Boss GT-5 Guitar Effects Processor

very easy to use and very simple
very pleasing on editing my patches especially on those bank c special functions can serve u want a boost, delay or some special function.....
i'be made a custom bank up and downfor it so i can play it and change each patches very fast.....

i use a legen les paul guitar, G&L strat, edwards les paul, an es335, fender esquire......

got it into my amps, jcm 900 fullstack, vox ac30 and fender 70's twin reverb....

i put also loops on my board .... diy digital/analog delay, eventide timefactor, ibanez pds1, 1st version procorat, hiwatt custom wah..i get it all hooked up on my GT5.... and then ill let it go send return of the amp.... then boom it makes an awesome live or either recording sound.....from very warm distortions, wet delays.... nice modulations and a very bright hiwatt custom wah with upgrades......

unlike gt10, gt8

i think this gt5 and gt6 is the only multieffects with analog sounding type of multis are produced

not as a back up but as a main!!!!

i don't need

bought it 2nd hand

10 yrs. of use only the skin and cosmetics is the problem (MEN 10 YRS!!!!)

superb multieffect unlike todays multi's

It is an old processor so it can be a little "user unfriendly" at the time of setting it up. It has A LOT of settings to take care of and the speaker simulation/pre-amp function can be tricky to set with your cabinet

I have had this processor for YEARS now and I have no complains at all. I used to have an RP-2000 which I hated and this has turned to be my main multieffect pedal.

I have gigged with this one pedal for 9 years now and I have had no issues whatsoever

I can't say, in 9 years I've never required any help from boss on it for it has been an extremely reliable pedal.

I would go higher, however like the reviewer below me I also took about 7 years to figure out how to use the GT-5 in front and in the loop at the same time. And in doing this I got rid of 6 pedals from my board, I was using it only in my loop and used other gear to get those sounds I needed. Now it all comes from the GT-5, and in the right order which is also very important.

There is a pic in the manual that depicts this set up, but it is a bit vague and no in depth explanation is provided, however it is very informative and easy to get an answer to some degree that can get you of to twidling.

I use a PRS Custom 22 into a Soldano Hot Rod 50+xl and it is like butter baby. Sorry. The unit does very little to color my tone, once I got good level going it was off to the races and I have used it everywhere I have played since 2000, and I played every state except Alaska as well as overseas and I never have any problems with the unit. It doesn't attract unwanted noise, and the 2 points of Noise Suppression are quite ample if it were to. There is a NS spot for your patch and an overall NS circut, so handy.

Like I said, it has been everywhere and I won't get rid of it. One day I may upgrade, but I still don't see the need to. This was bought for me as a backup, and now it is my main.

No opinion, it's Boss though so I can't knowck them.

I use my rig for all sorts of music and the Gt5 works fine with everything from Rock to Blues uses etc. Almost everything you want to do is in here, it just takes a minute to figure out the best way to do it. For example, I have a patch that uses the expression pedal, toe up the dry is prevelant as the main guitar signal with a reverse delay on it very mildly. As I toe down, I set the pedal to lower the dry and raise the reverse sound. Also, the expression pedal is adjusting the delay rate in small increments but enough to get a real wacky record player slowdown and reverse thing that is always interesting to me.

I would also like to recommend a couple of small foot switches, especially if you are using several patches. Manual mode is helpful, I set an onboard pedal to switch back and forth, however it is great to assign 1 particular function to an external pedal. I always use #2 for my delay tempo, and #1 to turn on my distortion/od for a patch. This way, even in patch mode you have a versatile pedal board

If you understand stompbox knobs and can transfer that knowledge to the art of digital editing and have a good ear, it's pretty easy to get good sounds. Just remember that what sounds good in your living room has, at best, a 50/50 chance of not cutting it on stage with your band. You will probably have to make adjustments, so be patient.

The manual seems to have been translated badly from some language other than English (surprise!) and also includes a chapter on midi implications which nobody I know uses. It is full of great diagrams though, so that compensates for the occasional odd phrasing.

The setup/connections section SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED ONE MORE DETAIL ON HOW TO USE THIS UNIT WITH YOUR GUITAR AMP'S EFFECTS LOOP, as that is the setup that makes the GT-5 sound its best.

Follow the instructions on connecting the GT-5 to your amp effects loop and use the Power Amp setting.

You have to have the LOOP effect in the unit ON in order to use your AMP essentially as an EFFECT. This setting allows you to make Treble-Bass-Mid-Preamp Volume knob adjustments on your amp which gives you some tone and volume control over Patches in which you are accessing the GT-5's PreAmp models. This saves you from having to drop to your knees in the middle of a song and make parameter adjustments to the unit within the patch.

