Guitar Hero and Rock Band fanatics who are tired of being derided as posers, take note: the You Rock Guitar not only plays like a real guitar (with "strings" instead of a flipper, and "frets" instead of buttons), but it functions as both a game controller and a standalone digital guitar.

Guitarists looking for a cheap, reliable MIDI solution, take note as well: the You Rock Guitar comes equipped with USB and MIDI outputs for interfacing with almost any software or hardware synth on the planet, and plays just like a real guitar.

The You Rock Guitar may be difficult to categorize, but it isn't hard to see how wide its potential audience is, especially when you realize the MSRP on this thing is only about $150. Yes, it functions as a game controller for any system and multiple game titles (thanks to interchangeable interface cartridges), but musicians will be more interested in it's controller functionality.

The YRG uses six "strings" to trigger notes, and a touch-sensitive "fretboard" to dictate pitch. An accompanying whammy bar acts as your pitch mod control, and you can connect to either a computer (via USB) or a hardware synth (via MIDI).

Even if you don't have a separate sound module, the You Rock Guitar is capable of producing it's own sounds that it outputs via either headphones or a standard 1/4" instrument jack. . . meaning you can hook this 'controller" up to a real amplifier and rock out like a real guitarist. A wide range of classic guitar tones are built into the YRG, and you can even plug in an aux audio source and jam along with your favorite tunes.

The Your Rock Guitar will be on display at Winter NAMM 2010. Stay tuned for on site trade show coverage. . .