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Wireless Guitar Hero Redux 105

jeffb writes "I just finished a DIY project and thought you guys would enjoy a look. An improved upon idea: a redux of the wireless guitar hero controller, this time with perfectly functioning whammy bar, rechargeable NiMH pack onboard which can be charged from the PS2's built-in USB ports (for charging, and/or playing while docked), wireless link/activity indicator, and assembled with a nod towards a clean, and professional looking job. Complete how-to with parts list included. Best regards, rock out, and happy soldering! " The original piece on this as well.
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Wireless Guitar Hero Redux

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  • dadadadada dada da dundun!

    Has he arms of thread? Is he paste or made of bread?

    Nobody wants him! He just fiddles his frets!
  • by miscz ( 888242 )
    How anybody can in all their seriousness (or not) play this game with a guitar controller that was clearly designed for 10 year kids? I mean, look at this guy. Go get a real guitar. I just started learning a guitar but it's fantastic compared to all rhythm and action games I played

    I am respecting all the hacking he's done though :)
    • How anybody can in all their seriousness (or not) play this game with a guitar controller that was clearly designed for 10 year kids? I mean, look at this guy. Go get a real guitar. I just started learning a guitar but it's fantastic compared to all rhythm and action games I played

      How anybody can in all their seriousness (or not) play this game with a GUN controller that was clearly designed for 10 year kids? I mean, look at this guy. Go get a real GUN. I just started learning a GUN but it's fantastic com

    • I think it was nice of him to show people what he's done. Maybe you can get a better perspective on this if instead of thinking of it as a guitar you think of it as a guitar-inspired something-to-have-fun-with. Well, it looks like he's having fun with it, and there are probably some sounds you can make with this thing that you couldn't make with a regular guitar. And people are only assuming he doesn't know how to play guitar as. Maybe he does, and just thinks this is also fun to do.

      Of course, if I had
  • +1 for inventive hacking/creative thinking

    -10000 for degrading music as an art form.

    Not looking good, Bob.
    • Degrading music as an art form? Gee, aren't you elitist. I bet you feel _great_ now, knowing that you're SOOOOO much better than him and his little _toy_ Why don't ya keep on pattin' yourself on the back there.
    • Scoreboard for Mario Paint?

      +1 for being incredibly fun and creative.

      -1 bajillion for completely and single-handedly destroying painting as an art form (it did, look it up).

      When will people learn that videogames destroy art? Ugh!

      In all seriousness, awesome mod, man. I was actually getting really annoyed with the length of the wire just today and wondering about a wireless controller, so this was a nice surprise to see tonight. If you ask me, hack jobs like this are a work of art.

      -Moses
  • the last link to the story isnt to the original wireless mod which i did and posted over at make: http://forums.makezine.com/comments.php?Discussion ID=33 [makezine.com], its to the guy who made the self-contained music playing guitar. i dont believe that functioned at all as a controller for the game like mine did.

    rock on! I *love* the battery pack idea! top of my list for revision two :)
  • Hey everyone, This is a great hobby hack and I was interested in taking a look at the how-to and parts list. Is the how-to mentioned in the article the comment text on the flickr photos?
  • Maybe Im missing the point.. but it seems like a whole lot of work for something not all that impressive.
  • Better yet (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I prefer his other project : http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffb/82039232/in/set -1671423/ [flickr.com]
  • by KeiKusanagi ( 921511 ) on Monday April 17, 2006 @10:12AM (#15141900)
    I'm surprised to see this kind of response on slashdot of all places. OMG I PLAY REAL GUITAR HAHA U PLAY TOY LOSER!

    It's called a video _game_.

    Yknow, something that isn't real, you do for fun?

    I play guitar, bass, piano, and drums, and recently picked up guitar hero. honestly? guitar hero's not at all like any "real" instrument, yes, but it's great fun, if you're not so insecure and self conscious about it that the fact it's not "real HARDCORE GUITAR AAARRRGH".

    So slashdot, wake up, remember you're on a tech site and supposedly a fan of odd hacks and of gaming, and stop waving your e-peen about by declaring you're better than him for playing "the real thing"
    • What?? Next thing, you'll be telling me I'm not learning real rapping skills from "Parappa the Rapper!"

      Kick! Punch! Chop! Pose!
    • by gad_zuki! ( 70830 ) on Monday April 17, 2006 @11:04AM (#15142202)
      This is funny as I just bought the game last night and I do play guitar. Well, I love it. Its like being able to play covers without the all the effort of learning the song. I found myself acting like a complete jerk striking silly Keith Richards-like poses and the occasional Townshend windmill.

      The real downside isn't the cable, but the game moves so quickly you can't see any of the background animation because you're always focused hitting the right "notes." This wireless hack is cute, but they give you more than enough wire with the little guitar. Also, I would love to see more songs for this. Shame the developers said they wont release an expansion back but potentially a new version of the game next year. Maybe.

