Guitar Hero Fidget Clicker

I was thinking of different designs that might be fun to do as a fidget clicker toy and also had maybe not been done before, and something made me think of Guitar Hero! I thought it might be fun to make a clicker that's shaped like just the fretboard and had buttons to click. It isn't perfect but after a couple versions, I think I'm happy with the outcome.

I got some help from JuddleFrameVO in the Guitar Hero subreddit when I realized I had a Rock Band Guitar and not a Guitar Hero one and the buttons on Guitar Hero are just more fun to work with. They got me the measurements I needed to make sure I got the buttons and spacings just right. I tried to make it work with what I found online and I was close, but it was nice to get more precise measurements.

This is meant to be like the fretboard on the Guitar Hero guitar, but it isn't an exact copy or anything. Just something to fidget with when you can't play the game.

Supplies:

1. 3D models, if you want my clicker, are found on Makerworld!
2. 3D Printer and Filament
3. You'll need black, red, orange, yellow, green, and blue
4. Keyboard Switch Clicker - I got these, but most SHOULD work with my design. You don't have to break off the bottom pieces to make it fit in my design.

*Amazon links are Amazon Associates Links

I'm using the same clicker button cutouts that I used with my Virtual Pet Fidget Clicker.

I knew the basic shape of the buttons, so I started by using Sketch to get that shape.

When I had the shape, I scaled it to match the measurements on got on Reddit, though I did have to make sure the clicker cutout would fit in there.

From there it got a little tricky because I wanted to make the button base and also a colored border. I used a combination of Sketch and Outline in order to get the button, the colored outline, and the cutout on the button where the colored outline will go.

Now, to save on filament, I decided at this point that the outline and button would be printed separately but not glued together. Instead, you print the colored outlines first, then you print the button bases and add a pause so you can add the colored outline TO the print. Then, resume the print and it will print on top of the outline fusing it together and avoiding an overhang.

Now for the base. I, again, got measurements online and then tried to work with the button sizing and what I thought the base should be. I mostly worried about getting the spacing right between the first and last buttons and then evenly spaced them from there. It needed to be thick enough to contain the cutouts, and luckily it was.

Using Bundle Group helped with linking up the buttons and cutouts.

I used cylinders to cut out the frets between the buttons for a little extra detail.

I curved the edges both for looks, since a guitar is not sharp edges, and for comfort for holding it.

In order to reduce filament usage, I decided to print the colored outlines on the buttons first on their own. I also printed the colored borders on the same plate, and printed by object instead of by layer. This saves on printing time and waste as it only goes through the startup process once and only purges at the beginning, and between each color. The colored borders are thin so be careful taking them off the plate so they don't distort, bend, or break.

Then, when I printed the button bases, I added a pause right before it would print the overhangs. When the print paused, I added the outlines to each of the buttons. Then I started the print again and it continued on top of the colors.

I found it helped to add glue stick to the part of the colored boarders that would touch the PLATE, this helped a bit because they wanted to curl up since they weren't really stuck to the plate like the rest of the button. Though you still might get a little curling. Still seems worth it to me to save on filament swaps.

Time to put it together!

Pretty straightforward. Add the clickers into the base first, and then add the buttons on top. That's it!

Just a look at an earlier version where I had a loop to help with your hold. Was a little too clunky, but it was fun to try to spin it around my hand.

And the finished clicker! Here it is next to a Rock Band guitar. Similar, not the same spacing, but pretty close.