Harmonix has announced recently that they have taken the criticism for the first game and fixed and fined tuned the areas needed, like the instruments. Harmonix has improved each and every one of the Rock Band instruments for Rock Band 2, however you can use the instruments from the first game or most simmilar instruments (for example, guitar hero guitars or microphones from Sing Star or Karoeke Revolution).

The Guitar is, like the first game, modeled after the Fender Stratocaster. It is "almost identical" to the guitar from the first game, save a few changes: a more reliable strumbar, a new snazzy sunburst paint job, quieter frets, and something called an "Overdrive Accelerometer" (whatever that is).

The Mike is, like the guitar, practically identical to the mike from the first game, as well as most other mikes from simmilar music based games. The only real improvement to it is a logo change and more acurate and sophisticated pitch sensor technology.

The drums were almost completely redone. Like the first game, it has four pads, each of which designated a colour and, and a pedal for the bass drum. One change is the new metal bracing for the kick drum pedal, which prevent breakage that was common to the pedal from the first game. Secondly, the drum pads, like in the new Guitar Hero World Tour (being releaced around the same time), are "velocity sensitive", meaning that if you hit hard, it will reflect as a loud hit, and if you hit softly, it will be a quieter hit. One other new inprovement (which, in my opinion, is the best one for the new game) is the addition of optional add-on cymbols, which are available in a bonus pack. The cymbols, when added on, represent the yellow, blue, and green pads, giving you more range, a more realistic feel, and the option between using the corresponding cymbols or drum pads.

Harmonix is also releasing limited edition instruments. The two announced were an actual Fender Stratocaster retrofited with the Rock Band input controls, and an Ion Audio electric drum kit, which can be used as a game controller or an actual drum kit. The Ion Audio kit comes with three cymbals, four drum pads, and a metal rienforced kick pad. all cymbols and pads are velocity sensitive.