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Rock Band 3's Stringed Fender Guitar Costs $280, Releases In March

This is the equivalent of the pay you'd get from a gig at a garbage bar, right?

By Brad Nicholson  |  Nov. 2, 2010

The Mad Catz Rock Band 3 Pro Guitar is great because it has a quadrillion buttons, but real men who want the "Pro" experience will opt for the stringed, Rock Band 3 Fender guitar, which was revealed earlier during this E3 and not really talked about again… until yesterday afternoon, that is. Fender has announced that the guitar will be available on March 1, 2011, and according to the guitar's custom page, it will hit retail at an astounding $279.99 bones. What's the Pro experience worth to you again?

According to the website, the Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Controller has been "created for musicians and gamers alike" and will "rock" both worlds respectively, whether you decide to plug it into an amp or, say, your Xbox 360. So, in other words, it's authentic--minus that whole position-sensing fingerboard on the neck and the buttons on the body that makes the videogame play possible. 
 


If for whatever reason this $280 videogame guitar is still something you're interested in, know that you can begin pre-ordering the pretend-ish shredder starting January 1, 2011. It's not stated, but I presume this pre-ordering will be done through the aforementioned Fender website.
Filed under: Rock Band 3
29 Comments
Skywarpgoldon Nov. 3, 2010 at 8:57 a.m.
A good regular guitar runs about $300 anyway, so that's not too bad of a deal.
louiedogon Nov. 3, 2010 at 8:57 a.m.
It's more expensive than I was hoping for, but I assume for that price it's well made and better than the reports I've been hearing about the Power Gig axe.
JJWeathermanon Nov. 3, 2010 at 9:07 a.m.
Wow-zuh! 
 
I was actually expecting the price to come in around there, but reading it makes me realize how much it is. Sheesh.
DrIntrigueon Nov. 3, 2010 at 9:18 a.m.
Finally a price and a date!
 
Pretty much the price I was expecting.  Though March 1st is pretty far off...
litrockon Nov. 3, 2010 at 9:20 a.m.
Hrm, I was thinking about buying a Squire anyway and trying to learn guitar with my tax rebate next year. So ... this could work out really nicely. Probably sold. Until then, pro keys are keeping me busy.
9cupsofteaon Nov. 3, 2010 at 9:21 a.m.
@Skywarpgold said:
" A good regular guitar runs about $300 anyway, so that's not too bad of a deal. "
A squire strat runs about $150, with a really good squire tele being $200. That pricing is kinda ridiculous.
TooWalruson Nov. 3, 2010 at 9:26 a.m.
I just don't want to play a guitar upside-down. I really don't give a shit if Jimi Hendrix did it- I don't want too.
hagridoreon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:04 a.m.
Thought it would be way worse. Excitement tempered by how bad I am presently at pro keys.
Azteckon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:15 a.m.
Huh.. looks like I won't be playing Pro-mode. I just can't feel okay with that kind of purchase.
Skywarpgoldon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:17 a.m.
@9cupsoftea said:
" @Skywarpgold said:
" A good regular guitar runs about $300 anyway, so that's not too bad of a deal. "
A squire strat runs about $150, with a really good squire tele being $200. That pricing is kinda ridiculous. "
But that's for a starter guitar.  I was talking about a regular nice guitar ;-)
sofacitysweethearton Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:44 a.m.
@9cupsoftea said:
" @Skywarpgold said:
" A good regular guitar runs about $300 anyway, so that's not too bad of a deal. "
A squire strat runs about $150, with a really good squire tele being $200. That pricing is kinda ridiculous. "
Not really ridiculous at all.
 
A Squier Stratocaster guitar typically retails at around the $200 mark in most places, and a Squier Telecaster would be $350-400. And those guitars won't work with RB3. So, hey, there you go. You pay $180 for the Squier, and then $100 for a Rock Band guitar.
 
@BradNicholson said:
" If for whatever reason this $280 videogame guitar is still something you're interested in"
The Mustang is $280? That would be ridiculous.
MaddogMontyon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:56 a.m.
@DrIntrigue said:

" Finally a price and a date!  Pretty much the price I was expecting.  Though March 1st is pretty far off... "

Definitely. It sucks having to wait four months from the launch of the game. I know they have deadlines to meet but still it would have been awesome to have the guitar with the game. 
melceneon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:56 a.m.
@JJWeatherman: @DrIntrigue:   Like both of you I pretty much expected that price, but I thought I had already heard something about it.  Also thought I had already heard something about next year for the guitar. 
  
Honestly though, if they were smart they would have found a way to release it for the holidays.  I understand that they couldn't for some reason, but they would have done better with sales if they did.
9cupsofteaon Nov. 3, 2010 at 10:56 a.m.
@sofacitysweetheart said:

" @9cupsoftea said:

" @Skywarpgold said:
" A good regular guitar runs about $300 anyway, so that's not too bad of a deal. "
A squire strat runs about $150, with a really good squire tele being $200. That pricing is kinda ridiculous. "
Not really ridiculous at all.
 
A Squier Stratocaster guitar typically retails at around the $200 mark in most places, and a Squier Telecaster would be $350-400. And those guitars won't work with RB3. So, hey, there you go. You pay $180 for the Squier, and then $100 for a Rock Band guitar.
 

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Affinity-Series-Telecaster-Special-Electric-Guitar?sku=515115     
 
Under $200, and pretty good guitars, genuinely sound and feel like teles. They might not work with rock band, but they will have better necks and electronics as a result I'd imagine.
deadmoscowon Nov. 3, 2010 at 1:42 p.m.
Your average Fender Squier guitar rarely costs more than $150 or so...just saying, you can certainly learn to play guitar on this but you'll certainly want to upgrade a few years down the road. Squiers are historically not very good guitars
sofacitysweethearton Nov. 3, 2010 at 2:16 p.m.
@9cupsoftea: Yes. I hear those Squire guitars are pretty good. Unlike those awful Squiers :/
Praab_NZon Nov. 3, 2010 at 7:44 p.m.
Considering it's a guitar with extra tech slapped on it, which is pretty advanced as far as I can tell, this seems like a fine price. I mean its got midi out as well, this thing isnt simple to manufacture.
Vigorousjammeron Nov. 4, 2010 at 11:36 a.m.
I'd buy that for a dollar!
or... 280, as it seems...
SavageM2on Nov. 4, 2010 at 10:07 p.m.
I think I'm going to just go ahead and get that in March.
Shiroganeon Nov. 4, 2010 at 10:11 p.m.

I'll just wait for this so called tech that lets us use real instruments... 
 
Wait, why would i do that?

Dig Deeper into Rock Band 3

Rock Band 3 spices up the brand with the addition of a keyboard peripheral as well as "Pro Mode," and offers eighty-three new songs to rock out to.

US Release Date: Oct. 26, 2010

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