Boss GT-100 users...let me pick your brain

[Edgarallan]

Sooooo, having a couple of gift cards burning my pocket AND not wanting to lug to much gear for a solo winery gig, I ask for your experience. How do you like your GT? I am honing in on Boss because:

--I tried Line 6 but digging thru menus and changing sag and bias values is not appealing to me (to each his own).
--Axe FX is coming out with a floor model, but $1400? I could buy another EBMM with that.
--Digitech - well if they come out with a revamped RP1000 a la 360XP I may be persuaded.

So, what say you? Thanks!

 

[Tsef]

I had the gt-100 and pretty much hated it. High gain tones sounded really lifeless and thin to my ears. Ended up returning it and got a Zoom G3 instead which is just awesome.

 

[mikeller]

I have a GT-100 but I don't use if for much more than practice. I am old school, can't even imagine trying to gig live with it or any multieffector units. My mind doesn't wrap around patches.

As with any piece of gear, it takes time to get to know it. In its benefit it has some great effects and is simple to program and interfaces nicely with a computer and DAW software.

If it piques your interest - try it. Make sure that the Version 2 system is installed, it is greatly improved over V1.

 

[faris]

I had the gt-100 and pretty much hated it. High gain tones sounded really lifeless and thin to my ears. Ended up returning it and got a Zoom G3 instead which is just awesome.

Was saving up for a boss GT100. Then looked up G3 when you mentioned it.. then looked at G5.. The price is rather tempting given the good reviews. It's like SBMM selling mid range guitars that are of great quality..

Anyone experienced with the G5?

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

I LOVE the GT-100.

I use the 4CM with my Boogie Mark V. Well, technically, the 5CM since it has the "amp control" feature that allows you to change between two channels. So my setup is this: Preset 1 changes to my clean channel with a compressor before the amp and some chorus in the loop. Preset 2 changes to channel 3 (high-gain) that's heavily gated before the amp and after the pre-amp and nothing else. Preset 3 is my lead sound; same as preset 2 but not gated, and with a "TS" before the amp and some delay in the loop as well as about a 6dB boost.

I have two main setups:

The first was my recording setup - just finished recording an album with it in fact; a secret combination of the on-board preamps It's good for playing through headphones or monitoring through monitors.

The second setup involves the 5CM and switching between two channels in manual mode, meaning every knob and footswitch is assigned to something; a clean patch and a dirty one, with each patch enabling all sorts of cool possibilities. I have it set up so footswitch 1 goes to the dirt patch while on the clean patch, and so the same footswitch goes back to the clean while on the dirt patch.

The beauty is that EVERY knob and footswitch can be assigned to almost ANY parameter. I needed it this way when I was learning Dream Theater's "Breaking All Illusions." There's a part that goes from high-gain to clean with compressor, phaser, and chorus and back and forth several times within a few seconds. using the 4CM on literally any other mfx pedal will force at least 2 button presses, but the GT-100 only requires one (using the 5CM).

As you can see, it's a great pedal. The effects are awesome and just as hi-fi as Line 6. Maybe not Fractal or eventide worthy, but very usable and musical. Like I said, I just recorded an album with it and the producer was VERY pleased with my recorded tone. Didn't have to do much to it at all.

Lastly, they just recently updated to version 2.0 which includes several of their new effects and some other tweaks.

I HIGHLY recommend this unit. I've owned the HD500, RP1000 etc etc. This is by far the most elegant, simple, versatile, and great sounding. Feel free to ask any questions you have

 

[dannymusic]

ok, but that was with a great amp. can it stand alone.

I was all cornfused, because ROLAND has a COSM GT-100 a while back.

IMHO, get to know a pedal and hang with it. They are all good, but we tend to give up on them too early and never quite get into their full features and sounds.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Technically speaking, the GT series uses what Boss calls COSM (Composite Object Sound Modeling) which is a technology that dates back to the 1990's. Since then, they repack the same COSM with more processor power, each new GT unit, but it's still the same stuff. IMHO, GT-100 clean tones are good, effects are very good and flexibility is superb. Crunch and high-gain tones, however, pretty much suck all the way. I'd pick a GT for using with the amp's preamp, with the 4-cable method, so I'd have the GT for a controller and effects (chorus, delay, etc).

I don't have much experience with Digitech, but I pretty much hated all the tones I've heard from it. AxeFX has the best tone simulations on the market, but it's crazy expensive. Line6 POD has good tones, effects and flexibility, not being the best at any of those, but at a payable price. Currently, I use a POD as my floor processor.

 

[dannymusic]

COSM sounds good on a microcube.

 

[Edgarallan]

This is by far the most elegant, simple, versatile, and great sounding.

I like that you described it as elegant...cool review thank you so much!

 

[Edgarallan]

....but we tend to give up on them too early and never quite get into their full features and sounds.

So true, I have had many multieffects in more than a decade and never kept any of them. I want the next one to be a keeper.

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

Ive had a pod 2.0 for years and it still sounds great.

 

[uOpt]

IMHO the unit of that kind to go for is the Vox/Korg Tonelab.

Mine is putting up a good fight against my real amps, a palmer speaker simulator, a 4x12 and assorted other regular gear.

The main thing I don't like it lack of routing options but it's not that any of the other units are better.

 

[mikeller]

IMHO the unit of that kind to go for is the Vox/Korg Tonelab.

Mine is putting up a good fight against my real amps, a palmer speaker simulator, a 4x12 and assorted other regular gear.

The main thing I don't like it lack of routing options but it's not that any of the other units are better.

I believe the GT-100 has very flexible routing options

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Have you thought of something like a Sansamp GT2 and a few choice pedals? Much easier to set up and deal with!

 

[sixstrings]

I own hd500x and the other guitarist in my band owns gt100 and we both use them for rehearsals plugging straight into PA.
Whilst delays, reverbs and choruses sound pretty much same quality I must say that amp & cab sims on boss sound poor compared to pod hd. Luckilly the guy plays thru real amp live, otherwise I'd kick him out lol.
What I like in boss is a way better display and easier programming, but for the sound quality (main factor) my HD is a winner here.

 

[Edgarallan]

Have you thought of something like a Sansamp GT2 and a few choice pedals? Much easier to set up and deal with!

Actually I have a Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 which sounds great clean but the Plexi emulation is not my fav taste of Marshall. It is a great little unit but I am interested in more complex sounds, like Boss' new Tera Echo and Adaptive Distortion, along with all the bells (modulation effects) and whistles (phrase loop).

 

[uOpt]

I believe the GT-100 has very flexible routing options

Does it have an external effects loop that you can place where you want between the internal effects?

 

[MajtasticVoyage]

Does it have an external effects loop that you can place where you want between the internal effects?

Yep. That's what allows the 4CM to happen. You can move the fx loop module around to wherever you want it, too.

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

I had a pod hd bean and thought all the models were absolute garbage and returned it, my old red pod 2.0 is still my fave practice device with headphones or direct recording device, the models sound great, and more importantly.. Play great, they have a real bounce to them that a real high gain amp would have, and are not thin and sterile and numeric like the HD models, all the hd models sound the same and play unrealistically, the old 2.0 wins for me, but a real amp will always win for me, but in an apartment were volume is an issue i love the old pod 2.0.