Stratocaster
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Rock Band guitar modeled after Fender Stratocaster
Just when you've finally gotten that old PS2 guitar to work on your shiny new PS3, along comes news of the next plastic instrument from Harmonix. The one-time Guitar Hero devs are busy working on Rock Band for their new corporate overlords at MTV and, part and parcel to that enterprise, is the creation of an entire suite of new instrument-based controllers. First on that list is the guitar, which will be modeled after the legendary Fender Stratocaster, so all you would-be Jimmy Pages out there can play the part that much better (no word on possible Led Zeppelin songs, so our hunger strike continues). Along with the Fender deal, they've announced branding arrangements with Roland (they make synthtastic synthesizers) and BOSS (they make boss guitar effects pedals). They did not announce potential marketing partners for the drum and microphone peripherals, but we imagine they won't be settling for no-name knockoffs. Trouble is, aren't these peripherals gonna be pricey enough already? Inquiring nerds wants to know: what's the Fender name adding to the bottom line?
New Rock Band details - Fender Strat controller coming
Harmonix have signed an exclusive deal with Fender, guitar maker extraordinaire, to design the upcoming Rock Band controller around their ultra-popular Stratocaster model. There's a bit more teaser information on the game itself to follow.When asked about whether the new controllers will be compatible with Guitar Hero III onwards, or vice-versa, Harmonix responded saying that they would love for that to be the case. Guitar Hero I and II controllers will be compatible with Rock Band (cutting the price slightly for those wanting the Ultimate Rock Band experience), but that the new controllers would have a couple of new features over the old ones. Whether the new Fender Strat controllers will be compatible with Guitar Hero III, however, is up to Activision but is something the guys at Harmonix would be very interested in making happen.Responding to worries of a lack of single player mode, due to the apparent focus on online-play, Harmonix made sure to reassure everyone that there will be a "deep, complete solo experience" for each of the different instruments. So that Guitar Hero, Donkey Konga, Singstar combination idea you thought up down the pub last year is even closer than you think. As for fears that the online play might be ruined by lag, we're told not to worry. It's a problem "for which we have a unique solution...and it's a heck of a lot of fun in action."
Hello Kitty Stratocaster goes high-end
Oh Hello Kitty, you adorable little tease -- usually the items graced with your lovely visage are priced with the budget-conscious Japanese schoolgirl in mind, but frankly we're a bit surprised to see you endorsing a product that's going for an eye-popping $21,625. That's right, for the same cost as almost a hundred of those regular Kittycaster guitars, Sanrio and renowned retailer Mitsukoshi are offering a super-limited-edition Stratocaster from Fender that features an over-sized homage to the frisky feline on the pick-guard along with a blown-up version of her famous signature on the neck. Surprisingly, your twenty grand doesn't even seem to buy the usual gold-plated, jewel-encrusted gaudiness found on most products in this price range, but what you're really paying for here is exclusivity -- Mitsukosh apparently has one of the only three models that were manufactured. Sure, we love us some Hello Kitty, but for this kind of loot we'd rather buy a ticket to Japan and camp out in one of the Sanrio stores for a few weeks, using hundreds of plush Kitties as a mattress.