While this seems like an intuitive thing to me now, for the first 5 years I owned this unit I was clueless about this detail.

Carvin TL-60 with Carvin Twin Blade humbuckers->Mesa Boogie MarkII-C. No noise problems. Ambient effects are all terrific. Decent Compressor. Lots of useless gizmos like Ringtone and limited stuff like Synth.

Can get any sound I want, clean or overdriven, all from clean channel of the Boogie with relatively flat settings (Treble 4-5 / Bass 6 / Mid 5 all knobs IN). Tone & Volume knobs on guitar come in handy sometimes.

Only problem with amp models is volume differences, even with same volume setting between models. I guess this is because maybe they are based on real-life power ratings of the amps.

I have set up GT-5's Control Pedal for Manual On/Off control of effects in each of your patches, and assign one of the pedals to the PreAmp models. This gives me one more tonal variation, and it is a Major one. With one step on a pedal I can switch back to my amp's tone and volume.

I've had this unit since it came out in 1996. Wish it had a removable power cable. Sometimes when I power up the LED display does this weird gibberish thing and the unit has to be shut off several times to correct itself, but it always comes back. This is the unit's Achilles Heel. When that LED goes, the GT-5 is probably doomed to the recycle bin. *see customer support category

I've always gotten great customer support from forums like this, so I never call the company. The cost and hassle of repairing a GT-5 just makes me go shopping for a new one. I'd probably go for a GT-10 instead of fixing the 5.

BOSS SHOULD INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL FOR HOW TO RECYCLE THEIR EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY. Don't just throw out your GT-5!

I play Country Rock Jazz Blues. Been playing 35 years. I haven't gone to a gig without the GT-5 since I bought it, including solo acoustic shows. It definitely has helped become a more expressive and conscientious musician. If you are playing a variety of styles of music and are trying to make an honest attempt at creating the sound each of them requires, you need a great sounding reliable multi-effects unit with reasonably accurate amp modeling capability, and the GT-5 fulfills that role.

OK, this was one of the first "serious" multieffects floor processor for guitar by BOSS; one that had a ton of effects, COSM modeling, and was built for abusive stomping. BUT, it`s not user friendly at all...that`s a major concern for people who expect it to sound good right out of the box...the menus, like a lot of stuff from roland; are just plain tedious. It made more sense when they started to add knobs instead of a scroll wheel to change parameters, but still a lot of the presets suck pretty badly. It`s amazingly frustrating to scroll into menus to adjust one band on the EQ or the treble on your virtual fuzzbox; while your playing at the same time.... So you have to take lots of time and patience to write your own programs on the GT5. The manual is a must if you want to FULLY understand the processor, and to all you tweakheads it`s worth to know about a few techy stuff like the manipulation of any effect parameter with a virtual wave controller...specially to achieve a lot of weird experimental effects/noises.
But all in all, if you have patience, like to tweak sounds, hates presets, and/or play experimental guitar, this is a great option. (Check them out at ebay! They`re dirt cheap!)

