TAC GuitarMania - Freedom V Review

Guitar Hero is one of the best musical games ever created, right up there with Dance Dance Revolution. Because Guitar Hero is very popular and uses its own unique controller in the form of a guitar, there are a few companies and individuals that have created their own guitars to use for the game. The ones that stand out the most, though, are definitely the TAC Guitar Mania controllers. TAC has created a few different controller models, but the Freedom V Guitar is their more exciting piece of equipment.

The best feature about the stylish Freedom V Guitar is that it actually has a 2.4 GHz wireless connection. These means you can finally jump and dance all around your room without pulling the cord out! The wireless connection works extremely well and has a very long range. In the week that I have tested the guitar, it never once missed a beat or dropped the wireless connection. It does, however, sometimes take some time to connect when it is first turned on.

Besides the fact that it is wireless, the Freedom V Guitar feels much more like an actual guitar, instead of just pressing buttons. It does this by using what is called “FeatherTouch” fret buttons and the strum bar feels more fluid instead of like using a button. The FeatherTouch fret buttons are extremely easy to press in, no matter where you press it in at. They are much looser than the buttons on the normal controller, which takes some getting used to, but they are overall easier to press in and use. The strum bar is also easier to press in and doesn't have an annoying clicking sound, so it feels more like an actual guitar.

The Freedom V Guitar is slightly heavier than the normal guitar and because of its V shape it is harder to hold. If you are looking for something that is just as light and as easy to hold as the normal controller, you may want to check out the Rocking V (same guitar but wired and lower priced) or Shredder controllers. Luckily there is a strap included with the guitar; however, the strap slips off very easily. Because one of the knobs that hold the strap is sticking straight up, instead of sideways, the weight of the guitar can easily cause the strap to pop off the knob. On top of that, although the strap included with the Freedom V is made of better materials, the hole for the knob is a little bigger. I ended up dropping the guitar flat on the group three times before I decided to switch the straps with the normal Guitar Hero controller.

Another problem with the Freedom V is that the end of the whammy bar rubs against the face of the guitar if you press it in all the way. There is rubber on the end of the whammy bar, but after slamming it into the guitar a few times each day, it is sure to leave some sort of mark on the guitar or possibly cause the whammy bar to malfunction. With the normal Guitar Hero controller, this isn't an issue because it stops before it can be pressed in that far. However, the whammy bar on the normal controller is much looser and is easy to move out of place, but this isn't a problem with the Freedom V.

One last problem that I noticed with the guitar is that it is a little harder to attain Star Power by tilting the guitar. I'm the type that misses a bunch of notes while trying to activate my Star Power, and since it is harder to do with the Freedom V, I miss even more. Because of that, I usually just press the select button, since it is nice and big on the Freedom V. It isn't that big of a difference, but it is noticeable and takes a little more effort while playing.

The style of the Freedom V seems to make up for its few problems. The classic Flying-V shape just looks awesome, and the colors (either blue/white or red/white) look great together. The start and select button as well as the strum bar are chrome-covered plastic, which adds a great effect to the overall look of the guitar. Another neat addition is the two blue lights that shine through the strum bar. Honestly, though, they are kind of wimpy and don't add a whole lot of style. The overall build of the guitar feels very solid, unlike many third party console controllers. Also included in the retail box is a sticker sheet (such is included with the stock guitar, too) that includes the usual suspects such as flames and skulls so you can somewhat customize your guitar. Of course, if everyone gets the same sticker pack, you're not really all that “custom”, are you?

If stickers aren't your style, you can even get a full skin for the Freedom V Guitar. I honestly think the plain red/white or blue/white is a great look, but the skins include designs such as the American flag, camouflage, barbed wire, flaming skulls, and a variety of other neat designs to make these much more “custom”. These skins are very high quality and are much more than just wimpy little stickers. The skin is made of a plastic or polymer as they are very smooth, impossible to get a crease while applying it. Although the skins look great, they are priced at $20. If you feel that a $20 skin on top of an already good looking guitar is necessary, than have at it; you won't be disappointed.

With most third party controllers, you naturally have lower expectations for the quality of the product. There are a few problems with the Freedom V Guitar, but I would take it over the normal Guitar Hero controller any day. The wireless connection works great and never has any problems, and the whole guitar feels more fluid and less like you are pressing electronic buttons. The guitar looks amazing right out of the box, but if you like to personalize your stuff TAC offers a few nice ways to do so. If you are looking for a new guitar to play some multiplayer, or you want to be able to rock out and jump around farther than 6ft from your console, then the Guitar Mania controllers are your best bet.

The Freedom V Guitar is currently available for $55 at www.theguitarmania.com.