Fender Stratocaster Wireless Guitar Hero Controller

Inside the PS2 Wireless Guitar controller

2008-02-20T12:56:00.012Z

Here is the first look inside the controller, identifying all the parts.

The original controller Fret board buttons

The Fret buttons are part of the circuit card, and the button pushes down on the rubber part to make the contacts.

I want to try and keep the frets on the guitar but the spacing of the controller fret buttons is too close, I think I may have to build my own fret buttons!

The Dual action Star Power tilt sensor

This is the new style dual action, double tilt sensor for easier star power activation, they have little ball bearings inside which make the contacts as they are tipped, notice the 90 degree angle between them.

I may have to reduce the angle for easier star power activation, as the sensor will be mounted in the guitar body, not the neck

Main circuit board and Strum switches

The main circuit board has the two strum switches, one for the up action and one for the down action, also the 2.4 Ghz wireless transciver is attached.
Wiring to the Fret buttons, tilt sensor, whammy bar, etc are all routed to this board.

The Whammy bar (tremelo arm)

I am hoping to keep and use the original tremelo arm fitted on the electric guitar. The variable poteniometer has a value of around 10kohms and the sprung coupling is self contianed, so I should be able to remove the whammy bar, and hopefully modify the coupling to attach to the internal parts of the tremelo arm on the electric guitar.

If this does not work out plan B is to mount the whammy bar in its entirety into the scratch plate.

The Donor PS2 Wireless Guitar Hero Controller

2008-02-19T23:14:00.000Z

I won a PS2 Wireless Controller for the project on eBay.
Cant wait to rip it to pieces! One snag I may have is finding somewhere to fit the batteries into the real guitar!

Brand new Fender Stratocaster style guitar in classic vintage 1970's Sunburst colours

2008-02-11T22:06:00.006Z

After being outbid many times over the last few weeks, I have just managed to get a brand spanking new Stratocaster style guitar on eBay, for £11.50!!! Result!!!

It has been sold as a defective clearance item from Lindo Ltd. The Guitar is brand new and in immaculate condition.

The reason I got it so cheap was because the guitar has some Fret buzz on the 'E' string 5/6/7 Frets and the 'A' string 2/3/5/6/7/9 Frets (probably caused by a dodgy pickup coil) which would put off some guitar bidders, but as I will be stripping it down and rebuilding it into a wireless Guitar Hero controller I dont really care!

Next on my shopping list is a Wireless PS2 Guitar Hero Controller.