Boss ME-50

Very sraightforward piece of gear and lots of fun. I've had it for 3-4 years. Much has been said about this product. Certainly, if you compare it to individual analog stomp boxes, they would all likely win out over this. But, compare this with the dog's breakfast of boxes, wires, cords, connectors and cutesy flashing lights and, for what this thing does in one box, it is a very respectable piece of gear.

OK, this is a guitar effects compilation box. No amp mods. It doea a lot and I am not a fan of all aspects of this thing, to be sure, but, thats OK. As a player, (Fralin equipped Project Strat into a Traynor YCVR-20WR) I want clean sounds. And I want bluesy break-up. I'm not after heavy distortion. With the ME-50, I get a good, fairly flexible delay; quite a good chorus; good reverb; usable compression; some usable distortions and a volume/wah pedal. The ME-50 gives me ALL this, all quite gig-worthy and usable. I don't like the gimmicky stuff and the Tone Modify section is pretty useless. The Tremolo is also not great (I add a Boss TR2).

From a sound standpoint, one other writer below noted that this thing sounded better through a tube amp and he/she is bang on. Through a previously owned solid state Princeton Chorus, I found distortion to be disappointing, muddy and no projection. A tube amp will make a difference.

Built like a brick S-house

Not needed. Good resources on line if needed.

Been playing forever (45 yrs!!) and like clean sounds and bluesy tone, some distortion for slide. I back up singer/songwriters with this thing (get Declan Sinnott kind of sounds - See youtube with Christy Moore.) I play classical, dobro, Strat, acoustics. Yes, I would get another if pinched. Does is help me make music? Hell, yes!
The best feature for me is the fact that IT DOES NOT have amp modelling to mess everything up! I already have a reasonable sounding tube amp and the ME-50 helps me to get more out of it.

It is very easy to use and get a good sound out of it. i just recently bought it so i didn't try out the editing section but im sure its amazing. If you have any questions about it, the manual will answer them for you.

i run 2 fender strats, a univox hi flyer phase 4, a fender mustang, a fender jaguar, an epiphone et-270, and a fender duo sonic thru it and from the pedal it runs into a fender fm212r. there is annoying noise or anything, but it ur amp is noisy, there is a noise suppressor in the pedal! the effects aren't weak in it. they have the same strong sounds as the compact pedals. i am a huge grunge guitarist and i'm nirvana's #1 fan. i know how to replicate kurt's sounds and this pedal does it. if you're a grunge fan, you'll definitely want to buy this. You can get nirvana, foo fighters,smashing pumpkins,green day etc. sounds. i compared the distortions with the single compact versions. for example, i compared the ds-1, the rat, and the big muff to this pedal. they are exactly the same sound. you can easily match the sounds with some tweaks of the knobs. Not only can you get grunge, but you can get every other kind of music out of it. all of the effects sounds great except the acoustic mode under the tone modify. the acoustic doesnt sound very good but oh well.

this is a very very dependable pedal. it's really tough so it wont break. that's how every boss pedal is. i would play this pedal anywhere(band practice,jammin,gigs, etc.)

i didnt buy it directly from boss. i bought it on an ebay store. no problems with it since i bought it.

like i said, you can play any kind of music with this. i have been playing for years. i used to have 19 pedals, then 15, then 9, then 5 and now i only need one. it's an easy setup. you don;t have to have all those single compacts pedals and all that hassle. if it was every stolen or lost, i'd buy it again. i love everything about it. what is very helpful is that the tuner is silent so you can tune without anyone hearing you. i think the only think you might get annoyed with is the expression pedal. you might not like the fact that you must have it pushed all the way forward for full volume but that's no big deal. another thing you might get annoyed with is activating the expression. you have to push it forward and push a little force more to activate it but it doesnt bother me. this pedal will not only replicate sounds but it is perfect for writing your own music and getting your own sound.

After using a Zoom in the past (a mess to program and never sounded "real"), this is SO SIMPLE. There are too many effects for my taste, so I only use about 1/2 of what this offers. I don't have a grip on the overdrives, they are OK, sure I can get a good sound if I spend some time (and there are tons of choices)

Reverb is good. Not sure what the neg. comments are about

Delay is fantastic, Compression is good for CLEAN (don't need compression for distortion anyway). Tremolo sounds great. The Presence tone helps a clean sound too (gives it the Fender "Ice" Sheen).

With Delay, reverb, compression and Presence I get a fantastic Mark Knopfler tone drop the delay add tremolo for a Robert Cray / Jimmy Vaughan...blues but clean

My gear: 1992 Mexi-Tele, and a pro Jr. Fender amp (has just volume and single tone knob... all tubes 15 watts but LOUD). I also have a cheap strat and a nice yamaha acoustic that I use for solo and unplugged shows.

My main instrument is bass, but I have not used the me-50 with bass (plus I am not into bass effects)

The Me-50 takes care of the rest - reverb, comp, presence, delay, trem, volume

No need for amp modulation (my amp is perfect as is).. plus I think they sound phony.. so I just needed some effects to open up the sound

In bands I play alt-country, classic rock (Stones, Who, CCR, Springsteen, Wilco)and blues, but I like to play Van Halen, Motorhead, AC/DC stuff too jut for fun. The Me-50 should be able to do it all.

I have had this for just a week, but BOSS stuff is reliable, so I think I would trust it to work for gigs without a backup (can always go right to the amp if needed) Might still bring my tuner, I keep hearing that the built in tuner is sharp.. may have to check this out

Tele + Fender Pro JR + Boss ME-50 gets me that classic fender sound without an army of stomp boxes. Would a top of the line reverb, top of the line tube screamer, top of the line compressor and top of the line delay do a better job? Maybe (ok they would) but for $160 I would be able to get ONE of those, and still need a pedal board, a tuner, patch cables, wah, volume, AC adapters,power strip...and figure out the chain of command...I need a beer!

