Anyone familiar with the Boss GT-8?

[Algonquin]

Anyone familiar with the Boss GT-8? It looks like it has a lot of features and has a few decent reviews on the web. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but a shop I browse, drool, dream, torture myself with has some which they are selling off at a bit of a discount.

I actually tested the Mrs by telling her I was going to buy one... but I promptly got the 'you just bought a guitar and an amp!' speech. (Hard to argue with that one) Instead I returned home with a little stomp box purchase, not the glorious floor model effect processor!

I don't mind making quick unresearched purchases if the $$$ value is low, but this sucker costs as much as a Fender Blues Junior, or an Avatar 2x12 Cab.

Is it more geared towards the Heavy Metal crowd?, or is it just a stomp load box full of goodness that I just have to get???

Honesty is always appreciated! (My poor little Digiverb... )

Cheers, :beer:

David

 

[t_ross33]

Anyone familiar with the Boss GT-8?...

Is it more geared towards the Heavy Metal crowd?, or is it just a stomp load box full of goodness that I just have to get???

I use the Digitech equivalent "insert *flame* here" GNX3000 (FWIW I know there are differences, but come on, it's basically the same tool, different platform).

What I like about it:

• I play in a cover band that does a range of music and genre from olde tyme country to 80's rock and Y Generation "punk". I can run the gamut from clean and twangy to balls to the wall shreddilicious (though shredding ain't really my thing - if I could, I would be able to dial in something approximating shreddilicious).
• It's feature rich and allows for a variety of setup configurations. For instance, I run a balanced XLR out directly to our mixer with cab/speaker simulation activated to feed the front end. I run a seperate 1/4 inch unbalanced into the "Power Amp In" on the back of my Bandit for on-stage pant flapping. Each output has independant level controls which is super sweet when trying to dial in a particular stage and/or room.
• It's tons of fun (or in Metric, tonnes) tweaking away the hours and trying all kinds of weird and wonderful tone combinations. I can build patches that are song OR genre specific, c/w stompboxes and modulation and delay effects.
• I can leave my amp at home and plug straight into the PA - nice and easy on the back.
• Easy integration for recording with my laptop via USB.
• Line in and headphone out for late-night jamming to my favorite tunes.

Depending on your personality type, it can be more fun than a bag of puppies, or your worst nightmare if you don't have the patience or inclination to tweak in your desired tones.

Some say modellers don't play nice with tube amps. I find a good SS works better, but again, depending on what you are using it for it should be close enough for government work. The trick is knowing the gain stages of your amp and treating the modeller like an amp (or at least a pre-amp) and not strictly a stompbox. That said, you can disable the amp modelling and just use the plethora of stompbox, modulation, reverb and delays to great effect (no pun intended).

And no, I wouldn't say it would be strictly for the metal crowd. Lots of amp models to choose from that will take you from acoustic clean; through BB, ZZ and SRV; to Satch and Vai; to Dime and Zakk.

Okay, enough shilling. I find a modelling processor to be a very useful tool for me. If I wasn't playing live, it would be an expensive toy. That said, I picked mine up from a fellow Fretter for a sweet deal!

Trev

 

[t_ross33]

+2

The Boss GT-10 just released at the Winter NAMM Show.

"The best ever processor from Boss...Ever!"

:bravo: Just in case your GAS wasn't acting up enough.

 

[SuperSwede]

David,

I am very sad to be the one bringing you this news...

The GT-8 sounds just as good as you think... COSM (Rolands amp/cab emulation) does a great job of recreating your favorite amps. Perhaps a tad better of high gain amps than Line6/VOX but not as excellent for older tweed style emulations.

The Effects (basically reproductions of old Boss units) sounds fantastic.

+ it has a dedicated setting for direct connection to a Roland JC120 (ahem the amp that you have....... )

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Here lately, we been going out listening to this local band and I am here to report
the lead guitar player plays his musicman thru a boss into the front of a fender twin.

They play county to rock including some poison and van halen..
actually, a pretty large playlist..

I been asking questions, which ya know guitar players love talking about gear!

He uses his for effects only.. and from what I "hear" with good taste!

in the end he thinks it's better for rock/blues/country than hi gain.. but the way he likes it..

and if he did it again.. he might try the tonelab.. but he loves his Boss..

Wonder if he knows the Boss GT-10 is out yet.. hmm..

 

[tunghaichuan]

Dang, that processor is cool.

Not to hijack, but what type of guitar is being played starting at 5:51?

tung

 

[Algonquin]

GT-10?... Awe cr*p!

It's like trying to keep up with gaming systems and golf clubs :messedup: