Boss GT-5 Guitar Effects Processor

It is time consuming to learn and master. I never liked to tiny LCD screen and all the flip-flopping back and forth between parameters. Sometimes, old fashioned knobs are a good thing.

I have owned mine since they first appeared (about 8-9 years, I think). I have used this unit as direct-to-the console, in the EFX loop of my Pre, and between the guitar and the Pre. Direct to console worked well for several years and served to keep stage volume down. I did not care for the Pre-EFX-loop setup as some effects were lifeless or non-existent. I prefer to run it between the guitar and the Pre like a giant stomp box. I play a Nashville Tele and Gibson LP into a MB V-Twin PreAmp into a MB 50/50 followed by two 1x12 MB half-open cabinets.

I have never had a problem with it. Sturdy and have used it live for years without a backup but I found its weakness last week. Someone tripped over a cabinet on a dark stage and stepped on the guitar cord right at the input jack. The ensuing leverage action snapped the printed circuit board like a dried-out cookie. Thankfully this was not during a live set (actually right before it) and luckily I was preparing for an acoustic set so I did not need all of the patches anyway. I ran straight into my rig and moved on.

No need to until now. I talked to the local tech and he said that a part would probably cost more than what the unit is worth. It looks like I will be hitting ebay to find another one. But I will probably go ahead and by that Vox Valvetronix I've bene looking at first.

It has a great unit and I have enjoyed it a lot. Since buying and test drivig every amp out there is a financial impossibility I originally bought this unit as a way to pseudo-test the various Amps. Looking for that perfect "tone". I kept coming back to the MesaBoogie for hard overdrive, the Roland JC-120 and Vox for clean, and the Vox and Matchless for light overdrive. I bought my MB rig about four years ago and preparing to buy a Vox rig. I tend to be a purist so I like real tubes...not simulated tubes....but don't get me wrong. This unit is great.

This piece of gold is a rocking machine if you have the time to figure
it out. I did not sleep in the first three days but then I got used to
it and now it kills the ears. If you make one patch for a sound you
think works, be prepared that in a week or two you may set some
parameters differently, only because your ears demand a slight turn.
It makes you think of sound, either (along with hearing it). Don't
forget to set the input/output balance right! If it's set the wrong
way, it could make you think that the effect sounds bad, which is
asolutely NOT the truth.

Since it is no longer on the selling list, you can hardly go into a
store and try one, unless they have it used. You know what? Try one.
Again, after you dial all the right parameters, the result WILL be
perfect. You can simply dial EVERYTHING, and I mean it. The key is in the effect chain settings!

This damn machine is tougher than a stompbox and it looks cool too.
There's only one cord and you're done for all night. Clear and strong
signal, perfect reproduction. Don't jump on the upper part where the
value jog and the screen are, that part is the only area that looks
vulnerable. (it probably isn't...)

Everething is available even though it's not produced any more.

Perfect for live environment, stage abuse and studio use.
From acoustic to blues, from hard rock to shred, from heavy dirt to
angelic synth, from bass to guitars and VOICE (!) effecting, this
machine opens all gates. If I ever will stop use it, it could only
be when I'm a million dollar recording artist with a shitload of
pricey amps and a big studio on my own. But I will use it live, I
guess.

what a wonderful machine!!....i bought this to replace a behringer v-amp 2 with a behringer fcb 1010 controller that i was using on stage, and fearing that the v-amp 2 was too fragile for live use, which it is.....the gt-5 is very easy to use, easy to program, and extremely rugged....even though i bought it used, i still got a manual with it, but all i used it for was to find the factory reset procedure....i absolutely love the sound and the flexibility....

