The last time we had a new plastic instrument hit the Rock Band scene, it was the Fender Jaguar controller that PDP launched alongside Rock Band Rivals in late 2016. With Harmonix’s Fortnite Festival now on the music gaming scene, a new contender is headed toward the stage in the wireless Riffmaster from PDP.
PDP announced its Riffmaster guitar controller today. It looks to be a generational leap for video game guitars (that’s a weird sentence to write). No release date has been announced, but it’s intended for both Rock Band and Fornite Festival through instrument support that’s coming sometime this year.
The Riffmaster is wireless and will have two versions, each compatible with either the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Just like the Jaguar, it comes with a foldable neck for easy travel and storage. The guitar’s faceplate/pickguard is removable and replaceable which opens up the option for custom designs, and there are your obvious strum and whammy bars built-in too.
When I say the Riffmaster looks to be a “generational leap,” I mean it. The guitar controller incorporates audio controls right on the face of the instrument for quick in-game access. A 3.5mm audio jack is smartly introduced to plug wired headphones directly in. Perhaps most conveniently, and long overdue is the inclusion of an analog joystick on the back of the controller’s neck, so you don’t have to deal with awkward D-pad menu navigation any longer.
Interestingly, the PDP Riffmaster isn’t the first time that the Riffmaster moniker and design have been used in video games. In 2007, right around the time the first Rock Band launched, ArtGuitar.com released the AG Riffmaster. It was a real Peavey Riffmaster guitar-modified Guitar Hero controller modified to work alongside the music games on PlayStation 2. The AG Riffmaster felt great according to Wired, but with a $400 price point at the time, it ended up just being a niche collectible.
How much is the Riffmaster guitar and when will it be released?
The PDP Riffmaster doesn’t have a price point or release date just yet. However, the manufacturer is currently holding a promotion to win a Riffmaster with winners set to be selected on March 1. If we take that date and run with it, we may be seeing our new shredding accessories released shortly thereafter sometime in the spring.
If you’re feeling the urge to sell out a video game music venue and need a new instrument, check out our list of all compatible Rock Band 4 instruments. There should be plenty of options available on the internet to tide you over until the Riffmaster’s release.
