CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: The Legend Returns for the Modern Rhythm Gaming Era

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar controller offers a revolution in the world of rhythm games, being an impressive reimagining of classic Guitar Hero controllers. This unit combines the best features of previous guitar controllers and adds refined modern touches, making it the perfect choice for rhythm game enthusiasts today.

The all-new CRKD guitar controller is designed to deliver an exceptional gaming experience in leading rhythm games, including Fortnite Festival, Rock Band 4, and Clone Hero. CRKD was founded by former engineers from Red Octane, the pioneering company that developed the original Guitar Hero series controllers, ensuring this unit's seamless compatibility with those iconic game accessories. It combines the finest innovations and design elements from the best guitar controllers to offer an unparalleled experience.

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar controller is available in two distinct editions: the LP Black Tribal Encore Edition and the LP Blueberry Burst Pro Edition. The Black Tribal edition features standard fret buttons and a mechanical strum bar, with a classic tribal design. The Blueberry Burst edition, more premium at a slightly higher price, offers the same core functionalities but with advanced mechanical fret buttons and a Hall Effect strum bar providing precise haptic feedback, in addition to an attractive "glowing blueberry" design. For added flexibility, the guitar necks can be swapped to suit players' personal preferences.

In addition to these two editions, each version has a dedicated Xbox platform edition, ensuring full compatibility with Rock Band 4. The multi-platform edition works with Xbox devices via KeyJam mode, functioning as a keyboard controller. This means it supports Fortnite Festival through button mapping, but does not offer native compatibility with Rock Band. The multi-platform edition also works seamlessly with Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3-5, and Android devices.

The guitar's design itself offers superior comfort during play, drawing its shape from the iconic Gibson Les Paul, which was widely acclaimed by guitar game enthusiasts and previously used in Guitar Hero 3. In contrast, the strum bar features a longer, easier-to-grip design, inspired by the popular "Genericaster" design found in Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero 5. While this unit lacks the lower fret buttons available on Rock Band and PDP Riffmaster controllers, the company has announced a separate neck accessory will be available later to accommodate this option.

Prices for the CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar controller range between $114.99 and $134.99 USD. CRKD began shipping multi-platform Les Paul controllers in late July 2025 and they became generally available in early August 2025, with dedicated Xbox editions anticipated in late September of the same year. The price is influenced by your choice of Xbox-compatible edition, with the Blueberry Burst Pro Edition being slightly more expensive than the Black Tribal Encore Edition. However, the price difference between them does not exceed $10, while the cost of purchasing mechanical fret buttons separately is $39.99, making the Blueberry Burst Pro Edition the better value option.

Key Specifications of the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller:

• Price: Prices start from $114.99 USD (equivalent to £109.99 or AU$199).
• Dimensions: The unit features comfortable dimensions of 9.96 × 29.13 × 1.37 inches (or 253 × 740 × 35 mm).
• Universal Compatibility: Compatible with a wide range of platforms including Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, Smart TV, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. (Note: Xbox support is limited to Fortnite Festival only on multi-platform editions).
• Connectivity Options: Offers flexible connectivity via cable (Type-C) or wirelessly (using Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz dongle).
• Dedicated App: Supports the official CRKD app available for iOS and Android for customizing settings.

Design and Features of the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller:

• Professional Guitar Controller: Specifically designed for rhythm game enthusiasts.
• Iconic Design: Its iconic design is inspired by the classic Gibson Les Paul guitar.
• Dedicated Dial: Includes a dedicated dial for easily programming and changing different performance profiles.

As its name suggests, the CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar controller is based on the shape of the legendary Gibson Les Paul guitar. This distinctive design was previously adopted in the Guitar Hero 3 guitar controller, and this new unit maintains roughly the same size as that classic experience.

The controller is available in two main versions: Black Tribal and Blueberry Burst. The Black Tribal edition features a black plastic base adorned with a glossy black tribal design. While this style was popular and suitable for the mid-2000s era of guitar controllers, some users may find its design outdated. In contrast, the Blueberry Burst edition offers a more modern and attractive look; the actual glowing blue design is beautiful and resembles the guitar of the same name, although some observations suggest that the sticker quality may appear lower upon close inspection.

