Whatever the DS can do, Wii can do better, right? Apparently Dave agrees with said mantra, as he has converted a Wii Guitar Hero axe into a full-fledged MIDI controller. As in, there's a 5-pin jack down there and everything. In its current state, you can play two octaves of an eight note scale at time, alter the keys / octaves, change tonal modes, use the whammy bar to bend the pitch and blow the minds of electrical engineering buds you still see on a regular basis. Granted, this mod isn't exactly for the faint of heart, but feel free to hit the read link if you're hacker enough to handle it.

[Via MAKE]

Not even 24 hours after catching a whiff of those sick Mushroom-headed Rock Band drum pads comes yet another mod that oozes awesomeness. The Rock Band Stompbox tackles an issue any digital rocker has faced -- accidental (and often unwanted) activation of Overdrive / Star Power. Put simply, this engineering fellow ripped his axe apart, ganked a spare effects pedal and put his superb wiring skills to good use. Hit up the read link for a pictorial step-by-step, or jump on past the break for a video demonstration.

[Thanks, Brad]

If you thought a Colorware'd DS Lite was the new heat, get a load of this. The company famous for making gadgetry of all kinds look its best has turned its talents on the iconic Guitar Hero axe, and we must say, we're infatuated. Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 thrashers are all invited, and while users can join the revolution for as little as $198 (that includes the title and a painted instrument), current slingers can send their guitar in and get it colorized for as little as $99. For those on a budget, we strongly recommend not clicking the links below. Those completely unafraid of purging their wallet on impulse buys can go ahead.

[Thanks, Adam]

Read - Colorware's Xbox 360 guitar
Read - Colorware's PlayStation 3 guitar
Read - Colorware's Wii guitar

Although Nyko's wireless FrontMan axe is slated to land for Xbox 360 this June, it seems as though it has been beaten to the proverbial punch by some random rival from who knows where. Known only as "3rd Party," the aforementioned company has seemingly crafted a wireless Flying V that plays nice with the Xbox 360, and better still, it looks to be available right now. Still, considering the fact that it's labeled "Guitar for Games" and designed to function with the "X 360," we're not entirely sure we'd be willing to risk our $41.94. But hey, if you see "quality" written all over that image pictured above, we certainly aren't going to stop you from pulling the trigger and hoping for the best.

[Via XBox 360 News]

For Rock Band players that have also had some experience with a bona fide six-string, getting used to that plastic strum bar can take some work. For one gamer in particular, he decided to spend that time doing something a bit more productive than getting acclimated, like adding in an actual guitar string. There's also a switch mechanism that gets triggered by said string, which then sends an input to the game. Pretty swank, we say -- check out the video for yourself after the jump!

While Activision and Harmonix bicker over the real reason there's still some lingering incompatibility between the two, Mad Catz has inked a multi-year licensing agreement with MTV Networks to "produce and distribute game peripherals and other products" for Rock Band. Reportedly, the third-party peripheral maker has secured the rights to "manufacture, market and sell game accessories, including both wired and wireless bass guitars, a drum percussion set bundled with professional quality wooden drum sticks, and a wired microphone." All in all, we're stoked to see another player entering the Rock Band hardware game, so here's to hoping Mad Catz won't ship out any faulty axes and frail drum pedals during "the first half of 2008."

We've got to give credit where it's due, and there's no room to debate that David McNeel deserves quite a helping of kudos. Shortly after crafting a fully-functional Gibson Explorer Guitar Hero controller, this Lego modder extraordinaire has created yet another axe that totally outdoes the more traditional (read: factory built) alternatives. Modeled after a Fender Jazz Bass, this thing includes all of the electronics from an original axe, and it maintains every ounce of utility while attracting quite a few extra members for your ever-expanding fan club. Hit the read link to check out a couple more shots.

[Via Technabob]

We could tell by the tone of Mr. Charles Huang's voice that something just wasn't right, and now it seems the truth has finally emerged. According to the Harmonix team, Activision is the reason why Guitar Hero III axes still aren't functioning with the PlayStation 3, and if that wasn't cruel enough, it stings even more to know that the solution is sitting in Sony's lap just waiting to be distributed. Reportedly, Harmonix has already created the patch that would allow GH III guitars to shred in Rock Band, but instead of it going out on December 4th as planned, kvetching by Activision has put the release on an indefinite hiatus. Granted, we're sure Harmonix is doing its best to cast itself in a positive light, but regardless of what's really going on behind the scenes, why not get an interoperability update out there and just let the consumer decide?

