Ant Commandos Widow Maker Bass Review

The Ant Commandos have certainly found a niche when it comes to designing great peripherals for games such at Rock Band and Guitar Hero. First, GZ got their hands on the Double Range guitar, which effortlessly bridged the instrument gap between not only RB and GH, but also took up and conquered the challenge of a wireless peripheral controller for the PS2.

TAC is back with the Widow Maker Bass, a guitar that is supposed to be used to strum out those bass riffs, but, in a pinch, you can use it as a lead guitar.

Here is the feature list from the Widow Maker Bass product page:

• PowerThief Power Saving Mode - Automatically powers the controller off when the unit senses inactivity to squeeze every last drop of power out of battery packs!

• AutoSense 2.4GHz Wireless - Unlike infrared systems on other controllers that require a direct line of sight to the console, it automatically detects available single or multi-user RF channels to provide a 30 foot radius of 2.4GHz wireless connectivity!

• 360 FLY Function - Special design for flashy acrobatic visual effects made famous by ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and others.

• Xtended Fret Button Array - A second set of FeatherTouch fret buttons high on the neck.

• Low Battery Indicator - When the battery is low, the Red light will blink.

• Patented Button Cluster - Specially designed button cluster features a recessed Start button that prevents players from accidentally pausing the game in the middle of blistering jams!

• Super Whammy System - Finely tuned with a high density precision coil spring assembly, it provides reliable operation for many years of extreme abuse from rock ‘n’ roll animals!

• ComfortNeck - Exciting new neck dimensions and a specially designed contoured edge provides a more comfortable grip on the neck.

• TickleTilt Sensor - The smart TickleTilt Sensor incorporates two separate sensitive sensors so players can activate Star Power by lightly tilting the controller

• Whammy-wah food Pedal Connection - Expansion port for future connection to Whammy-Wah foot pedal for Star Power and whammy.

• PlayStation 3 D-Pad & Home Button Support - Designed and built-in for your navigational convenient when not playing the game.

There was a few problems getting this guitar to synch up with the Rock Band game as a bass, but after jumping through a few hoops, it finally recognized the second guitar in the game. That aside, though, the performance of this guitar is very good. The controls are responsive and you can hammer away to your heart’s content and this guitar will pick it all up.

The fret buttons are spaced a little wide apart, much like the Double Range guitar, and for bigger hands that should not be a problem. And anyone who has picked up a real bass (like, say, an older Fender Precision Bass), will know that the fret set-up on a bass is spaced a little wider than most six-string guitars anyway.

The guitar looks good, is a touch heavier than what one would expect from a peripheral, and is comfortable to wear for hours at a gaming session.

This guitar is the perfect companion for the Double Range and really brings the look of a band together. As a bass guitar, or even as a main guitar, this is an easy recommend.

Review Scoring Details for Widow Maker Bass

Pros:
Wireless and responsive, this guitar has a good look and feel.

Cons:
Some connectivity hoops to jump through, but if you get it right, there is nothing ahead but bass riffs on a solid instrument.

Overall: 9.3
Too much instrument for running bass lines? Perhaps, and while the Double Range got a 9.5, this scores a little lower simply because it was more of a pain to get the game to recognize the instrument. Still, it is a great tool that makes the game more fun to play.