You guitarists that are Gold Starring songs...

[Banandy]

What guitar do you use to do it? I've heard a lot of complaints about the RB strum bar, and was just wondering if people don't use it because of that. To you people who 5 star/gold star songs...do you use the GH controller instead of the RB guitar, or do you complete everything with the Strat?

I'm interested in everyone's comment :0

Edit: What I'm trying to say is...do you find it 'unbearable'?

[kanrei]

I am mostly a bass player and get most of my GS on that, but I have got a few on guitar. I use the strat and cannot even touch the Les Paul any more. My fret hand has adjusted to the buttons and I just cannot work the LP anymore. And I love teh strummer on the Strat. My only problem with the Strat is they made a quiet strummer, but made teh fret buttons louder.

[C-Weiner]

I use the Guitar Hero Explorer. It's much much easier.

[master2uall]

I use the strat, dont like the toy guitar hero and raised buttons, i have gold starred at least 50 or more songs.

[Scott87]

I use the X-plorer from GH2

[SemperFi]

Da' Strat. (PS3)
I prefer my strums to be click free. ;)

[Banandy]

I am mostly a bass player and get most of my GS on that, but I have got a few on guitar. I use the strat and cannot even touch the Les Paul any more. My fret hand has adjusted to the buttons and I just cannot work the LP anymore. And I love teh strummer on the Strat. My only problem with the Strat is they made a quiet strummer, but made teh fret buttons louder.

Is that what people can't stand? That it's quiet? Is it because the clicking in GH helped them keep the beat or something?

I used to play GH, and I did enjoy the clicking, yes...but the Strat isn't bad at all for me.

[CKarinja]

I love the Strat, especially its strum bar. I guess I'm the minority here for liking the strum bar.

[Banandy]

I use the strat, dont like the toy guitar hero and raised buttons, i have gold starred at least 50 or more songs.

Haha, amazing :)

[Banandy]

I love the Strat, especially its strum bar. I guess I'm the minority here for liking the strum bar.

I'm right here with you :P

[jimberlao]

Good question. I ONLY use the GH 3 controller. I CANNOT use the RB guitar. One of my biggest fears is that Rockband 2 will not be compatible with the Les Paul. I don't play Gh anymore... but I love that controller. It would be a major blow to my enjoyment of Rockband if I can't use that controller. I buy a lot of DLC and everything Rockband... so PLEASE don't make me use a guitar I don't like!!!!

[kanrei]

Is that what people can't stand? That it's quiet? Is it because the clicking in GH helped them keep the beat or something?

I used to play GH, and I did enjoy the clicking, yes...but the Strat isn't bad at all for me.


To quote Willie Wonka: Scratch that and reverse it.

I hated the clicking! It distracted me from the beat rather than helping me keep it. I love the strat for its silence. I am just starting to have clicky fret buttons now.

[Antics]

Da' Strat. (PS3)
I prefer my strums to be click free. ;)

and i prefer my buttons to be click free. i recently tried my strat again and scored like 92% on DFTR (x), a song i usually get 99% with the les paul. the click of the strum bar helps me keep a rhythm also.

[blackknight76]

I've gold starred a fair amount of songs on the Les Paul, but since it's breaking down I'm switching to the strat. I liked the clicking in the Les Paul, it helped, but I think I'm able to strum faster for songs like Thrasher especially (which I'm no where near gold starring), and the solo frets are fun once you get used to them. I also think the strat is better if you want to upstrum on bass.

[GEEMIEE]

I use the GH2 Xplorer, just because I'm used to it. Just stick with a guitar and get comfortable with it. The Xplorer was awkward to use at first, but I've found a comfortable playing position.

Out of the main 58 songs, I think I have about 35 GS.

[C-Weiner]

I can;t deal with silence, I need to hear the click.

[Dharkanjil]

I've gold-starred ~85 of the 104 songs I have, using the RB bundled guitar exclusively and without issue. I love the silent strummer, but have no real problem with the clicky GH controllers. The loud buttons on the RB guitar, though, can occasionally be a distraction on faster sequences; you are often pressing and releasing the buttons out of time with the music, but shouldn't be strumming out of time. :)

[Reygnier]

I use a modded version of my strat.

