Strumming along
The plastic instrument craze was wild. There was a time when these games were everywhere. It started with Guitar Hero and then went full band over time and then nothing. People started purging their plastic instruments, and stuff was impossible to get rid of. Hindsight is 20/20 though and now a lot of people, myself included, are regretful we got rid of those instruments. These rhythm games are really enjoyable to play, and nowadays online prices for these peripherals are up there for inconsistent hardware. It feels like a resurgence is happening though as we are getting new guitar controllers, and I suspect drums may also be coming.
Today we are talking about one of these, and it comes from manufacturer CRKD, who has been making peripherals for a while. Their latest has gotten plenty of attention. The CRKD x Gibson is a brand-new guitar controller created in collaboration with the famed guitar maker as well as with several influencers in the rhythm game scene. It supports multiple consoles and games across the spectrum. We were lucky enough to get to check one of these out and have now spent dozens of hours rocking out.
MSRP: $114.99-$124.99
Price I’d Pay: $124.99
There are a couple different flavors of this controller. There is a multiplatform version that supports PlayStation, Switch, and PC as well as one that works for Xbox and PC. This is of course due to the different connection methods of the Xbox console, always the problem child. We did our testing with the Xbox version since that is where my Rock Band library lives. Outside of compatibility each unit has the same features.
The guitar uses the jewel style buttons as opposed to the flat ones from the Rock Band controller, although they do offer a replacement neck more akin to that, which I ended up ordering since I prefer that style. The default does not have the lead style buttons, but the replacement one does. The buttons feel good, but I did find them a bit slippery and my fingers would lose grip at times. The neck is also curved, which caused me issues as I rest my thumb underneath the neck to have more freedom to reach the frets. It took some getting used to, but it works.
The rest of the guitar is packed with features and functionality. The two volume buttons serve as the power button and one of the analog sticks to mimic the controller. The toggle switch is the second analog as well as having all the face and shoulder buttons around it. It is a neat design. The menu/view buttons are located on the bottom of the base, which I do not love. They are tiny and hard to find when wanting to pause the game to drop out or switch difficulties in Rock Band 4. This is also where the USB connection and headphone jack are located, which make sense.
One of the coolest features is that there is a star power button that rests right under my hand. It took me a while to get used to using it instead of tilting the guitar to activate it, that is still an option, but as smooth and slick as the controller is, that often caused me to lose my grip as I usually play sitting down. The strum bar is the best part of this guitar. It is a click style and feels amazing. Up and down strumming has never felt this good. It does make quite a bit of noise though so be prepared to explain to your spouse what all that ‘clicking’ noise is.
There is a switch on the controller that allows swapping between Xbox and PC and it can be used wirelessly with a dongle or of course wired. I didn’t notice a difference in the lag between wired and wireless. I am sure hardcore players will recognize it, but the wireless option works fantastically. Having a dedicated dongle is always great, and CRKD has answered my prayers. The guitar has a slot to put the dongle in, so I will never lose it. The battery is also accessible, which makes it easy to replace.
Finally we have the knob which serves as a mode button. This has nine positions that can be used for various games. For example the first position is default mode, which did not work for Rock Band 4 for me. The next three are specific to Fortnite Festival for various difficulties. Some of them are programmable via software and the final setting is what worked for Rock Band 4. This removes the analog controls, which sucks, but the neck does have a faux d-pad on the back of the head to navigate around.
It has taken me a while to adjust to the CRKD Gibson after spending the last year or so with the Riffmaster. There are things here that are much better such as the strum bar and the build quality. The customization is incredible and I prefer the Les Paul design. I do prefer the Riffmaster frets though, and am really looking forward to getting my new neck for the CRKD and this might be the perfect guitar controller.
I love this renaissance of plastic instruments. I really do hope we end up seeing a full band option. Rock Band for me has been a go-to game for years. I have nearly 1000 songs of DLC that I will never let go of, and I play it weekly. Being able to once again buy new guitars instead of relying on ones I have had for over a decade is awesome. If you enjoy rhythm games this controller is more than worth the investment. The build quality is amazing, and the performance is nearly flawless.
Review hardware provided by publisher.