I spent less than 30 minutes setting this up, and I have my basic sounds. The Wah is next on my list, then working out the Fuzz for some Hendrix!

Bottom line is that the ME-50 can get the classic guitar rock sounds better than an amp modeling processor. It sounds like BOSS pedals not a computer.

The Boss ME-50 offers hundreds of sound variations. I shelved a lot of my old single effects pedals. This unit was designed well, built like a tank and is easy to use. I bought mine gently used, owner forgot the manual though. No matter, you can download the manual from Boss' website. Pedal is divided into 3 sections with separate controls for each effect; Overdrive/Distortion, Mod (Chorus/Flanger/Phaser/Harmony, etc...) and Delay. You can set the compressor, threshhold, reverb, modify the tone... Basically you can mold almost any sound you wish. The effects pedal is METAL (yes!) I hate plastic. Easy to use from the first 10-minutes.

Sound quality is Good -> Great. Some effects are better than others... even approaching greatness in some areas (chorus is outstanding, delay control is very good), but others are just good (Fuzz & Overdrive are sometimes muffled or tinny sounding). This effects pedal won't help a poor quality amp, but if you have a decent rig it can enable you shape new sounds. This thing is built for gigging. It replaces at least 4-6 stomp boxes and you'll no longer have the stage being a tripping hazard. Simple, easy to use and easy to modify to fit your sound.

The built-in tuner is just for show. It's close, but not good enough.
I REALLY wish that BOSS did something a bit more with the expression settings. For me, the {Wah, Resonance, Voice & Ring} just doesn't do it. The +1 /-1 octave is bad, sounds like squeezing your music through a garden hose. The Voice is typical 1980's and Ring isn't used much. I wish they gave a few more options with the expression pedal.

One of my favorite features is the output for Mono amp or for Left/Right amps. Very few pedals give you an ability to control output for two amps. It isn't stereo, but you can create cool sounds with two quality amps and the right settings.

You can definitely depend on the BOSS ME-50 for any gig not involving water sports. This thing has a solid metal housing, knobs are sturdy... just try to break this thing!

HOWEVER, you either need to buy a separate plug-in converter for the DC in, or use a single 9-volt battery. The battery will last you for maybe 8-10 hours of use or more... but bring a spare fresh battery just in case. It sounds dumb, but I prefer to use the battery so I don't have to plug it in. That way, the effects pedal is free to be put wherever I want it and moved any time I want with just a small kick of my foot. Not having that plug-in umbilical cord gives you more freedom.

You can depend on this ME-50 effects pedal better than you can rely on most band members or stage help.

Boss... you get good customer support and they do answer the phone. Never needed them, but they will be there if I do. Enough said.

I play mostly classic rock, blues and some 70's acid rock. Been playing for a few years. The ME-50 is not the be-all/end-all of effects pedals, but it is an excellent pedal for musicians on a tight budget. I like that it is compact, well organized and looks good. Some guitarists look like they can launch a space shuttle with all their wires, pedals and programmable effects spread out on the stage. This stomp box will do what most will, but you can carry it under one arm, lay it on stage, plug in your guitar and amp and be ready to jam. No more screwing around with tangles of wiring. The pedals are also easy to use.

I play a Fender Mexi-Fat-Strat, a seriously upgraded Washburn Mercury Fat-Strat (the GOOD one) and an Agile AL-2000 (Gibson style) with humbuckers that scream. Amps include a Behringer Virtube UltraTwin, Fender and Peavey singles.

The only thing BOSS could do better is to add more usable effects for the expression pedal and put in a better tuner. They devoted a lot of space to the Fuzz / Overdrive... but sound quality is more important than selection quantity. Work on improving the overdrive sound. It works for my purposes, slightly distorted, but would never satisfy a true metalhead or someone into serious OD distortion.

This pedal is definitely worth every penny. I would recommend it to any serious guitarist. If you play 70's-80's classic rock at all... this is a must have.

If you can use a stomp box, you can use this. You don't even have to know what order to connect the effects in. Experienced effects users may not need the manual but it's good to have it as a technical reference. Inexperienced effects users should consider going to their neighborhood music store and asking for advice about how to get the best sound out of each effect. Not everyone has educated ears. One important rule: with any effect/module with a level control, set this to where the volume is nearly the same with the effect on or off. You can apply a little extra kick with a compressor or an overdrive but with a long chain of effects, the level should be pretty much even throughout the chain if you want singing, controllable feedback and a minimum of noise. For a simple multi-FX unit it doesn't get easier than this.

I almost got the ME-70 for the COSM amp models but I had to have the RAT. I intended to use it with an amp, anyway. All BOSS effects have generally good sound quality. The only complaint I have with their overdrives/distortions is that they aren't very dynamic compared to analog boxes made by other manufacturers. The most can be gotten from the overdrives by NOT using a compressor with them (since they do that themselves) and by trading a little gain for a little extra brightness. Some previous people have mentioned that the compressor is somewhat lacking. The comp is one of my favorite effects and I know my way around one. Yep, it could use an attack and it's own tone. You should be able to match the "clamp-down" time with the natural pick attack of your guitar, and the more sustain you use, the more you need to brighten it back up a little. The solution to this problem, when you use the compressor for sustain, is not to use too much of the effect so it doesn't affect the attack so much. It may be a subtle effect if you're using it to smooth out distortion, but compression *should* be a subtle effect. Crank it up more and brighten the tone if you're going to do some chikin-pikin.

The chorus is...well...a BOSS chorus. They invented the thing. Would have been nice to have the chorus/vibrato as a separate module, though, so you could mix another mod effect with it, like the harmonist (Boston! ...nope). The flanger sounds okay but is limited by the lack of a "MANUAL" control. The flanger is my absolute favorite effect because I have my own special way of tuning the sweep and getting the speed just right to produce this signature "rolling" effect of mine, as well as a pretty convincing Roto-vibe. I can't do that with this. Also, it's a bit plain. Ten years ago, BOSS was putting digital flanger circuits with a "Separation" parameter in their COSM rack units to give you a nice "through zero" effect. They could have built a little of that into this. But I'm not too upset. Whaddya know? It's *got* a Uni-Vibe! Gotta know how to make it throb like Robin Trower though. A phaser is a hard effect to do digitally, but BOSS manages quite well.

