Product Description

The Rock-Axe is the Ultimate Guitar Hero & RockBand Guitar Controller! Why play your favorite video games with a cheap plastic imitation guitar when you can use the real thing? Ashley Entertainment is a guitar and musical instrument manufacturer that has designed their best selling electric guitar to be a fully compatible PS2/PS3 2.4ghz wireless Guitar Hero and Rock Band controller. This Real Size, Solid Body wireless guitar controller features the same weight, dimensions, features and ergonomic design of the plastic controllers but have the realism and authenticity of a real guitar.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16569 in Video Games
• Brand: Ashley Entertainment
• Model: RA23B
• Released on: 2008-11-14
• Platforms: PlayStation2, PLAYSTATION 3
• Dimensions: 12.00 pounds

Features

• 41 inch PS2/PS3 2 in 1 Wireless Full Sized Wooden Guitar. Compatible with all PS2&PS3 Guitar Games(Rockband, Guitar Hero l , Guitar He r o II, Guitar Hero III). With Solo switch and 5 multi-color frets for Solo Tour Mode in PS3 Rockband game.
• Up to 100 hours of continuous play time on 4 AA batteries. RF 2.4G Technology, powerful chipset allows for gaming up to 10 metres away.
• Along with a receiver, with a ps2/ps3 receiver dongle allows for choices to ps2 & ps3 guitar games. Bi-directional strum bar.
• Responsive and durable buttons. High end wooded material. With shoulder strap.

Customer Reviews

Great controller that takes some getting used to
Okay, so I have had the Rock Axe for about a week now, and I can give some feedback regarding it.

First off, it looks fantastic. Having a real sized guitar and one that is made of great materials really makes a huge difference.

Aside from just the 'feel' and aesthetics, here is a breakdown of the individual areas that pertain to the 'controller' aspect of it.

But before I get into that, I must say the type of batteries you put in this makes a big difference. When I first got it, I just put in some rechargeable AA I have had for years. This made me think the controller had a bad wireless connection and was overall not too responsive. Then I picked up some of the fancy Energizer batteries made for hi-tech devices, and it began to shine.

The whammy bar is far, far superior to the default controller. Both in terms of build quality and ease of use. It's a little smaller overall and closer to the controller which makes using it a breeze.

The strum bar starts out tight and needs to be `broken in' so to speak. But its tactile feedback is also much better than the regular controller.

The misc. buttons (start, select, d-pad, selector switch) are all overall better visually and also in better locations on the guitar.

The top fret buttons are a bit further away due to the fact that this guitar is of actual size, thus the neck is longer. I actually find it a bit more comfortable this way. The bottom/solo fret buttons are the same spacing as the top buttons, which is too bad, since I liked how close they are on the default controller. Fret buttons overall feel a touch farther apart, they also don't butt up against each other, which is both good and bad. Good is that you aren't as likely to press a wrong button, bad is that pressing two buttons with one finger isn't as easy. This also could be colored by the fact that my fingers aren't as large as some people's. The buttons also take more pressure to activate than the default controller. Ashley Ltd told me they, like the strum bar, will `break in' over time with use.

All in all, I recommend this guitar, but do know that it will take a little getting used to it and also to put in some good batteries and expect that it needs to be `broken in.'

Better than the plastic toy controllers
For what it is, this real sized guitar controller beats the the plastic controller hands down. However for kids, this guitar might be a bit too big.

Out of the box, set up was a breeze, however there is a distinctly different feel to the buttons and strum bar, during game play. After some 'shimming' (Google It) of the buttons, the buttons did respond better.

In my opinion, this controller will never be 100% exactly in sync with either game (GH/RB) just because it's a 3rd Party Controller, but it's close.

Additionally, I also can't say this is the best choice for die hard gamers, but getting it for the casual.."I've watched my kids play and I think I could do that" gamer...it'll be fun.

I had an opportunity to pick one up for $50, during a 1 day only online sale, but passed because I wasn't sure of the quality, etc. (I couldn't find it in any stores to test.) Afterwards, my niece and nephew both wanted to play guitar, so I picked up a GH Brand controller so they both could play. It was junk. I took it back, did some research and found this controller on Amazon for a little more than the 1 day sale price, so I got it. However, I don't think I'd spend the $100+ on it, mainly because I'm cheap.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the controller, the kids are happy...big kids too. I'd recommend it if you're comfortable with the price point you find it at.

Mixed opinion
I got this guitar with high expectations. It is basically a real guitar that has been turned into a controller for Rock Band and GH3, which is pretty cool. Its a much different feel from the normal controller (a very good kind of different). It seems to be pretty good quality, except for that the wooden neck either was cracked on arrival, or cracked within a few days of me having it (not cool). Seems the wood isnt of the best quality.

Unfortunately there's more bad than good to this guitar when it comes to playability. The buttons are raised and spread apart, definitely different from the rock band version, meaning its a bit harder to slide the fingers up and down (not that big a deal). Theres also an issue with the "star power" function. I have to lean the guitar below horizontal, then heave it up in order for it to start the energy deal. Or I can just play normally and it'll start at random...interesting feature (sigh)....The biggest issue I have though is that the buttons dont register very well with the game - I have to mash them down in order for a note to play, which becomes very tiring (mentally and physically) after just a few songs....

So bottom line....it seems like a great controller, looks and feels nice. But when it comes to actual playability, it definitely is sub-par, which is where it counts! I guess thats what you get with a controller that wasnt originally built to be a controller. Two stars.