Guitar Hero Xplorer String Mod

[EDIT Sep 8, 2009]
In response to the most common questions/comments:

- Yes. The game being played is Rock Band even though the words "Guitar Hero Xplorer" appear in the title. I knew this prior to filming and it refers to the guitar but thanks for calling me an idiot anyway. You have reaffirmed my feelings about most YouTube trolls.

- I know... my performance wasn't great. Filmed this right after I modded it and it felt weird initially. Thanks again for saying I suck. Once again, opinion of insecure YouTube trolls who have nothing better to do re-confirmed. Moving on...

- The axe is from GH2 and was broken so I modded it for fun (why not?) and to show my friends that it is not only possible but really easy to do.

- The string is actually picture wire and sounds like crap. Plans for a v2 using real guitar string have been axed due to loss of interest on my part (I don't even own the game).

- If the string breaks, it breaks. It's just a wire and easy to fix. On the other hand, the strum bar is probably just as likely to fail and much harder to fix (believe me, I've had to fix that before too).

- The string works for both up/down strokes as it's just a piece of exposed wire and doesn't matter which direction the pick comes from. The original strum bar is based on two separate switches, both of which do the same thing: strum (In the video, I wrapped the excess length of wire around the two metal bolts a second time so it looks like there are two strings when in fact there is only one).

- I found that playing with the string offers a novel alternative to the strum bar but don't know if I'd make it a permanent replacement. Recommend butchering spare plastic guitars only.

- Finally, to all of you who did not leave comments like angry 6 year olds (even if you are 6)... Thanks for the feedback =)
[/EDIT]
Here is a pretty basic and crappy tutorial on how I did this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22942838@N04/sets/72157605929940150/

Woohooo! my first YouTube vid! I always thought people who uploaded geeky vids like this were lame... yet, here I am. heh.

This is my proof-of-concept prototype which took about 30 min or so to build. I know, it's super ghetto, shut up.
Unlike some other mods the string does not pull on a mechanical switch but instead is the ground wire of the switch itself. It's also not a guitar string it's a picture frame wire tied between two bolts. Classy. And notice the ultra ghetto paperclip 'pick' wrapped in green electrical tape at the beginning of the vid. Sweet! The paper clip is taped to a thin wire coming from the positive terminal of the internal switch which carries the current. Yeaa... basically I am allowing electricity to flow through my body every time I play it but what the hell, who needs kids anyway. The great thing about this is that it's super sensitive and plays quite well. Feels odd at first but it grows on you (still getting used to it as you can tell by my less than stellar performance).

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Guitar
• Hero
• Rock
• Band
• String
• Mod
• Xplorer
• Plastic
• Pick
• Ghetto
• GH
• GH3
• GH4
• RB

[senseibill21]

If the paper clip is wrapped in electrical tape you're probably safe from electricity even if you had to worry about it - which you don't. The voltage from the guitar is not nearly strong enough to penetrate your skin (I highly doubt there's 30+ Volts coming off that wire), so either way there's nothing to worry about. No electricity is going through your body. You can have kids after all! lol

[sztrimzzz]

lol I know, I was just kidding ;)

[MrBleedingbullets]

not to sound like a hater and all but yur mod looks tacky a soda pop can top

[sztrimzzz]

I agree, which is why I described it as "super ghetto" in my description over there ----->

I just wanted to show my buddies that not only was it possible to make but easy as well.

[dogdirt2000]

Good mod. I just think the alternate picking movements you have to make with it would make life more difficult than necessary, unless your not trying to make this more guitar-like, in which case it doesn't matter ;)

[sztrimzzz]

Thanks. You don't have to pick up and down, I was picking in one direction only at the beginning but found it easier to alternate during faster parts.

[b7160]

Quit being a xenophobe and take a minute to look at his profile, asshole. He's in Mexico.

[SnipinG1337]

Wow cool mod dude. Look hard to play with tho

[SynysterVengeance8]

I always got so close to FCing this song but I would always choke at the very end

[Juanjothebest16]

the guitar is comfortable?

[Yuke1]

Haha, very clever, but that thing will be wrecked after one round of Through The Fire And The Flames.

[YouthGoneWild810]

Fuck what they say to that's some Cool shit.. That took some thinking lol

[BassBOY0GIRL]

How about with a thicker string, so us bassists can finger walk it?

[xFrAnKiExMelbShuffle]

Hey love the descrition. Who needs kids anyway lol.

@mansayhi

He said he had a paper clip with wire on the end. The metal wire can conduct a current where as ur standard guitar pick cannot

[mansayhi123]

lol why a baby pin? why not a REAL pick since you made that mod?

[scorpio10mj]

how do you make the tremelo do that?

[TheLifeIsLost]

@KidsProductionVids, you suck fag, you jus' JEALOUS!

[themodernguitarist]

You should try to mod it with a metal guitar pick or a coin. It would make alternate picking a lot easier.