The delays are adequate but the reverbs need more flexibility - more parameters. I don't want *their* reverb, I want *my* reverb. So I blend a little of theirs with the amp's reverb. A little spaciness and a little natural ambience. A spring reverb is pretty good at simulating early reflections.

I can't say I have much use for the "Tone Modify" section, as I have a collection of different guitars. But it's fun to play with.

As everyone knows, anything by BOSS could probably reenter the Earth's atmosphere and still work. Still have the NS-1 noise-gate I bought in the 70's. I use it onstage for my acoustic guitar. Haven't had this long but it seems rugged. I DO keep a backup pedalboard (loaded with my old BOSS pedals), but only because I happen to have one.

Never dealt with BossUSA. Never had a Boss pedal break down. I did have a Roland JV80 synth and if if Boss is anything like their parent company, they'd get a failing grade. But I don't know so I won't voice an opinion.

I'm a progressive/art/space rock guitarist of some 35 years experience. My go-to axe atm is a '96 Fender Dlx Strat + with Lace TranSensors. I've got a larger rack system I use for bigger venues. I use the ME-50 mainly for practice and jam sessions. I attempt to duplicate the sounds of my rack on the ME-50 and manage to do a passable job. It sounds good through the clean channel of my tube combo. Ha! That one guy below who compared the ME-50 to all his boutique gear just so he could brag about his boutique gear was a riot. The next guy straightened him out. Remember dudes, "It's not the gear, it's the *ear*."

I used to use a Boss GT-5, and it was really hard to use. I never really liked the presets on it, and it was really hard to get the right sound when I wanted it. On this unit, it is really easy to get the right sound out of it-- it basically has about 50 stompboxes all packed into one. Right now, i'm happy about its sound.

When i first read about the patches on this, it said 30 user and 30 factory patches. However, once you write a patch, the factory patch goes away, being erased until you reset it.

The manual is good; however, if there is some way to get around erasing the factory patches, it doesn't tell you.

Theres no way to upgrade the firmware. I don't think there will be a need to.

Setup: 2008 G & L Tribute w/ a Traynor Amp. I dont get the part where the ME-50 is draining their sound, my guitar i got for 400 and the amp for about 600. It doesn't drain my sound at least.

It hasn't failed the noisiness test. Whats cool is that i have a uni-vibe effect, can't find that anywhere for some reason.

The compressor can use some work, i already used it on some gigs and the reverb fits the rooms perfectly (i use room and hall reverb). The overdrive/distortion settings i use.

I haven't really gotten around to using the presets, i don't think im using them since there is already so much versatility in manual mode.

I always get the sound of my favorite artists: Hillsong United, David Crowder Band, Planetshakers, other Christian Rock artists.

Umm, its almost perfect. Just don't put it in water and your fine. Maybe they can make a waterproof version of it.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

I play Christian Rock, and also some Altern Rock.
I've played for about 8 years. Im 15, don't know if my age affects the way i hear the sound; to me, its almost like stompboxes.

If it were stolen or lost, I'd cry for a day.

Before buying, I wanted to buy a GT-10. I decided on this after an hour with each one. It was a lot easier to use.

I wish it had a loop station, like the GT-10, since im the only guitarist in the band and right now, i cant play lead and rhythm at the same time. I don't know if anyone can.

This has actually helped me make my own riffs and stuff.

My friend has a digitech; i kinda like its sound but i think its made out of plastic so its not as durable as this tank.

Dead simple - no need for the manual, just plug in, twist a few knobs and play.

I have an early 80s Jap Strat (one of the good ones), and a badly treated Fender Ultimate Chorus. Most of the sounds are pretty good, not sure it needs so many distortion options, and the compressor is a weak point - but overall, a very impressive budget effects rack.
Can't get my head round all these cowboys coming on here saying they have used the me-50 with their Parker Fly and boutique amp and that is sucks out their tone!! WTF!!! If you really spent ??15k on your guitar and amp, why are you buying a ??150 effects rack and did you really think it would sound better than your amp!!?? Note to these people - my amp is not very good, that is why I have this effects pedal not Dave Gilmour's rig. I'm giving it an 8, but for the price should be a 9 or 10

Not let me down so far

Bit crap - I know its not expensive, but would be nice if it came with a power supply. And the Boss website sucks.

Been playing for about 25 years, mainly country, blues, classic rock and folk rock. For most of that time haven't really used effects - just the odd bit of wah wah for Hendrix covers.
ME-50 is pretty easy to use - if I had the spare cash I'd get individual stomp boxes, but for the budget I'm on it's a great bit of kit.
The only thing I wish it had was a power lead.

It is totally easy to use i havent opened the manual once.i love that it works the the pedals im used .

my setup includes gibsons,danelectros,epiphones and for amps i use crate,fender and marshalls.i own half the peadals on the dist part of the me-50 and they come really close.i dont think theres anyy real bad effects.i dont really use the modulation besides tremolo but im an old school dude!the spring reverb rocks love it.

no probs as of yet

n/a

this thing rocks i love it!!!if stolen id shoot the bastard

Totally simple to use, just turn knobs until you get what you want.

Sounds fine for now, however obviously everything in here could be much better done in individual stomp boxes.

yeah its a brick, i treat it like s*** and its still going

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Our band listens to old Modest Mouse and Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Animal Collective, Spiritualized, My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, Velvet Underground etc etc, so mush that together and thats what kind of guitar sounds i need. Good to have this pedal to give you basic options for a wide range of effects.
Been playing for a few years, I play mostly a japanese Fender Jaguar with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounds and sometimes a Highway 1 Tele. I also use a vintage MXR graphics equalizer, all through a valavestate Marshall 50 watt. This pedal sounds fine through all of that, although im planning to get a fender twin reverb, and am not confident the ME-50 will last too long once i get that.

