Turkey and Mashed Potatoes

[DikRodnum]

Well I got a chance to play the game for about 3 to 4 hrs. last night at Fletcher's Bar in Baltimore,MD.

It was a great time had by all, as the few who were there to play help to draw a fairly large crowd later on into the night.
Well let me get into it...

First off Ill talk about the Vocals, which seem to have never really been spoken on or about before (or at least from what I have gathered...). I got the chance to sing "Tom Sawyer" by Rush and let me just say that I am a HUGE Rush fan so knowing the words was not a problem...just keeping Geddy Lees' Pitch and Tone was! I did the song on Med (i think) and got an 89% 5Phrase streak. The guys from Mtv told me that it was a great performance, so I was happy...Till i went to sing "Say it Ain't So" by Weezer...on Expert!

So, after failing the song twice on Exp. we did Hard and i got about 65% through it. Here's why...It seems to be a margin of error that you can 'hang around' in, on Easy is as wide as a 4 lane Highway. Well, Expert is a 1 lane back-road and you are driving an Army Hummer. So don't go thinking cause you rocked it out at a Karaoke Bar in a drunkin' stupor that you are going to nail it here.
Also keep the Mic away from the speakers as it is REALLY sensitive to surrounding sounds...

The Guitar...Is not what I had hoped it was going to be...
THe sight of it is awesome. The feel of it is cool. The weight, is non-existent. The buttons, are too well embedded, and will cause you to lose your place. The Solo buttons are the same way, but smaller width and closer together. There are no physical markers to let you know what button you are on. The travel on the Frets are to shallow for mashers but great for fingertip players. If you want to 'slap bass' or Finger Pick the StrumBar, well you can with confidence just don't try to play it like a real lead Guitar.
The Strum bar is great feeling as it seems to be grooved for your thumb, but the major problem seems to be its tightness. There is NO forgiveness with it. No bounce would be a a great thing if you didn't have to mash down (or up) on it to just get it to move. Speed sections where u/down are the ONLY way to get through it?...good luck with it.

Now don't let me be totally negitive cause in all actuality, the Strat still rocks purely based on feel and looks. Plus the 5way and Whammy are Bad-A$$!

I didn't get to try the drums but watching others play it was a good indication that its not easy, even on easy.
All in all The whole night was amazing and the game will be a STRONG contender for Game of the Year.

(Turkey and Mashed Potatoes was the name of the band was part of at the end of the night, we killed it!)

[Eman311]

If i really hate the guitar, i can just use the explorer.

what songs besides those two did you play?

[dethklok]

Like Eman, If i don't like the guitar, I'm just going to move to the Explorer. I have no problem with that.

[DikRodnum]

Well The GH3 Les Paul is supposed to be THE Axe to thrash with, I myself Despise the X-plorer.

I Played Lead on "Black Hole Sun", and got about 89% on Hard. The solo wasnt that bad but with the Strat it would just take some time getting used to it.

Then I sang the two songs, Then I played Bass on "In Bloom" on expert and got about 80something% (the band as a whole failed at 97% due to the Vocals and the Drum)
The I did Bass on "Wanted Dead or Alive" and we killed it!

[masterx1918]

did you get a free form jam session at the end?

[skyehill]

Unfortunately you're not the first to complain about the buttons. Many apologists will excuse Harmonix for this, but come on, it IS just a game. You should never lose your place on a GH/RB guitar, and from the sounds of it you can do that rather easily on the RB guiter. I'll just use the Xplorer and the guitar that I get with GH3.

[DikRodnum]

did you get a free form jam session at the end?


On "WDoA" I believe we did. But it seems that its not really free...the rows turn a solid color and you 'should' press the corresponding fret.

[Elnino]

Ahhhh!!! It came to Baltimore!? Why doesn't it say it in the tour schedule? It says October.

[DikRodnum]

Ahhhh!!! It came to Baltimore!? Why doesn't it say it in the tour schedule? It says October.
It wasnt part of the Official Tour. There was a Digital expo in the area and i think it was part of that. Plus the bar is a really famous and old Small rock venue that gets lot of exposure so 2+2....

[HollywoodBound]

That's awesome dude. I've been wanting to know more on the vocals part. All you hear about is the drums for this game.

[Apples]

The guitar controller review is discouraging for sure.