I`ve been using this processor just about for any type of gig, recording session, jam, whatever, possible...again, you have to make some adjustments to make it sound good and it totally depends on how you hook it. I play a strat, LP, tele and even an acoustic guitar with the GT5. I`ve played all sorts of music...from industrial/experimental, noisepop to folk acoustic, and everything in between (metal, pop, blues, etc.)
I`ve mainly used it:
1)Direct to the mixer. At this setup, I use the line/headphones setting with the cabinet simulation always on. It`s very, very, very, very DIFFERENT the way it FEELS your playing...most people freak out and they hate it for that, hahaha...But it`s actually easier to mix the guitar this way, effects are always present and the sound never gets buried in the mix. Obviously, you depend totally on the monitors and the PA system. But if you have a decent and trustworthy soundguy at the mix, I guess you`ll be fine. And of course, all you need to carry is a guitar, some cables and the GT5!
The only tip of advice I can give you soundwise, is to lower the general highs on the GT5, the headphones/line signal might be a tad bit bright, maybe a bit too HIFI for most people.
2) GT5 & combo or stack, thru the effects loop return or into the preamp in (depends on the amp). Ok, this is where I think it`s preamp simulations really shine...again you have to tweak, twaek, tweak... some of the most convincing preamp simulations (at least to me) , are the clean ones...the dirty ones, are a bit more artificial sounding, you have to really experiment a lot to get a convincing marshall sound. But thru a lot of the combo amps that use a 1x12" speaker, I can get a sweet Fender sound without any hassle...
I`d recommend to use the cabinet simulation off on the GT5 for this setup and turn the power amp combo/stack setting on. And maybe back off on the reverb`s wetness %.
3) GT5 thru the amp preamp. Sometimes I`ve had to plug in this way, mostly it`s because I`m not using my own amplifier and/or the amplifier that I`m plugging into doesn`t have a preamp in or an effects loop. This is my least favorite way to use the Gt5, because it totally changes the sounds, and is totally dependable on the amplifier and it`s speakers...You could just bypass all the preamps and cabinet simulations all together and just use the GT5 for modulation effects or whatever, and use your amp`s distortion instead. But then, it would be better if your going that route to place the GT5 thru the effects loop, if it has one....hahaha, ok that`s another story...
Is it noisy? I guess not, considering high gain and massive distortion hiss normal playing on single coils, hahaha...seriously NO, it`s not noisy, also it has a splendid noise reduction effect that`s very usefull when needed. I guess it varies to what kind of pickups you use, and the amount of distortion, the use of compression, etc... Speaking of which, the gt5 has a little knob to turn the input`s signal up or down...I`ve found it a little bit frustrating to adjust it every time I have to switch to another guitar, since my les paul has hotter pickups than my strat; because the signal line has a tremendous effect on the sounds of your programs. BOSS recommends to turn up the signal until the little red light starts to light up ocassionally when you strum or pick hard.
All of the effects are top notch. I`m not gonna get too much into details (this review is getting longer than I expected). But every effect has it`s place...even the guitar synth has it`s use, I can get a very cheezy sax sound that`s so cool for improv jams, hahaha...every head turns. Delays are awesome, lush chorus, flexible phaser, aural reverbs, zany ring modulation...you get the point.
I use different amps, marshall half stacks, peavey combos, etc...
I can get sounds that go from cocteau twins to van halen, the cure to david gilmour, beatles to bloc party.

Like all of the BOSS pedals, built like a tank. It`s even got a thick power cable instead of a wallwart. Although it would`ve been great if it were removable, you know; like the standard power cable.

N/A

Well I guess if your reading this, it`s because you`re looking for a used, cheap multieffects unit. And at the prices they`re selling for now, it`s a great option. I bought mine when they released it, and it`s never ever given me any trouble. I`ve been playing for almost 20 years, and for maybe half that time I used pedals. I bought the GT5 to replace the pedals, and to a certain degree it did. But like I said before, and I repeat...you have to TWEAK, TWEAK, TWEAK a lot before getting GREAT sounds out of this unit.

It has a little learning curve- even for a rack head like I am with a rack full of Korg, Rocktron, and Boogie stuff.

I use mine for what you would not expect- I am a solo singer/ songwriter playiing solo acoustic shows- and this is the BEST unit for acoustic guitar effects. It does not color the tone of my Taylor 410CE with the Fishman system in it at ALL. Perfect. And this is one of the few units that you are truly bypassing the entire preamp section. It's just guitar to compressor to effects. I don't use the onboard EQ at all.

The delays are- well- let's put it this way. I have had an Eventide, various Rocktron and Korg units, and this thing sounds just as good. Friggin' AMAZING.

Perfectly clean and quiet. Effects are WONDERFUL, especially the choruses and delays.

Only had ita couple months... I'll judge reliability later. No problems yet.

I know form the past that Boss has great customer support. I worked in Music retail, and they were one of the easiest companies to work with.

Nobody really makes a pedal designed for what I want- no preamp stuff- just a compressor straight to the effects section- that has the control ability I wanted. I thought I'd give this thing a shot, and it is a real winner. I HIGHLY reccommend it for solo acoustic guys to get osme effects. Other friends of mine were using the POD live floorboard, but I could tell it killed their tone a little.

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 cant imagine using any of the presets for gigging. They seem designed just to 'show off' this piece of kit.

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.

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 asigned to the stomp button, this stopped working properlly 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.

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

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 built 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 the 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 mean 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

Ok. I thinks is very clear once you??ve read the manual. The manual doesn??t tells you how to get a great SRV sound or whatever. Its good at telling you what the effects do and the parameters for each of the effects. Editing gets easier with the quick settings (read manual).

Lets be honest. First, you start going through the factory presets trying to find nice (or great) sounds. YOU DONT! Ja! The thing is probably they didnt have someone who can program a decent sound on this. This obviously gets you frustrated. You have to do it all for yourself. And believe me that you can get incredible sounds with this, IT JUST TAKES TIME. The effect chain order is crittical for the sound you want. And found out that EQ and some filtering with the AUTOWAH (fixed) makes wonders. The custom overdrive/preamp is amazing.
2 aditional exp/control pedal jacks, the loop can be place it anywhere you want and doesnt REPLACE the distortion section as in the GT6, AWSOME! Manual mode for using effects as stompboxes, UNIQUE. And the exp/ctrl pedal or external can be assigned to ANY PARAMETER, not just volume or wah.
In other words it will take you time to understand what a beast this is, probably it is better suited for pros or players with good understanding of effects.
Im giving it 9 beacuse it takes time but the rest is just amazing sounds anything from country and acoustic clean sounds down to heavy metal and Floyd sounds. I havent seen anything this versatil

As EVERYONE says, built like a tank. No backup. Never had a single problem.