the sound?.....great....just great...i run mine right into the low gain input on a sovtek tube midget 50h, and then into a marshall jcm900 1060a 4x12 box....typically used with a les paul or equivalent guitar, but always with a humbucker.....of course, as with any processor, you have to "cook" your own sounds to taste, but the gt-5 has more than adequate ingredients available.....i've read many of the other reviews here, and those folks who are having trouble getting good sounds, or using needlessly complex cabling setups are obviously doing something wrong....this unit is a definite no-brainer....my sound is a revved-up classic marshall tone, with a lot of meat...the sort that cleans up as you back off on your pick attack, and takes off over the cliff when you dig in.....the same response you get from a cranked tube amp, just as it should be.....and yes, i still like mids.....scooped mids sound stupid :(....

the unit is very quiet, and i am just as happy with it as i can be

bulit as the tank, but no treads...love the real ac cord

roland/boss are pros, and i would expect pro level service if i needed it

i've been playing now for 34 years, and i've been down every gear road there is.....there's no valid reason not to go with an all-in-one processor, as long as it's a good one, and this is a good one....obviously, if you're not good at programming, you'll have troubles, but then, if you're not good at programming, you'll have a tough time surviving in this world....you need to learn how....i'm convinced that nothing is perfect, but i'm giving this thing a 10 anyway, cuz it is just too sweet....it does everything i could ever ask for, and does it very well.....

The reason I'm posting this is that I have just discovered the KILLER upgrade for a GT-5. Just insert a Rockman distortion device (either the "Headphone amp type or a Sustainor rackmount) into the Effects Loop, and you can get the lead tome that the GT-5 lacks. Plus the GT-5's preamp/eq, noise gate and volume pedal improve the usability of even the cheap Rockmans to the point of pro stage use.

Rock on!

10

it's all in the fingers ( & ears) !

i like it ! used in two combo setting with lots of sounds.
marshall vs100 combo , with vs112 ext cab ( good thump) and a roland vg3. i tried a dg stomp also , but hated the wall wart.

boss' manufacturing sets the standard. built solidly , but handled with respect. protect & care for your toys. always have a back up ( especially for a bass player who likes to get drunk before the gig )
harmonizer / octave divider , anyone ? ) i've had digital wierdness due to power brown outs, sag , etc. invest in a power conditioner. with boss , nothing an arm & a leg couldn't fix..

i've had success thru their warranties & superstore site. they've yet to improve upon it with the gt6 (wall wart alert !) as far as i am concerned. too many options makes jack a dull boy.....

i replaced a boss gx700 with this because i made a vow to get rid of all my wall warts. i had the gx700 for 5 years , recorded 2 cds with it & it never failed to get what i needed. the gt5 was very close in dealing with parameters of the gx700. this takes the place of 15 boss pedals at your feet. a tuner, wah, whammy, volume pedal, slow gear is great & the feedbacker is highly sought after. great bargain. NO WALL WART !

Not easy but once you understand the differents parameters you get a great friend!

Use a Fernandez stratocaster and a Peyvey amp, sounds great! But when I play live I use a Roland Bluse Cube, and I have to reajust the sound or else it sounds crappy... I use most distorsion and acoustic effects and I don't understand those who said that the distortion is crappy; I think it sounds great when you afdjust the related parameters...

Solid as a rock!

Support? They rather close this departement! I've never used it (got this pedal now for 5 years) and don't expect to use it ever!

We play anything in our band (from Chuck Berry, Beatles, Deep purple Led Zeppelin to Cold Play!) and it has never failed to give me the sounds I needed. I sure by another one if this one got stolen!! I love the ease of changing from effect to effect and making my own effects banks, but I hate the time it takes to program new effects! The only minus I can see is the dependance of the amp you use. It can sound great on a good amp (like the Peyvey) and sounds completely desastrous on a other one (Like my damn Roland Bluse cube!) My only wish would be to find a site for GT5 users/fans where we could help each others or give good tips for the use of it! I any one knows such a site you're welcome to write to me!

Not a simple toy. takes a while to learn the parameters, but hey its a more "in depth" machine than most guitar processors. manual and video help explain it all pretty well. worth the programming time once you nail the right parameters. I've worked with tougher gear thats for sure.

