Boss GT-3

was not that easy to use

this peddle was very noisey and the distortions where horrible they all sounded fuzzy i took it back to guitar center for digitech rp 250 newest peddle sounded alot quieter and sounds sounded better

I bought is used at guitar center and had it 2 days took it back but i know it was in perfect condition used and worked like it was supposed to

Insanely easy to use! It operates on a push button > options kinda procedure then you basically just tweak til you get your sound. Tonnes of options but presented in a fool-proof way. Editing is a piece of wee really, ive edited patches during songs and without a hitch, one thing i loved about that particular option was the subtleness in which this can be acheived. Basically, strum...add delay, chorus and some phase and theres not even a hint of an obvious change.

For clean effected tones (i love my effects) this unit is close to perfect, i have patches where ive mixed up to 6 different fx and the sound quality is awesome. I must admit that for heavier distortion it can be a little disappointing. I find it quite difficult to achieve a full on phat distorted sound even with all the pre-amp and gain options, still the overdrive is great. Can't say enough for the other fx though, such a massive range in effect sounds!!

Well ive had a pint spilled on mine, plus its been dropped by some idiot from a great height and yet it still works. Most effect users know that Boss have superior reliability with their products. Watch out for the adaptor though, ive had my unit for 5 years and went through 4 adaptors.

Never had to contact Boss actually....so i can't really comment.

Like i say ive had my GT-3 for 5 years and its never let me down. I can switch from a clean tone with lots of effects to a dirty sound with a little reverb all in the tap of a foot. Ive made up some cool patches on this thing, i recommend this unit to any guitarist who likes to mess around. It has everything plus some additional effects that you may or may not use. I should add that ive used a GT-5 and a GT-6 now and neither have come close to this (although this is obviously just my opinion). Theyre quite cheap these days so if you like sounds id say buy this in a hurry. Well played Boss!

Easy to understand, very adjustable. I just wish there was an interface for it that didn't take so much effort. Somebody made a midi interface that works in Windows, but I am Mac-based, so I haven't seen whether it works or not.

This was given to me as a gift. I was originally a skeptic, so when I got it I thought it would be an interesting toy for over-the-top sounds. Trouble is, I never really use over-the-top sounds. In fact, I like to get my distortions by driving the amp or by using messed up speaker cabinets. This doesn't work well for shows or for practice, and since we started doing shows, I had to find a way to get the sounds consistantly.
I pulled out the GT-3 and started tweaking. After a while I realized all I needed to do was set the volume on my Bassman head to about 8 and vary the input volume, and then add a couple of messed up distortions into the mix. Two of the pedal switches are simply high and low volume. The high volume sounds no different than plugging straight into the amp. I would have never thought this possible. If you keep the cords short, there is no discernable difference in noise level. The lower volume is just like turning the guitar down with its volume knob. The distortions match any of the pedals I have used in the past, I can approximate the Big Muff sound, the DS-1 sound, the Tube Screamer sound, the Distortion+ sound, etc.
The touch sensitivity and feedback that you can get plugging direct into the amp is the same. I keep scouring the web to see if someone who knows better than me feels differently. I can't believe a digital effects pedal can feel so real.
I have used it for recording guitar parts late at night when I didn't want to wake anyone up. If I don't take notes, I forget whether I mic'd a cabinet or went direct with the GT-3. Also, the effects are great for messing up tracks when mixing. If you put the signal through a impedance matching box (like a Reamp) the resulting signal is as clean or as dirty as you would like it. The Arpeggiator on a vocal part is really funny.
One note of caution- at least for me, all the presets are useless. I cannot imagine using a single one of them. I can't believe the pedal actually sold when the first thing folks would hear when plugging into it was one of these over-compressed, noise gated monstrosities.

Built like a Sherman Tank. I have been gigging with it for about 5 years and it doesn't even show it.

