Logitech PS3 / PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller

by Logitech

Product Features

• Controller allows for Hundreds of hours of battery life on only two AA batteries.
• Authentic materials including a real wood neck and metal tuning pegs provide a realistic guitar experience.
• The touch sensitive neck Slider is color-coded to correspond with the fret buttons, and there's an easy-to-reach Star Power button just below the strum bar.
• The Logitech Wireless Guitar controller is compatible with all Guitar Hero games for PS3 and Guitar Hero World Tour games for PS2.
• The Strum Bar is quiet as a whisper, and the fret buttons don't "clickety-clack." You'll hear more music and less controller.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001NTBWK4
• Product Dimensions: 36.5 x 3.5 x 12 inches ; 9.4 pounds
• Media: Electronics
• Release Date: May 6, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,185 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #9 in Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Hardware > Controllers > Guitars
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Unleash Your Inner Rockstar. Play on Guitar or Expand to a Band. Another Saturday night. Another chance to flex your Star Power. Your band members are all there. The house lights are low. And you can practically hear the whistles and cheers from the sold-out crowd, as fans grow impatient waiting for you to take the stage. You’ve been here before. But this time is different. The bar is set higher. There’s more at stake. And the butterflies in your belly are real. Suddenly, this doesn’t feel like a game anymore. Then you step into the spotlight. You nail that first riff. And you’re lost in the music. Your fingering is spot-on. Your timing, flawless. When it’s your turn to take center-stage, it’s you and your Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller. Because you’re not playing, you’re unleashing your inner rockstar.

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Key Features

		Authentic materials This guitar controller’s body is solid. Its neck is real wood. The frets and tuning peg handles are metal. And the fingerboard is rosewood. Realistic size and weight No plastic toy guitar, this guitar controller is designed to look—and feel—like the real deal.
		Adjustable whammy bar Play fast and loose or keep it stiff. You can adjust the tension on the whammy bar to suit your style.
		The hottest hardware The Touch Sensitive Neck Slider is color-coded to correspond with the fret buttons, and there’s an easy-to-reach Star Power button just below the strum bar, so you can rock all the latest Guitar Hero features. (Games sold separately.) PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 compatibility You get a 2.4 GHz wireless USB receiver for PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2. Either way, setup is a cinch, and the connection is as steady as a drum beat.
		Virtually silent controls The Strum Bar is quiet as a whisper, and the fret buttons don’t “clickety-clack.” You’ll hear more music and less controller.
		Hundreds of hours of battery life Two AA batteries give you enough juice to perform a festival’s worth of hits, encores included. Wireless range of up to 30 feet Step forward for your big solo. Drop back when it’s your friend’s turn to shine. You’re not tethered to your console, so you’re free to go where the music moves you.

Suggested games for the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller for PS3 and PS2:

Works with Guitar Hero games for PLAYSTATION 3

Works with Guitar Hero World Tour games for PlayStation 2

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What's in the Box

Package Contents

Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller

Wireless USB receiver for PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2

Guitar Controller Strap

Quick-start guide

2 AA batteries

1-year limited hardware warranty

* Game sold separately

System Requirements

PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system

PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system

Product Description

Authentic materials: solid body, wood neck, metal frets, tuning peg handles and a rosewood fingerboard - provide a realistic experience. The Touch Sensitive Neck Slider and Star Power buttons let you take advantage of all the features of Guitar Hero World Tour. PS3 and PS2 compatibility makes setup easy thanks to the two 2.4 GHz wireless receivers: USB for PS3 and controller port for PS2. Virtually silent Strum Bar and fret buttons won't distract you from the music. Hundreds of hours of battery life give you enough juice to perform a festival's worth of hits, encores included. You get a 2.4 GHz wireless USB receiver for PLAYSTATION3 and PlayStation2. Either way, setup is a cinch, and the connection is as steady as a drum beat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes all the other guitars feel like a baby's toy., September 29, 2009

By 

Kiyo M. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Logitech PS3 / PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller (Electronics)

(What's this?)

Length:: 8:30 Mins

I made a video (8 minutes 30 seconds - I do not talk in the video):
- showing off the sexy guitar
- comparing the fret/strum bar to the original Activision World Tour Guitar [starts around 1:32]
- length comparison to the Rock Band Guitar also. [7:45]
- using the guitar with the game (to get a better idea of how the guitar really sounds). [2:32]
- a quick unboxing... [6:30]

There's no question about it -- this is one sleek guitar. (it's also a fingerprint magnet)

This makes all the original bundled guitars look like a 3-year-old's toy!
Really good weight to it, so this is definitely not for small kids.
The guitar is slightly longer than the original Activision guitar.

Although they advertise the strum bar being "quiet as a whisper", it's really not. It definitely doesn't have that "super cheap clicky sound" like on the original Activision World Tour guitar, but it's still definitely audible. However, some players probably prefer hearing some distinct sound, so that they know it's being triggered, than having that loose feel like it is on the Rock Band guitar.

Moreover, the frets may be metal UNDERNEATH, but the actual buttons that you see aren't REALLY metal - it's still plastic (although it's not the cheapest plastic I've ever seen like on the original guitar controllers, it's still plastic -- just a minor pet peeve). I was expecting that to be a shiny metal too. So technically, it's not really made out of all metal.