Never had to deal with them. Hope i??ll never have to. Doesnt seems like it.

Mostly in cover bands: Beatles, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, latin rock, samba jazz, BLUES, country. Ive been playing for 13 years and hopefuly know something about what good sound is. If it were stolen I already have another one that I use for my own project. Its great to have something that just have to get plugged to work like it should. I didnt compare it in front of anything I just got it, foolish move i thought, NO WAY! Everytime I compare my toys with other guitar player i always shine on.

It's not terrible difficult to get a good sound. The dial makes a big difference for one thing, as does all the buttons being there in front of you. You spend time in menus but it's all pretty intuitive.

As long as you understand how individual stomp boxes work, and what each effect does, it shouldn't take too long for you to figure this one out.

Never bothered with the manual although in my experience Boss Manuals tend to be ok.

All excellent apart from the distortions which take a bit more programming to get something decent. You can always insert your own pedal through the effects loop however. The rest, with the exception of the wah, are all brilliant, especially the chorus and delays. 10 years since it was released it holds up extremely well to current gear. I don't try and emulate anyone in particular but most sounds can be approximated using this pedal.

Makes me laugh when people claim the distortions sound digital - because they're not - they're ANALOGUE! Pure gear snobbery.

I found it in a pawn shop with a very battered case and one knob missing. It's been used and abused an AWFUL lot. It all works perfectly. 'Nuff said. It's a horrendous cliche to compare Boss gear to tanks, but it's based on truth...

My previous dealings with BOSS have been nothing but decent, but I am not about to call them about this old thing.

I've been playing for 10 years and this was always the dream pedal when I started. I have owned an ME-30, GT-3, GT-5 before but usually sold for some reason or another (strapped for cash). I have also owned many models of Zoom and Korg, and individual stompboxes. This isn't the best pedal anymore but at these prices you are getting an incredibly, professional capable unit that will serve your needs, and for the bits that you don't like (probably wah/dist) you can put your fave into the loop. I don't care and I know a lot of other people who don't either, and I just use it as an all in one. Never had a single complaint from the audience either.

If you can get it for around ?100 you are laughing. It's so much more versatile than even the successor pedals, and creates more sounds than I could ever dream up. I loved my GT-3 so it's a toss up which you can get cheaper really, however I do prefer the GT-5 overall.

Pretty damned easy - so long as you can read a user manual. Speaking of which, the manual is reasonably well layed out and easy to follow...
One thing which would make it even easier is PC connectivity (I know I'm asking alot for a pretty old product!). I have found some third party softwares but they don't work real well - manual programming is the only way with this baby.

I actually play a six string ibanez soundgear bass with alembic pickups. I run my axe into a behringer MDX2600 compressor, then out into the GT-5 input jack, then from GT-5 send jack to the compressor's second channel, then out of the compressor into a Trace-Elliot 100W commando combo bass amp, then from the Trace-Elliot send to the GT-5 return jack, then from the GT-5 output to the Trace-Elliot return, then from the trace-elliot to either mixing desk or recording device via DI.
Sound quality is great, I can make overdrives / distortions that NO bass effects pedal will ever go near. The GT-5 basically includes every boss stomp-box I would ever want, give-or-take a few parameters.

One thing I must say is that the synth sounds do not register way down low on my "B" string... not surprising for a guitar effect!

I have had this thing (since new) for about 6 or 7 years now, every now and then I open it and clean it, has some corrosion from gigging on the METAL casing, but hasn't effected sound quality. The thing is built like a tank and has travelled around australia with me gigging - you do not need a backup. Reliable as swiss military neutrality!

I have never dealt with boss direct (as I've never had the need).
Their website has everything you could need - there are alot of "GT sites" out there by third parties too.

I play alot of different styles of bass - metal, funk, rock, jazz, disco, et al. In our band we only have drums and trumpet apart from my bass, so I play alot of chords and "sound like a guitar" half the time. For my purposes the GT-5 is perfect as it has unlimited classic "guitar sounds", but handles the lower frequencies of my bass really nicely.
If there are other bass players out there looking at the GT-6B (boss's attempt at an actual bass pedal) don't bother. The GT-5 has better cosm chips and the DSP chips are alot flakier in the GT-6s.

