I purchased this one as well as the other replica for my parents, as they love the beatles, went to a couple of their shows, and knew most of the beatles history. It is great for those type of fans, but the price really doesn't offer much more as far as guitar controllers go. Nothing special other than the replica aspect, just like my review of the rickenbacker replica.
Looks great for a replica and plays great, but price should limit to hardcore fans only.
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First off, I should say that I'm a big fan of Rock Band. Love the original, love the sequel and love the Beatles edition. They are great games to play with friends. And while I don't think that I'm biased towards one game, I always preferred the Rock Band instruments over the Guitar Hero brand; I find the flush neck buttons on the Rock Band instruments more comfortable.
The first edition RB guitar really needed some work, probably why Harmonix stepped it up when they released Rock Band 2 with it's improved wireless guitar. This year I feel they've out-done themselves one more time...
This guitar will probably not help you play any better. It's pretty much the same guitar as the current wireless version, with a facelift. It features a faux chrome finish almost throughout. It, along with all the other little visual details look great, it feels like a well built product and has a nice weight to it. Even the little chrome around the Xbox guide is a nice touch.
The neck buttons feel better too, a bit tighter and easier on the hands for those long songs. The strum bar still has the squish, but I prefer that over the click. The whammy bar is probably the best new update, its flat instead of round and seems to be longer; I prefer it over past versions.
My only negative, is that the body of the guitar is a thicker than usual. For me, it's not a big deal, my arms and hands rest on it like normal, but I could see how this would be a problem for some people.
Now, should you buy this guitar? If you're looking for a new wireless guitar, you can probably pick up last year's model for less; like I said, there aren't any improvements found here anto better your game. However, the quality here is fantastic and if I you don't mind spending a little extra, I say go for it.
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Unfortunately if you've ever bought many Guitar Hero and Rock Band accessories. You know that not every guitar (or drums for that matter) is created equal. Some work better then others. Some have problems. This is what happened to me with this guitar. It looks awesome but it had several problems. The strum bar was far too flimsy. I've played several Rock Band guitars. I am fine with mushy quiet strum bar. But the guitar I had, the strum bar felt loose and ready to fall out. It was that loose. As I played it, I could feel the grease on my hand. My only guess is the over greased the strum bar making it was too loose. My game playing suffered due to it. I didn't feel like I had control. Now I also have the Paul McCartney bass beatles rock band controller. That was perfect, that was the best Rock Band guitar I've ever owned.
So ultimately I'm giving it 3 stars but more then likely, I just got a fluke. It happens with Guitar Hero/Rock Band accessories. I decided not to get a replacement, instead a refund, because the whole getting the item, having an issue, returning the item can be a little tiring. I didn't feel like doing it all over again if the second one they send me had the same problems.
The guitar looks amazing as all the beatles rock band guitars do...the price is a little high but thats what they choose to sell it for...so be it. The buttons work just like any rock band guitar. You have the Effects switch, whammy bar, star power worked perfect. This guitar was smaller then my Paul McCartney Hofner bass guitar controller by a good 2-3 inches. Some people may prefer that.
Probably a great guitar but the one I got was not working very well. If the strum bar isn't right. The guitar is worthless no matter how nice it looks.
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This was my first Rock Band Guitar and it really is great! The strum bar is great and it looks so awesome. The only slightly annoying think is the click of the buttons but even that's not too bad! If you are a Beatles fan, bite the bullet on the price and buy this one of a kind Rock Band guitar!
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As a raving Beatlemaniac, it was a given that I would be preordering the Beatles: Rock Band game as soon as it was announced. As one of my old guitars was finally giving out, I decided to pick up one of the replica instruments as a replacement. As the bundle was out of my price range, it came down to This guitar, or the replica Rickenbacker. As I've always liked the design of the Gretsch Duo-Jet, it was a no-brainer!
This guitar arrived at my door literally right before I as about to play "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in the game, so I connected it to my console, and it immediately took over for my trusty Les Paul. It was a bit uncomfortable to hold at first, until I got used to adjusting my grip. This guitar is far and away the quietest guitar controller I've ever had the pleasure of using; one of my only problems with previous guitar controllers was the incessant CLICKCLICKCLACKETTYCLACK as I strummed away while playing the game. The frets and strum bar on the Gretsch are whisper-quiet. The strum bar does not feel mushy as some past Rock Band controllers have, which prevented me from buying any of them until now. Despite its size, the Gretsch is as light as previous guitar controllers. It plays like a dream! The "start" button now requires you to hold it down for a couple of seconds, thus preventing accidental pausing while playing(I have never known this to happen while I or any of my friends were playing, but apparently, some people have experienced problems with this in the past).
Visually, there's not much out there to match it. As you can see in the photos, it has a beautiful design, and the chrome really pops. As good as it looks in these photos, they don't do it justice.
In the end, I think the higher price tag on this guitar is completely worth it. There has been a lot of grumbling these past few months about the price on these replica instruments, but the added cost has clearly gone into making these guitar controllers the very best to date. After over a month of frequent use, it still looks brand new, with no signs of wear, and still plays like a champ. If you still have older guitar controllers lying around, the upgrade is completely unnecessary, but if you need another instrument, you really can't go wrong with the Gretsch.
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Compared to the original Rock Band guitar, this thing is beautiful and slick. If you shake it, there's a little soft rattle but I think that's the tilt sensor for overdrive. It looks amazing, is silent, and works wonders. Love it to death. Five stars.
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The graphics are amazing and the music is, of course, the best. What else would you expect from The Beatles? HOWEVER, I found the game disappointing in the song choices. You get 34 songs in the game - none that you unlock - and no more available for purchase/download yet. It definitely set itself up for Beatles II and Beatles III and Beatles IV...
