Madcatz Rock Band Wired Fender Precision Bass (Xbox 360)
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RRP: £69.99
Our Price: £73.99 (subject to change)
Reviews
Fun, but has its flaws.
Review date: 2009-09-20 Rating: 4 out of 10
I picked up one of these guitars in August '09, after my Guitar Hero III guitar stopped working altogether.
Anyway, Madcatz aren't usually known for their quality, so I was very surprised when it arrived. The guitar looks very professional, and is a lot bigger than most rhythm game controllers. The fret buttons are nicely spaced and fairly quiet, and the strum bar(s) are also extremely quiet- there is no annoying 'click' noise like you get with a Guitar Hero controller. However, longevity still seems to be an issue- as I write this my controller is beginning to fail. For the premium price asked, I expected a lot more than 4 months worth of use.
Pros:
+ Looks very sleek and professional.
+ Fret buttons are responsive.
+ Strum bars are very quiet.
+ Effects switch is included for a little extra fun.
Cons:
- Reliability is still somewhat a problem.
- The 'solo' buttons are extremely awkward to access reliably, and aren't as responsive as the main fret buttons. They're too far down the neck to reach comfortably.
- While having the whammy bar replaced with a dial is a novel idea, it doesn't help much in Rock Band. For a start, it takes longer to whammy enough Overdrive in the game compared to using a bar, but it's also set far away from the strum bars, so you're moving your hand over the entire body of the guitar, just to whammy a phrase. For casual players, this won't be a problem, but if you're interested in grinding out highscores, avoid this guitar.
- The split strum-bar doesn't work as intended. It seems that strums only register once the previously strummed bar resets to its natural position. This means that as soon as you start playing 'authentically' at a decent speed, the guitar will often start to miss notes. Also, again referring to reliability- both strum bars on my guitar eventually started to drop more notes than normal, as well as losing the 'springiness' that popped the bar back to position quickly.
In short, I can't recommend this to anyone. The reliablity is just too much of a problem, and it's ultimately inferior to playing a regular guitar controller. While I applaud Madcatz for trying this, it just hasn't worked.
Product Details/Specifications
Recording label: Madcatz
Manufacturer: Madcatz
Model: RBL098060/02/1
EAN: 0728658014612
Binding: Accessory
Format: Unknown format,
Release date: 2008-10-24
Universal product code (UPC): 728658014612
ESRB age rating: Everyone
Platform: Xbox 360
Brand: Madcatz
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