Basically i bought this when i had little experience in effects because it seemed simple enough to use, had a wide range of effects, and being BOSS would at least not sound completely terrible. I was right on all these assumptions, and since buying it have been slowly phasing it out with individual stomp boxes. It's helped me work out what effects i want to use in different songs and what kind of pedals i need that would sound better than whats in the ME-50. So for that purpose its a great little unit for the price - Although be prepared to start moving on as soon as you've spent an hour playing around with it (but this is a good thing!!) Peace.

(I guess I don't have to tell you anything about the setup, concept or colour of this thing. The Boss hp will you give you a worthwhile description AND pictures. So I'll cut straight to the chase.)

The design ist simply brilliant, it is exactly what I've always wished for: no buttons, only knobs. That's how guitar equipment works, people!
You can treat it as a series of stomp boxes that have already been connected for your convenience. With some experience you can have a rig set up in five minutes. Guitarists who are used to dealing with stomp boxes will instantly feel at home. Multi effect enthusiast may save their setups on up to ten banks if they prefer. Both modi are very reasonable.

There are some setbacks of course:
- Obviously you can only use one effect from each module at once. So, no Chorus+Vibrato for you. I think most of us will be ok with that.
- The sections "Tone Modify" and "Compressor" can only be switched via external pedals. Which of course you'll have to buy separatly. Same problem if you want to switch between banks.
- The noisegate and reverb can only be controlled manually.
- There is no real bypass.

My setup:
Gibson LP Traditional - Weeping Demon - TC vintage compressor - ME-50 - H&K Replex - H&K Duotone Head

Now, the sound. That's the whole point, right?
All in all I'd describe the sound as... ok. It's all usable, you can work with most of it. But don't expect any wonders. It's a digital unit after all, and an old one.
- The Overdrives can't compare to the analog pedals. In combination with a tube amp you should be all right. Some are better than others, like the "Rat" and the "Guv'ner".
- Modulation is usable all in all but far from a t.c. electronic Chorus+ or a T-Rex Tremster.
- Tone Modify is basically an EQ. Some settings are nice, the "Acoustic" works. I prefer not to use it though.
- The Compressor is mediocre at best. If you only need it to control your clean sound's volume it will do.
- Noisegate is useless.
- Reverb sounds rather cheap. It's the main weakness I think.
- The Delay section works fine. The time can be tapped, there's a slow echo and even a reverse. The analog delay even sounds a bit like a real one. No rival for my Replex though. Far from it.
- The Expression pedal is fun. If you don't care much for your WahWah sound, this one will do. Resonance is cool for distorted stuff, the ring modulater is even kinda charming.
- Tuner: all you'll ever need.

Built like a tank. Played a few dozen gigs with it, and it was never treated kindly. Never needed a backup.

Never had to contact them.

I've been playing Metal, Goth Rock and plain Alternative Rock for almost 15 years. Most of the gear I own is premium quality. The ME-50 is not.

It does have its use though. If you're a beginner and want to find out about effects in general, try a few things and get a feeling for the subject, the ME-50 is just right. Same thing if you merely want to play a few gigs in small clubs. And be honest: the price is amazing.
If you wanna get serious with your sound though, this little baby is not enough.

I still use it on occasion, but neither for recording nor the good gigs. Pity. If there were a "deluxe" model with a really good sound design, I'd buy it instantly.

No death by menu here. treat it like 3 stompboxes (with a few extra features.) If you can't figure it out, start wearing a helmet.

FTR im using a schecter hellraiser (EMGS), ME-50, and crate V50-112.
The first thing that I noticed was how easy it was to get a usable sound from this. I love the distortions and delays. There seems to be one to suit just about any music style. The reverbs leave alot to be desired, use the one on your amp if you have one. I think that this sounds much better plugged into a tube amp, but I guess everything does.

Its a boss. Will work well as a wedge for chopping wood.

No experience, don't think ill ever need to get it repaired.

I used to be a diehard Line 6 guy. Once I plugged into this thing, that was all over. If you have anything by Line 6, take it back. If you can't, make use of it (coffee table, frisbee, etc.) Plug in to this thing and you will be inspired.
Forgive me for not going into the snobbish tech-geek verbage that you've seen so much. This pedal gets the job done.
If this were stolen, I'd hunt the guy down.

This is a great product. For the money, I'd be surprised if you can find a better multi-FX unit. It's like having a whole bunch of stomp boxes in one, simple to use unit, but without the cost, wiring, noise, and the need for a 6-foot long pedalboard.

The manual is very easy to follow and well laid out, but I've not found the need to refer to it since I first set the unit up as the ME-50 is so intuitive to use.

Personally I'm not a big fan of the presets, they sound too overdone to me. But it's very easy to create your own sounds on the fly (just like with individual stompboxes).

If you want to spend all day editing parameters and getting lost in menus get a GT-10, but if you want a decent set of effects that you can dial in a sound you want very quickly (this thing has a knob for just about everything) get yourself an ME-50.

I'm using this with a Fender 2006 American Series Strat, with Custom Shop 69 pickups, and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp. I run the ME-50 straight into the amp's clean channel.

With this setup I can create just about any sound I like, it really is awesome given what this unit costs. There are some silly effects I won't ever use but as you'd expect with BOSS the effects are mostly excellent quality.

I've not been playing guitar long so I don't know how 'accurate' the COSM-modelled pedals on this unit are but they sure sound good to me.