Feel a bit gouged. Haven't they made enough money off of their music? They're going to dole it out a tiny bit at a time. If we have to purchase a new game everytime, it's not going to be worth it.
Also resent that the only way you can get Paul's guitar is to buy the whole bundle. For those of us who already have the whole set (and purchased a better drum set), buying the bundle for 34 songs and Paul's guitar at $250 is insane.
Disappointed. Lots of hype. Lots of let down.
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this gitar is a repilica of george harrisons gretsch duo jet used through early 1962 through early 1963 overall pretty nice guitar
pros:nice design very sturdy
awesome bridge basicly same fake chrome
same play still very good feel
cons:too pricy very excpencive had to buy used
nothing new no new fetures or whatnot
my final:8/10
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Ok I am a huge Beatles fan, specifically of George Harrison...so this guitar instantly caught my eye. I haven't been impressed with Harmonix's hardware to date (I sold my rockband guitar in lieu of using the xbox360 guitar instead) however I love this guitar.
The Pros:
the neck action is smooth
it is very quiet overall
it is incredibly light
it's gorgeous
it's wireless
The Cons:
It takes a little getting used to holding it properly, otherwise, as others have noted it can be brutal on the wrists
There is a coil inside (i'm guessing for the tremolo bar) that rattles around. It's not bad if you have the sound turned up, but there are times where i play my music games quietly and it kind of bugs me.
But seriously, if you are a huge beatles fan, this is an excellent controller to consider.
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Ok, to start things off great guitar, very nice design,but there is a couple of GOOD things to talk about.
.it bigsby is the only thing that is really i mean really nice(but there is other things too)
.same old les paul design but with new features.
.lot of plastic that LOOKS like chrome but is not chromre
.nice neck,head and upper body design
durability 9/10
design 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000/10
comfort 8/10
and finally,workings(does it work good/bad) 11\10
thanks for reading
sincerly, jack
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As a huge fan of both Rock Band and The Beatles, I was really excited to get my hands on this release. The graphics, story line, and of course the music, did not disappoint. The controllers, while a bit pricey, are step up from the standard Rock Band 2 instruments. Auto calibration is a nice addition. My only complaint is about the limited number of songs included on the disc - we were able to play through the entire game in just one evening. I'm guessing that Harmonix has a bunch of new tracks that they will be happy to sell you from the online store for $3 a pop. And I'm guessing that I'll end up shelling out at least another $60 to complete my Beatles experience.
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Well I love everything about this guitar so it really irks me that they STILL have bugs with this issue. It plays like a dream, but if u need to activate star power good luck!
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Ever since my Gretsch controller arrived, it's been my instrument of choice in playing any version of Rock Band or Guitar Hero. It's slightly larger and longer than the stock Rock Band 2 Stratocaster, and feels a bit more like a real guitar as a result. It's also gorgeous, with several little details, like the chrome clip on the pickguard, or the plate on the headstock, adding up to make a pretty convincing replica of the real guitar. At first glance, it might easily be mistaken for the real thing.
The feel of the strum and buttons is about the same as the Rock Band 2 Strat, which may or may not be your cup of tea, as some prefer the clicky strum bar and raised buttons on the Guitar Hero controllers. I prefer the Rock Band "feel," so this guitar suits me fine. As some have mentioned in other reviews, the right-angled edge of the guitar can feel a bit uncomfortable when you first start playing it, as it can press into your wrist. I've just adjusted the way I hold the guitar, and don't even notice that small problem anymore.
There are a few little things that keep me from giving the guitar 5 stars. One, my whammy bar has an annoying squeak, and at some point I suppose I'll have to open up the guitar and hit the innards with some lube. Also, the whammy is supposed to be a Bigsby, and while it has some cosmetic detailing to approximate one, it's actually the same whammy as the Strat with a flat plastic "shell" over the thin metal bar. I understand the cost savings in recycling parts, but this results in a less authentic design. When compared to the actual Bigsby-style whammy that Mad Catz put on their recent Telecaster controller (and compared to the accurate in-game version of the Gretsch seen in Beatles Rock Band), this cut corner just keeps the guitar from being the full replica and visual treat it could be. But it plays beautifully, which is why the "fun" rating is five stars, while the overall is just four.
While the connection to the Beatles is a bit tenuous (George only played this model in the early days of the band), the classic Duo-Jet design is still lovely, and was preferable to my eyes over the more iconic Rickenbacker, at least when comparing these replicas. While I'm a Beatles fan, I chose the Gretsch less for it's connection to the band, and more for overall looks.
As a final, silly note, I put this guitar next to my original PS2 guitar for Guitar Hero 1, and it's just amazing how this whole concept of fake game instruments has come since then. The original Guitar Hero controller looks like a tiny Fisher-Price toy next to this gorgeous Gretsch controller.
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If this is an exact replica of George Harrison's Duo-Jet, then I am certain he must have worn bracers (wrist/fore-arm guards) while playing it.
As a replica it looks great, and all the pieces are well detailed and sturdy-built. The device operates a well as any RB2 controller, and the battery life appears to be about the same. The big difference between this and other controllers is the comfort level. Simply put, the body of this g-controller will cut into your arm (at about the mid-point between the wrist and elbow for most people) when played for more than a couple songs. Anyone who plays the Duo-Jet should be ready to build-up a tolerance for the lines it will leave in their strumming arm while they enjoy this fine controller. That said, if getting used to a controller that is not all that comfortable is something you would rather not do, just avoid this controller and purchase another one of the fine devices out there from Harmonix or Mad Catz.
Personally, I decided to get used to this controller, because 1) I payed a pretty price for it, and 2)It looks so cool for a plastic guitar. Had I played with the Duo-Jet g-controller prior to purchase, I am fairly certain I would have a different controller in my hands right now.
Cheers and rock on!
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