I must admit that when i first got the gt-5 i had no clue what t he hell was going on but after i searched a few web pages and read the manual (not alot of help but some) i knew how to work the thing. After getting past the damn parameters its a breeze! editing patches is very very easy until it comes to editing the effect chain, and sometimes you must hunt for good sound, but give it like an hour or so and you will be rewarded with GREAT sound!

I have a gibson les paul custom with a crate 50 watt, or a fender twin reverb. Both sound awesome with the gt-5. i dont know why people give this such a low rating, other than sometimes with the guitar synth it sounds a bit digital and using the preamp, speak sim. EQ, and dist/od sounds choppy. The effects are AWESOME. I've used a lot of other junk like digitech and POD and ive never heard such great sound. Some advice: USE THE NOISE SUPPRESOR. but no too high.

THIS IS THE MOST RELIABLE BOARD OUT THERE. IVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. WHEN I PLAY SHOWS, I DONT HAVE BACKUP, I DONT NEED IT!!! BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!!

have never needed it.

i play a wide varity of music, deftones, rage against the machine, hendrix, phish, van halen ,etc. It is PERFECT for that type of music. I have the EXACT ( not kidding) sound for a ton of songs like bulls on parade, be quiet and drive, killing in the name, know your enemy, poem, little wing, waste( acoustic guitar sim. works great) and others. If it were stolen, i would go grand theft auto on every ones ass, or yes DEFENETLY buy a new one. I LOVE THIS THING. If i lost it my band would beat me with a bench and kill my family. BUY ON NOOOOOOWWWW!!!they are the best. thank you boss. IM me for patches.-SilVeR DY357

ease of use is spontanouslly but with any new piece of equipment please take the time to dig deep and use your manual as a basic bible. Also order the instructional video available from rolandus.com
Ive been using mine for over 10 years ... and I'm still able to edit or construct sounds from the past or intivated NEW Sounds ....

My setup has change over the years, my first 3years I've ran GT-5 Stereo into a CS-800 then to a 1960b marshall 4x12 cab . Then learning and expermenting not excluding my Bands song sound request I needed the best of both worlds tubes and processors .. So started using the loop send and return-output set-up I know 3-4 cables but this is truly the best combo but this is all just talk your sound depends on your amp and I currently us 3 different styles with it depending on my gig Mesa Boogie Mark IV w/2 1x12 vintage 30 watt celestions
for bigger venues Ive got a Mesa Boogie Recto 3/channel 100 watts ver thru a mesa boogie 4/12 packed with vintage 30's, and for fun a hi gain 50 watt marshall 2/channel ....
This unit has the best TUNER I've ever used ...Patchs theres 65 different x's user preset I have learned to watch effects chain and outputs If I have a week effect but I hear what your saying from those who say the compressor is a little weak .. its really not but most of us have all ways been able to get that little extra volume during those expression such as a lead break and the GT-5 compressor will just give you grit sustain thank boogie for sumuclass sw on my mark IV and solo on my recto ...
The patches are very good if and when you would like to use them ...

Yes Built like a Tank ! ! ! ! It actually is my back up ! ! !

Yes ! ! ! I have upgraded mine when I had mine repaired because a drunk FOXY LADY STEP-SLIPPED-SKATED using the rotory select knob !They repair'd and upgraded took less than a month ver 1.07 I think !
the knob should be reacessed like there smaller buttons " I've got to be kidding ! they were the best I guess ! ! ! !

I Play in a Top Forty something -Classic Rock Band in Northern Calif And I really think this unit is the BEST there is, unless money is no object ! ! ! I have been using it to obtain the effects 4 Billy Idiol - Metalica -ext....... Check out the web site www.strut-a-variuos.com I play quite a bit and it has always worked no matter what the house voltage is doing . Or spilled Beer its not water prof but its a work horse ... And has never let me down KNOCK ON WOOD !
I do think it is a unit that Roland needs to bring back for the working musicians its not a line-6 its a Tool that will one day be unavailable so if you need a good tuner get it !!! it inncredable what you could do with it ..... PEACE OUT

The GT5 is quite easy to use once you get the gist of it, and after a few days you wont need the manual again for setting up effects patches. The manual is OK but doesnt adequately explain all the potential set ups between guitar and amp for my liking. Using the unit direct through PA is OK but when I got back in a band I wanted to bring my amp back into play so I tried the 4 lead hook up as suggested in this column. After setting the GT5 eq the sound quality was good. Unfortunately, this way (through my Mesa rectoverb) I lose all control of the amps pre amp and tone section. I am thinking of going back to stomp boxes as I know the compressor in this unit cant live with my old Boss CS3. Any suggestions as to alternative set ups that dont delete amp tones are welcome!
Craig

Set up. Fender Strat, Mesa Rectoverb, GT 5 4lead hook up using effects loop

Excellent durability. Been to hell and back, dented and whacked. Still going strong.