First off...to all of you fellas who claim this thing is crap and the distortions suck, etc etc...If you know how to setup and use gear properly you will have no problem getting great tones out of this thing. I know most of the negative posts are from purist metalheads or old blues farts anyhow. you know, the same people who knock on electro music but can't even program a GT-5, heh. first off...run it direct into a PA setup or use the 4 cable hook up into a guitar amp (one amp for mono). if you prefer stereo to mono guitar, then it sounds best thru 2 combo or stack guitar amps using the 4 cable hook up. great distortions, thick tones (especially the fuzz which is my fave). this unit is really great for electronic influenced rock music ala new order, depeche mode, cure, pumpkins etc. I believe johnny Marr, Martin Gore and Billy Corgan use (or have used) these numerous times. clear processing. just plain sounds good if you know what your doing. If your a purist I don't know why the hell ya bought it in the first place. good for experimental tones.

very reliable. don't need a backup.

never needed to call boss. they don't even need a customer support dept. their stuff never breaks.

Its a great machine for live and recording if you know how to set it up and program. I've been playing since I was 12 years old. I'm 22 now. play a blend of psychedelic/electro/rock and would buy another one if it were taken from me. love all the features and all the available tones inside this thing. compared to all the other processors in its price range, this one takes the cake hands down. to hear it used on my recordings head to http://www.angelfire.com/alt/cmb

It took me a few tries to get the sound that i want. If you went through and read the manual first and then try to experiment, it's so much easier.

AFter reading the other reviews on this site, i came to the conclusion that the way to hook this baby up is the 4 -cable hookup. (that is: 1. guitar to GT Input. 2. GT send - Amp input , 3. GT Return to Amp Send, 4. GT output - Amp return.) I run a Peavey Classic 50/410 using a Gibson Les Paul Special SL (all stock) and the tone is unbelievable. I love it to death. It sounds good.

I have not owned this long enought to have a fair rating.

Excellent customer support.

I play in a cover band. This thing is as solid as rock. been playing a long time and i have a very discriminating ear so i know a good sound from the bad one, DUH!!

Used around 400? methinks.
I've never been too fond of Boss distortions and this unit is no surprise. But then I bought it for live use/easiness.
Sick of tap dancing....
I may add that the time effects sound worse than those I had in the ME-6 some 15 years ago. My honest opinion.

You need to spend many hours editing patches to make it sound right
but it eventually can be done.
A lot (I mean a REAL lot) of the result depends on the amplification :
At first I had a Marshall TSL100 head+cab
I tried in front, the 4 cable method and straight in the FX return without much luck. I spent quite some time trying to tune the unit.
But everything sounded like Marshall crunch no matter what I did.
I sold the amp and bought a pair of powered speakers (Behringer B300)
Sounds way better and WAY more versatile. I use them as monitors/stage amp and go direct to the board. If you have the bucks, I'd suggest Mackie SRM450 (they're louder and more reliable - I have a few probs with the B300). Anyway get two (2) speakers for stereo, a definite must have. Use the speaker sims of course when going direct.
I played with the idea of getting an external dirt pedal in the loop (tubeman or similar) but that would ruin my efforts in getting a simplistic rig ...

To cut it short, I like my decent sounding setup. Not the best sounding rig I can imagine but good enough for the shitty bars I play anyway ...
I play original stuff, rock, funk, arpeggios, ballads, a tiny bit of metal, classic rock, punk, psychadelic, pop, power pop ... you get the picture : versatility is the magic word here.
If I was to play metal only, blues only or anything only I'd certainly NOT buy a GT-5 and get a dedicated rig.

BTW preferred it over the GT6. I can't see a valid reason for spending more bucks on that one. I don't got too into FX descriptions, it's eventually a matter of personal taste and preference. Things I never use are humanizer, ring mod.
Everything else gets used.

Like I said it took some time to get a dozen usable patches but nowadays, I spend more time focussing on playing and less on tuning the holy sound which is eventually what everyone should do.

