Hasbro's Tiger Electronics division previewed their new "Power Tour Guitar" at a recent media event. Hot on the heels of Guitar Hero's success, this little axe has preloaded songs that your child can play by "strumming" lighted sensors. But is it really playing the guitar? Not by a long shot. As recent Newsweek piece points out, playing Guitar Hero on the Playstation is far from learning to master the real thing, and Power Tour Guitar looks like it's not much different. Aside from that, it's a noisy electronic toy that probably eats batteries by the caseload, although it does bear a strong resemblance to a Gibson SG, giving it enough rock and roll credibility that it will probably be popular with alternadads nostalgic for their own rocker pasts.

But parents who really want to foster a love of playing music might be better off with a real child-sized acoustic guitar. My four year old hasn't mastered a single barre chord in the year that she's owned hers, but she's spent countless happy hours banging away at it anyway, and the noises she makes can be any song she wants them to be--the only preloaded songs are whatever's loaded into her brain. And better yet, the noises she makes don't freak out the neighborhood dogs.

Still, we'll probably give the Power Tour Guitar a look-see when it hits stores in August. The alternadad at my house is kind of jonesing to play with it.