Overdrive Pedal for Rockband Stratocaster (PS3, Xbox)

The built in overdrive sensor for this Stratocaster sucks!

This dirt cheap mod (~$15) will fix you up with a cool pedal that you can count on. You can quit fumbling for the select button and cursing when overdrive kicks in randomly. If you have a PS3 version, you might even get away without leaving evidence that invalidates the warranty.

This will definitely void your warranty if you are not comfortable with soldering. Get to know your instrument and be sure you want to goof with your warranty before you do this! Read up on Scorehero about the various Rockband controller iterations, you'll want to be familiar with this stuff before you risk your warranty.

Step 1 What to buy

You'll need a screwdriver to open the back of the guitar. I highly recommend a powered one since you're dealing with over 20 screws total.

You'll need a pair of wire clippers, a hobby knife, or just a pair of sharp scissors will do for the little wire cutting we need. I also used a hot glue gun to set the wires in place. Solder is ideal though, so get your soldering iron out if you have one.

You'll also need a quick trip to radio shack for a 1/8" phone jack shown here. They carry these in the back of the store in the pullout trays full of little electronic parts. You'll find these in audio connectors. $3 will get you two.

Note: Most music gear comes with a 1/4" plug, but we'll need a 1/8" jack to fit into the space between the frame and the PS3 button. If you're going to drill a new hole into your guitar, feel free to use a 1/4" phone jack.

Comments

[dragon0360]

I don't know about the PS3, but on the xbox isn't that little white button for syncing to the console? wouldn't removing it produce a problem if you ever had to sync th guitar again?

[creativityUnwashed]

You're absolutely right.

[spaztec]

If i'm not mistaken, just resetting the guitar.. on/off does the job. I have used different guitars with different receivers with different playstations. Never have onced pushed the white button.

[cborreli]

Great instruction, I did make one change. I removed the 1/4" plug on the pedal and replaced it with a 1/8" plug from Radioshack stock number 274-288. This eliminates the added converter plug and makes the pedal look more "stock". The pedal has 2 wires: one red and the copper stranded, just clip the connector off, strip the red wire and twist the stranded tight and attach them to the connector. Thanks again for getting me started on the mods, now on to the drum set.....

[qazer90]

yeah thanks man, my little sensor has 3 wires, and one came loose I was like wtf, why 3 wires, so yeah and it was allot pissing me off when I was moving it to the tune to the song and it would go off in the middle of an empty section. so dude, thanks for the neat mod.

[Rick Z]

I have the peak all wood guitar controller and this mod worked perfectly on it too and makes things really realistic I am wondering if you could do this mod on the 5 position rotary switch for rockband 2 and add a 2nd pedal to be able to change the effects then build a pedal board has anyone tried it yet just curious

[yeaitskimmel]

for the pedal you can use the bass pedal for the drumset

[djpoizon]

i think this is a great hack/mod for the game's controller, but maybe someone could mod a real guitar with the gh/rb to make it a hell of alot better ?? :-)

[GorillazMiko]

Though I hate how Rockband kind of copied everything Guitar Hero, it's still awesome, and so is this Instructable. Really nice job, it looks awesome in the end. I see you have a Guitar Hero controller in the back...

[salsashark051]

The way I see it, Rockband is the official successor to the Guitar Hero games because Rocband is made by Harmonix, which created the first two Guitar Hero games. I have to admit, Guitar Hero III was lame. Great songs, but just the overall feel of the game was just so corporate and gimmicky. And that whole story was just stupid. As for the mod, sweet, I'll have to check it out!

[PureBreed]

actually, GH is coming out with another addition to the GH series, which is to include other instuments such as drums and a keyboard. (they say they are going to have drums and keyboard, but they may use others) so, in other words, Guitar hero is copying Rock Band.

[Flumpkins]

No, there is no keyboard. I have probably watched the trailer about 15 times.

[GorillazMiko]

They're the same company, actually.

[PureBreed]

So, if thats true then ur saying they ripped themselves off? or stole their one idea? dude, seriously.

[dude661]

Harmonix developed Guitar Hero 1 & 2, but when Activision bought Redoctane they changed the developer. Harmonix then went on to make Rockband

[GorillazMiko]

Yeah something like that. I think RockBand is a huge rip-off of Guitar Hero.

[dude661]

But rock band has much more emphasis on team play and cooperation, like laughing at the singer.

[armorwaxer]

i agree im in a real band and i sing hey wait a minute!

[Jakthekracker]

Hey i hope you know that Rockband is made by Harmonix the same people who made guitar hero. They sold guitar hero to activision! so there fore rockband didnt coppie Guitar hero. Guitar hero Sold out and they made a new game with more instruments and better tracks. so i dont see how you can hate rockband even tho you find it awesome and you dont even know that its made by the same people. Just to letting know you made yourself sound stupid that you think rockband "Copied" anything.

[Imptheshrimp]

not completely. if you didn't know they were pretty much owned and made 'n stuff by the same people, you would think it was "copied". and you can like a something but hate just one aspect of it.

[Bartboy]

Cheaper method: Get a switch pedal, so its a instant switch, connect to select button (thats the manuel button to do it,) and voila!

[bfiggins]

I performed your mod, and it works great! To others interested in this, make sure you get those exact plugs that he shows in Step 1. You can put those right on, screw them in, and they look like they were factory-installed. I did improve on your work in two ways: 1) You can solder a connection on to the back side of the 'Select, Start, D-Pad' board next to the PS button. Solder one wire to 'G' (Ground) one wire to 'B' (Back) then follow these instructions to connect the other ends of these wires to the plug. This has the benefit of not disabling tilt Overdrive, just giving you another option for using it. It doesn't disable Select either. 2) You can take the button that's under the white button, and run it to the top of the guitar. The one that you just leave lying inside the guitar, right? For the PS3, there's a small black block there that's just lying loose - I think it covers up the hole where the XBox's power cable comes out, or something like that. Anyway, remove that black block, find the hole it was blocking, and hot-glue the button right in front of that hole. That way, if you end up needing that button (it helps establish a wireless connection) you can get a pen or something and poke it.

[dadda scott]

An unexpected, but cool side effect; The circuit is actually made when you release the pedal. That is why it seems as if there is a delay. So if you are like me and jump the gun a bit at times, just stay on the pedal until you want overdrive to engage, then release.

[dadda scott]

This was an awesome mod!! So easy. Instructions were spot on. I used a roland dp-2 pedal I got at best buy for $15. Perfect!! Don't have to hold it down, just stomp it. Very cool!!!

[disco88]

hey man, followed your crystal clear, helpful instructions and it works great. Thanks alot for a dirt cheap mod to a major rock band problem. For now I am just using the drum kick pedal switch to activate overdrive, but eventually I will get around to a pedal :P Great work and thanks again

[Ward_Nox]

Iv'e seen foot pedles for the game Guitar at best buy just fyi

[mourningzero]

Poked around and found this guy on their site. Maybe something like it will be out for rockband someday. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8471888&st=pedal+guitar&lp=9&type=product&cp=1&id=1186003256513

Wireless pedals for whammy and starpower, good stuff.

[mourningzero]

Better pictures are coming in April when the stand alone guitar is released. I forgot the macro button on my digital for this whole process.