In a previous post, I told you about my good DSi luck. You can read about it here.
After I purchased a charger for my new found DSi, I decided to peruse the rest of the store for kicks and giggles. As a general statement, finding good deals at a Gamestop is a rarity. But as I walked around, I saw something out of place. Since the rise of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Gamestop has had a steady flow of used guitar controllers. But I already had two guitar controllers and wasn’t in the market for one. What did peak my interest was an oddly shaped headstock. This wasn’t your typical Gibson or Epiphone or even wanna be off brand. Nor was it a normal 6 string headstock. What I saw was a four string headstock.
So I walk around to the other side, and to my delight, I find:
Yes indeedy, a Fender Bass controller for Rock Band. Now let me put this into context. I play bass guitar in real life. Been playing it for over 15 years, and as much as I love Rock Band, one aspect always bothered me. When playing bass, you have to play it like a guiatr player strumming up and down with one finger. It works, it’s just not the same. But a real bass player plays with both fingers independently. This caused a major cramp in my style. When I heard they would be releasing a specialty bass guitar controller that would address that very issue, I was a little excited. That was until I saw the massive $70 price tag. Sorry, as much as I love Rock Band, no controller is worth $70. Understandably, I resigned myself to never owning this beauty. Until that day.
So I’m looking this controller over, and I can notice it’s had a little wear and tear. There were missing tuning pegs and some scratches here and there, but it played just fine. I glance at the price tag and see the price of $24.99! Great, that’s not too bad of a price, but then I notice something else. The price tag listed the bass as a wireless guitar. Looking at the obvious cord dangling from the bottom of the bass, it wasn’t too hard to see this wasn’t a wireless guitar. I bring it up the the counter and ask the guy if this sticker is correct. He looks it over and confers with a co-worker. He also deduces it’s not a wireless guitar. He then takes the old sticker off, and slaps a new one on. He hands it back to me, and now the price tag reads:
Yup, just $17.99. Add on my 10% off card and it brings the total to just above $16. I took my happy self home, plugged it in, and tried it out. Thankfully it worked well and I jammed out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Is it worth $16, yea. Is it worth $70? Well, that just depends on how dedicated you are. I’d say it’s a surprisingly well made controller, seeing as this is Mad Catz, but it is still too pricey in my opinion.
Moral of the story: Sometimes big monopolistic video game store’s pricing policy works in your favor. You just have to mind not getting the shaft in the process.
As a bonus for your work reading this drivel, here’s a few pictures of me acting like a complete tool with my new toy:
