Zoom 5000 Hybrid Distortion Pedal

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it?
Very easy. It's a distortion pedal and a pretty good one.

How about Editing patches?
It doesn't really have patches, but it's two channel and that's easy to work with.

How is the manual for it (if there is one)?
I don't remember but you only need it to "program" the second channel and it's very intuitive.

Do you know the firmware revision number? Has your unit been upgraded?
Uh, this question doesn't apply.

What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
It's the only pedal I use. I play a strat through it and it goes to a Lee Jackson pre-amp that's heavily modded to sound less metal-ish. From there it goes to an old quadraverb and then to a Mosvalve power amp, and finally to either a 4x8 or 4x12 marshall cab.

Is it noisy? On what settings?
It's a little noisy but it has a gate on it that does a real good job. You'll lose a bit of sustain, though...nature of gates. Noise isn't overwhelming when it's off. I don't usually have it on at all.

Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
It's not really an effect. It's a distortion pedal. You can make it sound like crap if you want, but it's capable of very nice distortion.

What amp are you using it with?
You already asked that.

Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
I've never really tried to sound exactly like anyone else. There are certain sounds that I want to get that the pedal will not do, and others that it will do. Between my amp and the pedal I can almost always get what I'm looking for.

Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
The distortion is really versatile. Very hot, too. There are a number of modes like 1x12 combo, "stack", and box or something. They generally sound very good once you tweak them. The only one I never had any use for was R&B. It sounds like a metal sound to me. Some people would probably love that but I don't.

Can you depend on it?
Well, I bought it new in something like 1993 and have used it ever since. It's never broken. I've gigged with it a bunch of times and even toured with it twice.

Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
Yeah.

I used Zoom e-mail customer support for a different product that I bought at a garage sale, and they wrote me back from Japan in broken English. They were helpful. A little difficult to understand and a bit slow to respond, but helpful and either very, very friendly or insanely sarcastic.

What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?
It's obviously a good match or I wouldn't have used it for more than 15 years. I play indie rock. It's a little all over the place. Sometimes GBV-like, sometimes Swervedriver like, sometimes Sonic Youth-like. I generally have a heavy sound but not like metal although it can get sort of close at times if I'm doing really noisy stuff with a wah and other effects. My style has evolved over the years and for the most part this pedal has been able to sound the way I want. I may finally be growing out of it as I go more and more lo-fi.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
21 years. This is the only distortion pedal I have.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
Since they're so hard to find, I don't think I'd get another. The way I play these days my amp is all I really need most of the time, and the rest of the time one of those Boss blues pedals would probably work.

what do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature? I love the versatility and the reliability. I don't like the way it looks and never have. There's nothing I really hate about it, although some people may had having to use an AC adapter. The thing eats batteries so an adapter is necessary.

Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?

I have had so many distortion and overdrive pedals and amps over the years I can't name them all. I chose this one back in 1993 because the other guitarist in my band bought one and it sounded really awesome. He had a tube amp and I've always had tube amps, so I'm not sure if it would sound as good on a solid state. I'm guessing it would be fine. But it's worth mentioning because I've used stompboxes with tubes in them and they never sounded better than the Zoom. I suppose they may on a solid state because you wouldn't have tubes to warm up the sound later.

Anything you wish it had?
Not really.

Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way?
Well, I have found that for some reason, this pedal keeps me from getting feedback unless I'm playing really loud. Overdriving the amp will feedback at a lower volume and so will other boxes. Really, that's my only complaint...it seems to get in the way of feedback a little.

Anything else you'd like to share?
The pedal does have a certain sound. I clearly like it. My old roommate would play through my stuff sometimes and he hated it but liked it when I played through it. So, like everything else, you just have to try one to see if it fits your taste.

I would sort of like to know what it's worth. I may part with the thing after all these years. I do like it, but I'm using my amp's dirty channel more and more like I said. It's not worth selling for less than a certain amount, though. I'd say if I couldn't get 250 USD for it I'd just assume keep the thing.

Easy to use, some knobs, no fancy digital display memory stuff. just a simple but good working distortion box with a noise gate. a know for the mids would be perfect, but so it still works with bass and treb to adjust the mids.

i use the metal sound and the znr ant this works great for me. the znr is one of the best gates around i think.

build like a tank or how the ppl say. no its a metal box and its been kicked for some years, so i would say its reliable.

this is great! i wrote them for the manual and they answered me with a link to the pdf four days later.

Simple but good. the znr makes levels it up for me. actually im looking out for another one, but they are not so easy to find. i dont use it for my live setup, cause i use the distortion of my amp, but i tried it out and it does a good job on that.

I like the 2 programs it has, handy if you don't mind the switching sequence (can't do prog1-prog2, only bypass-prog1 or 2).
I like the znr noise reduction, and the fact that it processes the guitar noise only and not, like the korg od105 I have, the noise the pedal produces by itself...
The distortion circuit is analog, soft and on the warm side.
The character switch is sort of eq with 6 distinct flavours, but alas always on, not to my taste most of the time.
The 2bd eq is not aggressive, respects the sound and is useful.

I am not that impressed, because of the speaker modeling always on. It adds a dark shade, not quite usable IMO maybe except for the metal thing. This is with a guitar amp.
The speaker modeling is better when using full-range speakers, or the line out of the amp, in this case results are good overall.
The distortion produced is not a good overdrive, nor is a good aggressive chunky sound. It's soft, and not that versatile in fact, whatever you do after it (the character switch).
As a result I am not using this thing, is still new in its box.
And for the 9002 sound, I prefer to stick with the...9002 of course.
In fact the 9002 pro (artist edition, serious upgrade) is ten times better than this 5000 pedal, and you can have no speaker sim on, letting it be usable in front of a guitar amp.

Provided you use the proper psu, zoom products are very reliable.
The only problems I encountered with the 70 or so zooms I have/had were the ones I bought second-hand...

Zoom in Japan answered personally by letter to some requests I made, about 15 years old products. If that's not first class...

Strange product I think: with the speaker sim always on it won't do great in the typical guitar-amp application.
And not being a preamp it is even worse straight to the board, or keyboard amp.
The best is to use it with a clean bassman or deluxe reverb or twin reverb, but then you won't miss the lack of dynamics and of clarity of the pedal.
The line6 crunchtone and dr distorto I have sound hugely better, and the korg od105 is the real deal here (in digital pedals) even if it's noisy.
My mini marshall mg10cd (emulated line out)sounds way better than the 5000 too, lively and gutsy. Sure you can buy it, sure it has no eq, sure no programs too, but hell one enjoys playing it.
The 5000 leaves me cold, I seriously can't use it, it is a collector...

Serial Number 000561, I guess that makes it an early one. In my opinion there are 4 very usable selections from the 6 available, the other two may suit players looking for something a little out of the ordinary. Dead easy to set up a good sound from any of the sounds available. I use an additional footswitch so I can have a choice of two different patches, very cool as I don't think that is available on any distortion pedal since this, I could be wrong.

It has been mentioned previously that Zoom broke the mould after they made this. I bought this from new in the short time that it was readily available and wanted something that would better digital effects pedal type distortions and this was it. The sound quality even by todays standards is excellent and I use predominantly Line 6 gear ie PodX3 Live, Vetta 2 amp. Amp modelling the 5000 isn't and it does not pretend to either, it is a distortion pedal and you either love it or you don't and it has not been disliked by anyone who has heard it. Those of us still lucky enough to own a working one is probably a small club indeed.

Can I depend on it? Er Yeh, how many gadgets have I owned and used for 15 years that still work like new? This unit is still in great condition and has never failed. I use rechargeable batteries and use it all the time at jam sessions hooked to the guitar input of the clean channel of my Mesa Boogie Nomad 45, sounds great.

Never had to call them.

I have been playing guitar since 1973 and currently play classic rock in one band and soul and motown in another. Not really suitable for the latter but I would use it in a classic rock band if I did not have the current versatility of Line 6 Vetta 2. This pedal would also suit anyone playing in a metal band as the distortion can get very saturated but still has focus which is what makes this pedal stand out for me. Similar tones can now be had by Line6 and other manufacturers too but there is something about this pedal that is just so unique. The 5000 is something you can throw into your gig bag and get good tone dead easy into virtually any amp or desk. If it broke now, I would miss it but it is not the end of the world. It would be very hard to find a replacement which Zoom should address as this is probably the best product they have ever made.

the 5000 is not very difficult to understand. there are already built-in presets and the only thing you have to do is to tweak the gain, vol and tone controls (bass & high). its very convenient to use and lets you play along while the tweaking

i personally test every guitar gear i buy with the low-end equipments the average guitar player can usually afford. that includes the un-branded ones.

i tested it with a fender-copy strat and a 20-watt practice amp and produced very good, even-quality sound. the presets were very nice and covers a lot of tone musically. i'm sure it would be appreciated by musicians-on-a-budget.

the zoom-noise-reduction is a plus, especially if you are not so patient with all the tweaking required before a gig. although i somehow detect a decrease in sustained notes.

and yes i sure wish there was a mid-range control knob for more modelling control over your sound, but fiddling with the amp makes up for it.

all that circuitry encased in die-cast metal, the knobs very firmly in place, add to it a rubber base..its very dependable.

i've used it in gigs for 12 yrs now, and not all of them on the best-looking stage, and it hasn't failed me yet.

i choose to power it with the ac adaptor. the batteries were too inconvenient to use (6-AA batteries)

i've tried looking for information at the website but it isn't even listed anymore. correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the 5000 has a "twin" which was a set of delay/chorus effects. i was intending to buy them but i could not find any information on their website.

i'm primarily a blues player and i do a lot of clapton/srv/page playing for the past 12 yrs. but i also dive to fusion and hard rock whenever i feel like it. it has been a good gear for all these styles.

the zoom box has a very unique sound to it. a lot of people don't appreciate it but i do. "brian may" comes to mind whenever i hear it.
the other presets are very good too. i rarely use the "r&b" setting though.

of course you would still need other effects to augment the power of the zoom 5000, but its a good effect pedal to have plus it isn't picky with what kind or type of amp you use.

i wish zoom would re-issue the 5000 back along with its "twin" delay/reverb pedal. i surely would buy them

Fairly simple, 4 knobs, voicing switch, footswitch jack, ac jack. Eats batteries pretty quick, but so do alot of effects pedals.

I bought this pedal because it was the distortion Steve Baily barrowed for a bass clinic and was amazed by its sound. It was comendeared by my guitarist shortly there after. He use it through his Sovtek Mig 60 for several years. It had a great rock tone, then we went more punk style and the "stack" settings came in real handy for that. He used it until it's unfortunate demise 10 years after the purchase.

The footswitch jack came in real handy when the pedals footswitch carapped out. The pedal had been disasembled many times in the 10 years of its life in order to keep it going. when it could not be fixed anymore, it was replaced with a Tech 21 Sansamp GT2 which is still going strong.

10 years is to young for a pedal to die, especially one that worked (soundwise) as well as this one. It served a short time as a bass pedal where it made for a great heavy distortion (until replaced by a Rockman Distortion Generator), then as a multi distortion guitar pedal.

Tons of sounds choices. There are six different sounds to chose from. Output, bass, treble and gain knobs.

I bought this from a guy that I had originally went to purchase a Keeley modded rat from. I had heard good things about the modded rat and he had it so I went to check it out. Just before I left his house he says "If you really want high gain check this out" I was instantly impressed. I bought both pedals but returned the rat to him the next day because the Zoom put it to shame.

This pedal has a hell of a lot of gain! - Made in Japan. Good components. Very good treble and bass response - you can get a small amp to sound really big. I use this pedal with a old Ampeg V-4 with matching v-4 cab.

There is a noise reduction knob on the back that helps out a lot. It can get noisy but I keep the output level at about 3/3 o'clock which is high but the noise still fairly low

Never failed. It's old built in Japan - it's really solid a tank.

Never needed it..Knock Knock

This pedal is amazing. I haven't tried a lot of pedals out there so I can't say it's the best, therefore it doesn't get a ten but it beats all the other Boss pedals I've tried.

For those of us who play a 100 Ibs violine the Fulltone DP-1 may be the better choise but for real guitarplayers this is the absolute No. 1 in high gain.

Bought my first more than 10 jears ago. Bought an other one two years later as back up but never needed it.

Never dealt with them.

My No. 1 in high gain territory.

very easy... a distortion box!

great sound for heavy metal and new metal players.
my gear-> les paul studio - zomm 5000 driver - marshall jcm900... that's all that I ever wanted.
I think this is the best drive ever made...

never brokes

never used

I play metal stuff and this a good match.
I've been playing for 15 years, and this box is great for recordings and live situations..
great box... If you find one, get it!

This pedal is very easy to setup..no digital bullshit patches to program..the manual is vey straight forward..hell i think i looked thru it once.

the sound is the best i have ever gotton out of anything ..amp or pedal or combination ..ive owned marshalls ,yamahas,classic fender amps,hiwatts, vox...too many to mention here....anyways i also have used many guitars...and right now im only have 12 guits..strats jackson...roland gr33..also a couple of jay tursers..they are fairly good..at work i use a gibson studio les paul...i play most styles of music from mellow jazz to in ur face ramstein..this zoom pedal covers every aspect of my playing.

this pedal i bought in 1995....but now(10YEARS LATER)IT NEEDS REPAIRS THE INPUT JACK IS MESSED UP...HELL I NEED A BACK UP OF THIS UNIT.

DONT HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT CUSTOMER SUPPORT...HOPE TO BE ABLE TO FIX IT MYSELF.

I BELIVE THIS TO BE THE BEST OF THE BEST...ZOOM SUCKS FOR STOPPING THE PRODUCTION OF THIS VERY FINE PRODUCT.

You have 4 knobs to control: Output signal, Gain, and Low and Hi freq.
With a knob-switch you can jump from a distorsion type to another. This switch is called color and the distorsion type are: Stack 1, Stack 2, Combo 112, R&B, Metal, Zoom Box. With a footswitch you can jump to one color to another without use the switch-knob.
I don't have manual 'cause I've bouth it used from a friend so I dunno if in it there are hints on how to use this box.
By the way I've found this pedal not so simply to use. You've to get some experience to quickly set your tone on this. first set the gain and adjust Low & Hi consequently as you want. After you have to set out to have a boost on your volume orthe same you have when your guitar is clean. I always use a bit of boost in my set. On color mode this is something really near philosophy. I like Stack 1 and Stack 2 a lot and found Zoom Box completely unuseful, but probably it depends on what you want to do.
Serial number of this thing is 002624.
Somethig I don't appreciate is the unit with batteries in it. It drain energy from batteries quickly and without mercy.
With alimentation there are not great problem if you like the 'noisy' things. I like so it's ok, but this pedal with electric alimentation is quite noisy.

About the sound I've nothing to say but It's great. I like the violence of its distorsions, from stoner to metal, death, grind, if you have a good ampli you can resolve a sound very impressive wit ha lot of loudness.
As I've said before, It's noisy so if you like perfection and cut set in your sounds there are some problem. In the garage when I play with my band the hum is abount a F# and it's present. I've found it fantastic and hugly, but I play something around noise, slowcore, postrock where this things are well accepted. I don't know if a real classic metal player would like it. If you don't want noise use a lot of batteries.
In chain with other effects things do not change much the source of all the noise is always Zoom Driver and the additive noise effects are uneared.
On the back the pedal there is the ZNR knobs to resolve the noise problem but It's quite useful.

I do not depend on it but few songs, in which I like to be so huge with my sounds. In a gig it's fun to use and always impressive.
The one I have it's in terrible condition, I've repaired both knobs and alimentation a number of times but it already in working conditions. I don't think there is an use of this pedal in which it could be damaged.
Fixed on a effects board it probably could be the last one to die.

N/A

In the music I play, postrock-noise, this is an useful things.
I have a big muff (russian release) too as distorsion but this one is another thing. I do not have ever compared the two. Simply they are different. These are the only distorsion pedal I own and they are good at the same level. It depends on what you want to do.
The Zoom have a violence on the attacs that I like really and I love the distorsion in Stack 1 and Stack 2. With my Jim Reed LP Tiger Top which have hump. pickups It' impressive, aggressive and could lead note in one strings well against the other sounds of the bands.
I've no use in the footswitch but this is my idea.

It`s simple to use... Almost like all other simple distorsion units...

I`m using it along with Ibanez PT5 multiFX processor, Ibanez Universe guitar and MESA Boogie dual rectifier amp and it sounds simply great! I must admit that I was a little sceptic about this one `cause I`ve never heard and experienced that Zoom made something worth and I must admit that I owe this company apologize cause they DID this one well (but this is the only FX made by Zoom that I found interesting for me).
Still I miss a mid tones knob but the Ibanez PT5`s EQ solves this problem easily.

As I said before I cannot depend on anything because I had soooo much bad experiences especially with floor effects. So I MUST have a spare "chain" always connected (a set of simple Boss units) but so far (about 3 months it never gave me up and the Boss pedals stayed untouched :)))

I know that this pedal is pretty old so I don`t expect much in the way of customer support.

It`s really great thing although it`s freakin` ZOOM :))) It really works!
I`m playing a Satriani/Vai type of music and it really gives me "the edge" especially when I need to boost up the sollo and crack the speakers and level meters :)))

My comment should be competent since I`ve tried more than thousand various effects and pedals in my life and before buying any one of them I`ve tried it for several weeks. That was the case with this one too.

