Mad Catz Ships Relic Guitar Controllers for Rock Band

Need to establish some credibility on Rock Band for the Xbox 360? Mad Catz' new relic guitar controllers have the look, if not the strings.

There’s no denying that rhythm-based game franchises like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have struck a big power chord in the video game industry…of course, one reason more mature players sometimes don’t adopt the games is that the standard instrument controllers look so…well, toy-like. Gaming accessory maker Mad Catz coming to the rescue by offering a new set of Rock Band guitar controllers for the Xbox 360—and they’ve got the looks, stains, and chrome to come off like real read-worn instruments…except they aren’t actually instruments at all.

The new controllers include three guitar controllers and a stompbox: two of the guitars are inspired by Fender’s iconic Telecaster, while the third is based on Fender’s Stratocaster design. The two Telecasters offer vintage-style Bigsby vibrato arms, chrome tuners and hardware, and either abused sunburst or butterscotch finishes. The Strat-inspired controller doesn’t show any simulated road miles, and claims to be a fully-sie replica is made in a “Fender factory.” The Teles feature “Shredderz” fret buttons for fast and quiet response, touch-sensitive overdrive activation: all three come with Fender guitar straps and support MadCatz’ Overdrive pedal for simpler overdrive-mode activation. The guitars are compatible with Guitar Hero 4 and 5, Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and Rock Band: The Beatles.

Oh, the pricing? The Telecasters go for $109.99. And the full-size Strat? A stunning $299.99.