N/A

I play punk rock and country-ish punk. I have been playing for 27 years. I use a Bassman head (AB165) with a 2-12 cabinet with Jensens or an Ampeg V-3 cabinet. I also have a Gibson GA6 Tweed Lancer, a Bassman 10, and a Fender BXR 300. Guitars- Epiphone G400 SG with Gibson humbuckers from an Epiphone Genesis, '84 Telecaster, '98 Strat, Hohner Les Paul copy (heavily moded) and a Peavey Fury bass.
If somehow my GT-3 was missing, I would buy a new one asap. It doesn't get in the way, and does what I need it to without fail. I haven't had any trouble with it in 5 years and cannot say that about any of the stompboxes I have used in the past.

this is pretty easy to use... you have to be stupid not to know what ur doing with it after like an hour of messin with it...

im using this with an ibanez rg220b and a peavy shitty combo amp but it sounds good... it the harmonizer thingy you can do alot with and alot of the other effects are great too... some of the distortions are week and just get in the way when you try n figure this thing out but its not a big problem if you play soft stuff..

idk if i would use this in a gig rite now but in the future when ive figured everything out about it..

no i havent haD to

i play alota metal and grungy stuff but mostly i make up my own stuff...
ive been playing for like 3 years, so if it were stolen or lost idk if id be able to buy it again for this price cuz i just sorta came across it at a pawn shop.. id deffinatley use this pedal for recording.. you can get whatever you desire out of it.

Itwas difficult at first, but after explorere for hours, it's a peie of cake, i know how to use this easily

I have a Jay Turser Vintage Series, it's a crap guitar, but with this, it sounds great. I also have a crap amp, but now I use my Gt-3 as an amp and my actual amp as the speakers.

The GT-3 helps me with all my gigs, gives me Wah, Distortion, Clean, CHorus, and everything I need in one. Sadly, I don't have a backup, but it's so dependable I know it won't break down.

Never used it, it never broke down on me

I play Punk, Metal, Jazz and Rock. It helps me with all the sounds I want and my band even wants to buy one, but it's out of production. I'm sure the GT-6 and GT-8 is even better, so I recommend this product.

At first it's difficult because it has many effects and many buttons, but if you take a quick read over the manual, it becomes very easy to use. The problem is that many of the people do not read the manuals and expect to learn how to use it magically. Have a quick read over the manual and you can create almost any sound possible.

I'm using an Aria Pro II ZZ (Explorer) Deluxe, the same makers for Cliff Burton basses. My amp is a Yamaha T100C designed by Soldano with vacuum tubes. With this amp the GT-3 sound great. I'ts very important to adjust the settings and utility to your personal amp, beacuse this will make the difference in the sound. People that said they don't like the sound i'ts because they didn't adjust the settings and utility according to their amps.

There are too many effects I don't use. My favorites for clean is the JC-120 with the harmonizer, 5150 Trash sounds very like Metallica and Pantera, for solos I use the BG lead that sound like sweet child o'mine slash solos and intro. The Metal solo effect i use with the wah that creates a very Kirk Hammet sound. Also i like the phaser ande delays. I like so much the Satraini effect named Satch tone.

I want to remark that I change a little bit the factory settings for these effects, to make them more accurate to the real ones.

If you change some patterns and settings in the effects you can approach to the effects you want for sure, try making variations and you will get it.

I have it like 3 years ago and the other user had it for two years and it is in perfect conditions, without any problem.

Good materials

I, have no contact BOSS because I never need it, it works perfectly and easy to use with the manual.

I play Metallica, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Guns'n roses and some of my own creations that comes from metal, rock, blues and some jazz.

I have been playing for 6 years, I had a Rat distortion pedal but i sold it when i bouth teh GT-3, also i had a Metal Zone that gives you a very good distortion, sometimes better than the Gt-3, but you can have an approach by modifying some settings, a good approach its the 5150 Trash.

