Boss Gt-5

[Rudi]

I was looking up some specs for my Boss GT-5 and ended up writing an online review at Harmony Central. I thought I would share it here. Most of the (many) reviewers say that it’s built like a tank. Well so it is. I thought I had more to add though.

Steve had one of these (given to him! Lucky beggar) and thoroughly disliked it. I myself find it to be an indispensable tool. Oddly, the site manager of the Fiddle-Forum uses one of these with his electric violin.

specs & info http://www.livesoundsolutions.co.uk/equipm...ckline/gt5.html

specs & info http://www.bossus.com/index.asp?pg=1&tmp=93

The unit is now pretty old and has been superseded 1st by the GT-6 and later by the GT-8.

Ease of use: 7

The pre-sets sound gaudy. They sound good once you edit down the effects. Less delay, less distortion, less everything. I found the manual essential for creating patches.

Most of the patches I actually use (about 10) are edited presets, some SUBSTANTIALLY edited. I can’t imagine using any of the presets for gigging. They seem designed just to 'show off' this piece of kit.

Sound Quality: 9

My main lead guitar custom patch is the edited (Fender) TWIN-REVERB one. Similar to Jerry Garcia's sound (he used a Twin Rev at the heart of his system). It sounds very good.

AMP: I use this with a Fender Stage 112 and 5 instrument leads. You need 3 to cobble it through the effects loop. This way you get the clearest signal and the amp is then slaved to the GT-5, using its clean channel and bypassing all the switches & dials. Another lead is a line out to the band PA.

GUITAR: I mostly use a Jackson Soloist XL. Though a single coil pickup may the ideal option (cleaner signal), I find I use the brighter humbucker a lot of the time, especially towards the end of a gig.

The key to creating the best sounding effects is to know how to place them in the chain ie: what comes first & last. I created a patch at home that sounded superb in the dining room, but sounded horrible cranked up at gigging volume. Expect to do a lot of tweaking to patches as they do sound different at high volume.

Reliability: 9

I use this without a backup. I have used it for many years and it just goes on & on. This year I had to have the power lead chopped back, it had worn loose after years of heavy use. Boss should really have used a kettle lead here, but this is a minor grumble.

One favourite user-patch has a tremolo effect assigned to the stomp button, this stopped working properly after a couple of years for some reason (The volume now dips substantially). I have not tried to ‘fix’ this, as I only use on one song and I am lazy.

There have been 2 occasions when programming the GT-5 that I’ve managed to make it ‘lock up’. Switching the thing off and on again restored it ok again (just like PCs).

Actually it is very reliable where it counts.

Customer Support: (no opinion)

Have not used customer support at BOSS ROWLAND. The power lead repair I had done by my local dealer. It cost about £10.

Overall Rating: 9

I play in a 7 piece band rooted in soul & ska. In practice, this accounts for less than half of our set. We have updated our set to include songs by The Coral, Keiser Chiefs etc. Sadly (for me) no original material is played.

I briefly used a Zoom unit. The build quality was not very good but I reasoned that if it lasted a year, it would be money well spent. At that time the band was recording and the sound engineer found the Zoom was compromising the sound quality. He had a GT-5 handy, and I used that for the first time in the studio. Before that week was out, I had chopped in the Zoom for a GT-5.

With so many other instruments competing at mid-range, I find that I do about 60% of my rhythm work with no effects at all. This means I have no compression at all, and I can hear me much better in the blend.

I have fewer outlets for my personal music than I would like, but the GT-5 is essential for that too. Presently I am using it for recording (with the Jackson + a Washburn) and using the acoustic guitar simulator for a couple of finger-picked instrumentals. I have both a steel string and a Spanish (nylon strung) acoustics available but get a clearer sound and signal from the GT-5.

I’ve been playing for 37 years and play all styles. One effect I would like to have is a nylon string simulator (Spanish guitar sound). This was included on the GT-6 but I have not heard it myself so I don’t know how authentic it is.

If my GT-5 were lost or stolen I would try out a GT-8. If the build quality or sounds were not good enough, I would try to source another GT-5.

I like to solo. My most important piece of kit is the Jackson. The 2nd most important is the GT-5

[Nightwolf]

I have a Boss pedal as well, I'll check the model tonight. You are right, reprogramming is KEY, the standard sounds are lame, but the pedal has potential for anyone willing to put in the time to program good ones in. I think I have some useful documentation at home, I will try to share it later on.

[Rudi]

Great! I got it out last night & checked out some patches using headphones, they sound even worse heard that way. The stereo effect is impressive though. Even my own patches could stand some improvement.

Its surprising what a difference volume can make. I have recordings of shows that sound as if they were recorded quietly in someone's bedroom, but I was present at those shows and the volume was such that it vibrated the whole building (and my breastbone too). It sure had a different effect on the night.