Back in December of 2009 I wrote about the initial unveiling of the YouRock Guitar. It was released in 2010, but if you look around for reviews you will find them starting in mid-2010 but mostly from spring 2011 right up until now.
Why is that? A few reasons I can see. First, because You Rock Guitar can be used as a Guitar Hero controller, it has dealt with the drop-off in interest in THAT market segment. It has also faced criticism from those who look at the plasticky design, low-grade on-board sounds, and the gimmicky ‘you rock’ mode that makes your playing sound better than it really is and records you against (also cheesy) on-board backing tracks.
The other reason you are seeing renewed interest is that now that the dust of the gimmick has settled, more and more people have realized that there is a serious instrument here as well! Not only that, but with the combination of GarageBand and the camera connection kit, you can use the YouRock Guitar as a universal music controller on the go!
Here is some info from You Rock:
The You Rock Guitar is the musical technology revolution of this generation. This multifaceted technological masterpiece bridges the gap between music and games and allows both new and experienced musicians the ability to interface with almost all audio-related software and hardware. The You Rock Guitar has multiple uses and functions, as well as connecting with the iPad via the camera adapter kit to create with Garage Band. The guitar is the first affordable fast tracking MIDI guitar on the market.
Check out this amazing performance sent to us by You Rock featuring musician Dan Mumm:
You can buy the YouRock Guitar direct for $219.99 (on sale from the normal $249.99 price) or at Amazon.com for $199.
If you check the Amazon reviews you will see they are very positive, as were the professional reviews I checked out. The You Rock reminds me of the SynthAxe that Allan Holdsworth played back in the 80’s in the way it has separate strings for triggering and a touch-sensitive fretboard. Of course, that sold for over $10,000!
Head to You Rock Guitar to check it out and get more information!