Pretty simple to dial in a sound to your liking, but the optional footswitch programming isn't too easy to figure out.

I ran this pedal into a 71 Fender Twin Reverb for live use. Combining the gain of the Zoom with the tube resonance of the Twin is amazing. The Zoom is also great for recording, as i used it for many studio sessions going directly into the board. The background noise is there, but for a pedal it's still much better than most.

I bought my Zoom Driver new, and i used it on the road for almost 7 years without a problem. I don't bother with batteries, a good 9v adapter is a better option, not too mention just this year the battery cover latches broke somehow....little bit of duct tape to fix.

Never needed it, but I really don't understand why Zoom stopped making these things.

If you want this pedal from me, you will have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers. As time went on, I've upgraded to a Marshall JMP-1 preamp with a Mesa-Boogie halfstack, and i still use my Zoom Driver/Twin Reverb setup for alot of live/studio performances. My favorite tone is Stack 1 - gain 75%, low 85%, high 55%.

Easy if you know what you want. EI, good crunch with realistic cabilet emulation.

It really sounds like a big Marshall stack, on 11! Even approximates the growl and even order harmonics, sounds like there' actually speakers distorting and a real spongey amp section. Sounds different than any other Zoom pedals, which should come as a relief to most ppl. The best thing about this pedal is that it can take the jangliest stock single-coil strat and turn it into a Les Paul through a Marshall Plexi Full stack by just touching the button! magic! I wish I knew who designed this pedal for Zoom, as he no doubt doesn't work there anymore!

I bought one when they first came out... in the years gone by, it fizzled on a few oocasions, but returned to life after being dried out, or replacing the odd input/output jack, or DC power supply. Lately it died, though, but only after being puked, bled, and spilled on for about 7 years. pretty reliable. Again, unlike anything else Zoom has ever made.

OK, the reason I re-submitted this form, the people at Zoom are very nice, courteous, attentive MORONS! The power supply went out on it and I sent it back. This time it was serious and would probably need attention inside.
Sent the unit off, and FOUR MONTHS later I'm calling them. They apologized and said it would be fixed and off in the morning. Some weeks later I called back. Talked to the head tech. He doesn't remember even making this pedal. He didn't work there when they made it. They make different pedals now (modular, easy to fix, crap) and they don't know how to fix this pedal. Also, it looks as though it had been at the business end of a shooting range, and wouldn't I prefer a nice newer model? 4 1/2 months for this. They are sending it back, after all this time.

I play in a variety band and the pedal was very useful for the multiple tones I would use. Everyone in my band plays guitar at some time in the average night, and they ALL wanted THAT sound. (of course they couldn't handle the power... they used too much gain and volume, etc). There was only one pedal that compared to this one in terms of that GREAT sounding valvy tone, and that was the ART artist rack mount preamp. Zoom has this tendency to move on and fix that which isn't broken. In My opinion (and many others) most of their stuff is pretty much junk. Not road worthy, not toneful, not pro-sounding. This is a shining light in the midst of mediocrity, that only shone for a year or two, before it was discontinued in favor of some other crap that was easier to manufacture. Zoom Doesn't care that this pedal was cool. Zoom doesn't even remember making this pedal. They will be in the business of making new pedals, not ressurecting the old ones, even if it would benefit their financial outlook and help their reputation as makers of second-rate transistorized crud. Ibanez made a fortune out of re-issueing the TS-9, the Zoom corpotation probably fold in the next few years, wondering how it all happened.

Takes 6 batteries so I use a 9V adaptor.

Theres lots of options with the different voicings available. The bass, treble and gain controls work over a very wide range. You can seriously rattle your speakers with the amount of bass on tap. The treble can get extreme. I find the best tones are moderate settings. Zoom noise reduction knob is easy, just turn it till the noise dissappears.

I have the Zoom HyperLead pedal which was the nicest hi-gain, singing, distortion pedal I've ever heard - I was using the PodXT and other devices and the Hyperlead just blew them all.

I use the 5000 on the Metal setting with treble on 0-1 (turned right down), bass 5-6, gain about 5-6. This gives me a tone somewhat similar in character to the Hyperlead but *totally smooth*. When I plug in the Hyperlead again to compare, the tone is harsher and less ballsy.

Just like the Hyperlead the unit is very, very quiet - even with bags of gain - I dont know how them make such a low noise circuit. But on the 5000 you can turn the noise reduction knob and the small amount of noise disappears with apparently no artifacts or loss in tone/sustain - the best noise reduction system undoubtedly!

I am not keen on all the other settings (Stack1, Stack2, Zoom Box) etc. All the other settings sound like that have some kind of cabinet emulation on them eg. Stack1 and Stack2 are the same distortion but with different cab filters. I recognise this from playing with modelling devices. The Metal setting is the only one that sounds like a basic DI, preamp distortion - but what a tone!

Btw, it cleans up very nicely to medium gain when you roll off the volume on the guitar, just dont expect crunch or low gain tones. This box is hi-gain/rock all the way.

This is one heavy chunky pedal, I cant imagine it breaking in a hurry.

I have contacted Zoom twice and got helpful responses from them quickly.

I bought the Hyperlead based on the great reviews here and mentions on the forum. It lived up to its reputation - a fantastic inspiring hotrod Marshall tone, but with the option of scooping out the mids and getting a Mesa tone - love it. Then I started reading about the 5000. I bought it on ebay and I think it sounds even more polished and beefy than the Hyperlead. The only thing I would say is the Hyperlead is more flexible with the mid Q and level controls. Like I say, the Hyperlead can get a Mesa Recto tone - the 5000 doesnt really get the same vibe. I'd compare the 5000 more to Soldano, hotrod Marshall.

The 5000 on the setting I detailed is the best hotrodded Marshall tone I've every had the pleasure of owning, it pours with harmonics. The bass content is spot on and the treble has tons of clarity but is not harsh.

I play Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Dan Huff, RoyZ, Rammstein, gothic music etc. Been playing for over 10 years.

I am an fx lover and have owned AX2, Pod2, PodXT, GSP21, Zoom 505, Zoom 1010, Zoom 9002, V-Amp2, Boss GX700, Boss GT6, Valvetronics, various pedals, Marshall DSL50, Laney TT20, LC15...

This pedal (along with the Hyperlead) is staying with me for a long long time.

It's easy to get a good tone if you know what a good tone is.

What I like about this pedal is that it doesn't have the usual high frequency harmonics like on the metal zone or any other hardrock/metal pedal. It sounds like a high quality overdrive/distortion. The only problem with this pedal is the total lack of control on the mid frequncies. The eq is too scooped. I have to put the mids almost all the way up on my eq to have the right tone. Stack 1 position reminds me of the tone on the first slipknot album witch I don't like particularly, like a mesa rectifier. Stack 2 is my farorite position because it has more mids and clear highs, like on a mesa combo(mark 2, 3). I use Combo 112 setting when I use the direct input on my computer. It works fine if you eq it well. R&B and Metal settings are not good for me. Zoom box is ok. The noise reduction is also high quality. Lots of gain, bass, high and fun. For rock and metal players.

Seems to be well built.

Don't know.

I think the secret to a good sound with this pedal is to use an equalizer to adjust the tone to your taste. This is one of the best pedal I have ever used. A little like a GT-2 but with a much better tone (3D, brightness and harmonics). Sorry for my written english.

Excellent... I love anything with knobs... I can't believe they made this pedal and went back to their patch-work digital readout crap! Grab a knob, turn it until you hear what you like... perfect!

Great sound quality... the low end resonance is very pronounced with valvy high end gain, and internal EQ filters help even strats or single coils with wimpy nasal tones, get great fat chunk tones. I hear a lot of talk about the Blues setting being too bassy, and I have to agree, I've only used the small and large stack and combo 1 12" settings... The blues setting has exaggerated bass response, which could be really cool in a marshall or other amp with actual overdrive characteristics, as these amps can handle the extra bass and compress it in their own way, whereas a high-fi or solid state amp would FREAK out with that much bass program, and even when you cut out down, the overall EQ seems to suffer.

MINE JUST broke! I've had it for about 10 years, and in that time, I've spilled drinks, had drunk chicks hair on it, it's been covered in biker chicks' hair, syrup, dust, beer and it's been rained on... but one week ago, Mine stopped lighting up. I called the repair shop today and just mailed it off... I will post when and if it gets fixed. Overall, it's been a good run from the pedal... an instance comes to mind, in Lestervill Mo, in which two half naked chicks were dancing on my pedals as I was across the stage hamming it up... I ran back and grabbed them... undulating sweaty boob flesh hanging over each arm... and from behind my shoulder I see some guy with two cans of Busch Light (the vision of the cans still burned in my memory) and emptied both cans on the chicks... which fell down on my pedal board... causing everything to die instantly... EXCEPT the Zoom Driver which I quickly patched in as the only pedal for the rest of the night... it appears to be pretty much beer-proof.

