Roland GR-33

Very easy to get a great sound from the GR-33.
Easy to edit patches. 384 built in instruments. Synths, strings, organs, pianos, wind instruments and many many more.
Manual is pretty useful.
Firmware I believe is still original since it's release in 2000

I'm using a 1996 Fender Mexican Strat and an Aria Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Replica both equipped with the GK-2A Synth pickups
I plug my guitar directly into a 2001 Line 6 Flextone 2 300watt Head.
I plug the GR-33 Synth sound directly into an 1997 SWR Workingmans 15" Bass Amp.
Not noisy at all, just extremely great quality sounds.
Certain instruments sounds sound different from their real counterpart, but tweaking resolves most differences.
The Effects Quality of the GR-33 are excellent for the GR-33 only. As far as I can tell you cannot use the built in effects for your guitar sounds. The distortions and overdrives are a bit thin and fake, but all the other 38 out of 40 effects are of extreme quality.

Pretty reliable. The casing is mostly plastic, but it has been rock solid. Get a protective carry gig bag for it to lug around.
I would be up shits creek without a paddle if the GR-33 blew up on stage. You would have to own 2 GR-33's if you needed a backup, or ask your keyboard player to grow another arm.

N/A I know for fact that Roland does not have a toll free Tech Support help line, but I know people that have dealt with them and have helped them solve their issues as best a possible

My stage name is Alterboy "Straight from the Vatican" and I play in an all original Rock/Pop/Alternative band called RYNGS out of R.I. I play mostly rock, blues, jazz, lot's of other styles on my own time.
I've been playing for over 27 years.
If stolen, hmmm, I would just have to find a used one.
I love the quality of the instrument sounds and using it for effect in band only. Not taking away from being a guitarist.
Nothing on the market that is all in one. Great expression pedal and foot controlled effect control. Would be nice if Roland combined the VG-88 and GR-33 together calling it the VR-121.
I compared the GR-33 to the AXIS midi synth. The GR-33 is a better value.
The GR-33 helps in the creativity of being able to play non-guitar instrument sounds using guitar, blending sounds and nice effects.
Try one out 1st.

Just to add a few of my own comments to what has already been said here, this unit is easy to use. The preset patches are OK, but the best sounds are in the 384 tones that are available. Play with the attack/release settings for better tracking and customised sounds. I've owned most of Rolands guitar synths, this is the easiest for editing I have seen, anyone remember the GR50 ?
The manual is a big improvement on previous user guides.

The sounds on this unit are good, organs, atmospheric synths, didgeridoo, in particular. The sax, violin and horn sounds needed a bit of editing to get them usable. Sound quality is high, used through my home studio monitors and mixer, very little noise levels.
The effects are average, if Roland had allowed the effects to be applied to the guitar sound as well, this would have been more useful.
I love the arpeggiator, great fun when used with a Line 6 delay/looper. I play all sorts of music and can get pretty close to most sounds on CD, but the best sounds are the ones that can be edited from the internal patches. Midi out works well, I use a Cort steinberger copy, which I installed the GK2a kit into, took some adjusting and setting up, but the tracking is definitely faster and more reliable than any other guitar synth I have used.

Seems fairly sturdy, would use without a backup, but always have a spare 13 pin connecting cable.

The GK2a kit does not come supplied with all parts necessary, I mentioned this to Roland, they replied promptly with a reasonable explanation, and also sent me some brochures and a free CD. They have been helpful on previous occasions.

This unit beats anything that came before it, I have sold my other guitar synths as I am more than happy that this can do what I require. Might also get a VG8ex, to experiment with both.
It is a good creative tool, I recorded a load of new material just from playing with the different sounds and finding something ineteresting that inspired me.
You still have to play cleanly, it doesnt like sloppy playing, but the rewards are worth the effort. www.millside1.freeserve.co.uk

Very easy to use across the board. Much intuitive user interface than the Roland GR30. Good manual as far as Roland manuals go.

I use a Fender Roland-Ready Strat to drive the GR33. Preset patches suck, internal ROM sounds are excellent, tracking is faster than the GR30, very quiet unit, effects are very good, great features not found in earlier Roland guitar synths.

Seems pretty flimsy for a floor pedal. Seems reliable enough though.

Never dealt with them.

I'm impressed with the GR33. It works better with the Roland-Ready Strat by Fender. Don't believe anyone who tells you that the GR30 is better- it's NOT. However, I do miss some of the patches not carried over into the GR33.

The Gr-33 was the first synth I have ever purchased so the learning curve was steep. Now that I have spent some time with it, i can create patches and alter current ones easily. I still refer to the manual occasionally for the more obscure "how to" but not very. often.

One drawback to the use is that the programming controls are on the floor. I have to bend down to change properties of a patch. True, I can change the patches with 'footwork'.

