Customer Reviews

Logitech PS3/PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having used a number of different guitar controllers with both Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, I have to say that the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller Premier Edition has a lot going for it.

The guitar is, as advertised, solid wood with a beautiful wooden neck and fingerboard. The buttons on the neck are responsive and quiet. The strum bar works well. It is "squishier" (and quieter) than a standard Guitar Hero strum bar, but not nearly as "squishy" as the strum bar on a standard Rock Band guitar controller.

I think I like the strum bar on the Guitar Hero World Tour guitar slightly better, but the strum bar on Logitech's premier edition controller is still very good, and it is certainly much quieter. By comparison, I absolutely hate the strum bar on the standard Rock Band controller.

The "whammy" bar on the premier controller also works well, but it is mounted on a cheap, fake-looking, plastic bridge. This plastic bridge really cheapens the look of an otherwise beautiful piece of equipment. Shame on Logitech.

One reason I was willing to spend $250 on the Logitech's premier edition controller was my expectation that mechanical pieces would be well-built and reliable. I have always been pleased with the quality of Logitech products.

When you press the "whammy" bar, you can see underneath it, and there looks to be some plastic connected to the spring that provides the "whammy" bar with its springiness. I can't tell whether this will pose a reliability problem with prolonged use, but I am a little concerned.

Time will tell whether the mechanical parts of this controller were designed and built with reliability in mind. For $250, I sure hope so.

Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band certainly feel different when played with a solid wood guitar, rather than the cheap (looking) plastic controllers I've used previously. The difference is difficult to put into words.

Is the difference in the gameplay experience worth the extra money? Probably not. Do I want to go back to my old guitar controllers? Not a chance.

***UPDATE***

I've bought three of these now. All three had cracks where the body attaches to the neck. And, the third also had a missing yellow fret button! I cannot believe that the quality on a so-called premium guitar is so poor.

***ORIGINAL REVIEW***

I normally skip this kind of review. The, wa-wa, it was broken when I got it kind. However, given that this guitar cost so much, I think that is a good place to start and it is worth noting.

The body of the guitar was splitting where the neck attaches. This is simply unacceptable in a premium product. Quality assurance should have caught this.

Otherwise, it is a great guitar. I might even buy another and hope for an intact one.

Pros:
- Real feel, real look
- Perfect buttons, quiet strum
- Worked perfectly with RB2
- Improved my scores a lot over stock guitar
- Nice accessories, included strap and bag

Cons:
- Heavy, wears on your shoulder after a few songs (not for kids, a big detractor)
- No lower frets (though the use of these is questionable on the stock anyway)
- Mine came broken out of the box, QA may be poor

While brand new, the controller would not sync with the receiver. Upon calling Logitech support, they said it was faulty and that I should return it to where I bought it as they no longer offer support for this product as it is discontinued. Based on other reviews I have read, there seems to be a problem with quality control on this which is really surprising considering the cost of this controller. And the fact that they have discontinued this item only 6 months after its initial release is not a very good sign. They are pushing their new black guitar controller but I am going to stay away from it based on their support for such a high end product. It says it has a one year warranty, but it is already discontinued... be wary.