I just sent it off... we'll see...

I'm like other guys here... I would go as far as to put a sattelite locating chip in this thing to find AND kill whoever might try to swipe it.

read the other reviews. easy enough, but alot of scope for each knob

This is an awesome little pedal, but it is a distortion, not an o.d. That said, its awesome. As I see it, stack 1 and 2 or marshalls, the combo is a fender (midrangey and bright), zoom box is LIKE a vox ac series, r&b could be a mesa, as could metal (soldano like, anyhoo). The range on this thing is awesome. Tons of bass, tons of treble, and within one disto setting a hundred tones, all depending onwith guitar you use. I wish they had an od version of this. Metal, rock, use your imagination. I push this iwht a roland beebaa fuzz on the stack 1 (marshall) setting and its awesome. if you see one, try it. Your mind will change about zoom stuff, I did.

its still kickin, so i guess so

I play rock and spacey stuff. I was looking for something to beef up my fuzz pedals and take the harshness away from di recording, and this baby is anything but harsh. Its a zoom, too. unbelievable! Its huge!

very easy. It's like any boss overdrive/distortion pedal, in a couple of minutes I get my sound.

This box has the most powerfull distortions in the world. If you are a heavy metal guitar player.. this is your pedal! I use this with a Ibanez JPM, a Mesa's 50/50 power amp and a 4x10 cabinet .. simple, but powerfull! This unit works better than a Jmp-1 as a pre-amp.

build like a tank. never brokes

never used

I have this unit about 3 months, and I'm very impressioned with the sound. I had a Jmp-1 pre-amp, and I sold it. If you play heavy music, you should try this, but first you must find one!

It's a microsoft pedal(without the bugs).. just plug and play!

Ibanez JPM -> Zoom Driver -> Mesa Boogie Triaxis-> (Behringer Virtualizer DSP 1000)-> 2:90 -> 4x10 Cab.I don't know any pedal with this punch! This is more powerfull than a Metalzone, but it keeps your original guitar sound.. it's a Triaxis in a pedal!

I can depend on it. I use this without a backup for 10 years. This ins't Zoom's new crap shit.

never used

I play shred stuff.. 12 years playng several hours all day..and this box is very, very impressive.. It's very difficult to find one to buy.. I don't sell mine for any money in the world!

It's so simple to get the right Sound out of it! Thank God, it's no Preset Monster like other Zoom Products. The Manual is as easy to use, as the Pedal.

I work with it on a Yamaha DG100 Combo Amp with Fender Strat (Texas Special Pickups, Seymour Duncan JB SH4) and Telecaster but I tried it on various Amps - (try it on a Marshall and you will freak out). I sware, it even sounds great on the smallest Amp! It simply blows off the skin from your bones. The Zoom Driver 5000 makes even a single coil Pickup sound like a hungry T-Rex. It can be used for everything that needs a real fat and Tubelike Distortion Sound, specially all kinds of Heavy Rock Orgies. I prefer the Combo and the Stack 2 Preset. The ZNS Noise Reduction is great but the Preset "Zoom Box" sounds like playing in a crypt. But who needs a clean (?) Sound from a Distortion Pedal...

As solid as pure Steel! You can shoot it with a Pump Gun and it will still work like nothing has happened.

I never had to ask for.

I mostly play Rock and Blues since more than 25 Years and also use the Line 6 Axsys 212 Combo and the Toneworks PX3 for Recording. I have seen many Pedals in my Life, but this one is the best I ever came across. For Example, I played the Zoom 4040 some Time - it's sheer Plastic Junk! Like many others I can not understand why Zoom quit building this Model. They must be crazy...
So it is very rare, but if you can get one - buy it!!!!!

peice of cake

I have to say that its very impressive, this is the best amp simulator/distortion effect you can find in a stomp box. but all distortion pedals have some inherent noise, but the Zoom features built-in NoiseReduction, which helps a lot without cutting off attack or sustain. I'm using a Ibanez JS/Zoom Driver 5000/Digital Delay/ Roland Jazz Chorus, and all drives are great!

This is a very reliable unit, it always works, it always sounds great, no problems..

they send me a user's manual..

I play jazz fusion.. scott henderson/mike stern stuff and with this stomp box I get my own sound. This pedal is the best choice for my sound..

This pedal is easy to use. 4 knobs + 6 selectable colors. Has a footswitch input and a noise reduction knob.

Very silent(Zoom Noise Reduction) and all drives kicks asses! I'm using a Les paul studio, a crate gx-15 amp, and between both this pedal and a boss's digital delay. The sound is very powerfull and covers all frequencies that a powerfull guitar sound should cover.

Only had it 1 year, bought it used. No problems so far.

never used

I was wondering why zoom discontinued this product and start 1010/4040/505's production. This pedal is simple the best, I dont need anything but this pedal(ok, a digital delay is fine too!). I play Guns & Roses/Zeppelin/Sabbath stuff and this is the best choice for this style.

just plug and play.

All drives(6)are excelent.. this is the best distortion pedal in the world.

It's build like a tank.

Zoom's customer support sucks!! they are very rude on the fone. I'had called them about the 4040 and they said me to hang up for a while, and they let me in the fone waiting for 30min.

I play rock(all kinds) and this is the best choice for this style. but the customer support sucks! I''m giving a 10 here cause the sound of this babe is very powerfull, and I never have to deal with the people from support because this pedal.

It's very easy to use and get a good sound. It's like a boss pedal, just go turning the knobs until you get your sound. The manual is ok, it shows how to use the memory-footswitch distortion.

I'm using a Washburn N4, a Fender Roc Pro 1000 and this Zoom between both. For efects I use a rocktron intellifex(delay reverb, chorus) There's no noise because this pedal has a ZNR(Zomm Noise Reduction). the distortion is powerfull and brutal, but it can sound like a Vinnie Moore sound setting to "Zoom Box". In my opinion the best drive is "Combo" and "stack 2". I used this in studioin-line, before a JMP-1, and it's more powerfull than a Triaxis. You should try this before spending 1500 bucks..

It's like a boss pedal. Never brokes..

never used..

I play most Progressive rock and heavy metal stuff, this is the best choice for both styles.I've been playng about 13/14 years, I got this zoom in 1994 and that's the drive that I'm looking for. If you like a good warm and loud drive.. you should try this pedal.

I get my tone first time I used this pedal. Editing patches is very easy, there's a drive selector, high and low, gain and volume out. It's like a boss pedal, very very easy to use.

My gear: Fender Strato(hs3 pickups); Jackson JDR;Zoom driver; marshal avt275;dd-3(loop). This pedal get the best sound in the world. It's agressive without lost bright. It's the best drive that I ever used. I use my marshall as a boost(gain on 3 of 10) and "Stack 2" in zoom so I can sound like Megadeth with my strato! If I want to play a vinnie moore song, the best drive is "Zoom Box". For SRV the "Combo" is the best choice. The old Metallica sound can get with "metal". R&B is very similar to a Mesa/boogie head.. but you must equalize the LOW!

I bought this used 2 years ago. I guess it's ok. it's a nuclear atack survivor.

never used

I play all kind of music, most rock. I've been playing for 8 years. If someone stolen this, I'll find the ******* in hell and get my zoom driver back! This pedal have 6 driver pedals inside. I don't know why Zoom stop doing this pedal and start doing all Zoom 505, 4040, 8080 crap. This is a a very simple box, with the best sound!

it's very simple. 4knobs. gain, out, treble, bass. and 6 distortions to choose.

Gibson lespaul studio(EMG pickups)/zoom driver/fender princeton 60/2x12" celestion black shadow speakers, that's my setup. I dont have to use a compression pedal in my gear, cause this zoom got a lot of compression, it's like a tube compression sound. this box got a ZNR that cut all noise without lose gain or sustain. I can sound wild like Zack Wild with this box.

I can try to broke up this thing.. but it's build like a tank. I gig with this without a backup. It's like a simple boss pedal.. never brokes!

this sucks,, i never used on this pedal, but i had a zoom 9050 that broke up and they sucks to help me.. result.. I had to fix the problem b myself

I play heavy metal music. This is the perfect choise for tis style. It's the best analogic distortion in the world. Better than a marshall jmp-1, ADA MP-2, but worst than a triaxis. I dont know why Zoom stops doing this pedal. The new zoom produtcts SUCKS!!! They all sounds like MacDonalds plastic food. This is like a marshall on 10.. simple, but perfect!

