterioration of media. All because people like you sit at home and pretend to be interested in music or culture.Where's the problem with spending a couple hundred bucks on real instruments and starting a real garage band? There is none but the ignorance and laziness of the people. Sorry but that's just fucked up on a level I can't even begin to elaborate here.

You want to live in a society of play-pretends like that ... fine. I don't want to and I won't. I'm NOT getting over it. Ever. Sorry.

[G @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:06AM]

Thanks engadget, just lost my longass comment.
Basic jist of it was I don't know why you're justifying guitar hero to me since I said I have nothing against the game.
The beauty of playing the guitar is that everybody develops their own style and you can improvise, that's not something you get with the video game. The whole "get a real guitar" argument is a little bit more valid here because this is a controller that's more expensive than some real guitars. I wish people didn't think it was so hard to learn to play the guitar, because if you enjoy it, it's not like work. I happily practice around 7-8 hours a day unless I have to go to work.

[Nbcdnzr @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:37AM]

"why can't manufacturers accept it's not a real guitar and come up with designs based on that? You could have some crazy designs that couldn't be done for real guitars."

Real (electric) guitars aren't that restricted either, you should know as a guitarist. There are guitars out there without heads, bodies, you name it. The only real restriction is that you need a straight fret board. I guess they could come up with a curved one, but I'm not sure it would make it more attractive to play with. The resemblance to the real thing (looks wise) is the goal anyway.

[G @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:48AM]

I know there are alot of guitars without heads or bodies but you're usually sacrificing something for that. If your guitar doesn't have a head then you've got to have the tuners where the bridge is and if your guitar doesn't have a body it's going to have crappy sustain and you won't be able to bend the neck while you're playing. On a guitar hero controller things like this wouldn't affect your ability to play the game at all so they can pretty much go crazy. They could at least make some effort to be creative is my point.

[RossKTT @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:58AM]

Does it not make sense that some people enjoy playing games, and since Guitar Hero is a game, people may want to play it. The controller is shaped like a guitar, as it is a guitar related game. No-one complains as kids using a steering wheel to play a racing game, even when they have no real-life driving ability

[jpw21683 @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:57AM]

@meist3r

What is your problem? I've been a musician all my life, been a guitarist for nearly 15 years, and I personally love the Guitar Hero/Rock Band games.

These are great party games, as they give those with little or no musical ability the feeling of actually playing music.

You talk about people being "too lazy" to learn the real-life equivalent...may be true in some cases. HOWEVER, most people (especially those with no musical experience) begin on Easy and work their way up. By doing this, they develop rhythm, fretting technique, fretting/strumming coordination, etc. After reaching a certain point, they may say "Hey, I should try playing a real guitar." I have seen many folks actually driven to real-life instruments BECAUSE OF the Guitar Hero/Rock Band games. These are folks who initially have no musical talent whatsoever, and would never decide one day "I've got what it takes to play the real guitar." Their progression in the game hints that perhaps they should give it a shot.

My own example...I never had a desire to play the drums; even with my extensive musical background, didn't think I'd ever be able to! Then Rock Band 1 came out. Started on easy, as it was extremely difficult for me, and made my way through expert. The game taught me drumming skills (alternate sticking, hand/foot independence) and patterns. This drove me to purchase a real drum set, and I'm now a drummer in real life.

I understand that there are some that think they're badass because they rock at Guitar Hero (seen that South Park episode?). But in my experience, these games make "music-playing" accessible to the masses and are a gateway drug to the real thing. Why anyone, especially a musician, would take issue with that baffles me.

[Stupidiot @ Oct 23rd 2008 10:35AM]

Thanks, meist3r, I've had a revelation.
It's now so clear to me that the very reason I don't go out into the streets and shoot, murder and teabag people is that I'm too lazy to put down my controller and stop playing GTA. No more pretend violence for me.

