The Shred Axe for Wii by CTA Digital is one that is meant to be used for Guitar Hero and happens to be almost identical to the GHIII guitar for the Wii. It is the same shape, size, and feel. The button layout is just about the same, and there are no added features. You have your frets, strum bar, whammy bar, and +/- buttons, and that’s it. These also feel about the same as the original guitar.
The main difference is the finish, which has a wood-like, Mahogany look to it, and is very slick, as opposed to the matte style on the GH guitar. The fret buttons are also the same shape and size, although the yellow fret doesn’t have a groove to let you know it’s the middle, which may make it difficult to use for beginners.
This happened to be the case with my one guitar, but the fret buttons were a bit stiff, so they’ll take some braking into before you can wail on that baby. I’m sure it’s more the case of the guitar being new than anything inherently wrong with the device, but it’s a tad annoying not being able to easily hit notes because the buttons require too much force to push them down. The whammy bar also seems to be a bit unresponsive, requiring more constant force to get it going, however again, it could simply just need some braking in, as I found it easier as I played more songs.
Overall, the Shred Axe is a decent guitar, and one that can add a little variety to your collection, but if you’re really looking for a different guitar experience, instead of aesthetics alone, you’ll want something else.
Final Vote: 3/5