It's the best distortion that I ever used. very simple to get a great sound! even a 4 years child can do it

excelent! this babe got the best distortion in the world! It sounds like pantera at all!! And NO NOISE.. there's a Zoom noise Reduction button that cuts all noise... and the distortion is more powerfull than a marshall... it's a marshall + that "dark" harmonics from mesa boogie!
My setup Washburn N4 -> Zoom driver 5000 -> marshall jcm 900 head -> 4x12 celestion speakers

it's build like a tank!

never used

if u want a killer distortion.. u must use this pedal. Im using this setup for 6 long years.. and that's the tone that I want!

Very Easy to get a good tone. just plug your guitar and you got it..
There's a footswitch-in that allows you to record one distortion.. I use this for gigs, so I got one drive to solos and another one to bases.

All drives are excelent! With this unit your amp can sound like a Marshall stack or a Fender Blues vibe. The ZNR reduces the noise without cut the sustain.. My gear-> Ibanez Jem -> Zoom Driver -> Peavey Classic 50/212 (2x 12", 50W, tubes).. It rocks at all!!!

I used this unit at least 5 years, in a studio or at stage it never let me disapointed.

never used

I've been playng guitar for 20 years.. now I got my tone!! I dont use any effects.. just plug my guitar in a tube-amp, I use this zoom to distortion.. and that's all to get a great sound!!!

I'ts very easy to use. no big deal, just move the knobs..

This box is a piece of art of zoom's. It can rock like metallica or get a mike stern sound.. it's amazing how many tones u can get with this box. The ZNR cut all noises without lost of sustain and/or attak. I used zoom's 5000 with a hughes and kettner 40w attax, and it sounds great at lower volumes, but when I plug in a marshall jcm900 my combo... whow, get out of my way!!!!

I bought this box 10 years ago.. and never got any problems

never used

get this!! this box got the best driver tones that u can get in a small pedal.. lots of tones.

Easy as pie. Anyone who has used a stompbox before should have no trouble. There is a cool feature on using two settings (see other reviews on how to do it) and the noise reduction (nice).

Has a late 80's metal vibe going for it. Hint: when at bedroom levels, I find putting the treble between 12 and 3 o'clock brings out alot of clarity but at the same setting at gig levels will cut your head off. When cranking up with an amp I keep the treble at about 9 o'clock, bass between 12 and 3 o'clock, gain between 12 and 3 o'clock and volume at about 9 o'clock. I primarily use this pedal for spice and laughs---not my main tone. I end up using all the settings, depending on the song I am playing and it is nice to have alot of variety in one pedal. This has taken the place of my metal zone on my pedal board (SKB powered job). The funny thing is is that on my fender hot rod deville (w/ 4 -10's) this pedal really pushes the amp and makes it sound more like a stack with a heavy glorious thump than it does on my trace vellocette, mesa/boogie DC-20 or my mesa/boogie 50/50 power amp. Through those amps it just sounds like any other pedal (noway near as good as the amp's true distortion (except with the power amp)) but with the deville it really pushes. That in itself is cool that you can take a "blues" amp and make it behave entirely different. The tones themselves are synthetic in nature and not as good as a really cranking amp, but decent in and among themselves. I've tried briefly the new analog pedals from zoom and they sound ok (I kinda dug the new fuzz, we'll have to see if I pick that one up) but the older pedal has similar sounds and can do alot more (although it can't do the "scooped" mids---which is ok since that tone to me has always sounded like crap. I prefer a fatter sound that you can play power chords 'and' leads on. Scooped mids sound fine for power chords, not good for leads. The zoom 5000 all in all is pretty impressive. It does however, make me spontaneously break into bad metal riffs. That, of course, brings frowns to my band mates which makes me even more happy.

I had one crap out on me (the switch went) and I sent it out to a guy to fix and it hasn't come back yet so I got another one. Since I only use it from time to time and not for my main tone, I would (and have alot) gigged with it w/o a backup.

I e-mailed sampson (parent company to zoom) once, never got a response. Make your own evaluation here.

Been playing 18 years. It's interesting---alot of comments on Harmony Central are from either bedroom players with practice amps or guys like me that have done a ton of gigging and have/have had tons of gear. I think that's great having all those perspectives (although I do admit to readily dismissing the people that say anything "rocks" through their crate practice amp). Is this the greatest pedal ever made? To some people, yes. To others, a strong no. It's a high gain pedal that has a wide variety of tones and depending on the rest of your gear, it can make everything you own sound like junk and synthetic or awesomely huge. If you see one, try it out with your own gear. If you see one for sale, I would say pick it up and try it out. If you don't like it, there will always be someone who would buy it since they are no longer made. People look at my pedal board and say "Zoom"?!?! along side with a bk butler tube driver, cybaby, rotovibe, rocktron hush pedal, boss chorus, pro-co rat, nobels overdrive, and a zoom choir (another cool pedal from the same era as the 5000---if you see one of those, also check it out). But when they hear it, they dig it. To me, if a piece of gear is inspiring, then it's done its job. I don't care if it's a fulltone or a danelectro, if it sounds great to you, then it is great---no matter what anybody thinks. For adding something to my tone that is not my 'bread and butter' and having a high 'fun/cheese factor' in doing so, makes this a great pedal.

Ok guys I don't know what you mean that the R&B setting sucks. I use it with a Marshall Valvestate RH100 and it was so heavy. I could get that Tommy Victor (Prong) Static-x sound. I mean FAT!!! Set the bass and treble at 11 and 1 o'clock and you are ready to break stuff. :) Overall I really like it and although it has limited options you can really play some heavy music and get a good sound with this. :)

As a straight stomp box, it's pretty simple. six way knob to determine the type of distortion you want plus a knob for gain, level, treble and bass. On the back is another knob for noise reduction which without knowing Zoom the marking "ZNR" may confuse a person, but no big deal...and that's all analog. It has a foot switch in and the whole green light, red light thing can get very confusing if you have no manual (which I didn't) and that is where the lost points are. Luckily I was able to figure it out by reading through these reviews and if you don't have a manual, I advise you read these reviews to help figure it out.

WHOA...this little box has gain and plenty of it. It can and will make a simple 12" amp sound like a stack. Amazing. I crank it up on Stack 1 and put the guitar in drop D and I swear I had Zakk Wyldes rig in my 12" Alamo Jet. As you probably already know from previous reviews, there 6 distortion models...Stack 1 (Zakk Wylde), Stack 2 (EVH), Combo 112 (weaker than the stacks...not really sure how to describe) , R&B (a big surprise considering the reviews...No it does not have a blues tone, but it does sound nice...ignore the name and it is usable), Metal (Soldano) and Zoom Box (Newer Brian May type tone). I think Combo 112 is my least favorite and I expected Zoom Box would be my favorite as I love Brian May, but I think I'm way more impressed with the Zakk Wylde tone in Stack 1. I've noted many people think they hear a little modulation on some of the distortions, but what I think they're hearing is Zoom emulating the sound of a stack pushing a lot of air. If you've ever played in front of a stack, you know what I'm talking about and I think Zoom emulates it pretty good. Oh, and the sustain is awesome...10 seconds easy.

OK, so it's great for high gain stuff...but is it perfect...no. Try turning the gain down, and it does not respond like you'd expect it too. You can't really get a simple low gain crunch out of it and forget blues. So, I give it an 8 here...for high gain stuff it's perfect, but it doesn't really respond the way you'd expect it to when the gain goes down and that's the reason for the two lost points. If you're only interested in high gain, I'd give it a 10, but it does lack a bit in the versitility area.

It's metal and extremely durable. I think it could take a major beating and I'd trust it.

Zoom has always had bad customer support IMO. When they didn't have any info on their site, I Emailed Samson and and got sent around for about 3 weeks till I finally got any kind of answer. Now the actualy Zoom site does have an Email address that I've used to ask questions on twice before...Before I got this product I was searching hard for it and Emailed Zoom to see if they'd ever consider reissueing it since it got such great reviews and after I got it I emailed them to see if I could get the manual. The first email was about 2 monthes ago and the second about a month and a half...neither have been answered. They seem to have made improvements in the site that help with newer products, but they could be better.

Here I just averaged the above and got a 7. If you are looking for a high gain pedal that will make a small amp sound like a stack, this is it. Great for that. It does lack a bit in versitility though. No blues and no simple crunch...just high gain. I like a lot of different styles, so I really don't use it as much as I'd expect. I've got a Zoom Fire 7010 that gives a lot of the same distortions and more that I use more than anything and to be honest, if I lost it, I probably wouldn't look for another like I looked for this one, but I don't think I'd want to part with it either. It does what it does extremely good, but as I like more versitility I give it a bit of a lower rating than most.