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 12:22PM]

@jpw21683: Yeah I've seen the South Park episode, and that made my point exactly. I can't stand these people bragging about their Guitar Hero scores and being proud of wasting money on such stuff. Like I said multiple times before I understand why people play these games. Good for them. I still hate it. Don't know why, it's fake to me and I can't understand why anybody would want to spend time with fake music while they could be creating real one. But anyhow that's all my opinion.

@Stupidiot: So you're trying to pull that GTA analogy on me like that other guy tried? Music is something positive and creative, violence is negative and destructive. Ignoring the possibility of creating something and to compare that same ignorance with "shooting somebody" ... what? It's a good thing that creeps can play GTA instead of flushing their aggression some other way. But if kids spend their time mimicking musicians while they could spend the time becoming musicians is a mystery and a disgrace to me. Nice Avatar btw, wonder who made that ...

[Akio @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:17AM]

Stop having fun on a game an get a real guitar, I'm talking to all you 5 year olds that think you're sooo cool.

Get off your lazy asse's, get a job, get a real guitar, then waste a portion of your life trying to make music.
Not forgetting all you GTA players, stop beating people with rendered baseball bats an do it for real.

Seriously, when will you people ever get your heads out of your asse's?
The guitars not real, so what?

Its called a game.

[Esat Dedezade @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:43AM]

Did... did you just promote hitting people with baseball bats?

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:50AM]

"Seriously, when will you people ever get your heads out of your asse's?
The guitars not real, so what?

Its called a game."

So you would say spending 250$ on a FAKE guitar on which you play FAKE music is a valid past time over spending that same kind of money and effort on trying to achieve the real thing? Nobody says you need to become a stage musician when you learn to play a guitar, there are tons of bands out there that play just for the fun of it. When will YOU get your head out of your ass and stop wasting time with prententious crap? I for one like to acquire REAL skills and when there's something completely impossible I'd like to do (like say stop an alien invasion with my space marine corps) I play a video game. If you want to spend your life pretending to have skills. Go ahead. But I seriously think this needs to stop, we're in enough trouble because of that mentality as it is already.

[Akio @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:27AM]

meist3r -

While you're taking my comment the wrong way an not realising what I'm getting at, yes.. the price is stupid for a guitar with buttons.
What I'm really getting at is the fact that people can't seem to grasp the whole "game" thing here, its for fun.
Its not something thats aimed at competition with people who actually play instruments, its something that anyone can pick up an play.. FOR FUN.
Unless you have no arms, then I guess you'd have to roll on it or something.

An yes Esat, I recommend everyone beat people with a baseball bat in real life!

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:20AM]

@Zorque: I'm a beginner of guitar and a student with low budget ... for that I'm very happy with my purchase. At least my 250€ investment can play actual music and only needs a 100$ guitar amp and some talent. Your 250$ gimmick guitar up there needs a 250$ game console, a 60$ game and some DLC to play different songs. You might need some talent too but I've never heard of a real-life application for "pushing colored buttons on a fake guitar in the right order"-skills. If you can afford one of these 3K gold-plated axes ... good for you. I can't and I bet lots of other people are in the same situation because in that huge music store I've been to there were quite a lot of guitars in the mid to low-range. And even if I'm not a professional musician and learn that just because I like it. So I don't need a fancy guitar to begin with and it would be foolish to cut back on something else like my rent or electric bill just to buy a guitar that hangs on my wall most of the time (when I'm at work and such ridiculous poor people shit).

I'm just again and again amazed by the fact that in times like these with all the financial ruckus and all someone would actually be dumb enough to spend that much money on an otherwise useless piece of gaming peripheral. I agree to "From my Cube" that it doesn't differ from the people that spend 100K on a car or buy one of these Vertu phones with diamonds on them. But to me, these people are just stupid and ignorant. Sure you CAN get that stuff ... but why should you if there are less expensive alternatives that do exactly the same job? The only answer I can come up with after years and years of asking rich people that I get "because I'm rich and I want to show everybody else how much they suck compared to me" that's what you tried with your "haha look at the poor guy buying a low-cost guitar" kind of line didn't you?