Since the guitar necks in both editions are detachable, they come with a unified black plastic design, equipped with small LED lights on the neck that illuminate in a color corresponding to the pressed fret button, enhancing the visual gaming experience.

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar includes a practical D-pad on the upper part of the neck, in addition to a built-in joystick. One of the buttons features a small dial that functions as a "Start" button when clicked, and while this design is not a major impediment, pausing the game may require some getting used to. On the upper part of the guitar body, there is a joystick designed to resemble a tone switch, surrounded by a ring of buttons that provide quick access to face buttons and essential playback control functions.

Below the strum bar is the Whammy Bar, an essential element that allows you to earn bonus points when playing sustained notes, in addition to a CTRL button typically associated with activating Star Power. Although the whammy bar is not as long as the one found in the Genericaster design, it has been cleverly positioned to be easily accessible by the wrist, ensuring activation without affecting the flow of play.

While the differences may not radically change the gaming experience, the mechanical fret buttons and Hall Effect strum bar in the Blueberry Burst Pro Edition offer an exceptional sense of precision and responsiveness. Given that the price difference is not significant, the recommendation strongly leans towards choosing the Blueberry Burst edition for the best gaming experience.

Performance of the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller:

• Exceptional Battery Life: The unit offers excellent battery life, ensuring long hours of continuous play.
• Instant Play Readiness: The controller works highly efficiently right out of the box, allowing you to start playing without delay.
• Profile Customization: The unit comes with a dedicated profile dial, which can be easily customized and adjusted via the dedicated CRKD smartphone app.

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar controller can be activated and played immediately out of the box, either via a USB-C cable for PC connection or wirelessly via a 2.4 GHz dongle (both included with the guitar). The unit also offers the option to connect via Bluetooth for devices that do not support USB ports. Notably, full-month tests showed that the Blueberry Burst version's battery only ran out after at least 15 to 20 hours of continuous use without needing to recharge.

The controller features a multi-function knob that acts as a power switch when pressed, and includes a dial that allows you to switch between 9 different profiles (four of which are pre-set for default settings and difficulty levels for Fortnite Festival). These assignments can be easily customized via the dedicated CRKD smartphone app, where the Blueberry Burst Pro Edition allows for adjusting the sensitivity level and intensity of the strum bar's haptic feedback, providing precise control and a personalized gaming experience.

This feature is crucial for the optimal Fortnite Festival experience. While the unit's default mode can be used, the CTRL button is automatically assigned as a Select button, which opens a menu within the Fortnite game. Since this button cannot be remapped from within the game, you will need to rotate the dial to profile number two to ensure smooth performance in Fortnite's professional modes.

Is the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller the Right Choice for You?

Buy It If...

• You are passionate about guitar games or Pro mode in Fortnite Festival: If you seek to relive the glory of classic rhythm games or delve into the professional Pro mode in Fortnite Festival, this unit is essential for a complete gaming experience. Thanks to its wide compatibility with PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, it is a strong option for any rhythm game you wish to play. The dedicated Xbox edition also provides seamless compatibility with Rock Band 4 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
• You are a fan of the legendary Guitar Hero series: This guitar was designed by the original developers of Guitar Hero devices, giving it an authentic feel that perfectly matches the classic units you've always loved.

Don't Buy It If...

• You prefer Rock Band guitar controllers: Although both series used plastic controllers, Guitar Hero and Rock Band featured different guitar controller designs. If you tend to prefer the feel of past Rock Band controllers, then the PDP Riffmaster will be the perfect choice for your preferences.

Worthwhile Alternatives to the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller:

• PDP Riffmaster: This is an excellent alternative, especially since CRKD was founded by former employees of RedOctane, the company that developed the original Guitar Hero controllers. Thus, CRKD's design aligns with the gameplay style of those games. However, if you prefer the distinctive feel of previous Rock Band controllers, the PDP Riffmaster will be the more suitable choice for you.
• CRKD NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition: This is an ideal alternative if you are new to rhythm games or do not wish to invest a large sum (over $100) in a full guitar controller. The NEO S controller itself is powerful, and the guitar accessory allows you to enjoy rhythm games, albeit with a smaller control system. It cannot be compared to full units, but it offers an excellent experience as a strong and effective "beginner guitar controller."