4 small knobs and one large knob. Easy! I only had to check the manual on how to set the two programs on the green and red channel. I really love the fact that you can switch between two types of sounds; perfect for a change of tone or a lead volume boost.
I never tried using batteries for this unit as I bought together with the wall wart.

Gibson SG thru Zoom 5000, Boss GE7 and Marshall tube amplifier. Not really noisy (has a built in Zoom Noise Reduction). I had to ease off the gain on some settings so as not to lose sound definition.
Stack 1: Lots of midrange with an open vowel distortion. Not bad, but I don't use it much though.
Stack 2: My personal favourite! Very tight bottom with less mid. Especiallly good for heavy metal and rock. I got a "Seasons in the Abyss" & Kill Em All" tone with the help of the GE7.
Combo: Similar to Stack 2 but more open with more midrange. I use it to play Iron Maiden and Dio again with the help of the GE7.
R&B: Sucks big time. A misnomer. Too much mid with even more bass.
Metal: Ok if used with GE7. Still no match when compared to the Boss Metal Zone just by itself. Then again, still usable although a bit too trebly for me.
Zoome Box: I just love this distortion! It sounds more like a high gain overdrive. But its the tone that really got me, it has a kind of twangy-ness (not Strat like though). Kind of hard to describe... I use this to play blues.

Very dependable, but I would never play without a backup.

Never dealt with them.

I play mainly heavy metal and rock together with a bit of blues. I think that it is a very good match for those playing these kind of music, although I'd recommend that you get a separate overdrive pedal for blues.

Been playing for 12 years. I've owned practically all the multi-effect units such as Pod, J-station, Zoom GFX8, Korg AX100G and more. However, I've gone back to individual stomp boxes as I find that they give me the sound that I truly want.

If lost, I'd definitely get another one if I can find one. But I strongly recommend using it with a Boss GE7 to get a multitude of sounds at your disposal (the unit does NOT have a Mid control knob).
Comparison? Personally, I don't think any of the Boss or DOD stomp boxes can compare to the Zoom 5000 in terms of distortion, with the exception of a Metal Zone. Look elsewhere for overdrive though.

This unit really helps me with my music although I wish that it had a mid control knob and a better overdrive sound to replace the R & B setting (maybe a Boss Turbo Overdrive?).

In terms of features, sound quality and value for money, this is the best distortion stomp box out there. I'd recommend this unit especially to those playing Rock and Metal.

Extremely easy to use

I play live & am using a strat into a PV Classic 30 & the Zoom only for dirt. No noise at all. Very strong distortion (wall of sound etc). Recorded with this the other day & sounds like 10 Marshall Plexi's in series, huge sound.

Yes, very dependable, using it now for 3 months no problems & yes do gig without backup.

N/A

Cover band stuff, playing for 22 years (and boy am I tired). If stolen I would try & get another but rare as hens teeth around here. Just a good strong distortion, I tried it with e.q. and it's very versitile.

very easy to use...the only thing is the bypass modeand progrm that u need to read in the manual.a baby could understand it...

Ibanez 550->Zoom gfx-8->Marshall vs15r
i use the zoom 5000 as an external dist through the zoom gfx8.both zoom products contain the noise reduction which is very helpful.im not a pro zoom user but just happen to like these two products.i gave this a 10 bcos for its value it is AMAZING.if u want the best dist get a fucking Mesa/Boogie triple rectifier MAN!it will blo your mind away.

it is extremely sturdy .everything seems metal except for the battery compartment which is understandble.GET THE ADAPTOR.THIS DAMN PEDAL SUCKS BATTERY LIKE A MOSQUITO.

never dealt with them

i play metal and this is a great pedal it gives u a good tight dist when you want it and a smooth overdrive when you turn down the gain.if your budgt is cheap and u want a godd heavy dist,get this i got a MT2and realise that it can only give one kind of dist.with the 5000u can vary you heavy dist.
i have compared this pedal to a korg104ds hyper distortion which i had intended to get. at the shop as i tried the korg then switch to the 5000i was impressed by the difference of the tightnessthat the 5000gave.
Overall it is a great value for money

This thing kicks!!! Great for heavy distortion, and also pretty good for classic rock sounds. The manual is very clear and concise. If you read the directions, the green light/red light thing isn't so confusing. Overall, it's pretty easy to get a good sound, but it's well worth the time to mess around with all the amp simulations.

I use an Ibanez S540 with an x2n in the bridge (super hot!), and I run it all straight into a Fender Hot Rod Deville. This pedal is very quiet, just set the noise reduction where it sounds best, and forget it. This is a very reliable unit, it always works, it always sounds great, no problems. As stated before, the R&B feature isn't very R&B, but that's not really what this pedal was designed for... But if you HAVE to get a blues tone, turn your guitar volume down, the pedal gain level down, and the output up, and that should get you pretty close.

Are you kidding? one of the most reliable pedals I've owned. Had it almost a year, used it at least 4-7 days a week, every week, for at least an hour. Gig without a backup? Excuse me? Does anybody gig without a backup of some sort? Yes, I trust the pedal, but no I'm not stupid enough to gig without a backup.

They discontinued this model, and I've never dealt with the company, so....

I play everything from vai style stuff, to petrucci type shred, to hardcore/speedcore, to punk, to jazz and experimental stuff a la Mr. Bungle. Between the Ibanez and the fender amp, I can get most of the sounds I need. If it were lost, I'd buy the other one the music store has. I live way out in bumfuck, and stock doesn't move very fast around here, so I could get a replacement easily (those pedals have been there for seven ears). I'd be kinda upset about losing $100, but yes I'd get another one. I kinda wish it had a midrange control, but between all the amp simulations, I don't think I got shorted. Besides, you could use an e.q. pedal, and that would be fine, so no big deal there. If you can find one of these things, snatch it up, and don't let anyone try to buy it off you. Yes, they sound better than the boss mt-2 (metal zone). I compared them for about an hour or so, and the zoom is just so much more versatile. It can get all the metal zone's sounds and some that the mt can't come up with, so....

Simple pimple. A huge knob to change the distortion type, and a gain control for the amount of distortion. Easy enough - but it takes a while to find the right amount of gain for the song you want to play.

I'm using a Squier Stratocaster and my 2x100watt Panasonic Hi-fi, and the only noise I get is a silent buzzing, which goes away when I switch off my PC. Plus, there's a Noise Reduction option, which helps a lot. I use the Stack 2 setting or Combo 112 as I play Oasis, Radiohead and Manic Street Preachers music, and I can almost always replicate the sound. The R&B effect isn't brilliant, though, and sounds way too muffled.

My adaptor's broken, so it keeps switching off, but it's not the pedal's fault. It hasn't let me down once yet.

Never needed to call them.

For indie music it's excellent, and it's just as excellent for Harder rock (e.g. Nirvana). While there are only 6 types of distortion, the high/low/gain controls can produce a completely different sound, as can the pickup switch on the guitar. I would buy it again if it were stolen or lost, because I've yet to find such a convincing Distortion/Overdrive pedal.

This dist is very easy to use. In a minute I can customize the sound for any song I play... Only thing I still can't use is that potentiometer on the back. What the hack is it for??? :)

I use this dist with Ibanez guitar, and I also tried it with Fender Stratocaster. I used many amps, and sound was always very good. I used it with hand-made amp, and it gave a life to my amp :)

I used zoom 5000 on many gigs, that were very important, and it done it's job. I only damaged it once, when I tried to improvise foot switch (the lesson is: don't try this at home).

I am now in Yugoslavia, Europe, and I still didn't try to contact the manufacturer.

I am satisfied with this dist, I bought it to get melodic-punk, blues, and rock sound, and I got even more. It is great, and I am happy that I got one.

piece of cake

kick ass, very powerful, though not as crunchy as fabtone, but it sound very complete.

consume too much battery power even on alkaline...but it's a titanic

very much suits my style

This is a great pedal. Just plug in, turn it on, and start playing. Thats all you need to get a good sound. I gave it an 8 because of the external footswitch. I'm going to get one or make one for it soon. I can't comment on the manual (bought it used.)

I'm using a Yamaha guitar into a little 10-inch Yamaha amp, and I sound HUGE with this thing. I love it! I also own a Digitech Xp-100 Whammy wah and they sound great together. Putting the distortion before or after the XP-100 gives me totally different tones. I get a lot more white noise putting it before the whammy, but its cool because I use the noise to discover weird sci-fi like effects. The effects always sound great. Stack 1 and 2 are my favorite, extremely heavy. Combo 112 is also sweet. R+B is very bassy, I use it sometimes. Metal is pretty cool but not as good as the stacks, and zoombox is not as heavy as the rest, and I am already finding many places to work it into my music! I listen to bands like Tool, Deftones, Fear Factory, Spineshank, that whole genre, but also some other genres of music, so I play some very heavy, fast stuff, and also some slower songs, and this has worked for everything thus far.