I don't use the Tony Modify feature much, instead I prefer to use a BOSS GE-7 EQ pedal (in the FX loop of my Hot Rod Deluxe) for finer tone-shaping. If this unit had a GE-7 built in, it would be killer. So it loses a point here. Also, the tuner is useful to have but I find it's not as accurate as my Korg tuner, in fact the ME-50 seems to tune my guitar slightly sharp.

As with pretty much anything that comes out of the Roland factory, it's built like a tank. I only play at home but I'd have no qualms taking this thing out on a gig if I had to. In my keyboard-playing days, I'd used a lot of Roland gear and it's extremely reliable. It has been said that the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust would be Keith Richards and cockroaches. You could almost certainly add any piece of gear with the word BOSS or Roland on it.

Roland UK support really is great, impeccable in fact. I've dealt with them a number of times over the years and they really do look after and value their customers. Within a couple of days of registering this product on the Roland UK website, I had a letter from them with the name of a Customer Service person to contact directly in case of any issues.

I've not been playing guitar very long, less than 2 years, so when it came to investing in my first multi-FX unit earlier this year there was only one name that sprang to mind, and that is BOSS. Their products are great value and very dependable.

I had considered buying a GT-8 at the time I bought this, but I didn't need amp modelling and didn't want to have to spend hours tweaking it to get a good sound. I would definitely buy it again if it was stolen or lost. If a newer, updated version of this comes out in the near future I would be seriously tempted to buy one.

i dont think ive ever found a pedal which is eaiser to use. the manual is brilliant, tells you EXACTLY what you need to know. ive not tried editing patches yet

i use a jackson JS30RR randy Rhodes v and Line 6 Spider III 75 watts with this and to be honest the distortion on the line 6 is better than the ME-50's, also the flanger i find is terrible compared to the line 6. but i do like the chorus, rotary, phaser and delay etc. the noise suppressor is great at what it does, the reverb is ok but i never really use reverb in my band.

i would'nt use this at a gig because i feel i can get better tones through just the Line 6. but i use it in rehearsals all the time and it hasnt failed me yet

never had to deal with them.

i play all sorts of music everything from abba to slipknot and elvis to ozzy and i can find a distortion to match every single song i play on it. the fact you have to buy a seperate footswitch(s) to change tony modify, compressor and bank up/down mid song is slightly annoying, and the fact you have to buy a seperate power supply is ridiculous as most multi effetcs i've used in the past such as zoom, korg etc. dont. if it was lost or stolen i would replace it, as its very good to use and also very handy to have, i originally wanted boss stompboxes but it became apparent i didnt have the money so i was reccomended a multi effects pedal. and got this one as i was set on gettin a boss pedal. overall i would reccomend it but i would probably buy a seperate flange pedal

The layout is logical and intuitive

I use a 1988 Strat Plus with EMG's. It is played through an original Blackface Twin Reverb with a Mesa Boogie V-Twin valve preamp. The tone is to die for. When plugging in the ME-50, ALL of that luscious tone was sucked out and uncermoniously discarded. This pedal is a tone robber made worse by the lack of a bypass. To say it is pure crap is being kind.

I wouldn't even use it for a gig let alone backing it up with another one!

What's the point in fixing garbage?

YUK!

It very easy to use. Its easy to program if you like to do that and it even easier to use as a multi stomp box effect so to speak. It very easy to get started and get the hang of it, the manual is pretty good to.

There are many effects on this and some are good and some are bad but most of them are atleast ok. Personally i have found a pretty raw and good distortion on it, a very good harmonizer, the delays are pretty decent, some cool spacy reverbs. Of course you can find much better flangers, phasers etc on individual pedals. A big drawback with the programmed effects is that you get a little silent "brake" when you switch in beetwen them. Its a good "all pedals in one" multi-effect and very much worth its price.

I have had some problem with the expression pedal and it needs to be adjusted every now and then. Other than that it has worked fine for me on gigs and rehearse.

I play extreme hardcore/metal and have been playing for almost 15 years and uses alot of effects and this pedal is very handy and easy to use. I use it with different tube amps and rock/metal guitars. It has its drawbacks, the silence beetwen programmed sounds, some plastic/bad effect sounds but overall for the price and versatility i think its very good! I would buy a new one if i lost it.

I was given a demo on the Boss ME 50 and liked it. Went to buy the GT 10 thinking it would blow it away with more everything. I WAS WRONG. JUst the HARMONIST alone on the ME 50 blows away the GT 10. THe GT 10 sounds raspy, digital. Hard to program. Don't have the time and patience to deal with the programming or read the manual. The ME 50 is straight forward with better distorted sounds. Where the ME 50 shines is the other effects - delay, reverb, compressor, harmonist, chorus. The ditortion is hard to dial in at low volume even with the amp eqs flat. The only caveat about this is the difficulty to access patches. YOu will have to be tapping to go from patch 1 to patch 6. By the time you get there, the song is half way over. The factory settings are way too loud ( output level set too high). I wish the ME 50 had 10 foot switches instead of 3 to give you different flavors of sounds without dancing like a Riverdance dancer.

Distortion is not as good as the the other effects (Chours, harmonist, delay, etc...). The sound of the chorus and delay are superb - dreamy. The harmonist is great, love it.

great so far.........

don't know yet

Buy this for the sound effects. Distortion is not that good. The ME 50 puts the GT 10 to shame in terms of sound. If you want a raspy, retarded sound and waste your whole day trying to program and re-program an effect , get the GT 10. If you want a wholesome sound that sound full, get the ME 50.

It's the easiest floor pedal for amp modelling to use. It's interface has plenty of knobs so there's no confusion with effect parameters. It has utility predominantly for spontaneous playing-unfortunately, no midi. It's forwardness with all of the knobs on its surface would have made it a better studio unit with midi because its reverb has a sweetening effect- maybe the vf-1, or a boss g-8, or gt 10 for syncing midi?

