The Boss GT series is a great pedal for live performances, practicing and studio recording. If you haven’t heard of the Boss GT-6, 8, 10 or 100, it’s basically a multi-effects pedal that contains all your gear. From stomp boxes, amp models and rack gear, the GT series has it all incorporated into one simple interface.
I remember buying the Boss GT-8 years ago and being blown away by the sound quality. I actually feel like kicking myself for getting rid of it! Fast-forward to today, and the GT-100 is now the flagship modeller, and it sounds better than ever. According to Boss, the GT-100 was built from the ground up and features 6x the processing power of its predecessor, the GT-10.
Of course there are other popular modellers on the market today, such as the Line 6 POD HD 500X ($499), the Fractal Audio Axe-FX ($1999.95) and the Kemper Profiling Amplifier ($3797). If you factor in sound quality as well as price, my opinion is that the Boss GT-100 ($499) is definitely the way to go.
[su_heading]Direct to the Mixer[/su_heading]
I recently started playing live shows with a well-known vocalist who performs with backing tracks. For this specific scenario, I found that a tube amp isn’t particularly ideal. Not only is it a hassle to carry it around to each gig, but also when performing with backing tracks it can be overpowering. I found that I like to hear how my guitar is sitting in the mix from the PA speakers, and when using a tube amp this isn’t really possible, as you have sound coming from 2 (or 3 if monitor speakers are used) different locations.
This doesn’t mean that the GT-100 cannot be plugged into a tube amp, however it does include cabinet and microphone simulation, allowing you to plug directly in to the mixer and still achieve great sound quality.
[su_heading]Gear List[/su_heading]
I won’t get into the specifics of the pedal, however below I’ve included a list of gear included in the GT-100. Imagine being able to change between an ACDC tone, Van Halen crunch, or a smooth Jazz sound with the touch of a button. This is what makes the GT-100 so powerful.
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Amplifiers
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- Roland JC-120
- Fender Twin Reverb
- Fender Pro Reverb
- Fender Bassman 4×10
- Fender Deluxe Reverb
- Vox AC-30TB
- Matchless DC/30
- Mesa/Boogie Mark IIB
- Marshall Plexi
- Marshal JCM800
- Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier
- Hughes & Kettner Triamp Mark 3
- Soldano SLO-100
- Peavey EVH5150
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Distortion Pedals
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- BOSS FB-2
- Acetone Fuzz
- BOSS BD-2
- BOSS OD-1
- Ibanez TS-808
- BOSS OD-2
- BOSS DS-1
- Proco Rat
- Marshall Guv’nor
- MXR Distortion +
- BOSS MT-2
- Arbiter FuzzFace
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
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Effects
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- BOSS AW-3
- Dunlop Crybaby
- Vox V846HW
- Morley Wah
- DBX 160X
- Urei 1178
- BOSS GE-20
- BOSS SG-1
- BOSS OC-3
- BOSS PH-3
- BOSS BF-3
- BOSS TR-2
- BOSS RT-20
- Univox Univibe
- BOSS SL-20
- BOSS VB-2
- BOSS AW-3
- BOSS AD-8
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More Effects
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- BOSS CS-3
- MXR Dyna-Comp
- Orange Squeezer
- BOSS DM-3
- Roland RE-201
- BOSS DD-20
- BOSS CE-2
- Roland JC-120
- Eno CH-2
- BOSS PH-6
- BOSS FB-2
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The complete list can be found here:
http://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/GT-100_Training_Guide.pdf
[su_heading]Going Live[/su_heading]
In my opinion, the GT-100 is a great companion for the gigging musician. I don’t think of it as a replacement for a tube amplifier, as it serves a different purpose. Of course in certain situations, especially when gigging with a loud rock band, I still much prefer a tube amp. However, the GT-100 can definitely serve as a great back-up plan if your gear fails on you at the gig.
Below I’ve made a list of things I like about the GT-100 in terms of playing live.
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- Very durable & extremely roadworthy;
- All your gear in one interface;
- No need to connect dozens of cables to individual pedals;
- Preprogrammed patches make effect switching a breeze;
- No need to adjust your amplifier settings to match the room you’re in, or spend time dealing with microphone placement;
- No need to carry heavy equipment.
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[su_heading]Patch Exchange[/su_heading]
You may have noticed that the rear panel of the GT-100 contains a USB port. This will allow you to use the Boss Tone Studio software to quickly and easily create and edit patches on your PC. This is usually a much easier way than editing the patches directly on the GT-100 itself. Boss Tone Studio is also compatible with the desktop version of the GT-100, the Boss GT-001.
Essentially this also allows people to easily share patches with each other. If you create a patch you like, you can simply email it to a friend. You can visit Boss Tone Central to access their vast database of additional patches, some created by well known artists. There are also a handful of YouTube users that have also made their patches available. Check out the examples below from Jack Thammarat.
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[su_heading]Audio Demo[/su_heading]
The video below represents just how powerful the GT-100 is, with a short sample of the following presets.
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- Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing
- The Beatles – Day Tripper
- Surfaris – Wipe Out
- The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction
- Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven
- Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
- Queen – Somebody to Love
- The Police – Roxanne
- The Police – Message in a Bottle
- The Kinks – You Really Got Me[/symple_bullets][/su_column]
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- U2 – Pride (In the Name of Love)
- Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name
- Bon Jovi – Living on a Prayer
- Van Halen – Jump
- Joe Satriani – Surfing with the Alien
- Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
- Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
- Soundgarden – Spoonman
- Linkin Park – One Step Closer[/symple_bullets][/su_column]
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[su_heading]More Info[/su_heading]
[su_button style=”3d” icon=”icon: usd” url=”http://www.racingtips.online/bossgt100″]Buy on Amazon[/su_button]
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[su_button target=”blank” style=”3d” icon=”icon: globe” url=”http://www.bossus.com/products/gt-100/”]Official Website[/su_button]
