Ever since wannabe shredders picked up plastic toy guitars to play Guitar Hero, the legitimacy of music games has been in question. What's the benefit? Why not play a real instrument? I always feel like I have to point out that video game guitar and real guitar are totally different, separate skills. With the Fender Squier for Rock Band 3, the line has not simply been blurred - it is erased. I have begun to learn the way of a six-string samurai.
I got my Rock Band 3 Fender Squier a couple weeks ago, and the much-coveted Mad Catz MIDI adapter. Seriously, the Xbox 360 version of that adapter seems to be worth its weight in gold on Ebay, so if you see one for a decent price in a store, pick it up. The guitar is console-agnostic, so it will work on a 360, a PS3, or a Wii. The console-specific MIDI adapter connects your guitar to the game, as well as any MIDI-capable keyboard or drum kit you might have. In the 360's case, it also controls the game menus when using a pro instrument. Even though the guitar has a D-pad and buttons on the face, Microsoft's controller standards forbid them from actually being used. The box includes what amounts to an apology letter lamenting this bizarre twist of controller politics. Keeping the MIDI adapter clipped to your trousers is hardly sexy, but it gets the rock rolling.
The guitar itself is no joke. You've got six metal strings on a wooden Fender body. The neck may be a bit thicker than some other guitars, presumably to hold the electronics, but it's not that hard to grip. For playing Rock Band 3 it uses the MIDI connector, or you can connect to an amp using a standard quarter-inch jack. The face of the guitar has a pop-up string muter that silences the strings when you play in Rock Band 3 pro mode. The versatility offered here for gamers and new guitarists is pretty awesome, but I have a few quibbles. The spring-and-latch mechanism under the string muter feels cheap and flimsy, and I fear the day that it breaks and I have to hold it down with tape (though that'll look kinda punk.) The guitar comes with a ribbed nylon strap, which is disappointing considering that Mad Catz packs their wooden Fender replica toy guitar with a cloth strap. There's also no pick included, which isn't required, but a Rock Band-branded pick would have been a nice throw-in. Finally, there's no whammy bar, though there isn't one on the Mad Catz Mustang for that matter; either way, using the whammy bar to extend your Overdrive is no longer an option in pro mode. Whatever...time to master the windmill-strum.
I've been playing guitar video games regularly for over 5 years, and I've gotten pretty darn good at it. I've even tried to learn real guitar by taking lessons, reading books, and watching videos, and not really latching onto any of it. I always drifted back to games for my quick fix. Rock Band 3's pro mode has been the best guitar trainer I've ever used, hands down. Lessons are easy to follow, and presented in a format that I've grown comfortable with over the years. The game is constantly monitoring your finger position, and in training modes it will halt the lesson and show you where you should be if you're off position. In a little more than a week I've gotten some basic notes and power chords down, and I'm building an awareness of my position on the fretboard. I haven't plugged into my amp yet to discover just how sloppy I actually am, but I'm confident that I could learn how to play from this game. And I'm keeping up a commitment to practice. If you ever cared about your score in Rock Band, then you can care enough to learn this.
What I'm Playing:
I got my Rock Band 3 Fender Squier a couple weeks ago, and the much-coveted Mad Catz MIDI adapter. Seriously, the Xbox 360 version of that adapter seems to be worth its weight in gold on Ebay, so if you see one for a decent price in a store, pick it up. The guitar is console-agnostic, so it will work on a 360, a PS3, or a Wii. The console-specific MIDI adapter connects your guitar to the game, as well as any MIDI-capable keyboard or drum kit you might have. In the 360's case, it also controls the game menus when using a pro instrument. Even though the guitar has a D-pad and buttons on the face, Microsoft's controller standards forbid them from actually being used. The box includes what amounts to an apology letter lamenting this bizarre twist of controller politics. Keeping the MIDI adapter clipped to your trousers is hardly sexy, but it gets the rock rolling.
The guitar itself is no joke. You've got six metal strings on a wooden Fender body. The neck may be a bit thicker than some other guitars, presumably to hold the electronics, but it's not that hard to grip. For playing Rock Band 3 it uses the MIDI connector, or you can connect to an amp using a standard quarter-inch jack. The face of the guitar has a pop-up string muter that silences the strings when you play in Rock Band 3 pro mode. The versatility offered here for gamers and new guitarists is pretty awesome, but I have a few quibbles. The spring-and-latch mechanism under the string muter feels cheap and flimsy, and I fear the day that it breaks and I have to hold it down with tape (though that'll look kinda punk.) The guitar comes with a ribbed nylon strap, which is disappointing considering that Mad Catz packs their wooden Fender replica toy guitar with a cloth strap. There's also no pick included, which isn't required, but a Rock Band-branded pick would have been a nice throw-in. Finally, there's no whammy bar, though there isn't one on the Mad Catz Mustang for that matter; either way, using the whammy bar to extend your Overdrive is no longer an option in pro mode. Whatever...time to master the windmill-strum.
I've been playing guitar video games regularly for over 5 years, and I've gotten pretty darn good at it. I've even tried to learn real guitar by taking lessons, reading books, and watching videos, and not really latching onto any of it. I always drifted back to games for my quick fix. Rock Band 3's pro mode has been the best guitar trainer I've ever used, hands down. Lessons are easy to follow, and presented in a format that I've grown comfortable with over the years. The game is constantly monitoring your finger position, and in training modes it will halt the lesson and show you where you should be if you're off position. In a little more than a week I've gotten some basic notes and power chords down, and I'm building an awareness of my position on the fretboard. I haven't plugged into my amp yet to discover just how sloppy I actually am, but I'm confident that I could learn how to play from this game. And I'm keeping up a commitment to practice. If you ever cared about your score in Rock Band, then you can care enough to learn this.The Rock Band 3 Squier is not for everyone. If you are a skilled guitarist, picking up the Squier is likely going to feel like a return to your first lesson; there are many higher-quality guitars if you need a standalone. This isn't really for occasional players who pull out Rock Band for parties and then tuck it back in the closet. But for anyone serious about getting into guitar, or long-time gamers who want to take things to the next level, it's a revelation. Going from buttons to strings is a whole new game, and no small challenge. I welcome it; I've been waiting for this. I don't expect to turn into Pete Townshend anytime soon, but if I can make it up to Sid Vicious that's a good start.
What I'm Playing:
- Main Campaign: Rock Band 3, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
- Side Quest: Words With Friends
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