It has my favorite sound because there were several tone modifying features to entirely reshape the quality of the sound aside from the amplifier simulations, so it was probably a unit that could process software synthesizers for a roland sound along with delivering recording quality tones, or jam quality tones, depending on how important having the midi i/o should be. It has one effect per type- distortion, modulation, and delay. Each section has the sound quality of the better units, the more expensive units, so it's delivering a better sound. The sound is really streamlined for the sensual approach of knob twists so it is best suited for a retro vibe, either as a pedalboard replacement, or as a virtual representation of a signal chain of pedals. The reverb is really cool sounding for software, and the guitar, aside from its unrealness, so its really an electronic sound, so it's really useful for putting an even coating of Boss/Roland over a production, or guitar tones. It's a bunch of stempboxes run into a guitar amp. Nice crunch. Better sustain. Nice fusiony tone- thinking Al Dimeola or maybe Albert King.

Well it feels tough. It feels sturdy. The power supply is replaceable.

I haven't tried their customer support. Their web system is mostly promotional with manuals. They have useable gear, mostly.

The delays and reverb give the production a coating of the roland. The distortions into tube equipment gives it a hyper real crunch. It's not nearly as well designed as the GT 8 where apparently these dual amps and more complicated patches are possible, so it's a short-cut as a studio unit, although its sound is studio, and is probably an economical pedal so players that prefer the economical effects approach to more complicated effects will get a lot of super brilliant sounds. Good 70's tone and sustaining leads. Good delay(no midi).Good crunch.

Very easy to use, I had the ME-20 prior to this so granted I had a bit of a head start. However if you can use a stompbox, you can get some sounds right away. Editing patches will take a little more time, just consult the manual.

I use the ME-50 with a G&L ASAT deluxe guitar, through a mesa boogie mark IV head, with a sonic 2X12 cab loaded with celestion vintage 30's. Now if only I could play guitar better....heh the unit is not noisy, and the noise supressor works really well, compared to the ME-20 its much easier to use, you just turn the knob man. The effects are definitely cool, I checked out the Rat distortion today and was pretty satisfied. Usually I hate digital distortions, but through my tube amp it sounded just fine. Part of the reason i bought the unit was that it has a Univibe type modulation effect, used by trower, hendrix and others...I tried it out today, for a short time, and I wasn't horribly dissapointed. I think its totally usable.

Made in Japan I think, anyway its built dam sturdy, Ive never had an issue with roland or boss gear.

I emailed them once and they responded right away with a spare manual for my ME-20 so that was fine.

I play Blues/rock, cream, the who, classic rock stuff like that. Im gonna try and play some metal, Black sabbath and Metallica stuff, so it will be nice to have all the different sounds this thing can generate. Playing off and on, for like ten years, as a hobby really. I love the stombox type layout, I love the sounds, and the build quality seems really good. Cant say I hate anything, but I suppose I will use my Vox wah pedal, as the wah wah is just average on the unit. It definitely helps me to make music and want to practice cause you can dial in pretty much any sound you can think of. Some of the weird **** I will never use like the ring mod thing and others...but hey nice that its there for someone you know? Im gonna give it overall a 10, primarily because I paid only 200 bucks for it, including two footswitchs and the gig bag, so the value was unreal. For full retail at 300 bucks id drop the rating to an 8.

Ease of use - this is one of its best features. The 3 pedals almost function as separates (1=Dist; 2=Mod; 3=Delay). The other knobs are intuitive and clearly labelled. Expression pedal easily-assignable.

Use w/ Marshall Valvestate.

The effects sound great for a multi FX in this price range. Solid and full - probably pretty close to quality of separates. Distortions and delay are most impressive; flange/phase/chorus less so. Expression pedal is great, especially octave pitch shifter, but the wah setting could be better though.

Another downside - reverb is low quality.

Solid - no worries.

n/a

In terms of quality of sounds and ease of use, this is the best multi FX in its price range. Obviously separates will give you superior sounds, but this is space economical.

Boss has a repuation for being reliable but boring - I prefer the quirkiness of Zoom, who are a more innovative and imaginative company, even though the quality their sounds is not as good as Boss. Zoom also put drum machines on their Multi FX, which are great for jamming at home. Boss should have put one on this pedal, but I guess they view add-ons like drum machines as amateurish - Bullsh*t - so what.

I'm writing this review as I'm about to sell this unit. I'm downgrading to a cheaper cheesier Zoom, which I will use in conjunction with some quality analogue separates.

This has got to be the easiest to use good quality multi effect unit on the market. Very easy to tweak, but doesn't have the "deep dive" tweaking capabilities of the more complex effects units, which is fine with me. I had TC Electronics G-Major for several years and although you can great sounds out of it, editing those sounds was a major pain. The setting knobs basically work like stomp boxes and I'd say if you're a stomp box type person and not a menu editing type person, the this unit is a great fit. It's got every major effect, a very usable wah peddle and no preamp modeling, which for me is great.

Editing patches is very easy, just turn the knobs. It has three modes ... preset, manual and edit which gives a lot of choices in how to use the pedals. I tend to use manual mode more as I like having pedal switching for each effect rather than moving from patch to patch. Don't think the tuner is that effective, but it's there nonetheless.

The fact is, this is a fun effects box. You can get millions of different sounds in seconds and it's all visible right in front of you. No menus, no complex buttons or parameters. As a result, I experiment with it a LOT MORE than I did with the G-Major and it's just a lot more fun to work with because there is zero chance of making a mistake, hitting the wrong button, screwing up a setting, etc... And for me, that's a HUGE plus. There's something about being able to see how every effect you're using is set right there in front of you versus having to toggle through 10 menus one by one to see what all the settings are. I found that to be a major fun buzz killer. You can see the delay settings while you tweak that chorus and quickly make small changes bada bada bing and you're strumming in seconds.

I use the ME-50 in the effects loops of a Boogie Studio Preamp (pure tone magic) which feeds a Mesa 20/20 stereo power amp and then out to two 2x12 cabs. I use a Voodoo Sparkle and a Barber direct drive in front of the preamp. Have some nice Les Paul's, Strats, Teles, Gretsch and other guitars.