Well, I am trying to get a band put together, and we're not gigging yet, but I would use it on a gig without a backup (but only if I had to, because I don't like being unprepared.) I have had no problems yet, but I've only had it for a week.

Never dealt with ZOOM.

Well, like I said, I am basically a metal guitarist, but not always fast and heavy, a lot of slower moody stuff, too. I give this bad boy a ten. I just wish it wasn't discontinued. And I need to get a footswitch for the "red/green" mode.

Not too hard...it's a little different then most pedals as it gives you the ability to save a setting for later access with an external footswitch. The manual is straightforward as well and easy to understand.

AWESOME. This is hands-down the best distortion generator that Zoom has ever made in my opinion. Well...at least for heavy metal music. I own the Boss Metal Zone, the DOD Grunge pedal, the SansAmp GT-2, and I've used a Danelectro Fabtone. This pedal so far is my favorite with the SansAmp GT-2 almost as good but very different sounding. Actually depending on the guitar sometimes the GT-2 will sound better in my opinion. Again I'm mainly using these pedals for extreme metal sounds for black metal, death metal, and gothic music. I mainly only use the Stack 2 setting which is a heavily mid-scooped distortion that sounds very rich and heavy with a beautiful crunchy sound when doing palm muted "Chugging". Occasionally I also use the Combo112 sounds as well. One of the settings that suprised me was the Zoom Box setting. It basically simulates the cab simulator and distortion of the old Zoom 9000 and 9002 mini-effects processors. While it's not all that great sounding, that setting is very cool for getting a very unique sound on recordings. Kind of a special effects type sound. Stack 1 is so-so...kinda trebly (I hate overly trebbly metal distortion sounds). The R&B setting doesn't sound like an R&B sound...more like a superbassy metal sound but with alot of mids. If you roll back the gain and use your neck pickup you can get some fairly decent blues sounds on most of the settings though. The Metal setting is also decent..but again kinda trebly. Stack 2 pretty much is it for me, giving me a huge rich Mesa Boogie type sound that is very rich and powerful for downtuned death metal sounds. I use this pedal mainly with a Guild Lance (Burnsides) Flying V electric and a Washburn Dime333 Dimebag Darrell signature series electric. The Guild I have downtuned to B#. Very very low, and using heavy gauge strings.

Most of it is a made of metal with a big rubbery footswitch. Overall it looks like it can take alot of abuse. But I don't abuse my pedals (except when I accidently step on their knobs or trip and fall on them) so I'm not too worried about that. Backups? I always take backups to gigs. You're stupid if you don't.

I've never dealth directly with them. The only time I've dealt with them was when I used to have a Zoom 9000S effects processor that needed a repair. It took them quite awhile but that was probably because I dealt mainly with the store and they warned me that If they shipped it, Zoom would take their time, where as if I shipped it, they would be quicker. I wasn't in a hurry so I just had them ship it off to Zoom for repairs. They did a fine job repairing it (it had a tiny crack in its board) and changed the battery as well. So overall I think they'll do a fair job if I ever need them.

Overall, this pedal is definatly a must-have pedal if you're into extremely heavy, but quality distortion sounds. On the stack 2 setting, there is no trace of that trebly harsh sounding stuff most other heavy metal type distortion pedals produce. This pedal also blows away the newer Zoom 500 series distortion pedals and effects processors when it comes to heavy metal distortion. The new Zoom pedals sound very artificial on their heavy distortion sounds and tend to get lost in a mix when playing live at high volume levels. Where as the Zoom 5000 has big deep sound that really fits in nicely in a live gig setting (if you have a decent soundman with half a brain(or ear). The 5000's direct descendent, the Zoom 510 Dual Power Driver, doesn't even come close. Neither does the Zoom 503 guitar/bass amp simulation pedal. I've tried them both and they were both rather disappointing to me though still ok sounding for some purposes (other opinions may differ). I really have no idea why they discontinued the Zoom 5000 Driver pedal. Hopefully they'll be smart enough to reissue this pedal before it starts becoming "vintage" and very expensive for a used one. They are already becoming extremely hard to find. The only thing I wasn't too impressed about was this pedal's direct recording prowess. While it does a reasonable job, it's not as good as say the SansAmp GT-2 pedal. However it does a great job when I combine it with my Ibanez VA-3 virtual amp simulator with a custom programmed clean patch that I use for running distortion pedals into for direct recording purposes. But usually I just mic my amp (a Peavey Stereo Chorus 212) with a SM-57 and WALLA! A big massive guitar sound. So in a word...awesome.

Without the manual it took me a couple of days. I think that I might still not have a 100% grasp of the red/green LED functionality. The way I use it, the red is for creamy Boogie-esque distortion, while the green is more crunchy like an old Marshall with a Power Soak.

One of the best distortion boxes I've owned, and I've owned a lot!

Heavy duty, but it definitely eats those six AAA's pretty quickly. Just imagine the look on your bass player's face, "Yo', you got 6 extra triple A batteries I could borrow?" ;-)

Great distortion. Killer tone. Balls in a box. The heavier distortion sounds is where I find this thing really shines.

i would say that it is easy.....with a manual of course....

The best distortion i've ever heard.from warm to heavy...yeahh only the r&b doesnt sounds like one..i like to use the metal sound most of the time..with the hi and low cranked down to 0.stack 2 is my second favourite setting...it has the rock sounding.... and r&b itself is better off to be relabel as core or heavy...cuzz when u palm mute while playing...the sounds is very powerful>> i dont really use the other settings like stack1 ,combo,zoombox.im using this 5000 with a roland solid state 10w amp...and a telecaster. it sounds good.

yeahh......i have this thing for almost a year..no problem for the time being...i use an adaptor most of the time cuzz the this baby consume a lotsa batteries.

good......cuzz they reply ma question via e-mail...i was wondering why zoom discontinued this product...and the explain why..but it is not that detail...and im still wondering.......

i would buy it again.i like the sounds.i used to have a boss ds-1 and a dod fx69 grunge...unfortunately....i've sold it,,,cuzz it doesnt suits my taste..and metal zone as well. i think its a great stomp box....only wish that it has another color like grunge and another knob for midrange .

This pedal is easy to understand. 4 knobs (bass, treb EQ, gain and output level) + 6 selectable colors (distortion + amp simulation). Has mono input/output and footswitch input. I bought mine from Daddy's Junk Music used and it came with the AC adapter.

I'm using a Yammaha Pacifica (Strat copy with S/S/H) into the Zoom 5000 out to my Fender Princeton Chorus (2x12 solid state). I've also tried it though my friends Crate GT-80 combo. In both cases this pedal has it's own sound and it breathes new live into whatever amp it wetens.
This was (still is) the best amp simulator + distortion effect you can find in a stomp box. I tried one of these out about 4 years ago and put it on my "things to buy list", then Zoom discontinued it. About two months ago I was in a local guitar shop and I tried out the new version of the Zoom driver (Zoom Dual Driver 510) and was very disapointed in the sound. Thanks to Harmony Central I was able to find a good used gear dealer and buy a used unit though mail order.
To rate it's sound quality I would have to say it's amazing... makes my little solid state combo sound like a tube driven stack... not kidding! Having 6 different colors/amp simulations to pick from is very nice. because they all sound very different. Stack 2 & Zoom box are my favorites. Does it give me my favorite artist sounds? Sure:
Stack 1 - David Gilmore Stack 2 - Eddie Van Halen ( modern VH sound like off their live album ) Metal - Pantera Zoom Box - Brain May All the effects (aside for maybe R&B) are very very good and unique.

Only had it 2 months, bought it used. No problems so far.

I went looking for this babby, not about to sell it, if I lost it I would quickly replace it. Haven't found any other stop box pedal that can do what this does. The newer Zoom pedals (500 line) are mostly crap in comparison.
Wish they would have put a head phone jack output in additon to the standard mono output. I've actually used a mono spliter cable (Radio Shack) and ran head phones into that... the sound was so incredible I'm going to try and (gasp) plug direct into my Tascam Portastudio soon.
Great heavy distorion + amp simulation, get one while they're still selling cheap.

very simple to use- 4 knobs, output, gain, low, and high. There is also a knob on top for zoom noise reduction, I don't even bother messing with it. plus there is the color selector for 6 different distortion types.

