Peak Starpex Guitar Controller - Obsidian

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This is hands down the best RB/GH Guitar Controller my family has tried. And we have tried many on multiple systems for both Rock Band I and II as well as the various Guitar Hero versions.

The guitar is full sized with the look, weight and feel of a real guitar. Probably too large and heavy for smaller children, but not a problem for older children, teenagers and adults. The neck is full length, but the fret buttons are well placed for smaller players.

The included strap stays on, but is a little short for taller players or those who like to wear the guitar below the waist. So if that is you, then you might want to pick up a full sized strap.

The fret buttons do not detract from the "real guitar" look. The neck and body finish is beautiful and truly makes this controller stand out from the rest. The high gloss finish is a fingerprint magnet, but so is any guality, high gloss guitar finish.

Now how does it play? Wonderfully! First let me say that it does work on both the PS2 and PS3 for both game lines. You can connect it either wired or wireless and it comes with the necessary adapters and cable. A soft blue light by the strum bar lets you know you're connected.

Now, no one provides everything. So a quick word about connecting. When playing on a PS2, the controller uses a USB Port for full functionality with Rock Band I/II. But it uses a Controller Port if you're playing a flavor of Guitar Hero. So if you're out of controller or USB ports, you may want to pick up either a small USB hub or MultiTap (Multiport) adapter or both. If you're playing on the PS3, the controller uses the USB connection for all games.

The reslistic size and weight make controlling and using this guitar solid and in my opinion easier. Especially if you like to move around when you play. Just remember it's solid wood, not plastic. So be careful to watch out for family, friends, furniture and the family pet if you really like to jump around.

The action on all the buttons and controls is smooth and sure. The strum bar has that distinct click so you know you hit the note. It is also very accurate and did take a little getting used to. But once you do, you'll never want to go back. The whammy bar control is well placed and more sturdy than the others we've used.

Strummers sometimes complain the Overdrive button is difficult to hit. Now, I typically play bass and when strumming up with two fingers the button is placed perfectly. Except possibly during the most intense riffs. Still, in either case, you can always tip the guitar using the accurate internal tilt switch instead. And no contortions are necessary. Raising the neck about 45 degrees will do.

The Start and Select buttons are well placed, out of the way and recessed to eliminate accidental hits during even the most frenzied strumming. In addition, their design and placement adds to the "real guitar" look. The controller does lack a directional button, but this has not been an issue for me. You can always use a controller with this if you need to. So far I haven't. The 5 position switch is smooth while at the same time stiff enough to let you know the position has changed and it is in the correct place.

Due to the power save feature, you may find yourself "Out of control" on a regular basis while waiting on someone else to "get ready". But a quick light tap on the start button and you're instantly back in business (no delays with wireless reconnections) and as a result, battery life thus far is great. We've been using this several hours a day for a week and are still on the first set (3 AAA) of batteries.

Now, according to news reports, a certain retailer (Circuit City) recently filed for Bankruptcy protection. As a result, the Peak website states that Peak will not honor the warranty if you purchased your controller from that retailer. One must assume Peak is one of the creditors waiting on the outcome of the Bankruptcy filing to receive money owed them.

Regardless, I also purchased a defective controller from that retailer. So I called the good folks at Peak, and after returning the defective controller to the place of purchase for a full refund, Peak sold me the same controller for the same price and shipped it to me for free. They were wonderful to deal with and extremely understanding and responsive to my dilema.

Was it a hassle? Of course, but no more so than buying a defective product from anywhere else. That's never enjoyable, especially when it's something you're really looking forward to having/using. But as a result of their excellent customer service, Peak has earned my ongoing support and I will definately be purchasing their products in the future.

Well, I guess there's nothging left to say except, forget the others, buy this and "Rock On Dudes" or "Dudettes", whichever the case may be....

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It's only been in the past 4 months that I've discovered Guitar Hero and Rock Band for myself... and have become completely enamoured (and obsessed) with the games.

My first "guitar" was the Gibson Les Paul mock-up that comes packaged with Guitar Hero III -and my second, the unnamed Guitar Hero World Tour guitar, which I found a major improvement in size and function over the Les Paul. I had since tried the Rock Band guitars, but dont own one. I didnt see the need to buy any more "toy guitars" as it was.

However, I stumbled upon this model online (and one by Logitech) both touting to be a more realistic experience, as both being a full-size solid-wood construction. And then I saw the price tags... $130-$180 for the Peak, and $225-$280 for the Logitech... I thought to myself "Nothing could be worth those prices for a video game controller". Despite what the reviews were saying. However, when I noticed an amazing deal on the Peak at a huge discount ($40 not on Amazon, so dont bother waiting for it) I took a gamble and ordered one. (you cant buy the Les Paul for that price)

WOW! What a HUGE difference this guitar makes over the plastic models. As other reviews (and Peak's own promotional material) have stated; it offers a more "realisitic feel" to playing guitar.