      As far as mimicking a real instrument. Well, it could be a gateway to playing a real guitar the same way american idol has turned everyone into some wannabe vocalist/karaoke nut. The difference being that a guitar is a real instrument while the american idol vocal mimickry involves none of the discipline of learning a new instrument. If not, its a cool little game all its own and getting to play that trademark Brian May tone on the Killer Queen was worth the price of admission.
      • actually it's been confirmed there will be more than one guitar hero sequel, themed by genre, and priced as if it were an expansion pack. the game's sold well enough they're already developing and best part, it'll be for PS2 still. guitar hero doesn't look like it'll be a PS3 thing for a long long time to come
    • Hey, at least we finally know how Gene Simmons has been doing it all these years...
  • Anything that builds music awareness is cool by me
    At least this guy did something with his brain, instead of letting it rot on MySpace
    Nice!
    • Nice. Stand up for your favorite game, then take a shot at a popular web trend.

      Some people enjoy pretending to play the guitar in a video game using a plastic toy.

      Some people enjoy making and talking to friends via MySpace.

      Neither group of people are doing anything wrong.

      There is also nothing wrong with LARPers, anime otaku, Trekkies, furries, Promise Keepers, podcasters, crossdressers, luthiers, jazzercizers, kickball league players, potters, painters, fantasy football commissioners, para-para dancers, "f
  • by fprintf ( 82740 ) on Monday April 17, 2006 @10:36AM (#15142041) Journal
    As a "real" guitarist, I can tell you that the Guitar Hero games are a blast!

    Way back around '92 or so Aerosmith had a game at EPCOT in Florida where you had to play rhythm guitar to "Walk This Way" and some of their other songs. You were judged on how close you got to the strumming timing and it was *hard*! I played that game for hours, totally having a blast because I didn't have to remember a lot of fingerings and could really concentrate on the right rhythm. I think if I had that game at my house my rhythm guitar would have been that much better since it interactively told you how you were doing rather than either listening to yourself (always suspect) or having to find someone to honestly critique you.

    Nice game, nice controller!
  • Guitars are all fine and dandy, but why not make this:
    http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/16/ 002236 [slashdot.org]

    No. I'm serious (it's not just me! check out half those threads).
    Accordion Hero would be pure awesome (like lens flare, and motion blur). That's your next task. You may begin now.

    (yeah, yeah, I realise it's just a controller, no software for Accordion hero, but have to start somewhere)
  • by ursabear ( 818651 ) on Monday April 17, 2006 @11:27AM (#15142358) Homepage Journal
    First and foremost, it is a game controller, not a gig guitar... so I think it is important to separate two different "threads" of thought here...

    As a guitar, well, it's not like a real guitar. That's OK, because if you'd like to learn guitar, you can get yourself an inexpensive set up like this [musiciansfriend.com] or this [music123.com], or for left-handed folks, this [musiciansfriend.com]. I don't think comparing the controller to a real guitar or learning to a real guitar is relevant. Not everyone that has dreams of wailin' on a guitar or spankin' the plank [wikipedia.org] with some down-home (your favorite kind of music here), but lots of folks would enjoy the fun of playing guitar without the trappings of learning two hands, many strings, and 18-24 frets.

    Games are supposed to be entertaining - I don't think that the comparison to real-world instruments is relevant (beyond their entertainment value).

    So far as the hack... It seems pretty neat to me. Doing hardware hacks is a lot like candy - it doesn't have to have a point - it's just fun.
  • In the early 90's there was a PC game called "Quest for Fame" that included a "virtual pick" that connected to a joystick/game port (a 15-pin serial port made for joysticks & gamepads specifically, before the days of USB). Basically you had to strike something with the pick in time with the music. The whole object of the game was to play gigs and eventually be a guest guitarist at an Aerosmith show. It's kind of funny to think about it now but also sad that no one can think of original ideas anymore.
  • The moving parts in those things seem to be _really_ easy to misallign. If you actually tighten the screws all the way, the pick bar gets stickey, which really effects gameplay. You have to only screw the body together part way.
  • Gibson has released an ethernet capable guitar [gibsondigital.com]. It also includes the traditional 1/4" connector. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why an ethernet adapter is needed on a guitar.
    • I'm still trying to figure out exactly why an ethernet adapter is needed on a guitar.

      So you can imagine a Beowolf Cluster of them. Duh! ;)
    • The ethernet cable is to turn the string vibrations from analog to digital. This is to make the sound clearer with less degradation of sound quality when trying to plug an analog jack into a computer.

      Downsides are:
      Current Effects pedals don't work with it.
      Current Amplifiers don't work with it.

      So i guess, particularly if you're a live musician, it's of no real.
  • Guitar Hero Rocks (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    For all the haters above, who criticize this game - you simply haven't played it. The day I was introduced to it was a small party of friends, when one of the guys excitedly brought out this fisher-price looking mini-guitar I thought to myself "no one could make me play that thing".

    Well I watched for a while, and the soundtrack to this game is awesome. Just watching the gameplay made me really wanna give it a shot, despite possibly looking incredibly foolish. After that it was no turning back. After spendin
  • So one might say it plays like an unamped guitar. Interesting; the next Guitar Hero release should give a star penalty for weak sound.

No amount of careful planning will ever replace dumb luck.

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