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If your old Guitar Hero guitar is dead, or you have only ever played on keyboard, this is the buying guide that matters. It covers the three honest options in 2026: a new premium controller, a new value controller, and a used classic — and it says plainly which games each one actually works with.
Option 1: CRKD Gibson Les Paul Pro Edition — best new controller
The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Pro Edition (sponsored) is a multi-platform guitar controller for PC, PC handhelds, Switch, Android and PS3 legacy mode, with a KEYJAM mode for Fortnite Festival on Xbox and PlayStation. It has mechanical frets, a hall-effect strum bar with a customisable actuation point, wired USB-C, low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless via its dongle, and Bluetooth, plus a shoulder strap and removable battery. The manufacturer list price checked on 2026-10-24 was $124.99 on crkd.gg (Alpine White in stock at that check; other colourways were shown out of stock — check current stock). It is made for Clone Hero, YARG and Fortnite Festival; it is not “officially supported” by vanilla Frets on Fire, whose controller support is generic mapping.
Option 2: PDP Riffmaster — best value new controller
The PDP Riffmaster (sponsored) comes in separate Xbox, PlayStation and Switch 2 variants, each with its own dongle. It has a collapsible neck, USB-C recharging and up to 36 hours of battery life. List prices checked in October 2026 were commonly $129.99–$149, with sale prices of $89.99–$99.99 seen in October 2026 coverage. Check the variant’s PC compatibility before buying — PC support varies by variant, and buying the wrong variant is the most common Riffmaster mistake.
Option 3: Used Guitar Hero / Rock Band guitars — cheapest way in
A used Xbox 360 Xplorer or similar classic guitar, bought via eBay search (sponsored), is still the cheapest route into Clone Hero on PC — and the one the Clone Hero community most often recommends for reliability. Budget for condition risk: check fret buttons, strum bar, battery door and, for wireless guitars, whether the dongle is included. Wireless Xbox 360 guitars also need the wireless receiver, sold separately.
Decision table
- Want the best new controller and play Fortnite Festival too? CRKD Les Paul Pro.
- Want a new controller for less, and travel with it? PDP Riffmaster (right variant, on sale if you can wait).
- Want the cheapest working guitar for Clone Hero? Used Guitar Hero guitar, with a receiver if it is wireless.
- Still on keyboard? Read keyboard vs guitar controller first — a controller only helps if you enjoy the genre.
Browse the full hub. Related guides: xbox 360 wireless receiver guide, best keyboards frets on fire, frets on fire vs clone hero.