[Thanks, dorrington]

Alright, try to stay with us here. Guitar Hero III's axe works just fine with Rock Band, but only the Xbox 360 hardware -- and Rock Band's guitar won't play the first note on any flavor of GHIII. Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but apparently the folks over at 1UP were downright tired of being dizzy, and phoned up Guitar Hero publisher Red Octane's co-founder and VP of Business Development, Charles Huang, to chat about the totally confusing compatibility quandary. We fully understand the complexities in getting the instruments to work with other games, as well as the potential business impact, but Mr. Huang chose to take a different route in explaining why no Guitar Hero title would accept a Rock Band controller. He was quoted as saying that Red Octane wasn't "too interested in having [Harmonix] guitars work on its game, because [Harmonix is] having a lot of issues with its guitars." Of course, this logic begins to fall apart when you realize there was absolutely no compatibility even before these malfunctions came to light. Nice try, though.

[Via DailyTech]

Although it was but a week ago that we first caught wind of potential Rock Band hardware issues, it seems the problems are more than just a figment of our imagination. We know, living that rock 'n roll lifestyle can certainly cloud your judgment, but if you're certain your axe is experiencing some issues -- particularly with the strum bar -- EA's here to help. The company has affirmed that certain guitars in initial shipments may have left the warehouse with "an imperfection [in] the strum bar," and if you're one of the afflicted, EA is offering a brand new replacement gratis. So go on, hit the link below to get the process started, and while you're waiting to get a shiny new Strat, why not brush up on those drum rolls?

[Via Joystiq]
Read - EA confirms guitar issues
Read - Replacement website

Hey, you -- busy rigging up your malfunctioning Guitar Hero III Les Paul using the low-fi method we showed you earlier this week? If you're just getting started, we'd recommend putting the rubber bands back in the package and taking a look at this. Granted, it seems a bit silly that we're figuring out ways to repair instruments, er, controllers that should have been solid right out of the box, but we digress. This entirely more technical (but equally painless) fix involves a Torx driver, a bit of PCB rearranging and a triple check to make sure the wiring within wasn't installed haphazardly to begin with. If done properly, the contacts should have a much better connection once the axe is reassembled, and if you're still left with nonfunctional frets after all of this, you've certainly got our permission to go all Jimi Hendrix / Pete Townshend / etc. on it.

[Thanks, Kyle]

We're not exactly sure if this problem is widespread, but for those currently dealing with malfunctioning frets on the new Guitar Hero III Les Paul, you should certainly give this a once over. An incredibly industrious gamer went out of his way to show us all what a few rubber bands and a 3M Utility Hook can do to solve your Guitar Hero blues, and if you haven't already slammed your axe into the floor, lit it on fire, or ceremoniously bludgeoned your Xbox 360 in frustration, there's hope for you still. This low-fi fix reportedly holds the connector plate in the neck and the pins in the body together more securely, enabling users to resume shredding sans trouble. Granted, this may not cure every single faulty axe out there, but it's certainly worth a try. Go on, roll up your sleeves and hit the read link for an (immensely easy) walkthrough.

Gibson's Powertune system has been in the works for quite awhile, and although there are other axes out there that claim to tune themselves, only a Gibson will do for some. Reportedly, the firm is readying a "new line of instruments" that are equipped with the system, which includes "an additional set of pickups mounted underneath the strings that are used specifically for the tuning process." By using all sorts of digital electronics and fancy algorithms, the equipment is able to automatically tune the strings, but it only activates when users pull out the Master Control Knob. Purportedly, the system can have have all six strings back in tune "within a few seconds," and you can even utilize a number of pre-programmed alternate tunings if that's your bag. 'Course, it's certainly debatable whether the hands-off approach to tuning is worth the extra $899 or so, but it's sure sweet to have the opion. Click on for more pictures.

It's been a long time comin', but the Power Tour guitar we peeped back in January is nearly ready for your youngster's hands. Modeled after a Gibson SG, this axe enables your little ones (or you, it's alright) to plug in any source and rock right along with it, and the built-in learning mode should do a decent job in creating the Guitar Zeros of tomorrow. Ships on the 15th for just under $70.

[Via OhGizmo, image courtesy of Popular Science]

Now that you've gone and pre-ordered Rock Band, here's a tidbit about what will actually be included. According to Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, the guitar that comes bundled in with the Xbox 360 version will not be wireless, as he reportedly states that "the cost of wireless technology on the Microsoft side is higher." Notably, the PS3 bundle will indeed include a wireless axe, and before you get too riled up, Xbox 360 users will still be able to purchase a wireless shredder separately if it's a make-or-break scenario for ya. Oh, and the drums and microphone will be wired on both platforms, but Xbox 360 buyers will purportedly get a USB hub thrown in to hook it all up.

[Via GamingToday]