Mad Catz ships $300 Fender Stratocaster Rock Band guitar, disgraces real musicians everywhere
By Darren Murph 
posted September 4th 2009 9:01AM
posted September 4th 2009 9:01AM
[Via OhGizmo]
posted September 4th 2009 9:01AM
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I'm seriously tempted to buy one of these too. While there is part of me that is interested in someday playing "real" guitar, I can't play real guitar in Rock Band or Guitar Hero. I have to admit, I was surprised at the cost, I too thought it was supposed to debut cheaper.
just see it in action on the official updated site which includes also the new Wireless Telecaster & Wireless P-bass,
http://rockband.gameshark.com/
it seems that the Guitar already on some hands fans and they are impressed "Check Rockband forum"
Well console yourself (haha) with this fact. Those "wooden blanks" aren't exactly depriving any real guitar of a body. The "wood" in these shots doesn't look anything like the wood even squier would use in their sunburst bodies.
I can't even see any grain. So if it is indeed planks of wood they're making into bodies for these things, they're using some kind of balsa or maybe basswood, which is plentiful and has no unique tonal qualities.
Gamers who got it claims it is even better than the image, in the link
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158278&page=7
from the Madcatz PR link
"The body, neck, and headstock are made from genuine Stratocaster wooden blanks, while the Tuning Keys and Bridge are built using genuine metal parts and fittings.
Available in a hand-painted Three-Tone Sunburst design, the highly buffed gloss finish on each model is applied over an eight day period in the same manner as a genuine Stratocaster electric guitar and assembled at a Fender’ manufacturing facility. The guitar neck sports a high-resolution ‘Rosewood’ finish decal, concealing two sets of premium Fret Buttons."
http://www.madcatz.com/pressreleases/Mad_Catz_Rock_Band_Wireless_Wooden_Fender_Stratocaster.pdf
I noticed that Mad Catz said Strat blanks, not Fender blanks. I would bet a Telecaster that it uses the Chinese made Squire bodies.
Until I can find a decent bassist I dont think anything can disgrace real musicians. Especially because even before guitar hero we had too many guitarists with ego problems.....
NO PS3 VERSION ? :\
people please don't buy this. They will think it's ok to do this.
I dared besmirch Rock Band in favor of actually learning to play guitar before, and received everything short of death threats. People love this crap.
A fender stratocaster that costs less than $299? Please tell me where I can buy one that has strings, rather than bumpers :(
ebay
Would you tell someone who was into driving games to go drive a real car? Would you tell someone into sports games to go play real sports? These are asinine comments to make. If they wanted to play a real instrument they would play a real instrument.
yeah but you wouldn't buy a kia to control a race sim, which is essentially whats going on here
I guess somewhere there is someone who wants this, and that's not wrong.
Actually, it would make a great first prize for a Guitar Hero tournament...
I bought this guitar. It arrived yesterday. I love it. I am an older person who lacks the manual dexterity to play a real guitar. I have enjoyed the way Rock Band lets me experience music. This guitar enhances that experience. They are only going to make 3,000 of these, it is not like they are pushing these on all gamers.
Where did you hear that this is a limited run of 3000? I think I'm gonna get one of these, and if there's only that many, then perhaps I need to get my order in...
What's exciting is that eventually, since Rock Band made a wireless "bass" guitar, they'll probably partner up with Ernie Ball soon. I can't wait to buy a $1300 Music Man replica for Rock Band!! It'll give me something to do between flushing $100 bills down the toilet and burning $20's to keep warm.
Did engadget not do their homework? What about the equally (actually, I'm going to say MORE) awesome Peavey Riffmaster AG? I have one, it's a $399 guitar. Peavey makes it directly. It even has a real pickup on it.
in summary: baaawww!
seriously, get over it, guys. you're acting like a bunch of 70 years old men, sitting on the porch, annoying your grandchildren (who just want to have some fun) with stupid stories like "you know, back in the days music was better. we were playing non-digital instruments. we had to spend millions of hours of hard practice to be able to play something, it wasn't easy as it is today, blablabla … baaawww"
this is the future. and you can't stop it.
Pfft. I'd buy one, and I don't care how much scorn Engadget or its old-men-on-their-porches-shaking-their-fists-at-those-damn-kids commenters want to heap upon my head.
I almost want to buy one and mod it to be a real guitar. The only thing I'm worried about is the neck...oh, that and I can just buy some Ash, maple, rosewood and maybe walnut (do I want front-installed truss rod or back-installed?) and build my own for far less...