No experience with customer support

Lots of 60s, Dire Straits, Clapton. Convenient for rapid effects changes. Compromises amp tone quality if set up "traditionally".

easy

a tiny bit noisy with the pre and speaker sim on.

never gone wrong

just want to agree with a few of the further posts that reccomended using a tube preamp in the loop and a tube power amp after..it really balances out and warms the digital aspects of the gt5 and you get the best of both worlds with no clutter ect...i have some line6 stuff and some stompboxes and something tells me that the gt5 which ive had for years cant cut it against all this new technology. but that is wrong because it sounds great today as it did when i first got it. Mainly use it for its reverb,delay,slow gear,chorus and trem....try finding that lot at boss quality in one rock solid stomp box. I think this may be a bit of a classic...its certainly a keeper..at second hand prices its just plain criminal.

Pro Grade effect's processer, so you have to read the manual to fully understand the functions.

I by no means am a pro-player, but with little effort I can modify the gt-5 to suite my needs,

Editing Patches could not be any simpler. Altho I must admit, atleast one third of the preset patches are useless to me, I mean, Telephone, Noise Storm, and Ethnic Bell??? Do these sounds exist in the music world?? If so I can't think of one example. But i digress, these patches areeasly replaced with functioning real world patches.

I run a standard Fender Strat., a '62 Jaguar and a custom cyclone through the GT-5. As for amp's I frequiently use the Fender FM65R, and a Marshell G30R and I can honestly say the the Boss GT-5 has never seemed to be limiting my play, quite the opposite, If anything my gear is limiting the GT-5.

BTH I live for the late 80's thru the 90's Grunge period. This Processor handles all the Nirvana, Soundgarden, AIC, PIXIES, etc. and can smoke with the best SRV style players also. I think Jimi would have surely approved of this little gem.

With out a doubt, I would not rely on anything else without a backup.

Trust the GT-5, It's a tank, made for the road...

See "Reliability" in 6 years of stomping on the sucker I have never had to call Boss's Tech Support.

I've never tryed to Upgrade, but if it gets any better I don't think I could stand myself. Just kidding. I'll get around to it some day.

I play everythig from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Nirvana, but tend the stay in the destorted side of rock & roll. I've been at it 365 for the past 12 years and 5 years of plunking prior to that.

If it were stolen I would hunt down the low life sucker and super-glue his testicles to his knees, If I lost it, I would NEVER lose it. End of story. And yes I would replace it with an exact duplicate, but I would be pissed because I would never be able to get the great deal I got on the original one.

Best feature:

Endless capabilities sound/tone wise.

Worst features:

It is intimidating if you are not fimiliar with setting up your own gear, But READ THE MANUAL, Once you get into it you realize there is really nothing to it.

Favorite feature:

Size, 20" long X 9" wide. I can take this puppy anywhere that has electricty. With my strat, GT-5 and a pair of Wal-Mart headphone I'm in my own world.

Boa unidade. Pratica, com acessos faceis aos parametros de configurac?o, permitindo um manuseio intuitivo (com o passar do tempo). N?o fiz upgrade nem a testei via MIDI em um PC. Pra quem tinha uma RP-10 Digitech e bem simples operar a GT-5...

Uso uma Tagima custom, com captadores seymour duncan e uma Ibanez AF75T, semi-acustica. Plugo direto no P.A. (toco em barzinho) e tenho uma qualidade muuuuuito satisfatoria de sons limpos, crunchs e distorcidos. Logicamente, um Mesa Boogie ou um Soldano d?o um banho, mas acredito que nenhum ampli na faixa de US$ 1.000,00 consegue um timbre melhor... Pra mim, e o maximo...

Minha GT-5 deve ter participado de alguma guerra ou caido do onibus que levava a banda de seu antigo dono (*R*). Esta totalmente detonada, riscada, e falta o knob de volume. Dois leds n?o acendem... o visor de cristal liquido possui um profundo risco...
MAS ELA FUNCIONA P E R F E I T A M E N T E !!!! Pra mim, ela e uma unidade indestrutivel...

Uma bosta! A Roland do Brasil quer me cobrar R$ 50,00 pela copia RESUMIDA do manual de instruc?es em portugues... Precisei do manual da DR 660 (bateria eletronica) e me cobraram mais R$ 50,00...
EU ODEIO A ROLAND DO BRASIL! Ah! visitem o site www.roland.com.br - E UM LIXO!!!!

