Hello friends & profile snoopers, recently I had gotten a PS3 to play some old Guitar Hero and rhythm adjacent games. However, I was in need for a guitar, and didn't want to resort to off-brand controllers or used controllers that end up requiring special requisites and only worked with two games, so I found this CRKD Gibson Les Paul guitar that was selling for $100 brand new on Amazon, so I figured...why not?
While this controller supports many platforms, this review will primarily focus on its use with a PlayStation 3 console.
To begin, the controller I had gotten was the Gibson Les Paul Black Tribal Multi Platform. The emblem design on its body is decent looking for an entry level controller, as there is a pro model out there, and it is nice having a joystick to improve UI navigation of the XrossMediaBar. Conversely, I was not a fan of the buttons and strum having a glossy finish, leaving them with a greasy look after a play session. The star power button is much smaller and harder to reach, since there is a battery underneath in its original place.
The controller does have four switches on the bottom, changing its input for a PC, Nintendo Switch, Android mobile device, or PlayStation 3. There is a joystick w/ buttons surrounding it, and a D-pad behind the head of the neck - that certain games do utilize; it includes stickers in the package to indicate what keyboard keybinds it presses. Pressing down on the knobs presses the Start & PS buttons.
Once I plugged it in wired, and switched it into P3 mode, it worked instantly with my PS3! I love how the PS3 now officially has a wired guitar, and does not require a dongle that is hard to find nowadays. The wireless dongle had took some trial and error, but it had begun to work on my PC and PS3 after writing my initial review.
I have constructed a list of all the games I had played, and their compatibility rating:
Fully Compatible - indicates it is plug & play with no issues during its initial play through.
Playable - indicates it does work with the game, but requires some additional tinkering and/or not completely user friendly. Will include a detailed note for each game.
Not Playable - indicates it has been giving me issues that makes it unplayable. Games under this category may get bumped up, whether or not I can get them to work at a later date. Will include a detailed note for each game.
Every PC game that was tested, did not use Steam Input, and is rated by raw compatibility with the game itself. I will retroactively update this list when I try more games.
Fully Compatible
- Guitar Hero III - PlayStation 3
- Guitar Hero 5 - PlayStation 3
- Guitar Hero Metallica - PlayStation 3
- Guitar Hero Smash Hits - PlayStation 3
- Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock - PlayStation 3
- Guitar Hero World Tour - PlayStation 3
- Rock Band - PlayStation 3
- Rock Band 2 - PlayStation 3
- Rock Band Metal Track Pack - PlayStation 3
- YARG - PC*
Playable
(Initially required setting up bindings for the controller, but worked fine afterwards!)
- Fortnite - PC
- Fortnite - PlayStation 4
- Fortnite - PlayStation 5
(Requires switch to be set to PC mode, and knob set to number 9, in order for the PlayStation console or PC to recognize the guitar. Fortnite's UI is not at all user friendly with this guitar...go figure it’s a shooter game, and I recommend using a controller or mouse to navigate.
To set your binds, go into ‘Keyboard Controls’, click on the various amount of ‘Festive’ categories, select the ‘Custom’ preset, and set your binds from there. Repeat until you've gotten all of them
Additionally, make sure you have selected a Guitar or Bass role on the bottom left of the screen before playing, otherwise the charts will not detect your inputs; it does not automatically set your role like Rock Band does...so much for Epic Games purchasing Harmonix...but let’s get back on topic.
Please refer to a Google search for any further troubleshooting.)
- Guitar Hero III (v1.3) - PC
(Requires switch to be set to PC mode, and knob set to number 9. Also requires initial bind setting, and calibration. Afterwards, just switch it to P3 mode and it should work. This one took quite a while to figure out.)
I downloaded this ROM off oldgamesdownload.com, and patched it to version 1.3
Not Compatible with an Xbox 360 console, due to Microsoft requiring a proprietary security protocol on all accessories, which this guitar lacks.
*For asterisked PC games - set it to P3 mode, otherwise it will not recognize the guitar.
All in all, I think this is a neat controller for my personal collection of PS3 games. I think it could be improved, but I am not complaining. If you are in need of a guitar controller, the CRKD Gibson Les Paul fulfills the job quite well! If I were to give it a rating for my personal use, I'll give it a 9.9/10. If I were to give it an overall rating, I'll give it a 9.5/10 - for its relatively plug & play ease, wide support of games, and the price I paid for it in brand new condition; and for the contrary, for its lack of straightforward instructions, and the not included power brick.
If you enjoyed reading this review, and would like to see me write more reviews for any accessories I may end up getting in the future, let me know! I thought this would be fun to share, as nothing exciting is (currently) happening in my life worth writing a news post about. If you are having any issues with any of the tested games, leave a comment or a DM, and I will try to assist to the best of my ability.
Last updated on July 21, 2026.