:(
i can't really tell if i support this or not. As a guitarist, i can't really see the reason behind spending 300 on a fake guitar but at the same time i know that it's hard as tits to be good at real guitar. There were more elements to playing guitar than i thought, which made that much harder to learn, so i can see why people like sticking with guitar hero and rockband instead of playing the real instrument. And its a fun game, i suck at it, but i love playing it. still, 300 just for a controller? thats enough to go out and buy a xbox, which has so much more potential. Or a ps3 now that i think about it, or a wii.
The throwing thing was sarcasm guys, come on. Mine broke under normal use as well. Buttons got sticky, and some didn't even work just after a few weeks of normal use. Mad Catz makes SOME good stuff, but not controllers. This thing could be alright I guess, but I don't care enough about Rock Band or Guitar Hero to invest $300 into it. I prefer real guitar, thanks.
I would personally smack anyone who bought this.
Meh, it's probably a Mexican of Japanese Tele. Just don't go near the American Series MadCatz. Or I will strangle you with all the D'Adarrios in the world.
This reminds me on how people (including myself) would pay $300 for a metal DDR mat. The only thing is that the metal DDR mat is practical, then again this guitar seems practical to fool visitors to think you're a musician at a quick glance. If only they had a Guitar Hero that used a real guitar like that piano game for the pc...
You mean to tell me that there is a $300 RB controller to look like a Fender Stratocaster, BUT NO ONE STILL HAS MADE A SIMPLE CONTROLLER FOR LEFT-HANDED PLAYERS????
I have played guitar for the last 20 years. This is not disgraceful. I don't feel threatened or intimidated or insulted by people pressing buttons in sync with a TV screen! In fact, I'm flattered that people enjoy fantasizing about being able to play the instrument that I can play.
This game is perpetuating a fantasy and there is nothing wrong with that I suppose. It's just a game with guitar playing as the motif. Other games may have crime or fighting or sports. This one is a different thing. It's entertainment and it requires hand/eye coordination. The game is void of incorporating creativity, expression, and emotion which are the key elements of music. Other games, even sports games, can reflect the gamers expression, creativity, and emotional responses. Not this game though. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are about simply pressing buttons at the right time.
In reality, they could use a playstation controller. It's only an electronic trigger. Using a plastic guitar as a trigger is just adding to the illusion for the gamer. Using a real guitar does the same only acts to enhance this illusion further or perhaps it's for collectors or fans of the genre.
I think it's unfortuante that real music could be created during the time SOME people spend playing this game. But I suppose this is a modern day version of air guitar -- only there is an element of learning button pressing patterns and eye hand coordination involved. However, to the defense of air guitarists, I know they have contests and you could argue that there is an element of expression and creativity that is absent in Guitar Hero. Ultimately, this is about entertainment and absorbing all of the inconsequentials (being on stage, etc) associated with music and playing popular instruments. Actual guitar playing really has nothing to do with this other than it being the object of the gamer's fantasy. I don't think it's necessary to compare pressing buttons at the time a piece of software tells you to playing a real guitar.
Rock Band is a fantasy game for most or eye/ear candy for those interested in eye/hand coordination. . If that's what they like to do, go for it. I am about functionality. I don't get the purpose of a $300 guitar that acts only as a trigger. The PS3 controller could be configured to play the game. It seems like if they could pretend a little harder this prop wouldn't be necessary.
if people can't buy the Wooden fender because of the Price, i think the Madcatz Wireless Telecaster is a Great choice.
This is ridiculous and stupid and I want one.
"disgraces real musicians everywhere" --- NOT!!!!!
That's a cool guitar..a little steep in the price department, but.. Honestly, I'm a little skeptical of any "real" musicians who pooh pooh Rock Band. There are plenty of bands out there who haven't sold any music in the past 15 to 20 years who have suddenly developed a whole new fan base (and $$$) thanks to Rock Band. For example, every week 10 to 15 songs are released for download to the Wii at 2 bucks a pop..new stuff, old stuff, etc. Smart bands will take advantage of it.
Didn't know these were so cheap in the US, and now that I know, I'd like to put my Mr Grumpypants on and suggest stimulating the Yamaha economy:
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-PAC112J-Electric-Guitar?sku=511077
Yamaha PAC112J
Totally needs a Les Paul one..
"please don't say you are lazy..."
What, no PS3 love?
wow that fender strat looks pretty realistic, like the ones here: http://www.fenderstrat.net