Now, to put my opinions to follow into perspective... Keep in mind that if you add up all the times I have ever held a "real" guitar in my entire life, it might add up to about 40 minutes. So by no means am I accustomed to holding an actual guitar. Some have, and they say the Peak is a more natural feel. Here's my take on "natural":

Based on my lack of "real guitar" experience, I can't say for sure, but I would have to agree that this somehow does feel more authentic. The neck is longer (full size) and the weight and balance of the instrument, as well as how it hangs and how you hold it, all adds up to a more 'natural' position and a more comfortable feel.

Granted if you are accustomed to the bundled plastic guitars, handling the Peak will take some getting used to (all of about of 20-40 minutes of play). Once you do get used to the feel of it, picking up the plastic guitars feels somewhat "wrong" at that point. PLaying with the Peak for any length of time that you appreciate it's posture and comfort, begins to spoil you.

Comfort and feel aside, the Peak functions perfectly as a "generic clone" to operate both Guitar Hero and Rock Band brands of games. It operates all the games' features including the effect selector and solo-buttons in Rock Band. The Star Power/Overdrive can be activated by tilt (of course) and the conveniently located Star Power/Overdrive button near the strum bar. The Peak does however lack the slider bar found on the recent GH:World Tour stock guitar... so it obviously cannot function there. (However, it's my experience that the slider bar is more trouble than it's worth... I just hammer-on the notes from the regular fret buttons even with the supplied guitar)

The quality of the craftsmanship is also evident here. The overall feel of the fret buttons are firm, but not stiff. The push easily but are not mushy or even "loose" fitting. They are quiet to push, and don't rattle when you release them or slide up and down the fret. As well, the strum bar has the perfect amount of spring in it. It's obviously been tuned to strum accurately and quickly. And I'd say the same thing about the wammy bar... just a perfect feel, location, and tension.

Granted I only paid $40 for my Peak, and in retrospect now, I should have bought two at that price. But not knowing at the time what I would think of it, I only ordered one. However, I would easily pay $130 to replace mine should something happen to it and thus can easily recommend it at this price.

To compare, I'm not so sure the Logitech offers much of a benefit over the Peak considering it's price point. Sure the Logitech is "Guitar Hero" branded and licensed. As such, it lacks the Rock Band added functions, but it does indeed have the slider-bar for use in Guitar Hero World Tour. However, as I mentioned the slider bar is more of a nuisance. Considering that the Logitech is twice the price of the Peak, and seeing how impressed I am with the Peak, I can't see how doubling the price can offer that much of a benefit.

That being said, I have no quams about recommendeding the Peak to anyone who is a moderate fan of these games. When you consider that the plastic guitars sell for $50-60 anyway... to get what is easily 5x the instrument/controller for twice the price is worth it in my books.

I would go so far as to suggest that anyone who has not bought the games, buy this guitar, and buy the games-only editions without the packaged plastic guitars -or better still, make your friends use the plastic guitar. This one is for you alone.

Solid recommondation.

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For reference, I've used the stock RB 2 guitar, the Warbeast, and the Starpex Peak). I play on Expert, 5-starring all but the hardest songs. I'm a big guy, so the stock guitar was never comfortable for me, and I'll ignore it here. I'll compare and contrast the Peak and Warbeast both of which I've used for over a year.

Build Winner: Peak

* The wooden construction of the Peak is undeniably better than the plastic construction of the Warbeast. I have disassembled the Peak completely and rebuilt it. It's not an absolute marvel of engineering or anything, but it went back together just as solid as it was originally. Purely subjectively, I vastly prefer the classic styling of the Peak to the angular "metal" styling of the Warbeast; also, when I play sitting down, the Warbeast jabs me in the leg, and the Peak doesn't.

* In its column, the Warbeast easily disassembles for slightly more portability. In most cases this won't matter, but (for instance) the Warbeast could be carried in a suitcase, while the Peak can't be. The cap on the Warbeast's distortion-slider pops off too easily.

Strummer Winner: Warbeast

* While a good strummer with fine tactile feedback, the Peak's strummer occasionally bounces on me, blowing an ongoing combo. To be very fair, this is partially because I'm just not exceptionally coordinated when playing very fast notes. The same slightly higher "give" to the strummer does make alt-strumming easier on the Peak, however.