I fixed my tilt sensor (works almost flawlessly, before it wouldn't do a thing), and I put some springs on the strum bar so that is a bit sturdier and so that it goes to the neutral position faster. (Better for when you just tap the strum bar on tricky notes instead of going up and down)

I play everytime with my brother (bass) and we have Gold Starred almost every song together (even Enter the Sandman).

He uses the GH2 Explorer, and he has no problems with it, but he can't get used to the strat.

So I suggest trying both.

[strtfghtr]

I have about 20 or so gold stars with the X-plorer, probably around 10 or 15 with the strat.

I prefer the X-plorer though. It's not necessarily the "click" as it is the bottom and top of the strum that I find important to alt strumming. The strat has a "mushy" bottom and top. Iremoved the foam rubber inserts to get a more solid feel...still not perfect but I like it better.

[DontShutTheGate]

The strat. After extended use, the clicking strum bar of other guitars tends to loosen to the point of seeing a lot more unintended double-strums.

[brobot]

Have like 50 Gold and use the LP just because my strat crapped out twice and for some reason EA thinks i have a RMA still active.

[jsorge]

I use the Les Paul from GH3. If don't like the strum bar because I smack it quite hard with my thumb and am afraid that I would break the strat. I also don't like the buttons on the strat, I just find them less responsive.

One thing I do wish I had though was the ability to not have to strum during solos like when you use the strat's solo buttons. I'm sure it would improve my scores a fair bit because I'd be able to use both hands on the really fast solos.

[Lily Mu]

Is that what people can't stand? That it's quiet? Is it because the clicking in GH helped them keep the beat or something?

I used to play GH, and I did enjoy the clicking, yes...but the Strat isn't bad at all for me.

I personally HATE the strat, LONG LIVE THE LES PAUL STRUM BAR. I feel exactly like you said, i need to hear the clicking, that makes me confident and doesn't make me all stressy, cuz sometimes i think i didn't make the strum and actually end up double-strumming. Unfortunately, i have RB on the Wii, and therefore cannot use the Les Paul. But i gotta say, after one song my strumming hand is already tired. In GH3, i kept my thumb on the strum. In RB, i "flick" my thumb
and tire out quickly. Still, i have achevied a lot of Gold Stars, just that my hand feels tired.

[saerbarnet]

Les Paul. Because I don't want to buy a Strat which breaks in 5 minutes and because the explorer I own is wired and quite beaten up

[skullpit]

I absolutely HATE the clicking of the GH guitars. When playing any GH game, I would always turn the volume waaaaay up to drown out the horrid clicking. I love the Strat. It doesn't feel like a toy in my hands. Not as much anyway. And the buttons are so much easier to use when they aren't raised.

[BobbyBrown]

Can't stand pretty much anything about the Strat so I use the Les Paul. I dislike its clicky strum bar but aside from that it's better in every way.

[moneyp]

I can;t deal with silence, I need to hear the click.

Isn't the TV making any noise?

[Tsavo]

30-35 GS w/ GH3 controller

[zack10house]

I use the X-plorer. they took everything that was good about the GH controllers and killed it with the strat. Silent buttons? gone. Strum-bar click? gone. I can't stand it

[chico76]

I use the Les Paul almost exclusively at this point. I keep the music up loud enough to drown out the strummer, but it is nice to be able to hear it a tad... as it sometimes keeps me in time on long streams of notes...

I can GS songs on the Strat as well, but I just don't like it as much. Not just because of the strummer, but the buttons don't feel right for some reason.

I think I have 133 songs at this point and I have something like 68 GS on Guitar and 85 GS on Bass (still working my way through everything on Bass though, so that's more like 85 out of 110 or so)...

I'm hoping they keep RB open to any instruments. If they lock out the GH controllers, that would likely keep me from purchasing it at all. I'm already on the fence depending on the song list, so they certainly don't need to give any ironclad reasons to avoid it... (and given GH being the much more popular and recognizable title, I imagine it's good business sense to allow the guitars to work; locking them out will anger a very large base of people in the gaming community)...

