Chuck Cage: Real-Life Guitar Hero

PopSci contributor Chuck Cage—a.k.a. the Toolmonger—is the man, plain and simple. Not only did he spend more than 75 hours completely gutting a Fender Squier Strat to make a wireless Guitar Hero controller, but he did it for charity. And then posted an extremely comprehensive blog post about it. Even though he got to play the controller for just 10 minutes before sending it to the charity event where it's being auctioned off, Chuck reports that it feels much more, ahem, "realistic" than the chintzy plastic controllers you usually use to play the game. Makes me want to run home right now and take apart my ax—I sound better in GH2 than I ever have in real life anyway. Chuck, you are my guitar hero.—Joe Brown

Comments

[Gino]

...I wonder how much it went for at the charity auction, and where I can get one like that? Better yet, could you guys show us how he did it so numb skulled idiots (like me) can try?

[Joe Brown]

Yeah, check out chuck's blog post for a step-by-step guide on how to make one of your own.

[kobe bryant]

Ya, i think guitars are pretty gangsta. But I'm bigger on violins and cellos. Holla back!!!!!

[kobe bryant]

Oh ya, whats the **** does stratacastor mean!!??@@##$$%%

[Shaq]

Word, man. You said it. For realz.

[I've got a Magic Johnson]

Yo man, what is that guy's deal? IHe's like some kind of tool guru or some shit? Why is he building a guytar, and that charity looks mad sketchy.

[Sam Naga- Naga- Naganaworkhereanymore]

I can't believe he would ruin a perfectly good guitar for some stupid video game controller. I mean, video games come and go, but a Stratocastor is a peace of American history!

[Gonzo]

Stat's are girly-man guitars... better off using one for a viddie controller than through an amp - excellent mod

[j]

shi....fool i aint got nothin to say bout' that must have his own reasons

[j]

shi....fool.....i aint got nothin to say bout that so im outta it....but sounds like kool game

[skip]

stratoaster is the tool of jimi hendrix...the first blackman to entertain hundreds of thousands future wigga`s parents

[Mitch]

Read it again: it was a Squier, not a real Strat. That would have been very bad. Squiers are for kids just learning to play. You can get one along with a little practice amp for $200 at Costco.

[jj]

it's the gayest thing i have ever seen and you need to get a life!!!!!!!!!!

[Stephen]

That's pretty awsome, friend of mine is pretty well addicted to the game and has been waiting for a wireless controller for it to come out. I'll have to be sure to show him this, he's a big geek (much like myself) so I can safely say, he'll freak out about it, or at least get some what excited.

P.S. Jj, shut up, learn proper grammer, and don't bash something, just because your small mind is not able to understand what's going on in the world around you.

[matchstickman]

i have to say, why destroy a perfectly fine guitar for a useless game controller??? :(

ps: as much as i love guitars and Guiter Heroes, i wouldn't drill holes in the neck. it's just a waste of money spent on the real guitar!!!

i'd love to try out those controllers though :P

[Anonymous chris]

don't they already make wireless guitar hero guitars, what a bunch of noobz.walmart $50.

[e]

If you read the article, you might have noticed a) it never said he was trying to make a wireless controller--it said he was trying to make a better one than the one that the game came with; and b) he's not using a Stratocaster, he's using a Squier Stratocaster. Notice: SQUIER. It means that you are still learning to play. Anyone that can actually play guitar probably has a better one. And it's not a perfectly good guitar--it's a piece of shit.

[e]

Besides, I think that's a sweet thing to do--spend a lot of time & effort designing a guitar & then give it away. Sounds like fun.

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[Ruben Cardos (BandSuccess)]

Man, I didn't even know something like that exists! There's my F in computer game technology! Yeah! I know. Get outta da cave and smell the coffee!

[USA Fender Stratocaster]

You just cant beat the quality of a decent old strat, they just play like a glove.

[Guitar Hero Underground Cheats]

What a concept, to gut out a regular guitar (cheapo or not), and put GH controller in it...seems to take a lot of work.

What if it was possible to come up with an attachable GH controller kit, to any guitar? Say, buttons we can clamp on or tie on to any guitar neck, and have an adjustable mount for the right hand to "strum/pick"? Wired or wireless, this thing would certainly get more realism out of Guitar Hero game play! =)

[guitar5day]

Eventually "real Guitars" and GH controllers will merge. we will see something like a midi interface. We may yet see the return to the golden days of Lead guitar.

http://www.guitar5day.com
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