My Issues with Rock Band Hardware

[SpikeX]

Just wanted to post and let you know the status of my hardware and software:

Rock Band Bundle for PS3, bought today. Second shipment wave from GameStop.

PS3/Hardware: Functional, latest version. Rock Band even upgraded to 1.01 with no problems (I was impressed).
Mic: Works fine. Bit sensitive, actually, but nothing bad.
Drums: Working normally, although red seems a little weak. I can tell that my foot pedal is going to snap, too, same bad design. Maybe I could mod a real kickdrum pedal made of metal, that would definitely last longer.
Guitar: Overdrive activates on its own, it's REALLY (too) sensitive. And my strum bar is really really weak (somtetimes it doesn't register all the notes), I really want to play with a GH3 controller instead because they're so much smoother/easier to play with (Even if they aren't as realistic). And I really like the "flick" response from the GH3 controllers, it's got that response so that you KNOW you've strummed, instead of the Strat where there's no click so you don't even know if you've strummed or not. I'm guessing my strum bar is going to break, too, eventually. Look out EA Support, here I come.

Just wanted to say that this is really unacceptable. I mean, you guys go and create all this hype for your brand new game, and you didn't even take the time to playtest your own production hardware, and now it's all crap. In order for you to really impress me and turn my thoughts on this game around, you're gonna have to come up with a permanent solution, fast. Something like "We've found a new hardware vendor", or "Our manufacturer has fixed this, this, and this issue and we have new models shipping".

Get your act together, make some phone calls, and fix it. You made the game, you know how it works. Can't be that difficult.

[DennMann]

I agree about the GH guitars. I like the way you know when you strum them by the click. I was very disappointed when I opened the guitar up and felt this weak and flimsy strum bar.

[zerogeo3]

It is a different design. I for one love how smooth it feels. Not Like i am strumming some miget ukilalie. Yes, I had to get a replacement, but the Strat is a way better than the GHIII LP guitar, and lightyears ahead of the x-plorer..

[SpikeX]

Well, yeah, I didn't like the Xplorers at all, but the Les Pauls are amazing. As soon as PS3 Les Paul support is enabled I'm buying at least one for Rock Band.

As for the drums, my kick pedal hasn't broke yet, but I don't play the drums that rigorously.

[Highlandlassie]

They knew.
I went to the Rockband tour 2007, and they had a pile of strats with broken strumbars there.
I was really hoping they would not ship them out like that, but they did.
I really hope they come up with a better strumbar, because the rest of the unit is great.

Harmonix and EA:
Make better guitars and charge more for them, it would do us all a huge favor.
The bundle should have 2 quality guitars and sell for $250.
The idea that you need to buy 2 bundles to get 2 guitars that are both defective just to play the game is ludicrus.

BTW:
I hate the PS3 Les paul, it misses notes big time, and will not even work for Rockband, even though Harmonix told me it should.

I love my old red SG for the ps2, that was a quality unit.

I love the Strat, when it works, but it doesn't.

[skaparate]

heck I'm pissed as hell!!!!
my damn drums don't work, the red pad doesn't even respond, my strum bar from my guitar doesn't respond when a do a down strum, now the only thing I can play is the mic, which btw I'm not a good singer
the problem is I requested my new items from the support page and yet I hacen't received anything from EA, I called them and they have this stupid excuse that because of the holidays, well I don't care about that, you should stick to your promise and be on a 2 day mail, cause you didn't have any problem charging my card on the holidays now did you???

[Delmonte]

I agree about the GH guitars. I like the way you know when you strum them by the click. I was very disappointed when I opened the guitar up and felt this weak and flimsy strum bar.

The x-plorer and les paul are sensitive enough that you don't have to strum all the way to the click to strum.

[NattyLight]

Are you sure it's your overdrive sensor and not just you hitting the select button?

If i is too sensitive, I'll gladly trade you for mine which barely works.

[SpikeX]

No, I'm definitely not hitting Select.

Sometimes when ym sensor is being stubbonr, though, I use select. Most of the time though, it just activates all on its own.

[ghost24]

Yeah, I just got my replacement guitar, it was great until I tried alternate strumming, and I would miss. My first guitar controller would work on the upstrum most of the time and it's less consistent with the downstrum. The replacement is the complete opposite, what is the problem here.

Also, it's so freaking hard to load overdrive on the replacement.

I'm starting to think that now I have to replace my replacement guitar 0.o...

[SpikeX]

Yeah, the more I play with the guitar, the more I realize that it's crap.

And I love how EVERY review that I read online was like "Hole crap this hardware is AWESOME! We love it, it's the best ever!" And it turns out that it's actually really crappy hardware. Ironic, isn't it.

As soon as they patch it to work with the LesPauls, I'm getting one. Maybe two.

[Captiosus77]

It is a different design. I for one love how smooth it feels. Not Like i am strumming some miget ukilalie. Yes, I had to get a replacement, but the Strat is a way better than the GHIII LP guitar, and lightyears ahead of the x-plorer..

The Strat would be light years ahead of both.. if it worked.

What draws me to the Strat over the GH guitars are the flush fret buttons, as opposed to the raised ones on the Red Octane guitars. But what drives me away from the Strat is the poor tactile response of the strum bar (I don't just mean broken ones, I mean how the crap ass foam makes it feel like I'm strumming a marshmallow) and the issues with the overdrive sensor which seem to be polar opposite for people (either too sensitive, or not sensitive at all).

Speaking only from a 360 owner's point of view, I have two xplorers and a les paul and the les paul was a complete and utter fiasco. The neck didn't seat well and, as a result, the fret buttons would miss or outright crap out.. sometimes it would automatically strum when holding three fret buttons down. My case wasn't an isolated incident, either. I'm sure most here saw the threads on the GH forums of really crappy hardware. I had to exchange my copy twice before I got a guitar that worked 95%. 95%, not 100%.

My xplorers? Never had a problem with them. The whammy took a bit of adjusting to, but now with games having whammy calibration, this is no big deal at all. True, the angles make them a bit uncomfortable to hold sometimes, but the smaller fret buttons fit my hands better and the tactile response of the strum is perfect.

If I had to choose, I'd put the xplorer ahead of the strat at the moment. If the issues with the strat get sorted out - and the strum bar becomes a bit more tactile - I'd probably never, ever, look at the xplorer again. If I could put the xplorer strum in a strat casing.. life would be perfect.

[SpikeX]

I have GH3 for the Wii and haven't had a single issue with my Les Paul. It's a beautiful thing, really, compared to the Strat.

Heh... I just realized something. Imagine how PISSED OFF Fender is at Harminox/EA making crap hardware out of their awesome guitar design. I'd be pissed too.

[Captiosus77]

Heh... I just realized something. Imagine how PISSED OFF Fender is at Harminox/EA making crap hardware out of their awesome guitar design. I'd be pissed too.

My running joke is that with all the troubles the RB Strat is having, it shouldn't have the Fender name on it; rather, it should have the one-off Fender branding of "Squire". :D

Owned a Squire Strat guitar once.. never again. Looked like a Strat. Felt like a Strat. Played like crap.