[Dartagnan64]

FOr those that want the LP to work with RB2, I say "grow a pair" and switch over. Quit giving yourself the advantage of the strum click and learn to strum properly with the strat. The LP strum bar is just too much like a button press. Real RB purists use the Strat.

[Sikaris]

Strat all the way here. It's how the game was meant to be played, and it's how I enjoy playing.

[Tsavo]

Real RB prudes swear by the Strat.
fixed. ;)

10char

[chico76]

FOr those that want the LP to work with RB2, I say "grow a pair" and switch over. Quit giving yourself the advantage of the strum click and learn to strum properly with the strat. The LP strum bar is just too much like a button press. Real RB purists use the Strat.


And then I remember that I'm playing a VIDEO GAME with a TOY GUITAR that only has 5 BUTTONS and 1 STRUM BAR.... not the real thing with 6 strings & 23 frets...

Which then makes me remember that I can choose any available guitar I feel comfortable with (on the 360 anyway) and run with it. No need to bash or insult anyone because they have a preference...

[mct685]

Les Paul i use that thing

[Banandy]

Wow, didn't expect to get so many replies. Am reading through every single one...appreciate the comments guys :D

[bmore007]

I think you'll find MOST of the best players use GH controllers.

I use my PS2 SG with that tac adapter.

[Antics]

FOr those that want the LP to work with RB2, I say "grow a pair" and switch over. Quit giving yourself the advantage of the strum click and learn to strum properly with the strat. The LP strum bar is just too much like a button press. Real RB purists use the Strat.

lmao. please tell me how it's an advantage. some like the strat, they use the strat. some like the LP/xplorer, they use that. both guitars have a strum bar and 5 buttons. if anything, the strat has the advantage with the solo buttons, so please stfu, "RB purist".

[Bearclaw]

I use the strat, dont like the toy guitar hero and raised buttons, i have gold starred at least 50 or more songs.
I concur. On both the strat use and the 50+ gold stars ;)

[FlameSama1]

Depends on the song in my opinion.

Song with quick notes like any Ramones track or 'Next To You' would be easier to GS with the Strat due to a soft strum bar. But song with spaced notes and sustains like In Bloom or Limelight, the Les Paul is good for with it's feeling of accuracy.

Also, I think the Les Paul handles HO/POs better.

[AeroZeppelinSevenfold]

What guitar do you use to do it? I've heard a lot of complaints about the RB strum bar, and was just wondering if people don't use it because of that. To you people who 5 star/gold star songs...do you use the GH controller instead of the RB guitar, or do you complete everything with the Strat?

I'm interested in everyone's comment :0

Edit: What I'm trying to say is...do you find it 'unbearable'?

no. i gold starred a lot of the last tier songs like highway star with the strat. i love it. i'll probably get the new one because the strum bar is stronger.

the strat strum bar is okay, but it could be better.

[ironman126]

To every one who uses the les paul I have a question, Does your tilt sensor suck so much it makes it impossible to do anything? Because mine has like 3 variations of working. First being it will either never work no matter what you do(except push the button). Second it will just go off without warning and there is no way to make it stop doing this or it will just work normally. When playing with a full band it sucks cause one person just will set off the overdrive thats no good. I just use the x-plorer because it actually works. Plus the "click" is broken so I get everything I love from the x-plorer with the silence of the strat.

[jsorge]

To every one who uses the les paul I have a question, Does your tilt sensor suck so much it makes it impossible to do anything? Because mine has like 3 variations of working. First being it will either never work no matter what you do(except push the button). Second it will just go off without warning and there is no way to make it stop doing this or it will just work normally. When playing with a full band it sucks cause one person just will set off the overdrive thats no good. I just use the x-plorer because it actually works. Plus the "click" is broken so I get everything I love from the x-plorer with the silence of the strat.

Mine works perfectly, my friends goes off without warning because it is so sensitive. Other times his will not go off because it is so sensitive that it thinks that it never was returned to the flat position so you have to swing down then back up to make it work. One of these days we'll pull it apart and fix it.

[dada limbo]

It takes a while to get used to the quick hand-shifting that the Strat enables (it's rillyrillyrilly easy to overshoot at first) but once you do... no comparison.

And that strum bar works wonders on the gallops.

[chico76]

To every one who uses the les paul I have a question, Does your tilt sensor suck so much it makes it impossible to do anything? Because mine has like 3 variations of working. First being it will either never work no matter what you do(except push the button). Second it will just go off without warning and there is no way to make it stop doing this or it will just work normally. When playing with a full band it sucks cause one person just will set off the overdrive thats no good. I just use the x-plorer because it actually works. Plus the "click" is broken so I get everything I love from the x-plorer with the silence of the strat.


My tilt sensor works great. I play with the guitar fairly level most of a song, and I only have to tilt it up to maybe 30-degrees from horizontal... I also tend to just bump the Back/Select button with the palm of my hand to activate... sometimes tilting throws me off, so it depends on where I am in a song...

I will say that my Les Paul is a replacement. My first one (from November last year) worked great as well, but I eventually was having some weird fret button functionality. It seemed to be due to the detachable neck; the contact plate gets what looks like small holes where the pressure-held pins seem to dig into the flat plate...

[Kaptankrunch92]

I use the strat, with a modded stummer, it's not unbearable but I didn't like it too much

[Melchiah]

What guitar do you use to do it? I've heard a lot of complaints about the RB strum bar, and was just wondering if people don't use it because of that. To you people who 5 star/gold star songs...do you use the GH controller instead of the RB guitar, or do you complete everything with the Strat?

I'm interested in everyone's comment :0

Edit: What I'm trying to say is...do you find it 'unbearable'?

I use the GH2 Red SG Guitar with the TAC Adapter. I had...one Gold Starred song before I got the adapter (El Scorcho...lol). After I got it...well, I have somewhere around 25 or so, now...if I were to guess off the top of my head.

[LinksOcarina]

I prefer the Rock Band Guitar, although it sometimes doesn't work too well because of the weak strum bar. It is easier for me to use it though then the GH guitars, they are smaller and the buttons are more round, meaning less room for error on intricate solo's that require some timing to them.

[Sveppi]

I have 13 gold stars with the Strat. I prefer it to the Les Paul (not that I have a choice)

[Sonofmogh]

I use the strat, like all real men. ;)

I love the strumbar and everything now that the bugs have been worked out. The Xplorer sux for me now. I picked it up to play GH:Aerosmith when I rented it... it feels like a cheap plastic toy instead of feeling like a really light guitar. The fret buttons resist your pressing and it drives me insane how hard you have to press them as opposed to the strat, which is nice and smooth. the xplorer whammy bar is an inch long, but it's sturdier than hell.

The upper frets are the most necessary feature ever invented for a rhythm game... wouldn't play without them. they rock my socks off!

[simmias]

196 gold stars for me. The only main game song I haven't gold starred is stupid Brainpower. I got most of those gold stars with the Strat, since I'm on a PS3. Once the TAC adapter came out, I was able to use my GH1 guitar and gold star songs like Run to the Hills. It's invaluable on songs with really fast strumming.

I still use both, though. I think it's limiting to only use one guitar, since you never know when you'll be at a buddy's house or a contest or something and have to use something you're not used to.

[whypick1]

Strat exclusively. Had an Xplorer, but the clicky strum bar is what wound up killing that controller (the thing that makes the clicking noise is just a bent piece of metal; that snapped and caused the switch contacts to short and eventually those broke as well).

All I need to do is make a foot pedal for OD, as even when working normally the tilting will screw me up far too often, and it's damn near perfect.

Oh, and 45 disc GS, 27/49 DLC GS (expect it to be 30/53 when I can download this week's tracks; no way in hell I'm going to GS Working Man on SR if I can't GS the cover).

[BigMonkE]

I use the good ol' Xplorer.