E uma excelente unidade de efeitos... os chorus s?o impressionantes, organicos e bem timbrados... as distorc?es, pra blues/rock s?o bem legais, mesmo quando ligadas a um P.A., via COSM/Simulac?o de Falantes. Uso um par de caixas trapezoidais com falante de 15", driver e SuperTweeter Keybass e tiro um puta som...
SOU APAIXONADO PELA GT-5. Se puder, compre uma!

I give this device a ten. This device, once you understand it, is rather simple to use. Having said that, don't make the mistake of thinking that it's easy to setup killer patches! The CONTROLS are easy! Take your time, and you'll be very satisfied with the results. The manual doesn't really go in depth enough for this device...Then again, it would need a manual as a thick book to do that!

Number one: The effects are as good, or better, than ANY other effects unit out there - certainly better than any in it's class, or genre, if you will. If you understand how to setup you patches correctly, you'll have no problems with noise. I generally plug directly into a P.A. and use a little amp as a spot monitor. There is so much to get into, I doubt if anyone who's posted here, myself included, could give a complete review of this device - it's that deep.

Two sentences:
It's built like a tank.

Yes, you can use it without a backup.

Never had to deal with them...Probably because this thing is so dependable!

I play many styles of music, and this thing will do whatever I want it to. I've been playing for about 26 years, and I can't imagine a better floor-based effects unit. I've got a variety of "tone generators," and this one beats them all, hands down.

Very easy to use for me. I have had mine for 7 -8 years.
Great manual. My GT-5 was upgraded about 4 years ago

Ver good full clean and overdriven sound. You must remember that the sound is no better than what you hook this thing up to.
I run mine into a Peavey Classic 60 power amp (Tube) and then into a Carvin PA monitor with 2 10's and a horn. then into the PA.
Very versital

No problems ever

Christian rock and R&B.
If you turn off the preamp section you can us just the effects which are top notch effects. It has a great tuner and switching/midi capabilities plus a couple of either volumn or wah pedals. I don't think I ever used 1/3 of the capabilities of the GT-5

I writing in portuguese cos i'm from Brazil and there's no review in portuguese. N?o e facil. Qualquer um que diga que sim, esta mentindo! A primeira vista trata-se de simplesmente mexer em bot?es para conseguir os efeitos/sons que deseja, certo? Errado. Os sons saem horriveis. E preciso ler todo o manual diversas vezes, pesquisar muito na internet e ter bons ouvidos. O manual e basico. O meu GT5 e um dos primeiros, comprei logo que saiu.

Sabendo como usar, trata-se de uma ferramenta poderosa! Tem todos os efeitos que se precisa e um pouco mais: Humaniser (tambem conhecido como talkbox), guitar synth (sons sintetizados), acoustic simulator (simulador de guitarra acustica), tremolo e muito mais. A Boss colocou todos os pedais disponiveis na epoca em uma so caixa. N?o e ruidoso (apenas quando obviamente se usa distorc?o e compress?o), mas tem noise reduction.

Vou ser sincero, eu o uso por pura facilidade de ter tudo num so lugar, mas gosto bastante de pedaizinhos (Boss). Da para usa-lo profissionalmente sem problemas, tem midi e tudo mais.

A Boss/Roland e bem legal, basta contacta-los.

Eu toco pop, hard rock, metal. Se essa pedaleira fosse roubada eu ficaria doido pois e bem cara e se eu a vendesse poderia comprar uns bons pedais Boss, mas N?O a compraria outra vez. Compraria pedaizinhos. Como eu disse no comeco, e bem complicado mexer com ela para conseguir os sons que se quer e muitas vezes eu perco a paciencia.

What is ease of use really? Daisy-chaining ten stomps together and carrying around a pedalboard in a flight case? Having to disconnect and reconnect all your effects when you want to change the order? Buying a set of George L cables to patch them together? Having to remember where you set the knobs in case you change them?

Ok, perhaps thats a little over the top. Yes the GT-5 keeps it's effects behind menus with access via the value dial and parameter menus, but this is a good thing because when you've found your sounds, they stay there. You can back them up via MIDI if you like.

When I want to gig, gone are the array of pedals strewn around with leads everywhere and countless wall warts. All I do is pull this out, plug the extra footswitches in and patch to the amp. Easy! And once you know where the menus are and are used to the extra options that you don't get on stompboxes, this thing really opens up and you realise you just can't get this sort of power and quality anywhere else.

Current rig: Gibson SG or Squier Strat -> Boss GT-5 w/two FS-5Us and Small Stone phaser in the loop -> '78 Marshall JMP 2204 50 watt head -> '95 Marshall 1960a cab (Special Edition, red tolex).

