Hands-on with the incredibly luxurious Starpex guitar

By Andrew Yoon

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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.

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While concerns about compatibility will be a thing of the past, this controller was designed for use on both Guitar Hero and Rock Band. In fact, the controller will support all of Rock Band's added bells and whistles. PlayStation fans may want to pay attention to this, if only because this is a guitar that's exclusively ours — at least for now. The Starpex guitars are only available on PS2 and PS3, although a Wii version will be in the works later.

It's easy to praise such a well-made, beautiful product that adds so much aesthetic beauty to the videogame rocking experience. However, the price is going to make more than a few people shy away. At $180, this not meant for everyone. In fact, it's meant for the hardcore — the ones that are probably eyeing the equally expensive Ion Drum Kit for Rock Band. In spite of its almost inaccessible price point, retailers seem to have quite a bit of confidence in it: you'll be able to find it at major retailers, like Circuit City and J&R, in just a few weeks time. You can also pick one up directly from the Peak people.

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