I'd rate it 6/10 which doesn't mean anything actually
It simply means it's a good working TOOL
Good enough for me to stop looking for something better.
There IS obviously better gear out there ...

Es bastante dificil al principio, pero despues de trabajar en el 3 horas diaras durante 10 dias pude dominarlo perfectamente. El uso del control "PEDAL/ASSIGN" es bastante dificil pero despues de cogerle el tiro te das cuenta que es una gran caracteristica; El manual es mas bien deficiente. Encontrar el SETUP adecuado es dificil pero despues de eso el uso se vuelve muy mecanico. El software de mi unidad es V1.02, el cual traia un Bug que no permite subir los parches al computador (aunque si bajarlos a la unidad). De todas formas las versiones siguientes a la V1.06 ya traen solucionado este problema.

My setup es guitarra Yamaha RGX 1212s (Neck Thru) Head CRATE Stealth de 100W y medio Stack 2x12" hecho con parlantes Beyma en un taller de Audio. La unidad esta a la altura de mis equipos. Al principio salia un preocupante humm de la unidad, pero me di cuenta que era por estar muy cerca al computador; despues de reordenar my estudio el Humm desaparecio por completo y es realmente muy silenciosa (nada de hiss tampoco). Los efectos en general son muy buenos (Choruz, Reverb, Delay). El harmonizer es impresionante! configurando 1-voice, direct level =0, efect level = n, puedes bajar de tono la guitarra sin degenerar el sonido en absoluto como otros aparatos (ZOOM 3000s por ejemplo) y con el ajuste "Fine" puedes hacer un ajuste fino de la afinacion; no hay retardo entre la pulsacion y el sonido es "great".
El efecto Clean no tiene nada nuevo; tiene el mismo problema de siempre, demasiada compresion y un hiss desagradable.
El Wha es aceptable pero no es grande. Tampoco diria que es malo pero hay que configurarlo con el Autowah (con los valores adecuados a los parametros).
He podido obtener distorsiones con tonos cremosos muy buenas (buenas para ser una pedalera digital, pero aceptables comparadas con un sonido realmente profesional) aunque es tremendamente dificil encontrarlas (hay muchos trucos, como poner el OD/DS antes del PREamp, el Compresor antes del EQ etc.). Se pueden sacar sonidos bastante "poderosos" y limpios, pero realmente NO sonara como un Peavey 5150 o un Rockmaster.
Si me preguntan si he podido obtener el sonido de mis artistas favoritos la respuesta es NO. Mis artistas favoritos son Van Helen, Slash, y Petrucci; posiblemente los musicos podemos notar claramente la diferencia entre el GT5 y el "majestuoso" sonido de un Preamp de Mark IV de tubos, pero el pubilco en general, aun un buen publico No.

En sintesis el aparato es muy bueno, en este rango de precios y soy un amante de las pedaleras (procesadores de piso) ya que traen todo integrado en un solo aparato, aunque oviamente existen muchas opciones mejores pero mas complejas y mucho mas costosas como armar un RACK completo. Depende de lo que estes esperando de la vida con la musica ... :-)

Actualmente no podria tocar sin este aparato. La unidad parece un Tanque; la carcaza es de metal y no tienes que conectarle adaptador; trae cable directamente para el toma electrico; se ve muy robusta.

En Colombia no hay distribuidos de BOSS, luego no se, ni me importa realmente...

Toco musica de muchos grupos en ingles (Europe, Tesla, Deff Lepard, the police, Pick Floyd, U2, etc.) Tambien rock en espa?ol (Mana, Ratablanca, Caifanes, Enanitos Verdes, Juanes, etc.) He tocado desde hace 20 a?os. Estoy muy satisfecho con la compra de mi Boss GT5. No he podido obtener los sonidos que quiero, todavia porque el Preamp del CRATE Stealth no es muy bueno, pero esta unidad junto con un Preamp Rocktron Pirahna (recuerden lo que dije del Loop) y un Wha Cry Baby seria un equipo de miedo!!..