s reported in the July issue of Game Informer Magazine, Harmonix’s latest musical game, Rock Band, will feature guitar controllers based on Fender’s classic Stratocaster. The Rock Band guitar has a much more distinct weight to it, and while it doesn’t weigh the same as a real guitar, it feels more like a real guitar than a Guitar Hero guitars. The most obvious difference between it and the Guitar Hero controllers is how subtle the fretboard’s buttons are. From the front, they match the rest of the neck. Looking down at the buttons from above, however, players will be able to get a good look at the colors. The colors match the familiar Guitar Hero setup, too, which makes sense considering Harmonix has assured us that Guitar Hero’s controller will be compatible with Rock Band.

A few other distinct additions are a set of five other fret buttons closer to the guitar’s body and a new five-way switch. Players can jump over to the extra set of buttons during solos, allowing for tighter control of hammer-ons and pull-offs. The five-way switch can be used in conjunction with the in-game store, allowing players to switch between purchased virtual effects, such as wah wah, echo and chorus, to change the guitar’s sound during gameplay.

Overall, it’s a solidly built piece of hardware with plenty of flexibility and an obviously refined design. We can’t wait to get our hands on it again!