Guitar Hero II cardboard fret mod
by Dustin Burg 
{ May 5th 2007 at 4:00PM }
Over at GrownUpGamers.com they've posted a helpful tutorial to fix those unreliable Guitar Hero II fret buttons on your X-plorer guitar. Their tutorial is for those of you who experience not so responsive fret buttons when rocking out to your favorite jam. This unresponsive fret button problem occurs when the fret buttons don't fully press down on the contact due to some shifting action. And all you need to fix those buttons is some confidence to open up your guitar, some cardboard, scissors, and tape. And voila! Fret buttons fixed. We're just wondering what type of cardboard would work best. Gushers, Pop-Tarts, Fruit By the Foot, or Cheerios ... oh the choices.
[Via Digg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dragod @ May 5th 2007 4:22PM
That's pretty cool, but for right now I'm focusing on beating my friend's score in "Dead!" on Expert...
Peter Clark @ May 5th 2007 4:51PM
What, exactly, does adding cardboard do to how the keys work? Can anybody explain in more detail? I don't quite understand it. Wouldn't it mean that you don't have to press the keys as far to activate the trigger?
A problem I have with my frets sometime is that they don't press all the way (mainly the yellow one) and seem to kinda get stuck... is this supposed to fix that?
Thanks
MDB @ May 5th 2007 5:22PM
Okay retard, did you even read the article? It is supposed to fix stuck buttons, it's supposed to make the buttons more sensitive to the touch so you wouldn't have to push them in as much as you normally do. By putting cardboard on top of the threshold sensors, it makes it so you don't have to push the button down as far as you normally would. Think for yourself for once, idiot, or you will fail in life.
Peter Clark @ May 5th 2007 5:42PM
Heh, thanks buddy, hope life gets better for you.
Now to go mod my controller....
Otis Whitaker @ May 5th 2007 5:58PM
Holy God, MDB, was it actually required for you to be such an absolute jerk?
What you said, wasn't said on this page, and that was what he wanted to know. You didn't have to insult his intelligence for being curious.
Raffi @ May 5th 2007 5:58PM
You post this AFTER I try to exchange my guitar and have a big fiasco with Best Buy? Great.
Phour ZwanZig @ May 5th 2007 6:28PM
Funny, I just used a Hamburger Helper box a few nights ago to finish off my Home-Made PDA cradle for in my work van.. Those cardboard boxes are stronger than you can imagine if used right..
Michael @ May 5th 2007 7:28PM
Where's the mod that makes more than a third of the songs in GHII fun to play?
Mike @ May 5th 2007 7:53PM
an excellent use for a discarded gushers box.
massive_98 @ May 5th 2007 10:04PM
Reduce!
Reuse!
Recycle!
Yay!
Beacon @ May 5th 2007 10:34PM
Out of the box the buttons have a small amount of space or slack between the bottom of the button and the rubber "trigger" on the circuit board. The small pieces of cardboard, as thin as they are, reduce the gap between the two.
It gives the buttons a more positive feel. Which, in turn, will help your timing - and more importantly make some of those songs that kill you actually fun to play.
Sticking buttons are sometimes the result of ridges left along the edges from production. Those can be fixed with a nail file or high grit sandpaper. Neither of mine had the ridges, but after doing this it solved my sticky button (orange) problem as well.
Chaval @ May 6th 2007 9:16AM
I modded my xplorer after reading this post... didn't make any difference on my score.
Taylor @ May 6th 2007 5:22AM
Yeah, seriously, i have to say, MDB was being absolutely ridiculous. the guy was 100% serious and asked a very worthwhile question. calling someone a retard because they asked a valid question? Ummm... i'd call THAT person a retard (if i called people retards for being stupid... but i don't, because they're two separate things...). so, uh, MDB, just stay away from here.. don't you have clan meeting to go to anyway?
-Taylor
Taylor @ May 6th 2007 5:39AM
Oh yeah, and i got distracted, but i meant to say - Try some graphite lubricant! It's a dry lube that is great for plastics, and it won't mess anything up. You can get it at hardware stores - they normally use it for lubricating locks. But yeah, if things stick - on any mechanical device - you should try lubricating them before you go to the trouble of replacing them!
-Taylor
Viridium @ May 6th 2007 11:12PM
Sorry, I just still can't get into this. If I want to rock out, I'll go grab an actual guitar and start rocking out.
Hey Apples @ May 6th 2007 11:21PM
First, this is old news and has been used for guitar hero 1 and 2, so it's no surprise that it works for guitar hero 2.5 as well.
Second, I am of the opinion that this technique doesn't really improve anything. I've played on a dozen controllers, including some with this addition. I did not notice any discerable difference in gameplay between 'modded' ones and 'stock'.
Seems to me to be a bit like the myth of the corked bat in baseball... where it's largely believed to have performance-improving effects when science says otherwise.
Kevin @ May 12th 2007 10:16PM
Adding cardboard is supposed to make it easier to press the buttons, not improve your score. By putting cardboard under the buttons it lessens the gap between the plastic peice and the electronics inside. That way you don't have to push down as far to make the button work.
No more complaining about cardboard not improving your score. (Who would think it would anyway?)