Hope it works out. I am glad I have a pair of Xplorers and the option of a Les Paul if necessary.

[Keebler]

I wouldn't get too discouraged by the feeling of the fret buttons. We're all just used to the GH controllers and when they were designing those, they basically had to arbitrarily choose a size and for the fret buttons. Two years and millions of players later, there's a lot of people who have the GH guitar's feel ingrained into their hands. I think a lot of people are just expecting the buttons on the Stratocaster to feel just like the GH controllers, without considering its Harmonix making their own controllers for the first time, and it's not necessarily a bad thing that the controller has a different feel.

[PsycoCheerio]

I played a TON of GH and the switch when i played at PAX took me a good 3 songs to get used to the newer buttons. I still got lost every once in awhile, but overall I felt it was feeling better...I guess I'll see if i feel the same way in a lil' over a week when i go hang out at the bus all day.

[Jimmik]

Great report, sucks to hear about the guitar though.

[MountainKing]

This shouldnt discourage anyone. I've followed Harmonix pretty close ever since Frequency, and I can definately say they truly care about there audience. Which to me means they have taken all the things that people liked about GH1 & 2, including the controllers, and done their very best to make the experience that much better.

The ONLY reason people are whining about the guitar is because the GH guitars are the ONLY ones they have ever used. If you never played GH in your life, you would say how great the RB game and controller is. Get a grip people. It's new, it's improved, it's Rock Band.

[JimNasium]

The only thing that worries me is the weight. I wish it had a bit more to it

[Magnet]

Some people are going to prefer the Strats and others will prefer the GH guitars. Rock Band is trying to reach an even wider audience than Guitar Hero's, and it will find people who haven't played Guitar Hero yet. None of us are going to have the luxury of trying the Strat, playing that for two years, and then playing with a Guitar Hero controller. I can only imagine getting so used to the Strat and then having to use these odd protruding buttons found on the Guitar Hero controllers. It would be just as weird as the transition we're all expected to make for Rock Band (if you plan on using the Strat). I think we should all be very glad that Harmonix is pushing to support third-party peripherals as much as possible. There's no doubt in my mind that going from one guitar that you've grown so used to and suddenly playing with one that feels totally different is going to be tough to get used to. It's all about perspective. People just need to give it a chance, and then decide after at least five or six hours of playtime whether they can get into the Strat or not.

I had a ton of trouble playing with the Gibson at first in late 2005. Now I'm a master at it. I suspect an entirely new peripheral will take some getting used to, and no one will fall in love with it over night.

[ThePaska]

The Guitar...Is not what I had hoped it was going to be...
THe sight of it is awesome. The feel of it is cool. The weight, is non-existent. The buttons, are too well embedded, and will cause you to lose your place. The Solo buttons are the same way, but smaller width and closer together. There are no physical markers to let you know what button you are on. The travel on the Frets are to shallow for mashers but great for fingertip players. If you want to 'slap bass' or Finger Pick the StrumBar, well you can with confidence just don't try to play it like a real lead Guitar.
The Strum bar is great feeling as it seems to be grooved for your thumb, but the major problem seems to be its tightness. There is NO forgiveness with it. No bounce would be a a great thing if you didn't have to mash down (or up) on it to just get it to move. Speed sections where u/down are the ONLY way to get through it?...good luck with it.



You are the fist person I have heard actually talk negatively about the strum bar. I hope its not as bad as you say it is. From all the reviews the one thing that always feels great about the guitar is the strum bar. I'll be interested to test it out myself when the tour gets around me.

[vtjustinb]

The only thing that worries me is the weight. I wish it had a bit more to it

I'm pretty sure if this was really an issue you could mod it yourself to add a little more weight.

They make lead tape for tennis racquets to fine-tune the headweight that would probably work pretty well. Just pop the guitar open and add some strips to the inside--would probably have to be careful about any type of circuity contact since it may carry a charge (not sure).

[mobhit101]

Damn, I wish I could try it out for myself before the launch... Still not too worried about the guitar though. Hopefully the Les Paul will work for RB. If the Strat does end up not being what I want though, I still have the xplorers...

Nah, eff that. I'll get used to the strat. Those things look so damn cool. Plus I'm gonna abuse the hell outta the 5 way!