I have to say that its very impressive, I've used many multi-effects devices by zoom and usually there distortions leave something to be desired but not here. there are 6 settings- Stack 1, Stack 2, Combo, R+B, Metal, and Zoom Box. The first 2 obvious mimic stacks, the second setting having more midrange. combo is similar to stack 1 but with more bass I'd say, more rhythm souding. R+B? Yeah right. Its more like a very bassy, low mid distorition. Metal gives you lots of midrange like you'd expect, and Zoom Box is very impressive, kind of like old style tube distortions from the past. Overall they all sound good, like getting 6 good distortion pedals in one convenient, compact box. You really don't need to tweak the sound, I always keep the gain on full to give a rich sound. Currently I play it through a fender 2x12 solid state combo, I've yet to try it with my marshall 30th anniversary, I'm sure it'll sound 10 times better.

I've had it for about 3 months, its never given me any problems what so ever.

Since nothing has ever gone wrong, I saw no reason to contact them.

I have to say that its very impressive, only thing is its discontinued and I find I see it very rarely, but I'm sure I could find one again if need be. Orginally a friend recommended it, and I'm glad he did. It's got many different distortion options, most seemed to be geared towards hard rock or metal, but its good for any style really. Its great to have all these sounds in one box instead of buying a million different pedals, so its definitley a plus. I recommed buy one if you get the chance.

This is hands down the best distortion stomp box I've ever used. I got mine used, so I don't have a manual, but I figured it out pretty quickly. It has a jack for an external footswitch which you should connect to a pedal with a momentary contact switch (I forget if normally open or normally closed) With the external switch tapped ON, it gives you a green light. You can "program" this to any setting (rotary switch, gain, volume, bass and treble ) Then tap the built in switch. This gives you a red light, and you can then set the controls "live". (these settings do not store, so if you change the green settings, you have to reset the red settings when you are done.)

This has been a relatively quiet distortion box, for the way I set it. Most guitars pick up some noise (Flourescent lights, TVs. etc...) but it has a very effective threshold point. It has a "noise reduction" potentiometer, but I rarely mess with it. Between the rotary switch (color), Gain, Volume, Bass and Treble, you can get a wide variety of different distortions. Also, you can crank the gain on it and back off on your guitar a little, and it will give you a full sweet nearly clean sound when you pick or strum softly and total grunge when you slam the strings a good one. Of course, if you want nearly infinite singing sustain, crank the guitar.

I've had mine for about two years without any glitches. The case is very rugged, and hasn't even scratched although I can be very hard on my gear. The one I have eats batteries ( 6 x AA ) in about 4-6 hours, so I generally use it with a dreaded wall-wart (DC converter) amazingly, with no AC hum as a result. I trust it implicitly, and use it about 97% of the time.

Since I got my Zoom Driver used, I have no manual. When I first got it I was a little puzzled about the external footswitch, and concerned about the battery consumption so I contacted Zoom to request some info on it. They were very nice to me on the phone, but when I got my anxiously awaited envelope from them, instead of specs/instructions on my Zoom Driver, I received literature on some of their new products. Since I had figured it out before the package arrived anyway, I didn't pursue the matter any further. At the time they had just undergone some corporate structure changes and were a little disorganized. Since my day job is in a electronics company, I can really understand this type of confusion. They probably have a handle on it by now.

About a year before I bought mine, I knew a guy who had one and really loved it. At the time I was more interested in getting a multi-effects unit. Maybe something in a rack mount package, so I thought, yeah sure another damn stomp box. But I just happened to see it in a store that was going out of buisness, and figured what the heck, I'll plug it up and see what it sounds like. Well, once I heard it I had to have it.

Very easy to use, I mean, you can't miss anything. No particular setting give you bad sounds. Mind the red-n-green light programming mode, though. It doubles the fun.

A good distortion box, period. You can choose from combo (my favorite), Stack I & II (simulate stacks of different sizes and settings), metal (hard distortion, fancy but usable), Zoom (weird out from hell cool distorted sound!) and oops, R&B (the weakest part: not the bluesy tube tone as it may sound...)
The sound is great and you got a lot of power when you chose stack, crank up the drive and the low filter: blows your head off on a Marshall. Noise is very limited (it has got build in NR), and you get a great variety of sounds out of it.
The only minus is you can't get no bluesy tube sound from it.

Build like a tank in sturdy aluminium casted box.

A good deal (I bought it in a sale two years ago). It is hard to find, though. I kicked out the thin sounding Korg G3 and I want more variey than Boss Overdrive and MetalZone. This pedal delievers what I wanted.

Extremely easy, if you read the manual (some people have trouble with red-green-off- this is the coolest thing about the pedal- you can plug in an external switch pedal and have two different distortion sounds as well as clean). Other than that, the pedal is intuitive and fairly standard. The manual is thorough and clear (I hate bad English translated from bad Japanese translated from Korean).

ALL distortion pedals have inherent noise, but the Zoom features built-in NR, which helps a lot without cutting off attack or sustain (it's well-tweaked for guitar). All the settings (there are 6) work very well, though R&B is a bit of a misnomer. My favorites settings are Stacks 1+2 (David Gilmore), and Zoom (Brian May). The Hi and Low EQs really are useful to fine tune the effect to individual guitars. Switching between on/off or setting 1/setting 2 is very quick and silent (no pops or scratches).

It's built like a tank. It's all metal and is heavy enough that I don't kick it around on stage. I've never have it crap out on me yet.

Never had to.

I own 3 of these, and I'm always looking out for more. (Just in case they discontinue it. I LOVE THIS PEDAL!

Easy as pie. If you're into using your feet for "real-time" settings changes like me, this one's a little tough because the knobs are smaller than most pedals. It's got a really big selector-type knob that also doesn't work too well with your feet...you might need to play barefoot! I didn't receive a manual for this. As a result I don't know why it goes from "off" to "red" to "green" and then "off" again.

I could hear a little noise....and then I discovered the mysterious "ZNR" knob on the side. I assume that stands for "ZOOM Noise Reduction". If it doesn't, oh well, because that's exactly what it did. There are 4 control knobs: out, gain, low, high. The fifth knob is a 6-position selector-type thing. The first selection is STACK 1: thick Smashing Pumpkins sound (like from Cherub Rock). This is my second favorite sound. 2nd is STACK 2: kind of a weaker version of the first, but a different tone. 3rd is COMBO 112: a little "softer" than the first two, but more mid-range, and thick sounding, like a combo amp. 4th is R&B: not the old kind...more like John Butcher of something. There definitely seems to be the slightest hint of Chorus in this setting, because it has that squelchy sound when you do rhythm. This might actually be a bit of compression. 5th is METAL: the tinny Smashing Pumpkins sound (like from Rocket). I don't really like this sound, but it's great for cutting through rhythm while doing leads. And last, but definitely not least, the 6th setting is called ZOOM BOX: this SHOULD have been called BRIAN MAY HEAVEN, because it IS that classic Brian May sound. When I was looking for a distortion pedal, and I tried this pedal out at a music store that had an in-house model that they wouldn't sell, that 1st and especially the last selection motivated me to search the world, high and low, fore this pedal. It is worth it. They say a used pedal is worth about $11 per knob (in general, of course).

I can't wait to use this live. I've used it in the studio with nothing else...there's so much "color", and it's never caused problems. Just bring a lot of batteries.

Haven't had the experience.

Well the way I look at it is you get 4 controllers, 6 settings, and a noise reduction controller. That's 11 knobs. Folks....get this pedal! I would definitely pick one up if I saw one. They are VERY hard to find, unless you search on the 'net for about a week like I did, and I have a feeling that they might go down in effects history (like the TS-09 that I've heard so much about). It definitely doesn't give you that tube sound. My only wish on this pedal is that it had a mid range tone control, but hey, we always want something more, don't we! It's definitely helped define my recording sound (I have yet to use it in a live setting). Also, I don't think this pedal could break, either. I mean, it could be considered a dangerous weapon if used for that purpose!

It's very easy to use but requires alot of batteries, get the AC adaptor.

There's no hum at all when I use a peavey preadator at any volume. The distortion itself is pretty good and unique but I still like that DS-1 sound alot.

Never had a problem yet except that I bought it used and the battery compartment didn't work.

I've never tryed.

It's great for recording and I'd buy it again if I find it.

A third grader could handle it

if you have to have that tube tone I would not recommend this pedal but aren't some of us getting tired of that search for the infamous crunch

no problems

I have looked to contact Zoom but i can't seem to find them. Actually I think they have discontinued this pedal.

I love this pedal it has the best metal sound I have ever heard. It has a compressed, endless sustain, and unbeilevable gain sound. Harmonic city too. I would buy this pedal just for the metal sound, it is better than any rack or pedal disortion i've heard. However if you're looking for the perfect tube sound it lacks. Being a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan I played almost all of their songs on the metal setting and I'd recommend the the thing to Billy Corgan. This is the first pedal made in the 90's that i had to actually search for, and it is well worth it . I plan for this pedal to define my sound for years to come.

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