Soundwise, I really like the ME-50. I don't use the overdrives, mainly because I love the tones from my preamp and distortion pedals. Having said this, I don't think the overdrive models in the ME-50 are very good. They all sound to me too compressed and "splat" like. I definitely would not suggest anyone buy the ME-50 for the distortion effects, because you'll be disappointed. Also, all the other effects on the ME-50 sound much better with the overdrive/distortion turned off.

I happen to really like BOSS effects, so this is partly why I like the ME-50. The stereo chorus is great, the delays and reverb (spring reverb setting sounds like crap, however) sound great and you can get a very wet sound out of the ME-50. The wah peddle is very usable, as well. Part of what makes the unit appealing is how easy it is to make big or little tweaks. Compared to a rack unit like the G-Major, it is so much more tweakable simply because there is zero hassle involved in making changes. The phaser and flange sound fabulous and both have a lot of range. I don't use compression much so can't give a good review. One thing I really like about the ME-50 is it sounds good with the effects used in a subtle way and also good with them used in a dramatic way. I never really found the G-Major to sound that great when the effects were laid on really thick.

I'll say it one more time, if you buy this unit, you must have a good preamp/distortion setup already in place. If you've got that, then this unit really fits in well.

I'm dinging the sound simply because of the distortion effect. If I was BOSS, I would have left them out or put in a much better, more usable distortion effect.

Another thing I really like about this unit is it doesn't color my guitars much. My Les Paul's and Strat's sound like themselves through this unit and this is not the case with Line6 gear.

It seems very sturdy and well made. It's a BOSS, so quality is probably there, although I don't have years of abuse on it to report on as I keep mine in a clean home studio. My experience with BOSS in terms of quality has always been good.

Website is useful but I've never called BOSS.

I play rock, blues and use mostly rootsy tones. I do a lot of looping and like dreamy sound textures too and the ME-50 allows me to get there very quickly without having to go through 5-10 minutes of patch editing.

I've owned a lot of high end tube and digital gear. The ME-50 effects sound much better in my rig than a PODxt, or the VOX Tonelab and I like it a lot better than the G-Major, although the G-Major did sound great once you got it all set up, which for me was always a hassle. The ME-50 sounds like stomp boxes to me and I love that sound. It mates really well with my Mesa Preamp and has virtually no noise at all when the distortion effect is off. I think the Wah peddle is a total surprise in terms of quality sound. Some reviewers say the wah sucks and I simply can't understand that at all.

All in all, this is my favorite effects unit and I've tried a lot of different ones, both pedals and rack type units.

I bought an ME-50 a month ago after using its predecessor, the ME-30, for the last eight years. There are some comparisons between the two that I thought might be useful if any Boss guys are reading this. First of all, I love the ME-50 - sound quality much better and the ease of use with the knobs on top is great. Very easy to get a good sound. Patch editing, though, is harder than on the ME 30. On the ME 30 there were 30 predefined patches and 30 user defined patches. On the ME 50 there's only 30 patches - if you want to make your own you have to overwrite the factory settings. What gives there? It was good to have the factory settings as reference points. On the ME 50 if you overwrite them you can get them back by using the restore defaults option but then you lose your own patches. In this area I thought the ME 30 was more flexible.
Second, on the ME 30 you could name your patches, and the settings were always visible for you to re-edit if you wanted to. On the ME 50 you have to write it all down somewhere. I would have thought that retaining some form of menu that let you see what you have done was a worthwhile thing.
Third, I liked the foot switching between levels on the ME 30. While bending down on the ME 50 isn't that much of a problem, it is a step backwards in my view.
I'd like to see Boss bring back the editing functionality that the ME 30 had.

I have played the guitar for 30 years and now play in a classic rock cover band using a Strat into a Bronx 112 tube amp. Mainly looking for good overdrive and distortion. Sometimes use the chorus, phaser and delay. I love the sound of the ME 50. My criticism here is of the wah - it doesn't seem as strong as it might be - I actually think the ME 30 had better wah. Also on the ME 30 you could put the wah before the other effects, or after. On the ME 50 you don't get the choice. What gives there, Boss guys? Another step backwards. On the plus side, the resonance and voice settings on the expression pedal are brilliant, and I like the octaves also.

Seems to be reliable. Anyway I have my Behringer pedal to fall back on if needed. Haven'r really owned it long enough to have an opinion but I had no problems with my ME 30

Never used them

I actually went to a music store to try a Vox Tonelab and the guy there basically told me not to buy one and get a Boss ME 50 instead. The Tonelab had some funny hissing noises that worried me. Don't have any of that with the Boss. If you're not interested in modelling other amps, which I'm not, then the Boss is very practical and easy to use.
How could you improve it? See above. Also, other writers have complained about the delay when switching from one patch to another so I won't go over that again. But to get over it, what I do is have another pedal (a Behringer Vintage Tube Overdrive) that I use with the overdrive/distortion on the Boss to go from rhythm overdrive to a sharper sound for solos. I know you can solve this problem by having different patches but I prefer the control that comes from being able to kick a pedal in without a gap. What would be really good would be to to have a programmable pedal that you could assign effects to. So you might have your overdrive pedal on one setting and your assignable pedal on your lead setting. It would also mean you could use two modulation effects together if you wanted to. Where do you get the room to do this? How about a few less distortion options - 22 is really over the top, and many of the 'variation' sounds seem pretty much the same as the others. So I would say 11 options is quite enough. Also I've never understood what the ring mod idea is all about (reproducing the sound of playing with your whammy bar fully depressed). Does anyone really use it? If so, tell me when your next gig is and i'll be somewhere else. So there's some room you can save, Boss guys, so how about making the changes I've suggested?
If it was stoen I'd get anouther one - I love it. But it could be so much better by just bringing back some of the ME 30 functionality and giving us that programmable pedal. Come on, Boss, just do it.