I feel very comfortable with my Gt-3, a good bought

Not the easiest to use. I used a digitech RP200 for quite some time because i didnt want to figure out the GT-3. My own laziness though. If youre not a total luddite, and you spend about 10 minutes with it, you can figure out how it works. press buttons, press more buttons, press more buttons, etc. The preset sounds are alright, sound have are cranked up with a lot of gain, so i turn down the output on my guitar to get a better tone.

I use this thing as my outboard compressor for my home studio because im too poor to buy a real one. BUT, this works fine, i keep it on an FX insert in between my preamp and AD converters and it compresses everything fine.
I think most of the sound effects tends to be pretty digital sounding, especially the high gain ones, but that only matters for tone-freaks. If your playing with a band no one will notice or care. I use it for recording, through tube amp, thru practice amps, through a half stack, all color it obviously, but it sounds fine for anything you would want. The Wahs are kind of boring even though it has five of them.
For me, the compressors, EQ, gate (called something else in here), limiter are pretty useful and make this MORE than a guitar FX pedal, its just an audio processing board really.

Seems good. I havent broken anything on it yet. Its heavy if that counts. Nice pedals. They havent changed the pedal design and now theyre on GT-8, so there must not have been too many complaints...
The power cord is sweet because it is NOT a wall wart. I would depend on this sucker playing live.

Never

I play a wide variety, jazz, blues, rock, space rock, metal, electronica. I can generally get sounds of of this that i want for the guitar parts, AND bass, AND vocals. I use more audio plugins than anything though.
If it were stolen or lost i would buy the new version, not this. But if you find one used, for a good deal, snatch it up.

I've had this box of tricks for about five years now and still manage to find something new every time I go a-tweakin'. It's easy to get a sound from the presets and fairly easy to write your own programmes using the manual for guidance but trial and error is your best option The trick is in knowing how each effect works and how it affects the overall tone and this takes time friend. But that said it's best to start off by tweaking and saving one of the presets until you've become familiarised with the workings.
The only problem I get is in a live situation when I need to tweak "on the fly", the layout means that I have to open up the programme to adjust and then save.

I've tried this with various set ups but find the best way to get the full stereo effect out of it is directly into a power amp and a pair of (currently Marshall) cabs with a bit of ditance between them. The pre amps can be a bit harsh on times and the distortions a bit fizzy so I found that you need to work out which OD/Distortion type suits which Preamp type. That said it would probably take a valve officionado to know that it is SS in a live situation.
The reverbs, delays and modulation fx are superb but it's best to get a good basic sound first and then add these for "colour".
The band cut a demo recently and I went straight into the desk via the GT3 in stereo - the engineer was amazed at the sounds coming through the monitors and we were more than happy with the results.

I bought this as "used" about five years ago. It was in pretty good condition then and still is. I've had absolutely no problems with it whatsoever apart from one of the rubber feet coming away but that can be easily remedied. It's been stomped on at least three nights a week and still does the job with no signs of packing up. And no, I don't carry a back up.

I haven't had cause to contact them in the five years that I've owned the unit but having contacted them about a different matter sometime ago I found the CS dept very helpful.

I've been playing for about 30 years (it's about time I stopped for tea) and play various styles from roots to rock both in a band and solo. I use a Lonestar Strat, Eggle Berlin and Takamine electro through it. it compliments them all.
If it were lost or stolen I'd either try to replace it or money permitting upgrade to the gt6 or 8 purely for the ability to adjust on stage.
I don't think there's much to dislike about it apart from the weird Synth and modulator FX. The harmoniser is great fun for the Queen and Lizzy fans.

