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PS3 Fanboy gets its hands on Starpex's wooden guitar
Our friends at PS3 Fanboy recently had a chance to try out the guitar equivalent of the ION Drum Rocker: Starpex's premium (i.e. not plastic) guitar controller, which more or less looks like a gutted Fender Stratocaster. Their verdict is that the Starpex plays very well, but the $180 price tag is likely to turn off more than a few people. Bonus points for being fully compatible with both Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but no word on an Xbox 360 version. The Starpex will be available for PlayStation 3 and PS2 rockers, with a Wii version reportedly on the way later. Gallery: Starpex Guitar
Peak's Starpex wooden guitar controller gets the hands-on treatment
While there's likely nothing that will convince most folks of the merits of a full-size, $180 wooden guitar controller, those still on the fence about this particular piece of excess may be interested to know that the good people of PS3 Fanboy recently got their hands on one, and they've now offered up some initial impressions. As you might expect, they found it to definitely be a hefty device, but far from an unwieldy one, with the buttons as familiar as even and the strum bar in particular a significant improvement over other Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars. Peak also doesn't look to have cut any corners when it comes to the little details, with even the strap made of a thick fabric that makes it more comfortable to wear.
Hands-on with the incredibly luxurious Starpex guitar
Click for high-resolution image. One of these guitars is a real guitar, and one of them is a video game controller. It's hard to tell at first -- which is exactly what the Starpex is going for. Unlike other Guitar Hero and Rock Band controllers on the market, this is meant to emulate the experience of playing on a real guitar. The construction of the guitar is a testament to that: this is a hefty device, weighing almost as much as a real guitar. Its full size makes the Guitar Hero controller look even more like the toy it is. The solid wood finish looks fantastic, and feels absolutely great to the touch. Even the strap that's included with the controller is well-made: the thicker fabric made it far more comfortable to wear. Of course, what good is a guitar if it can't play as well as its competitors? In spite of its large size, we found the buttons to be as familiar as ever. The guitar may be larger, but the buttons are located in the exact same place. The strum bar is infinitely improved over the Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars -- gone are the days where you'll hear your guitar instead of the music. The noise of hitting the strum button has been considerably muted. The tilt sensor is also responsive, and the addition of the easy-to-hit Star Power button near the strum bar is much appreciated.%Gallery-30525%
StarPex wooden guitar controller adds a little heft to your rock
Sure, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have fake plastic Gibson and Fender controllers, but cheap plastic ain't exactly rock'n'roll -- which is why this new StarPex PS2 / PS3 guitar controller looks pretty sweet. The ersatz Strat features a hardwood body and neck crafted by "a leading guitar manufacturer" (we'd bet $100 it's made by Samick), as well as solo buttons, an Overdrive / Star Power button in addition to the tilt sensor, and both wired and wireless capabilities. On top of that, the electronics are modular, so you'll eventually be able to swap parts and build your own custom axe. Sounds great -- but you better start singing in the subway, since this thing'll set you back $179 when it goes on sale late next month. Yeah, maybe we'll stick with the plastic axes after all.