There's a thin line between being rich and being an idiot. Being rich means you COULD afford to spend lots of money on useless crap ... being an idiot means you do so.

[meist3r @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:26AM]

Thanks a bunch brilliant comment system. Thanks very much.

At least this gives me the chance to quote Bill Gates on the Simpsons:

"I didn't get rich by writing checks"

[y3k.nik @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:53AM]

You sir are a very angry man! Have you considered anger management?

It might help you with your guitar skills too....

[I.P. Freely @ Oct 23rd 2008 10:49AM]

"There's a thin line between being rich and being an idiot. Being rich means you COULD afford to spend lots of money on useless crap ... being an idiot means you do so."

I'm sorry you're so jaded. Perhaps if you worried less about toy guitars and worried more about getting a real job?

P.S.- I'm a full-time student with a well paying full-time job. I play guitar hero as well as several musical instruments.

[Zorque @ Oct 23rd 2008 6:51PM]

You sure care a lot about Guitar Hero. I only said it because you took such a superior tone in your comment, when really you don't even have a good guitar. Sure, if you want to learn how to play, buy an inexpensive one, it's what I did. But don't think you're so special for it.

[lowdef @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:56PM]

YOU ARE RIGHT!!! there is a thin line between being rich and being an idiot. Since you obviously aren't rich with that $250 guitar you speak so highly of, you must be an idiot.

[cg0def @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:02AM]

sweet now you can be a total idiot with a fake guitar ... sure the game is fun but you can buy a real guitar for $250 and learn to play some real music. But then again you don't score points with a real guitar nor do you have hordes of cgi fans screaming at you ...
...... what am I saying? Get a life and go f**** ********.

[Danbo @ Oct 23rd 2008 7:11AM]

Just go out and buy a real guitar and amp, for pity's sake. Who cares if you don't have any natural musical talent or whatever, or you;re never going to "make it" as a professional and successful musician: you're never going to make it as a professional and successful games player either. Learn to play a few chords, and strum along to your favourite music, and I absolutely guarantee (please note: not an actual guarantee) that you'll end up feeling you've achieved far more than 30 hours of Guitar Hero-age will ever give you. I totally and utterly fail to see the attraction of this game, even less so Rock Band.

[Ed @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:04AM]

Why do people get so wound up about the Guitar Hero thing. When you see someone playing Soul Caliber you don't have a million people saying "bet you'd get your ass kicked in real life". The same thing with say Wii Tennis, nobody really thinks they're John f'in McEnroe. It just a temporary distraction people. Why spend time playing Madden when if you worked and trained at it you could play for real. The funny thing is that I know someone who plays guitar I used to work with and he was incensed about the whole GH thing like that's a shortcut man. Sure I'll buy a 800 dollar guitar and take 3 days to learn the opening riff to Iron Man oooooor I could just have a little fun with a well made game.

[jonson shine @ Oct 23rd 2008 8:57AM]

I have to agree, I play guitar and have done for many years. It's just a game, so what? Who cares so long as it keeps the kids throwing bricks through my windows! I can't believe how seriously people take this on both sides of the argument. I play Pro Evolution Soccer and have a real pitch right by me so I could go out and play but I just like to play in the warmth of the house between meals and commercial breaks. Guitar people stop over reacting and giving the rest of us easy going musicians a bad name!

[j_g_puff @ Oct 23rd 2008 11:56AM]

Ed, I can buy a copy of Soul Caliber/Wii Tennis/Madden for, what, £30? That's a good price for 20 hours of fun. The point that I'm making (and that many of the more reasonable posters above are making) is that $250 is a bit excessive for a peripheral for a single game.

[LT73 @ Oct 23rd 2008 9:27AM]

Perfect.

More junk for our already burgeoning land fills.