This is actually not documented anywhere on the included manual, but there's actually a switch on whammy bar to adjust the tension: if you have the switch to the left, the whammy has slightly more resistance/tighter; if you have it to the right, then it takes slightly less pressure/looser.

The directional button(with the PS button) is plastic (I think it kind of ruins the overall quality of the guitar) and feels somewhat flimsy and not as firm, so I actually prefer the directional buttons on the Activision's. I also don't know why they don't make the up/down buttons the other way around (it should be reversed) because when you're holding the guitar, it would feel more natural if the up directional is actually the down button and vice versa.

Besides the aesthetics being a clear winner by miles, this guitar makes it much easier to do those rapid notes, even if you hesitate than usual, since the frets are more responsive and feels slimmer -- unlike the STIFF fat buttons on the cheap guitars (once you hesitate on those, you're pretty much screwed).

The price is pretty steep... however, it is quite a step up -- both feel and look -- from the cheap controllers as well. I give it a 4.5/5 stars. It definitely makes the game more enjoyable/exciting and feel more realistic. Once you've been spoiled using this controller, it's hard to go back to the old cheap ones. It's a must-have for Guitar Hero/Rock Band fans (although it's designed for GH). I've also used the guitar with Rock Band 2. It's a no brainer if you're a hardcore fan, who frequently plays the game, and have the money. Overall, if you would like a better experience, you'll definitely want to try these out and put away the "baby toy" guitars.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feel like a real band member..., June 7, 2009

By 

Jason Wendling (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Logitech PS3 / PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller (Electronics)

This version is a vast improvement on the first edition (red). The physical manufacturing and styling have slightly different elements that add up to a much greater guitar.

I bought 6 of the red editions and didn't get one that was acceptable. The major problem was that the neck experienced a lot of stress during play. The new version corrects this problem by using a tongue and groove design. This one is built to last.

Additionally, the coloring is slightly different for this version. Obviously, the guitar is black. The faceplate is also black. And, not immediately noticeable, the neck is a darker wood. The overall effect is a much sleeker style.

As far as play goes, the guitar is a dream to hold and use. The buttons are solid, easy to find without looking, and fast. The strum bar is actually a light activated device - rather than mechanical. The lack of mechanical parts means it will last for a long time.

The guitar works fine with Rock Band 2. It lacks the wammy style selector - but, this is no great loss. The timing matches RB guitars - so no worries there if you mix guitars.

The guitar has a star-power button that I find works better than swinging the guitar up to activate special powers. The other buttons are hidden in the design and don't get hit on accident during play.

Many have complained about the lack of Bluetooth. Not a big deal to me. The included dongle works fine. The wireless is accurate and the batteries last a long time.

My only reservation with the guitar is the weight. It gets heavy after a few sets - just like a real guitar. So, younger players may have some trouble.

Overall, it is a great addition to your playing experience. I recommend this version over the original.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jammin' to the Tunes: A Logitech PS3 / PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller Reveiw, October 22, 2009

By 

L. T. Beasimer "www.LBphoto.net" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Logitech PS3 / PS2 Wireless Guitar Controller (Electronics)

(What's this?)

I learned to play guitar many years ago and find Guitar Hero and Rock Band to be a strange concept. Additionally the controllers included in the kits are cheap plastic toys which distract from the gaming experience. I just don't get it, but my other half apparently does. Intrigued by the description and out of curiosity, I opted to try the Logitech wireless guitar controller.

Logitech has designed this controller to improve the gaming experience. According to Logitech, improvements over the kit controller includes the use of authentic materials, a virtually silent strum bar, long battery life, and a 30 foot wireless range while providing all the buttons and pads to take advantage of all the games features in an easy to set up controller.

When Logitech states this guitar is "virtually silent" they apparently mean noisy. By no stretch of the imagination is this controller "quiet as a whisper." Logitech's controller isn't as loud as the kit controller, but the keys and strum bar still make noticeable clacking sounds. The shiny black lacquered face of the guitar with the black plastic shield surrounding the strum bar easily attracts fingerprints and smudges. These aren't obvious from a short distance, but occasional polishing is needed. Additionally the controller requires the use of a USB dongle. Limited USB ports on the PS3 may require purchasing a USB hub when using multiple USB devices. Considering the price of this guitar, Bluetooth capabilities should have been built into the controller.

For all Logitech's wireless guitar short comings, this controller delivers on improving the gaming experience in a big way. The realistic construction and attention to the fine details is impressive. Weighing 6.2 pounds combined with details like fret bars and movable tuning pegs, there is no doubt this controller feels like the real deal. Set-up is simple as well, install the batteries, plug in the USB dongle, and pair the guitar. The only additional set-up is installing the neck strap. The range is excessive, ensuring uninterrupted game play. I was able to leave the game room, walk past the dining room, through a short hallway, then into the office and still affect the PS3.

Now I see the appeal of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and just how much the toy controller distracts from the gaming experience. While Logitech has room to improve on the design, don't let this luxury guitar controller's short comings prevent its purchase. While I wouldn't purchase this controller for little children, for older teens and adults this wireless guitar significantly adds to the Guitar Hero gaming experience.

PROS:
Makes less noise than the kit guitar
Simple set-up
Realistic look and feel
Improves gaming experience
Excessively long range

CONS:
Not "quiet as a whisper"
USB - not blue tooth
Attracts fingerprints