I've owned all the GT units made so far (GT-3, GT-6 and GT-5 in that order) and for me this one is the most professional and best sounding. I wish I'd known that BEFORE, and bought this first but that just makes me appreciate how much better this unit is compared to the other two. Better placement of effects (ie no Compressor in the same bank as the Tremolo, dedicated speaker sim independant of the preamp sims).

It's not noisy unless you use high gain and even then the provided noise gate is great at killing the noise without killing your tone, if set right.

Almost all the effects are great and more than worthy of the asking price. Weak effects - pedal wah (the GT-6 wins here), harmonist + ring modulator (bad tracking). The reverb is good if used sparingly or drenched for shoegaze/ambient style playing. The delay is great - sound on sound AND self oscillation, as well as high cut. Shame the reverse delay clicks but you can't have it all.

Particularly impressive is the preamps combined with the speaker sims. With just a little work you can get very close to those tubey sounds. For example, the plexi sim (MS1959) reacts to the strat very similarly to my JMP - the out of phase positions sound best and the other pickup settings have a pleasent bite to them. I love the fact you can choose between dynamic or condenser mics - I've worked with several types of both for micing real amps and the ones provided here are pretty damn accurate in respect to how the different types of mic react. You can also mix and match - want a Marshall Plexi head running through an open back 2x12 Twin cab? You got it.

The GT-5 manages to keep your dyanamics when running to the front of an amp too - something a lot of multis just can't do, the Roland VG-8 included. I like to run it with the natural OD setting through my JMP - the tone is very similar to cranking the preamp gain with just the right amount of compression.

You don't like the GT-5's OD/DS, something not quite right about one of the presets? EQ it, or better still create your own, tailor made for your amp. Ditto that for preamps. You like shoegaze/ambient style music? How about an expression pedal controlled self oscillating delay with an extra footswitch for turning delay hold on and off, as well as a Short Delay in the mod group if you need it? You want a Leslie-style sound without the inconvinience of another heavy amp to carry? You want to change where your effects are in the chain on the fly or store your favourite chorus sound to use on lots of different patches without having to manually program it in each time? You've got that and countless other features right here.

I could go on and on, I really could. The GT-5 is still the best multi Boss ever made. The GT-3 retained some of that magic, the GT-6 apart from the odd improvement here and there ruined what made the GT-5 great in my opinion. The bottom line as I see it - this is cheaper and better.

Strengths: rugged metal chassis, recessed buttons, the Boss = tank seal of approval.

Weaknesses: raised value jog, plastic expression pedal, plastic 'soldered-to-the-board' jacks. These problems were solved on the later models, but be careful with this one.

I needed to upgrade the EPROM from version 1.03 to 1.07 to correct several little bugs in the unit. Roland UK's service was prompt and efficient, and I had no trouble installing the new ROM. I could have had it done by them but I wanted to minimise out-of-action time on the unit. Good service!

I play mostly rock, punk, blues, some ambient/shoegaze and a little folk. I don't do jazz. I've been playing over six years and I still can't play so well, but I'm experienced at recording and such so I know good tone. I've owned enough other multis and single stomps (no racks yet) to know that this unit is a great deal. I paid #155 for it... hell, one or two brand new stompboxes could easily set you back that much!

I love most things about it. The wah, harmonist and ring modulator could stand to be improved. I think the guitar synths have a great lofi quality to them which can be a lot of fun for looping and creating textures. The customisable OD/DS... well, it's like having twenty different gain pedals right there. All you need to do is hit a few buttons or change a patch for another one!

I've compared it to the other GT units, the Zoom 505, the DOD Tec4 and a few others, as well as my old all-analogue pedalboard. This won in terms of sound and ease of use, the only thing it couldn't top was my EHX Small Stone but it gets pretty damn close!

If they could combine the better parts of the GT-6 (well the wah sims and button under the EXP pedal mostly) with the synth tones and pickup modelling of the VG-8, added a looper with over 4 seconds sample time and on the fly loop pitch shifting and a few other features then I think I'd be the first in line to buy it. That's asking a lot though and to be honest this unit covers all the bases and then some for me, a definate keeper.

Now if only I could convince more people to come around to the idea of replacing their bulky, non-versatile (in comparison) pedalboards with this...

It gets a 10 because it's almost every effect I'll ever need in my rig for less than the price of a few standalone stompers. That and it sounds fantastic after you've cracked it.

If you want a few good tones and simplicity, stick with your stomps and be happy. If you want a set of nearly endless possibilities which can do pretty much anything you can think of (I've put it through it's paces on several occasions and it hasn't failed yet), with great sound quality to match, these are going for stupidly cheap prices on eBay. Grab one now before someone famous makes this an important part of their rig and drives the prices up!

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 !