CRKD unveils three Gibson guitar controllers for rhythm game Stage Tour

Peripheral manufacturer CRKD has teamed up with RedOctane Games to build three new guitar controllers themed around Gibson's classic instruments, timed to the launch of the rhythm game Stage Tour. The game arrives December 10 on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S.

Three models

The Stage Tour Pro Guitar Collection includes a Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson SG and a Gibson Explorer. The Les Paul, in Oxblood colorway, mirrors the iconic guitar of the same name. The SG, in Midnight Blue, is based on an unreleased PS2-era controller concept originally designed for Guitar Hero II. The stark-white Explorer model draws on the 2007 X-Plorer controller created by Activision and the original RedOctane team, also for Guitar Hero II.

All three controllers feature Hall effect strum bars, mechanical frets and LED neck lighting. The Les Paul and SG offer 500Hz wireless and 1,000Hz wired polling rates, while the Explorer reaches 8,000Hz regardless of connection type.

Pricing and availability

The SG is an officially licensed PlayStation product priced at $130, compatible with PS4, PS5 and PC. The Les Paul comes in an Xbox-compatible version for $130 or a multiplatform version for PC, Android and Switch at $120. The Explorer, compatible with PC, Android and Switch, costs $130 but won't begin shipping until mid-January, while the other two models ship alongside the game in December.

Stage Tour supports guitar, bass, drums, vocals, keyboard and gamepad play, with four difficulty levels plus an Expert Plus mode for drums. Up to four players can join locally, and the game includes online leaderboards. The release date was announced at Gamescom's Opening Night Live, alongside 20 newly revealed songs, bringing the confirmed tracklist to 45 out of a promised total of more than 90 at launch.