through the first song was awesome,” noted one
tester. “The tips of my fingers were sore, but I
felt like I really accomplished something.”
Guitar Hero and Rock Band experts expecting
to be able to jump right in will encounter difficulty—testers who had done well on Expert and
Hard on the regular game found themselves struggling through the Easy level in Pro Mode with
the Squier. It’s a fitting evolution for the player
that has mastered the game. It fulfills the next
challenge, and opens another seemingly limitless
world of game play (particularly with download-able Pro Mode songs—not cheap at $2.99 a pop),
while imparting a real feeling of accomplishment.
Even testers with no existing desire to play guitar
were inclined to think about it as a more desirable
pursuit—and that is what it’s all about.
The Verdict
Guitar games have been controversial to guitarists since they first hit the market. And all along
people have been asking for the link that will
turn gamers into guitarists. The Squier by Fender
Stratocaster Guitar and Controller with Rock
Band 3 might well be that link. It’s not perfect.
Occasionally the strums aren’t picked up by the
game, and guitarists accustomed to higher quality
instruments might have some reservations about
the construction. And the game alone isn’t going
to make anyone shred like Yngwie. However, it
certainly feels like the beginning of something.
Perhaps some years down the road when learning
guitar this way is commonplace, this instrument
will have marked a critical stepping-off point.
Though it’s easy to consider the notion of
learning guitar motivated by gaming success less
than pure and noble, stop and think of why you
started playing. Was it for the art? Or was it to get
girls? While it would be nice if every pre-teen girl
and boy with a passion for music picked up the
guitar and practiced day in and day out, today’s
reality—riddled with distractions like texting and
Twitter—demands something more motivating,
and the music scene isn’t always enough. There are
fewer Beatles, Jimis, or Eddie Van Halens leading
kids to guitar like the pied piper. If it takes a game
for the next Eddie or Slash to pick up a guitar in
this day and age, so be it. At least now there’s a
tangible, affordable, and appealing link to push
them to the next level.
REVIEWS > SQUIER
Rating:
Buy If...
you or someone you know is serious
about taking guitar gaming to a new
level and starting a real guitar journey.
Skip If...
you’re an experienced guitarist looking
to have some fun—try Rock Band’s
drums or vocals instead!
Squier by Fender
MSRP $280
squierguitars.com
to read and comment
on this review.
premierguitar.com/jan2011
CLICKHere…
www.shubb.com • info@shubb.com • 707-843-4068
Still the best!
The best players will settle
for no less.