for the experienced (me and other good players)this is a piece of cake...we gain structure our equipment so it sounds as intended, and we know our way around the parameters. When I read some of these reveiws I laugh..I first owned one of these in 1999 when it came out and I too at the time was a bit frustrated because I was an intermediate guitar effects wizard..I always ran my effects to this day thru the same peavey half stack but I went thru a rack journeey and this how the story goes:
After my gt-3 I sold it in 2001 and bought a rocktron voodoo valve and it was pretty good but not an elite like a gt. So I sold that and bought a mesa :tri-axis and it was quite good but way too expensive and over priced and didnt quite hit the mark, so I sold it in 2003 , with it came alot of money and in 2004 bought a peavey tube-fex.which I liked better than the over priced tri-axis, but I sold it cuz it too was missing some thing..so In 2005 I needed the gt-3 back because one of my friends showed up to rehearsal and my jaw dropped!..the piece of gear I so longed to have back was there but it was his!..kinda like a girlfriend that was yours and he didnt know and introduces you to her to find out she was an -ex..same thing..My point? this IS the real deal...take some time my friend and learn this hard to master unit..for the effects are accurate ,deep and when set up PROPERLY and dead accurate

my story will answer alot of this...tweak it over time and you will find your tone..Im buying another one..Ive learned a painful lesson.I was a jerk and want her back.I play a custom Jackson soloist (my signature model s-1 )with duncan jb in the bridge.the metal zone pedal my cousin todd and I used in our A-B comparison proved the accuracy of this same settings and the same cabinet = same sound. every effect on this unit is crystal clear and when set up at unity gain (the same level in as it goes out)you will experience heaven..this has an input meter..use it! run it at 3/4 the way up and listen for analog distortion...My 5150 distortion in this unit was great and will use it again...for you metal heads try the sldn lead (soldano) and it is very scorpions "crazy world) tone...very 2khz punchy...speaker simulator is great exept hard to get the deep cabinet sound but I really dont like that anyway...I get a great sound direct in (mixer meter at 0!)dont have to push the levels and use all headroom saveit! use it with my peavey half stack...noise suppressor I took for granted...never thought about it until I pushed it and heard all this nasty noise...It is awesome.all effects are pristine quality...and the metal distortion 2 sounds as we proved EXACTLY like the metal zone

reliable? like a hunting dog! or a tv...everytime your fired up-its ready to go and expect no problems

no comment (LOL) I am loyal once again to boss/roland so I wont go there... dont like to depened on them...nice but clueless

I bought my first one new, and my second one used... play metal and this thing delivers in spades..been playing since the 70's and this is still the best preamp I have ever used...if it were stolen and I caught the dude? I would go medeival and take my sword and ...well..(deep breath, going to my happy place)good for him I guess...karma's a bitch. I sold this once and want it back!I need this unit,love everything about her, better than my ex's: rocktron, mesa,peavey,(love peavey's though)engl,and hughes and kettner.It has all I need and love her for it...I hope you experience the awesome playing time I had with it...and thank my band mate for bringing us back together...

With a little tinkering around without the manual you can basically figure out how to get a pretty good sound, once you have this undercontrol the manual makes a pretty good reference for getting what you are looking for. The presets are however a joke and I would recommend starting from scratch and basically just set it all up the way you would your normal pedal board or what you would need from particular songs.

I'm using this piece of equipment with a 1986 Japanese Strat hotrodded with a Dimarzio Evolution at the bridge and an Ibanez 320 DX running directly into the effects loop of a Randall Classic 150 2x12 combo which also runs to an additional Jackson 2x12 speaker cab. The effects sound awesome, kicks the shit out of everything I've ever used, excluding the Digitech GSP-21 rack unit I used a few years back, the GT-3 is much faster at switching between effects, the old digitech wouldn't switch without a black out time between channels. Great for capturing high gain tones similar to Zakk Wylde Dimebag Darrell, as well as really smooth and spaced out tones similar to Vai and Satriani. Old school metal zone era sounds are no prob either, anything from Mercyful Fate to Judas Priest and Maiden are easily captured as well.

Very reliable and tough, I use it all the time with absolutely no backup on stage as well as the studio.

Never had to deal with it.

I play a lot of different styles of music, whether it is a form of Rock or Metal, or Jazz this unit is perfect. I chose it because of the high recommendations of other musicians I've known for years who have used one. Before this I had used a Zoom Player 2100 for a few years and this unit ate that one alive, shit it back out, then ate it again.