Seems pretty simple to use, just bought it last week, and was able to produce the goods pretty quickly, everything looks straightforward and intuitive. Manual is simple enough.

I use a deArmond m75t, and a Peavey T-60, amp is a line 6 spider. i have a lot of other efx, but plan to use this more or less on its own. Sounds are sufficient for the chaotic racket I generally make.

Bit early to be sure, but have had my ME-6 for about 16 yrs and bought this to update it. Looks and feels tough.

Phoned Roland here in Ireland with a question about a power supply straight away, got through clean and got clear sound advice.

I play experimental/drone/noise rock, good to have lots of efx to create the necessary chaos. Playing for about 23 yrs. Got a couple of amps, about 8 guitars and half a dozen other efx., mainly line6 modellers. Wish it had more pedal swithches, so u dont have to buy extra or keep bending down....

How easy do you want? just turn the knobs and get the sound you want... Only issue is creating/editing patches could be simpler, and switching between banks without an extra footswitch is a pain.

I'm reasonably happy with the sounds thru my Strat/marshall setup, but, can't find quite the tone I want with my Epi LP.

The drive channel is good, with lots of sounds from Boss' Pedal range, but see the variation button as pointless, I hardly use it.

Modulation and delay are good, get no complaints at all, however, would have liked a ping/pong style delay.

The expression pedal is okay, the Wah could be better tho. On some distortion settings (like the MT pedal) it's almost useless.

The other functions are all reasonable too, Reverb on Hall, room and Mod are okay, but spring is a little strange.

Compressor and NR are good, and I use them quite often with the Strat.

Only issue really for me is switching between patches in memory mode takes about 1/2 a second.

Had it a few years, and it's been heavily used. I'm massivly impressed with the expression pedal, still feels like new.

No need ever to deal with them.

It's not perfect by any means, but I've not used any multi fx anywhere near this good, and this dependable. IMO with a seperate Wah, you need nothing else!

Very easy to use. Chunky dials rather than menu scrolling makes this very user friendly. Everything seems to be laid out as it should be for simplicity. Programming patches is straightforward. The manual is worth a look though.

I play a mexican strat and a korean squier tele (don't laugh, I've upgraded it and it sounds a lot better than it should!) into a Fender Deluxe 90 for rehearsal and a Sunn ST-15 (fender in disguise)for home practice. You may have gathered I'm a Fender man.

I know all the reviews of this pedal do this but at the risk of being repetative I'll go through the sections.

Tone Modify - A basic EQ. Does the job but be careful with it.

Compressor - OK.

Noise Gate - Very useful. I dial it to 12 o'Clock and leave it alone and it does the job well

Reverb - Urrgh. The Room and Hall settings are just about OK but the Spring setting sucks. No idea what Boss were thinking. If your amp has reverb use that, if not then use a bit of Hall or Room or do without.

Overdrive/Distortion - Sounds like the box's it emulates. A couple of the COSM variations sound a bit wierd (Like the OCT FUZZ a lot!). Effecively you get 22 different OD/DS box's that are as adjustable as you want. Something for every taste.

Modulation - all good. Phaser is excellent and I love the Uni-v. Stereo chorus sounds are fairly good through two amps.

Delay - Plenty to suit most styles and tastes. Clear and easy to use. Does what it should very well.

Expression Pedal - Acts as a volume pedal until you push it down hard. Wah is OK but not Jim Dunlop by any means. Octave pitch shifter is OK if you like that kind of thing. Will someone explain to me who uses Ring Mod? I sounds awful and I can't think of any use for it other than to make your guitar sound like a robot farting.

There's also a master level dial which comes in handy if using headphones. Otherwise I leave it at 12 o'clock

You could use it to knock in tent pegs at a festival gig before you went on stage.

The military are borrowing the design for tank armour.

They found one under a glacier and it still worked.

the ancient pyramid builders of Egypt used it to......

You get the picture

see above

Do you know anyone who owns 11 different distortion pedals and uses all of them on stage at the same gig? Of course you don't. But if you own this then that's what you have. You can have a different sound for every song if you want. Now most guitarist tend to settle on a sound they like and stick with it for most of the stuff they play but this pedal allows you the flexibility to be adventurous. OK so you need to buy a seperate switch to change banks without bending over and pressing a button but you get the point.

I've been playing for well over twenty years and I really like this pedal. I play everything from Johnny Cash to Q.O.T S.A.

Some reviews have said that this messes up your tone. Tone is purely subjective and I think they are wrong. I think that like all pedals it allows you to experiment with sound and that's a good thing. Most tone purists I've met are too far up there own arses to be able to hear anyway.

It does what it's meant to do. It isn't hand wired with antique cloth covered wire and have it's glass tubes warmed between the thighs of young maidens but it sounds pretty good all the same.

For the price (I've seen these new for ??160) you can't do better than this.

Very simple to use in manual mode, not much mucking around, just plug straight in and dial in.

Memory mode takes a little more time, but still isn't too difficult.

I've had this unit for around two years now, and still can't get anything better than an "average" sound out of it. The OD/DS section is lacking and has few decent sounds.

The Mod and Delay sections do as they say, pretty standard. Not bad, but not amazing.

The Wah is good as a begginers wah; as in if this is the first wah you've used it's perfect, but otherwise you will know there's much better out there.

Built like a tank - Very strong structure, you could drop it a thousand times and it would still work.

I've gigged with this unit many a time, and the only problems I have had have been with the power cable, which wasn't even an official boss one.

Never needed it.

If you're looking to buy your first effects unit, this is perfect; very simple to use, and will teach you a lot about basic effects. If you're looking for a certain sound from your guitar, this unit is not for you. The effects are mediocre and weak.

If this unit were stolen or lost I wouldn't buy a new one, I would look to buy seperate stomp boxes, or improve my amp rather than effects.