A lot of the appeal of the Guitar Hero series is virtualizing the experience of being a rock star, but it's a bit difficult to really live the dream if you're playing exactly the same guitar as everyone else. As such, BD&A is cranking out Guitar Skins in several designs as well as premium guitar straps to provide a bit of individuality for players.
The Guitar Skins retail for $9.99 and are essentially stickers that are applied to the face of the controller. As most are aware, the new GH 3 guitars feature removable plastic faceplates. Why use a sticker when you can get a hard plastic plate instead? The answer lies in the wallet, as replacement faceplates cost twice as much as Guitar Skins.
Applying the Guitar Skins was actually pretty easy. We wiped down the surface of our stock PS3 guitar to get rid of dust, lined up the cutouts in the Guitar Skin with the controller's whammy bar and Start / Select buttons, and then pressed it down. We tend not to be the best in precision artistic endeavors, but we think we ended up with a good result, which suggests it should be a pretty easy process for everyone.
We dig the look of the Guitar Skin once applied, as it certainly adds a lot of flair to what was otherwise a somewhat barren expanse of black plastic. The skins are removable as well, though you'll have to do something tricky to protect the exposed adhesive if you want to use it again. We found no serious faults with the stickers and as such give them our blessing. Just be sure to buy the correct sticker for your particular GH3 guitar model.
BD&A is also offering Guitar Straps to replace the basic black webbing that comes with the GH 3 guitars. Priced at $9.99, the Guitar Straps are aren't that much more luxurious than the standard ones, but they do feature a second layer with color and designs emblematic of rock, like skulls. The weave of the webbing is also tighter than the standard straps, which makes it somewhat more comfortable on bare skin. The edges too, are less rough. We dig the extra flair and limited degree of individuality allowed by the straps.
BD&A's also got an official GH 3 soft gig bag for toting a guitar on the road. The $19.99 bag might seem somewhat unnecessary considering the fact that the new GH3 guitars have removable necks, but we're sure some peeps will get a kick out of rolling in to friends' pads looking like a professional. The bag itself is woven nylon on the outside with a big Guitar Hero logo on the back. The inside is lined in smoother nylon, and a thin layer of foam between the two halves adds some protection. The back side of the bag has a big zippered compartment that's large enough to hold a couple of games and accessories, though anything bulky will end up poking you in the back if you're carrying the bag over your shoulder. In addition to an adjustable shoulder strap the bag has a pair of webbed handles for toting it like a briefcase.
Our newly pimped guitar slipped into the bag easily. We wouldn't necessarily trust the gig bag to protect a guitar if we checked it as luggage on an airplane, but for general travel it should do fine. Wearing the shoulder strap was actually quite comfortable, which leaves us without much to complain about. If any of BD&A's GH 3 gear strikes your fancy, we say go for it.