* It's difficult to describe, but the Warbeast's strummer has a slightly fatter triangular-prism design that feels better under finger or thumb than the Peak. It's also slightly stiffer. The stiffness is a good thing when it comes to not bouncing, but I've noticed that (especially when playing Bass) it does cause fatigue more quickly. Overall, though, I feel like I have more control with the Warbeast's strummer.

Frets Winner: Peak

* The frets on the Peak are wooden and raised, leaving small empty gaps between. The total length of the five frets is exactly the same as on the Warbeast, but because of the gaps, the frets are very slightly narrower. I immediately preferred the feel of the Peak, and while I can now switch between it and the Warbeast without missing a beat -ha! -some of the less experienced players at our Rock Band parties have said the gaps in the Peak's frets make them "lose their fingers" more easily. One bad thing: I've owned two Peaks, and the frets on both had a problem with sticking. It's a subtle problem, and actually took me a little while to figure out. Anyway, I used spray silicone a year ago on my current Peak and haven't had a sticky fret since.

* The Warbeast differentiates its frets by a slightly raised divider, rather than a gap. The frets are wider than the Peak. In our games, the most experienced players all like the way the Peak does its frets, while the less experienced players tend to prefer the Warbeast. The Warbeast's frets are "clickier," which I don't like. Also, after nearly two years of use, the Warbeast had its very sticky fret last week. I spray-siliconed it, and it hasn't been a problem since.

Overdrive Winner: Peak

* The Peak's tilt-sensor works perfectly. The button is, for my hand placement, in an inconvenient location, so I never use it. I actually prefer a stomp-pedal for Overdrive, which the Peak can accomodate, but the Warbeast cannot.

* The Warbeast's tilt-sensor is persnickety, and frankly drives me insane with its (from my perspective) random firing. Some other players actually have trouble getting it to fire, so I dunno what the deal is. The button, though, is well placed, triggerable with the heel of my hand as I play. (Honestly, if I could I'd disable the Warbeast's tilt-sensor and use the button.) The Warbeast has no port to take an Overdrive pedal.

Use as Controller Winner: Warbeast

* The Peak does not have a D-pad. This is occasionally inconvenient, but not a big deal.

* The Warbeast does have a D-pad and can function as a full controller in the game.

Battery Life Winner: Tie

* I haven't seen a noticeable difference. I replace the Peak's batteries more often, but it also gets used much, much more than the Warbeast.

Other Issues -

* Spring The Peak's whammy-bar comes with a very cheap spring. It's broken three times over two years of use. The latest time, I disassembled the guitar and used a much heavier spring. IMO, this improved the feel of the whammy-bar. (This is easy to do, BTW ... I'm not a Mr. Fix-It at *all*. You'll want a spring with an overall length of 0.5", though if need be you can use a slightly longer one and crimp the connector loops with a needle-nose.)

* Rust If you sweat while playing, the Peak's metals parts will lightly rust.

* Connection Issues -

The Peak times out quickly. This is great for battery life, and usually only an inconvenience, because it reconnects with the press of a button. But in Rock Band 2 that interrupts anything (like choosing songs) going on on-screen. Also, it can happen during songs, if the guitar doesn't have a part for a while. You can avoid the timeout in all cases by just tapping on a meaningless button, or sliding the distorter, or whatever. Timeouts still happen with Rock Band 3, but because of the new "Overshell," it's no longer interrupts anything.

The Warbeast occasionally has connection problems, fixable only by unplugging and replugging into the USB, sometimes multiple times. (You will think you have a low battery, but chances are you don't.) This only became an issue when the dongle was plugged in during Rock Band 2 software updates. We eventually began removing the dongle before running updates. An update once completely fried the dongle, but I contacted Dreamgear and they sent me a replacement immediately. (They indicated this was a known issue, BTW.) We also noticed that the Warbeast doesn't play well with larger-capacity USB hubs. (It became an issue when we upped to a 7-port hub.)

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Awesome guitar. It's heavy and full size. Great for my hubby who has bigger hands than me. Also works with guitar Hero since it comes with adapters.

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I really enjoyed using my Peak Starpex Obsidian controller for about 5 months or so. Aside from a poor up-strum, the guitar worked great. I always played with the solo buttons but I tried out the regular buttons and they seemed to work just fine. Then one day my ps3 dongle stopped working. It would power the guitar but it wouldn't recognize it as a controller. I felt sad and emailed to people at Peak about acquiring a replacement but the never got back to me. Then their website went down. I bought another ps2/ps3 adapter and it recognized the guitar as a controller, but not a guitar controller. I've searched out other ps2 guitar adapters and have read that firmware update 2.7 (or something like that) has rendered many adapters useless so I've been hesitant on buying more adapters as a collection of ps2/ps3 dongles really does me no good.