[FatWilma]

I'm pretty sure if this was really an issue you could mod it yourself to add a little more weight.

They make lead tape for tennis racquets to fine-tune the headweight that would probably work pretty well. Just pop the guitar open and add some strips to the inside--would probably have to be careful about any type of circuity contact since it may carry a charge (not sure).

right on, thats exactly what i was thinking when i read his review. u can get it to weigh exactly what u feel comfortable with.

[CaptainHowdy101]

I was speaking with Tycho from PennyArcade. He has a build of the game + instruments at his office left over from pax. He was saying, that at first he was unsure of the stratocaster, but after a few hours with it, he has grown to hate the x-plorer. He says once you get used to it, its the best guitar out there.

[Bakkster]

I was speaking with Tycho from PennyArcade. He has a build of the game + instruments at his office left over from pax. He was saying, that at first he was unsure of the stratocaster, but after a few hours with it, he has grown to hate the x-plorer. He says once you get used to it, its the best guitar out there.

It actually seems more like a real guitar. You don't have a very obvious physical difference between frets, you just learn to keep your place. So no whining about 'keyed' frets :p

The only things I think would be an issue are the pressure required to push the frets/strum bar and the rebound or lack-thereof. As long as they let you do your work both fast and slow, I'll have no problems with it. I've also heard that you can play the guitar fingerstyle like a bass. If that's true, I probably wouldn't play anything else :D

[Pandacon]

When I tried out the Strat at PAX I already liked it better then the GH2 guitar. But I don't think I played as much as others, I only just started on hard mode, so maybe I'm just not as accustomed to using it. But I would recommend to give the Strat a try before condemning it.

[DarkSide]

I just got back from playing in Columbus, and all I gotta say is: Rock Band is ****ing awesome! :D If I didn't have to park a mile away(I'm not an OSU student) and my parking meter wasn't about to run out, I'd still be there!

The Strat does take some getting used to. It feels a bit flimsy when compared to the explorer. My main beef with it is the ridges between the fret buttons. They tend to get in the way and make sliding your hand down the neck harder than on the explorer.

As for the drums, I didn't get to play :(
I was too caught up in playing guitar/bass and time flew by.

I went by myself today, and I actually got to play single player guitar on TOM SAWYER!!! :eek: It was amazing. It wasn't that difficult though, I got a 94% my first time, and I'm no guitar hero wizard. And no one should worry about the Tom Sawyer cover either, it sounds awesome! I'm definitely heading back tomorrow with 3 friends and we're definitely going to audition. I don't care if I have to sing.

The star power seemed bit weird. I'd have a full meter and tilt the guitar and nothing would happen. When I finally did get it to activate, it was pretty sweet (However I miss the glaring blue notes from guitar hero's star power). The designs on the fretboard (visible in many of the screenshots) seem to appear either when you activate star power or when you just do really good. I got up to the x6 multiplier for bass and a message popped up saying bass groove, not sure what that means.

I'll get some pics and post a new thread with my full impressions after I get back from playing tomorrow.

[parastroke7]

You damn right drums ain't easy!

I had a dream about the guitar. What you described about it is almost what I felt in my dream when I handled it.

[NotorietyH]

I had a dream about the guitar. What you described about it is almost what I felt in my dream when I handled it.

I had a dream about an inane comment, and funnily enough... I'm just kidding. :D

Make sure you use your powers for good.

[DikRodnum]

Well bfore people think i hated the Strat...

Yes, most people are used to just the GH SG, but myself, i own two SG's, the 'Xplr' for the 360version, the TAC Flying V, I had the Frontman (but took it back after about an hour with it) and the official Wireless. My fav so far is the Flying V, and my least favorite is the Xplr (it blows) but in comparing the Strat to all , the Fender just didnt do it "Off the Bat" for me.

Plus, with both games have cross-compatibility people will have a choice and the ability to be different than the next player. This really gives into the whole "Rock Band" feel as real musicians all have their own take on what is best for them.

[ductyl]

They make lead tape for tennis racquets to fine-tune the headweight that would probably work pretty well. Just pop the guitar open and add some strips to the inside--would probably have to be careful about any type of circuity contact since it may carry a charge (not sure).

Or send it off to China and get it painted, should come back a few pounds heavier.:eek:

- ductyl