[B]The world of plastic guitars just got a whole lot more complicated with the arrival of the all-in-one You Rock Guitar at CES last week.[/B] The musical gadget, produced by Inspired Instruments, goes for an axey hat trick — educational jam machine, genuine guitar, and game controller.
The six-stringed wonder boasts 100 preset guitar and synth sounds, including 25 sampled real guitars, which you can play through an amp or headphones. Because the sounds are sampled, the guitar never needs tuning. There's also 'You Rock Mode,' a hybrid between instrument and game which provides backing tracks and delivers a not-so-friendly 'dink' if you fingers stray out of key. It also hooks straight into software like Apple's Garage Band.
Plug in an accessory usb cartridge and the guitar becomes a Wii, PS3 or Xbox controller that trades buttons and paddle for genuine frets and strumming for [I]Rock Band[/I] and [I]Guitar Hero[/I] fans.
The biggest accomplishment, however, may be the fact that the You Rock Guitar is the first musical instrument to garner professional endorsement from a game champion. [I]Guitar Hero[/I] maestro Danny Johnson says "In my mind, I was saying this is it. This is what everybody's been waiting for. It will teach kids how to play real guitar and they can still play a game with it."
Yes, it's cheesy, it's plastic, and someone's likely going to hell for putting a joystick on a guitar, but little Danny Johnson's got a point.
The You Rock Guitar will go on sale this summer. Prices have not yet been confirmed.
[url=http://www.gameculture.com/2010/01/11/it039s-game-controller-no-it039s-real-guitar-you-rock-wants-do-it-all]More...[/url]