When most people think of gamers, they think of guys. While that is fairly accurate, many girls also enjoy playing video games. One the most popular genres with the ladies are music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The plain and masculine guitar controllers typically available with the games can be a problem for the ladies. Thankfully girly controllers are available in the aftermarket.

PDP has announced that new guitar controllers compatible with both Rock Band and Guitar Hero will be available in mid-October for $69.99 each. The controllers were designed with cooperation from teen rock star’s Aly & AJ. The guitar designed by Aly features a heart and cross bone print in pink and brown.

Music games are huge right now and the popularity of the games has music labels and bands rushing to get their tracks into games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Another big market for music games is for aftermarket controllers to replace the generally junky ones that ship with titles like Rock Band.

Perhaps the coolest guitar controller ever for the PS2 and PS3 consoles has been announced by Peak Products. The controller is called the Starpex and it offers complete functionality in both Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The Starpex is made from real wood by a leading maker of real guitars and has lots of optimization for serious gaming.

For those of you who have been doing their best to play bass on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, this is what you want. The other guitars aren’t bass guitars. We told you about Ant Commano’s Double Range Guitar in May.

Now they’ve released this wireless PS2/PS3 bass guitar as they actually care about the bass player. You still won’t be able to double-strum using two fingers like other versions, but it’s a nice looking bass that you can have for $69. With all the money you’ve invested in Guitar Hero and Rock Band, maybe it’s time to buy the real deal?

Those into Rock Band will love this news. The Rock Band Stage Kit has been spotted and it will help you more fully forget your current reality of slinging hash by day at some burger joint while crashing in your mother’s basement at night. Instead, you’ll be on stage with your band mates with lights and smoke. The crowd will be chanting your name…Oh that was your mom intruding on your other life. She wants to know when she’s going to have grandchildren. Obviously girls will have to wait. You have a gig.

The Stage Kit is available for pre-order. Looks like it comes with a 360 controller/strobe light thing and it will cost you $100 in nerd money. Available on August 15th.

The Ant Commandos Double Range Guitar sells for $59.99 and does double duty, since it can play both Guitar Hero and Rock Band in one guitar. The Double Range Guitar plays PS2 and PS3 versions of both Guitar Hero (I, II and III) and Rock Band.

It operates on 2.4GHz wireless technology with a belt clip that gives players unlimited freedom. All of the functionality is retained, like a second set of Rock Band solo buttons near the strum bar and distortion effects. This is a great option for those with limited space who want to play both games.

Anyone who has played Rock Band with a group of friends knows what fun the game can be. When it originally launched the game was only available for Xbox 360 and the PS3. EA confirmed in January that a Wii version would turn up sooner a later.

The official launch date for the Wii version of Rock Band was announced today. The game will hit store shelves on June 22, 2008 at a MSRP of $169.99. The Wii version will be launched in the familiar special edition bundle that comes with the guitar, drums, mic, and software.

Everyone loves Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but let’s face it, the out of the box instruments they give you won’t make you feel like a Rock God. Here’s your chance to get a beautifully handpainted guitar worthy of a real rocker. These limited edition art guitars are individually painted with familiar logos and imagery from several popular rock bands.

Make no mistake, these aren’t just cheap paint jobs, the images are embedded under a protective coating, so you won’t scratch them off while playing Barracuda for the 1000th time. Which is probably why it will cost you $399. ArtGuitar takes a real wood Peavey AG RiffMaster controller, then adds the rock art from various artists like KISS, Lynyrd Skynrd, Ozzy Osbourne and Pantera. At the moment, the controllers are only available for the PS2, but hopefully they’ll get around to Xbox 360 and PS3 versions soon.

As we speculated earlier this week, EA’s CEO John Riccitiello finally confirmed today that Rock Band will be coming to the Wii. This is no doubt great news for millions of would be rock stars who happen to own a Wii and were feeling just a little left out.

He mentioned this at the end of the question and answer session, when Riccitiello referred off hand to the “coming launch” of a Wii version of the popular game. No word yet on exactly when or a price, but you can now rest easy knowing that it is on the way.