You Rock Guitar is cool, hands down. I was just introduced to it today and felt obligated to write it up for you. I don’t know how this slipped past us.

It features realistic guitar playing but plugs into the Wii and Playstation 3 through their GameFlex Cartridges.

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are a lot of fun for learning rhythm games. Inspired Instruments found out that it’s not so fun though having to buy multiple plastic guitars for multiple platforms.  They didn’t think that was right, so they created the GameFlex technology. 

They only have Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 cartridges available at present but they’re working on an Xbox 360 version as well we are told. But it goes beyond even that! It also plugs into your PC and Mac and there might very well be other platforms available in the future.

All you have to do is plug in the cartridge, turn on the guitar, switch to game mode and for the first time sync the guitar to your game system, after that it’s automatic. Switching from game to real guitar is seamless. So you can use it as both a real guitar and a game controller.

You Rock Guitar features a removable neck and even headstock. The body features an actual strummable set of strings. By utilizing them and the digital fretboard which acts like a real guitar, the sounds are changed according to where you fingers are. It’s like strumming a real guitar (GDN is working on getting a review unit so we can rock out and let you know how we do). There’s a control panel in the neck that also gives you access to loads of other features.

But this is more than just a game controller. It’s a full-fledged digital guitar complete with effects, a whammy bar, and more. Check out this feature list:

• The guitar never needs tuning and fret-select options allow fast, convenient performance
• GameFlex (tm) allows for play on any platform or console
• You Rock Mode I lets players hit the right note in any key, any mode, any time. 
• You Rock Mode II teaches new players or gamers how to play rock scales and modes with a video game-like auditory feedback experience.
•  The demo tracks include a smattering of 100 presets often that include real strings, organs, marimba, harp, oohs and ahhs and various pads that blend great with real guitar sounds. These are layered into the presets and are user programmable as are features like alternate tunings, scales, tracks, and over 500 other modes and features.

• The guitar comes preloaded with:

  • 25 Guitar Sounds

  • 50 Synth Sounds

  • 25 You Rock Modes

  • 60 Open Tunings

  • And you can mix & match them in the 100 presets.

  • And Now with Fret Select™

It’s also a multi-platform game controller.

Because the You Rock Guitar is digital, in addition to it’s musical instrument chops, it also works as a video game controller.  We mapped the top of the guitar neck to match the same colors as the existing musical video games, and you can play them with the guitar.  Except now your playing with frets and strings.  Not buttons and a paddle.  You can use the same You Rock Guitar with both Guitar Hero or Rock Band.  And instead of requiring different guitar for each video game platform, we’ve built modularity into the instrument.  We use removable cartridges, in this case GameFlex cartridges so the same guitar also works with all 3 video game platforms; Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation, and Microsoft’s XBOX360.    We’re awaiting Microsoft’s blessing for the latter before we can bring it to market, so you may want to give Gates or Ballmer a call if your patience is short.

How does it work?

The GameFlex cartridges work just like a wireless game controller for each of the video game platforms.  You can use the same guitar and use different cartridges if you’re playing with friends.  You switch the guitar from music to game mode, synch with the console just like any controller, and you’re ready to go.

You can strum ANY string to trigger a note within the game.  And you can push ANY string within a color coded fret to match the game color of the notes.  The strings and neck are independent, and don’t even have to match.   It’s that simple.  Even an adult can do it.  So go ahead, play your favorite game tune.  Then plug into your amp and give the real song a try.

For those that are far more than just casual string stummers and rhythm music maniacs, this is still the tool for you.

The You Rock Guitar is one of the fastest, if not the fastest MIDI controller in the market, outperforming products that cost literally 10X it’s SRP of $199.  That’s because all the MIDI guitars out there require an analog to digital conversion that takes time.  The You Rock Guitar is digital from the get go, so the track response is instant.  The fret is touch sensitive, and the response is immediate.

It’s drums, synth and guitar in one. Check this video.

Alright, we have got confirmation that a unit is being sent out to us. That means we’ll be too busy jamming to do game reviews for a couple weeks. What it really means is that you can look forward to my horrible guitar playing getting better and my rhythm gaming time ramping up to unbelievable levels. I might even cart it around the Czech Republic and have all my friends do videos of them picking it up and playing.

Yes I know that video is a little cheesy, but hopefully they’ll sell a bunch of units and redo that one with some better production values.