Are you thinking about buying Rock Band 3 for your system of choice because you’ve heard so much about how this new game is supposed to be a great tool to, finally, teach you how to actually play guitar? Then you might as well want to start saving so you can kill two birds with one stone: the highly hyped Fender-Squier-Stratocaster-Rock-Band-3-Branded-Fully-Functional-Electric-Guitar (or HSSRB3BFFEG, so you can easily remember the name since it just rolls from your tongue) has been given a firm release date which shall fall on the 1st day of the third month of the next year. Yep, March 1, 2011 (a tuesday in case you’re wondering).

Now, here’s the extra kicker: you’ll need $280 (plus tax) to buy this guitar, $60 (again, plus tax) for the Rock Band 3 software  AND a $30 (plus, plus, plus… taaaaaax!) Mad Catz labeled MIDI adapter… as well as an AMP to actually plug in the guitar and rock out for the realz in the lifezes.

There IS a final catch: the Squier Stratocaster can be used for playing the new Pro mode in RB3… and only that mode. The guitar CANNOT be used to play any other mode and thus you either must really be fully committed to use RB 3 as a guitar tutor or already own a RB guitar or buy a new RB3 plastic guitar or else you won’t have much fun if you realize that you can’t play a real guitar solo as easily as our plastic friends allow us to.

Will you be spending over $400 for the whole package?