[Thallis]

My strat. The larger size doesn't cramp my hand like the GH ones.

[darthfisto09]

i've got about 55-60 gold stars *thats right son*

I go with the explorer all day every day baby. Strat just straight up sucks and the les paul is very responsive. Ive never had one problem with my X-plorer

[DarkEternal37]

Strat all the way. All the evidence is down there VV

[0tj]

I frankly can't stand the GH controllers anymore. I fail out when I use them. The Strat is better in every way(mine has been perfect since launch).

[kiggidykev]

I use my custom wireless 360 Strat that has the strum bar from a 360 Xplorer, mercury tilt switch, and high gloss finish. I get many gold stars with it.

Thanks for the excuse to mention it again. heh

[simmias]

Strat all the way. All the evidence is down there VV
A mere 144 gold stars? ;) I did see that you passed me on the leaderboards this weekend when I was at the beach, you bastard! ;):D

[DarkEternal37]

A mere 144 that includes BRAINPOWER!! Oh snap! I only have 163 songs downloaded period, but hopefully I'll be pumping that number up some soon :).

Also, for Run To the Hills (which is the only disc song I haven't gold starred) I've found that the only way with the strat that I can even come close is by downstrumming the entire gallop section. Yes my arm moves fast, yes it hurts, no it's not fun and I'm still not all too close (like 30K ish I believe.)

[kiggidykev]

Good lord, you two must be robots. Incredibly talented robots.

[simmias]

Dark, you need to invest the $25 in a TAC adapter. That thing is awesome for the fast songs. You seem to be doing alright with the Strat, though!

[DarkEternal37]

Dark, you need to invest the $25 in a TAC adapter. That thing is awesome for the fast songs. You seem to be doing alright with the Strat, though!

I was highly considering it but I wanted to hear how it performs from some of the other high ranked players. So far I've heard nothing but good things from you, GameNut and Rexisfed (via Gamenut). Thanks for the info :)

Edit: I assume you just use your good ol' Gibson with the adapter?

[andyb24]

Good question. I ONLY use the GH 3 controller. I CANNOT use the RB guitar. One of my biggest fears is that Rockband 2 will not be compatible with the Les Paul. I don't play Gh anymore... but I love that controller. It would be a major blow to my enjoyment of Rockband if I can't use that controller. I buy a lot of DLC and everything Rockband... so PLEASE don't make me use a guitar I don't like!!!!

RB2 is compatible with all guitars.

i use the strat and it has helped me loads in playing the game. i could barely use the mini/raised buttons one and now i can't even play medium with it.

[Shawn of the Shred]

101 songs gold starred using the Strat...the only thing I feel it doesn't do a good job of is quick alt strumming ala "Creep" but otherwise, the feel is a lot better than any of the other guitars out there.

[simmias]

Edit: I assume you just use your good ol' Gibson with the adapter?
Yup. That thing's ridiculously sturdy. The only downside is that overdrive is a little iffy sometimes, but it's a small price to pay on songs where you really need the fast strumming.

[papasmurf427]

I prefer the X-plorer though. It's not necessarily the "click" as it is the bottom and top of the strum that I find important to alt strumming. The strat has a "mushy" bottom and top.

This is exactly what I dislike about the strat's strum bar. I can never be 100% certain when I've strummed a note. At least with the click, the strum bar STOPS moving up or down so I know I've guaranteed hit the note. Ignoring that, the weight and feel of the guitar is 100% better than my Gibson.


The strat. After extended use, the clicking strum bar of other guitars tends to loosen to the point of seeing a lot more unintended double-strums.

I'm not sure how much extended use you are talking about - but my GH1 Gibson - aside from the occaisonal squeak - still works perfectly. Well, other than the fact that to play it with rock band I had to buy a converter...

[Artemecien]

I'll be getting the new Mad Catz guitar.
The thought of split strum bar gets me hard. <3

[toMsons1987]

I use a strat and have no complaints, though I have no sense of timing fast notes for ever like songs like creep and Thrasher. Theres people on Medium and Hard who are better then me at that, which is sad.