Another drawback for me is the location of the "HOLD" pedal, probably the only one I use other than the expresstion pedal. When seated and playing fingerstyle, it is very difficult to hold the guitar in a comfortable position and still reach the exp pedal and the hold pedal at the same time. My solution has been to use a guitar strap instead of resting it on my leg.

Sound quality is good for a synth. I use a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. and get satisfactory results.

Reliability has been good. Ive owned it for a year without any problems.

Customer support was not much help, although they were friendly and tried to be helpful, to a point.

I still have issues with the mis-fired notes when I use a Godin Multiac with the LR Baggs picups.

I was dissapointed in the tracking with the Godin Multiac Nylon and almost returned the synth to roland. I decided to keep it and have been moderately pleased.
Tracking bites!

The basics are easy enough to use, but once you get into the hardcore stuff it becomes a little more tricky. This thing is the ultimate in tweaking though, you can change almost anything you can think of (and some things you won't think of). As for actual use its dead simple. Plug in, select patch, and play. The manual is not very impresive (it's a Roland manual after all), it's very complex like its a legal document or something. I topped reading the thing half way through.

All in all it's pretty easy to use overall, just got a complex manual.

The sound quality on the GR-33 is above average. It sounds like an upmarket keyboard. Some sounds are good, and others are not so good. There no particular great sounds, but there are some pretty cool sound effects. What I hate is the built in effects. The distortion and overdrive are awful. That's alright though cause who wants a distorted trumpet, sax, etc. Of course there is the odd tracking error, but this is rare if you play carefully.

Basically it's very keyboard sounding. It's not expresive like a real instrument, but will do for little trumpet solo's and stuff in the middle of pop songs. I've used this thing in musicals for little solo things and it's quite adequte. Overall, you become a keyboard player, which is very cool.

It's a Roland, need I say more. It's very reliable, no backup required. Built very solid and I don't expect it to break down before Roland make the next model in the series (if they make another model). It should last much longer than that.

Absolutely horrible, at least in Australia. I tried to get another internal gk-2a pickup and it took roland 3+ months to get one into Australia. Plus there U.S. website is almost useless.

Pretty good synth. It doesn't work in Jazz, Blues, etc, cause it's just hasn't got natural expresion but for pop songs maxed out with drum beats and a cranked guitar it works fine. I use it in a rock/pop band and use it to and in parts for instruments we don't have. It works fine in this situation.

This unit has many hidden depths to it; it's not really intuitive. Haing said that, I do find that there's a flow of editing parameters that I can rely on to keep things simple...I start by twaeking all the Common stuff, like pan, level, pedal function, and such. Then I select a patch and tweak that. Then I go to effects, and tweak those (which is a little tricky sometimes). The manual, as I remember it, is mediocre. The descriptions given for the various effects are funny, as they are completely deadpan and technophile. But I wasn't overwhelmed at any stage of the game.

The presets...ah, they are presets. Sweep them clean and start fresh to get the best sounds out of this unit. It was a substantial amount of time before I found the 384 tones at my disposal; I thought the preset patches were it, at first. Silly me! Anyway, I go straight into the P.A. with this, using the send/return for guitar effects...and let me tell you, the cabinet simulator in the GR-33 is highly impressive! I don't even know if it's accurate in simulating a cab, but it just makes my guitar sound better through the speakers, which are full-range JBL's. Onto the synth aspects: the selection of tones is quite expansive, with an emphasis on synth leads. I was hoping for more woodwind stuff, but what's there isn't too bad. Basically, I purchased this in the middle of my total awe of Robert Fripp; up until that point, my favorite guitarist was Lindsey Buckingham, or something. This synth is awesome for looping, which I use a Line6 DL-4 for...the warbling and mistracking on some patches can be overcome with a little restraint, as previous reviewers have mentioned. You can't strum wildly and scrape your pick across the strings and expect to trigger anything satisfying.

For realism in its portrayal of instruments, I give this unit accolades and praise. But nothing compares to the GR-300's analog sound and playability. I have never owned (or even seen) one, but 80's Fripp and Metheny has exposed in me a love for the shrill, saw-like sound used in many of their solos. I have approximated it in one of my patches (ignore the factory patch called "GR-300 LEAD," it doesn't even come close), but it's not even the sound that I long to be better...it's the fact that on an analog, non-MIDI guitar synth such as the 300, one could do hammer-on and pull-off runs, get a nice natural sustain, and bend to one's heart's content...digital programmability detracts from this in the GR-33. Trills end too quickly, pull-offs CANNOT BE PERFORMED EVER, and if you're not careful when you remove your left hand, the pitch might drop a half-step. Yes, my GK-2A is mounted properly.

