For many Guitar Hero and Rock Band fanatics, a plastic peripheral can only take you so far. As someone who has burned his way through at least one tiny plastic guitar, I understand the need for something with a sturdier build to it.

Luckily, Peak Products has put out one such peripheral for the music game hardcore, the Starpex. Effectively a full-size hardwood guitar body with Guitar Hero guts, the Starpex is durable and sturdy, feeling like a guitar should while allowing you to live out your rockstar fantasies in your living room. While some more casual gamers might balk at the high price, hardcore videogame rockers won’t find a more quality instrument.

Fashioned to look like a Fender Stratocaster, the Starpex is a solid peripheral with a hardwood body and black (Obsidian) lacquer finish (the Starpex is also available in Black Sunburst and Dead Rose colors). The look of the guitar is quite authentic, from the tuner pegs on the headstock to the white pick guard. The controller is the same size as a real full-size guitar, as opposed to much smaller guitar peripherals out there.

The controller has the proper buttons to make it fully compatible with every Guitar Hero and Rock Band title on PS2 and PS3. The 5-way toggle switch works just like the one on the Rock Band controllers, allowing you to switch between guitar effects during solos. Additionally, there are the five buttons up the neck for solos should you really want to impress your friends with your skills. Selecting between Rock Band and Guitar Hero is dirt simple, requiring you to only flip a switch in order to play each game.

The Starpex also has a nice array of connectivity options. Using the included cable and wireless dongles, you’ll be able to play on either the PS2 or PS3 wired or wireless. Unfortunately, you can’t use the guitar to play the PS2 Guitar Hero games on a backwards compatible PS3, which is a bummer. Still, the ability to play either wired or wirelessly on two different systems is certainly impressive.

The Starpex features an accelerometer for Star Power/Overdrive mode, but also allows you to activate the mode by pressing a dedicated button next to the strum bar. The button is slightly recessed, and is easy to access and press, but won’t be triggered by accident.

The Starpex is indeed a responsive and high-quality instrument for hardcore music game players, but as you can imagine, it does not come cheap. At 180 bucks, the guitar might be out of the price range of many gamers, especially if you are only a casual Guitar Hero/Rock Band player. Still, if you’ve got the scratch and want to pick up one of the best guitar peripherals money can buy, then the Starpex should be right up your alley.

Pros:
Sturdy hardwood body feels just like a full size Fender Stratocaster, ten responsive buttons include five for solos, easily accessible Star Power button that surprisingly doesn’t get in the way, wireless and wired capabilities for both PS2 and PS3.

Cons:
At 180 bucks, the Starpex doesn’t come cheap, strap doesn’t loosen as much as it should.

Overall: 9.5
The Starpex is a high-quality instrument, offering the look and feel of a real guitar. While the nearly $200 price point will certainly set you back, the controller’s sturdy build and connectivity options can’t be beat for hardcore guitar heroes.