BOSS GP-10GK Guitar Effects Processor

Having a lot of fun with this product. Really wish it had MIDO out though.

I wanted to have several effects on a single pedalboard. Especially with a "Cry Baby". The preset effects in the memory banks, most are not very good, I think I will overwrite almost all. It is not very practical to use and configure a single effect, I imagine that more complicated will be to customize a multi-effect and save it in a bank. The quality is very good, it impresses very solid and occupies little space. The sound is very good. Maybe I expected more classic sounds and effects and I found most of the banks busy with very synthesized sounds.

After experimentation I wanted to change my rating to 5 stars and bottom line recommendation to yes for friends. This should be must have gear. The best uses for me are guitar modeling and alternate tunings. Covering any drop tune artist like Buck Owens or Stevie Ray or Jimi, the ability to drop a half step to Eb tuning with only a pedal stomp like a keyboard player is invaluable. I setup my GP10 for each guitar model, the guitars I want an alternate tuning for and a 12 string, then went into synth pads. For example, first patch is My Guitar only, then D-28, then D-28 12, then a D-28 tuned to Eb, Open G, DADGAD, then repeat for each guitar you want included with your rig. I leave all effects off on the GP10 because it plugs into a ME-80 for fx processing. If needed you can still use noise reduction or boost the signal from the GP10. My signal order is now Guitar to GP10, then the VE-8 then the ME-80. GP10 provides alternate tunings, guitar modeling and synth pads. The VE-8 is next for vocal processing into the mixer/pa and then finally the ME-80 for guitar processing/fx into an amp or different slot on the mixer board. This elevates to must have gear for the convenience of tuning down a half step to Eb with a button push. The electric guitar models are just as good as the acoustic and being able to change from a Stratocaster to a Les Paul to a 335 to a 12 string Rick with a button push, amazing for me. This would gain more acceptance if this could all happen without a special pickup and 13 pin cable. When this can happen through a normal ¼ inch plug people will flock to this. Me, I am shopping for an XTSA Godin now!

This doesn't cut you down to one guitar that does everything, it makes you mod one of your old guitars to do sounds your other guitars can't. 3 major functions: 1. Alternate tunings / 12 string emulation, 2. COSM effects and 3. synthesizer. Some of these functions co-exist using your pickups with the GK3 and some use only the GK3. Until you get down to programming it it is hard to know which pickups or FX are in use. Programming is tidieous at the pedal. Dial enter, select or skip dial enter, one parameter function at a time. Tone Studio with a PC makes this better. This seems to be designed that each players GP-10 becomes unique to that player. Only 99 slots available. Most slots filled with delivered tones. Alternate, open tuning, 12 string and acoustic effects work well. Useful in a live play situation for having these things without changing guitars or re-tuning BUT Real is still better. Amp modelings are good when using solid state amp or into a recording device. A good tube amp negates any amp modeling. The synth stuff is cool. I can see as processors become more powerful a guitar player will have all the tones available to a keyboard player. For country classic rock bar player these take a lot of work to use but work well with songs that need that synth pad sound. Latency is still a problem on some things. You play, its processed then a short while later you hear it. I mod P90 LP Studio with a stop bar. I liked the pickup holder method better than using double sided tape or drilling holes into a strat pick guard to attach the GK3. I can remove it, nothing left behind with a stop bar install. This duplicates things I use on the ME-80 or VE-8. The ME-80 has a much better interface for COSM. I only use the harmonies on the VE-8. If I really get into synth guitar I would get a 13 pin guitar that is not a VG or G5 strat. How many guitars does a guitar player need? Just one more!

Though a guitarist for 50 years, I'm new to effects as I've mostly played acoustic jazz. The GP-10's capabilities and sound quality is superlative, but I'm finding that the preset patches need a lot of editing for my needs, and that's the problem as I find the manual so cryptic and brief as to be almost useless. In frustration I emailed Roland/Boss support but other than an automated return that they had received my request, have heard nothing more from them. And unlike almost everything else in the universe, there seems to be nothing about it on YouTube in the way of tutorials. Really--nothing. Plenty of rave reviews, but no tutorials. Nevertheless, I'm very eager to use it for the first time on a gig coming up in a couple days.

Great pedal I love it. Boss team are great for technical questions they always called me back. the only thing is the cord, it's too short and tangles up into a mess