The effects are there because the tones available are nothing stellar, and they do a fine job of beefing up things a bit. But only one effect at a time? Some are offered in groups of two, but they aren't the useful ones...and I'd like to be able to customize it more. I have no use for a limiter or spectral expander, period. This is a synth...do Kurzweils have limiters built in?? The quality of the effects is pretty cold and mechanical, but somehow not lacking in any department, to my usage of the unit. My patches are mostly either improvements on the factory ones that I'm disappointed with (choir voices and strings, namely), and just plain WEIRD ones that aren't useful in any kind of band environment, but come alive when I'm looping and making ambient noise. Speaking of noise, it doesn't make much when you're not playing it.

In my basement, it's damp and chilly most of the time, nice in summer, frigid in winter. Well, there's a pebble in the Value knob that's been there for about eight months, I'm so lazy. The pedals are cheap, and they almost seem sunken-in; there's not much difference in height, physically, between pressed and released. I would take this anywhere, simply because I'm a mild performer. I don't break anything I own because I'm too rough with it. The expression pedal is too small for my size 13 foot, which has been spoiled by Ernie Ball. (c:

An effects processor can be a musical instrument. It makes no sound of its own, but has its own limits, its own timbre, its own playing style, and other adaptations that need to be considered. This does have sounds of its own, but they aren't static...stick two of them together, pan them across from each other, put a phaser on one, bend the pitch, use the "wah," and it's now your instrument. My GR-33 gives me a great amount of inspiration.

I'm 18. I have been playing music for pretty much all my life, but not guitar until a year ago. However, before that I played bass. Not like it really matters...! I would have liked this unit more if it had the type of tracking that the VG-88 had, which was on-the-fly and derived from string sound. But then you wouldn't have all those nifty arpeggios...wait, those are pretty lame...well, maybe a balance could have been struck. I plan on getting the VG sometime, and using the US-20 splitter thingy. Recent Fripp is easy to replicate with that combination, so I'll be satisfied for a while. This box gets an "8" down the line.

It is fairly simple to plug and play as a rule. The sounds right out of the box are very easy to access. I am just learning to edit patches right now. The manual, as with most Roland Products, has all of the clarity of James'Joyce's Finnegans Wake. It is so eliptical, that you often need to guess what is going on. It is not a tool terribly friendly to the guitarist's plug-in-and-rock mentality.

Gibson Explorer played through a Yamaha T-100 tube comboe. It is super quiet with the exception of the occassional Mariachi station coming through. That could be the amplifier or the effect loop as well. I have not really tweeked the effects since I am using my outboard gear, a Digitech RP-12 and a Line 6 Delay Modeler.

So far, I've only used it on one gig in a Church Ensemble. I am guessing that it is pretty solid like other Boss/Roland goods. Everything else that I have ever owned by them has been practically indestructible. Knock Wood.

Roland USA. Where is the 800 number in the manual? Just wondering.

Play in a Church Worship ensemble where alot of the musical parameters are pretty free. I also play in a Pop/Celtic band as a hobby. I have done some session work and had sideman gigs on guitar, accordian, mandolin, keyboards and bouzouki. This should help to simplify alot of the carrying when I go on a sideman gig. I would definitely replace it if it were stolen. It is becoming an increasing part of my voice as an arranger and composer.

Plug 'n play will get you far enough to audition all the patches, which is what most of us do initially. Further discovery finds that it's pretty easy to set, tweak and save patches and global parameters. Some of the more detailed uses of the unit are covered in the excellent Roland manual. Yes, I did say excellent Roland manual! VERY clear , concise ,well laid out..I was stunned because alot of people know Roland has/had a reputation for 'clear-as-mud manuals', or very skimpy on info. But not this one. Just about any setup or application questions I had were answered in the manual. Bravo.

The sound quality is top notch. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the patches themselves are top notch , just that every single instrument is very well sampled/synthesized/recorded etc. The patches range in quality from great to so-so to not so great. I didn't care for the stock grand piano sound , nor the saxophone patches. The decay of the piano sounded a little too synthesized for me and the saxophones were rather weak, ie- not enough fat brassiness, although the breathy sax timbre was fun. I would think that some creative editing could bring these and a few others around though. Those aside, I really liked just about everything else. Great fretless bass, leslie organs, lead synths, brass and woodwinds in general very good...I didn't here a good solo violin preset that I liked alot ,but really nice ensemble and synth strings. I loved the pads and sci-fi like fx sounds, very cool.
I've heard alot of debate about whether the gr-33 is better or worse than it's predecessor the gr-30. A friend owns a gr-30 so I have auditioned it a few times. IMO, they are pretty much on equal footing in terms of patches I liked. The gr-30 had a better stock piano, while the gr-33 has better lead guitar and pads.
I get the feeling that the longer I own this , and the more familiar I get with editing, that I can improve on alot of the factory presets that I didn't care for as much. And there weren't too many of those. It really has some great , idea launching sounds. I only wish it was mult-timbral to get several tracks of those great sounds going at once. I don't use it live, but bet the pedal is a nice bonus. I do use it to trigger the wah on my Line 6 Pod. Very handy.
I got my gr-33 bundled with the clunky gk-2a pickup which bolted snuggly onto my guitar strap button. Took a little tweaking to get the saddles on my strat style guitar set low enough to get a good signal
to the hex pickup. The tracking for the most part was pretty good, although the grand piano had alot of missed and/or doubled notes. It was easy enough though to readjust each strings sensitivity to compensate on that particular patch. I really like all the different sensitivity tracking and play feel options you have. The effects are pretty decent and numerous , more than I would ever mess with if for no other reason than bending down to tweak stuff really sucks lol.
Harmonizer and arpeggiator's are alot of fun to play with, though if I had to nitpick, I'd like to be able to make my own arpeggio's and save them and have intelligent harmonies and have both going on at the same time which you can't do. Overall, unless your a synth god with tons of Kurzweils and other high end synths to compare to, the gr-33 has GREAT sounds with mostly great patches.

Have had it about 4 months..no problems, though I would hate the idea of taking it on a gig...any device you can step on is asking for trouble when the guts of it are down there too. How 'bout a rack mount version for the next gr synth?

N/A

Overall, these are fun little boxes. Alot of musical firepower. So many possible uses in nearly every possible style.

The GR-33 is very easy to use. But is very limited in some way. I have a GM-70 and this was extremely versatile. Tracking was a little poor. Roland really missed it with the GR-33 in the controller area. The pedals are not latchable. The sw1 & sw2 are not really assignable either. I'm use to having and using an octave up by 12 switch. This is very handy in gig situations. I now have to config two patched one normal the next set an octave higher. I've used guitar synth since the introduction of the GM-70. If Roland would make a software change to allow the control pedals to latch I would be very happy.

The unit is easy to get around and set patches.

Sound is very good. Strings are very useful. I use the Sax sounds a lot in gigs. Organs are good also. Piano patches are very good. Tick for users set the EAD string one -12 oct. on one piano sound. Set the 2nd piano sound normal. You will get a left/right hand feel if you finger pick. Rolands sound are very accurate. I have a SC88 pro also. I prefer Korg for thick sounds.

So far so good. I don't like the plastic housing and there is too much clear plastic on the top. I'm very carful with my equipment and there are scratches in the windows already. They should have taken a lesson from the GT-3 group. I have the Gt-3 and love it. I wish the housing was the same built like a tank and laid out nicely.

I've not called them

My system came with the GK2 pickup also. I use it on my Ovation. The GK2 pickup geometry doesn't match my Ovation string layout and spacing great so I have a little problems with the d & g strings. I use two Godins a SGX/SA and a Classical/SA And so far very happy.

I just wish Roland would allow more versatility in the assigns of controller function to the pedals.

Fair, not a whole lot different than the gr-30 as I'm used to it having it for a couple of years now. I also have many other Roland and Boss products so it wasn't hard to figure out. I didn't find a good balance on the string sensitivity. And, did not run into that problem with the gr-30.

Just brought it home tonight hooked it up to 1 of my 2 RR Strats. I used headphones as it was late when I got to try it. I must say, compared to the gr-30, there is no significant improvement. The gr-30 sounds better and offers 30 + more instrument sounds. Tracking on the gr-30 is much better. Organ and piano, no comparison, again the gr-30 sounds and tracks much better. The 33 has a couple of new sounds and patches I liked; the romantic strings and the derigidoo. Effects seemed week. But it isn't the effects that I was interested in as much as the instruments.

It's a Roland/Boss creation. I'm sure it will last someone for many years- just not me. I wouldn't use this on a gig or to record with.

With all the products I have of theirs I'm surprised how few times I've had to call. Always treated good. Returned calls when they said. Customer support is good as long as you speak to someone familiar with the specific product you're calling about.

This is very hard for me as I love this company and as I stated earlier, own a few of their products. I have only returned 1 other Boss/Roland product- their new Jamstation. You don't want to get me started on that one. Anyway, I have an EM2000 keyboard/arranger, an ME-30, a BR-8, a VG-8 and the GR-30. I have 2 RR Strats and an Ovation with the GK2-A pickup mounted at the factory. I have a lot invested in music equipment and would say about 1/3 is or goes with my Roland and Boss stuff. I've been playing for too many years to count, but playing seriously for about 15 years. If you want a guitar synth, go with the gr-30. It is great, much more worthwhile and worth the $500 to $600 price tag. For someone who has not had the benefit of playing the GR-30 this would seem to be more worthwhile than it is. Sorry Roland. I will sing your praises when they are worth singing. This one hits a sour note. If my GR-30 was stolen I would get a new one this one I will be returning it this weekend.