I'm about at the breaking point of shelling out some "big" cash for a guitar effects processor. Over the past months I've been reading as much as I can about the Roland VG-88 multieffects processor. It has a steep price of $700 but that pales in comparison to the prices paid just two years ago at $1,500.
http://www.rolandus.com/products/details.asp?CatID=6&SubCatID=0&ProdID=VG-88
So I've read about it and it seems cool. Has 240 presets (100 user custom). Built in tuner (whoo hoo, most are not very good compared to stand-alone tuners). One feature that I would love is you can play alternate tunings WITHOUT actually winding or unwinding the peg. (Drop D, open D, E, G, DADGAD, all half step drop, capo +4, on and on). So many Neil Young songs are alternate tuned and lots of rock and AC/DC are all a half step down. That would save me from winding pegs and tuning.
Another thing is it has a GK-2AH pickup that you mount on your guitar. It picks up the sound individually from each string and the processor can make it sound very close to a 12-string acoustic (because it know's the exact sound coming from each string). That's cool because you don't have to buy another guitar. Don't have to make wicked barre chords of pressing all 12 strings down. And don't have to tune a real 12 string.
So I went to many guitar shops in the area over the past couple of months and NOT ONE was able to get the VG-88 to work. Very depressing. Finally last night I went to a music shop in the far West suburbs of Chicago and they set one up. I had only 45 minutes before they closed but it seemed convincing on the acoustic and hollow body sounds. The effects were pretty good but hard to judge with some tiny bookshelf speakers.
Also, the guitar I played through did not have the special Roland pickup you mount on the face of your guitar but a special, built-in one that was Roland ready. It was a Brian Moore guitar with a MIDI out (or whatever type of funky cord-with-prong thing that plugs into it and the effects unit). I noticed two tiny toggle switches right on the face of the guitar as well as the two volumes and two trebles.
I emailed RMC corporation in California who recommened I have a luthier install their pickup and two stitches. Here is his responses:
"In your application I suggest using:
1 set PBGS14-6 Pow'r Bridge G pickup saddles $250.MSRP)
and 1 P-D 1 K Poly-Drive 1 miniature onboard polyphonic preamp ($350.MSRP)."
So that's $600 MSRP (I'm guessing $450 retail). He also said the local luthier would take like 6-8 hours to router out stuff so like $200-300 sound about right? Anyway, he said more:
"The pickup will replace the original saddles of the Schaller Nashville bridge (most likely already) on your Gibson SG. The Poly-Drive preamp will be mounted in the controls cavity preferably next to a 1/4" jack in the general area where the current output jack is located. There still be 4 rotary controls and then 2 mini toggle switches will be added. So the big change in appearance is mostly the two mini toggles near the controls. A battery box should also be mounted in a cavity routed somewhere preferably on the back of the guitar. That's about it."
So like $650-700 if I have pickups installed or have the "outie" pickup on my for $200. Would make it a bi--h to close my guitar case with the outie protruding off the face of my guitar.
Now for some questions. Does anyone out there use the Roland VG-88 with the special pickups? Anyone had work done to their guitar to get special internal pickup? Does it work well. Are these figures they're quoting about what you paid? Was it worth all the effort or should you have just stuck with a normal guitar processor or just use the exterior pickup?
Sorry for all this typing but it's tough to shell out so much cash on stuff that may not be worthwhile. I found a great deal from an online company that will sell me a VG--88 for $550 ($150 off normal) so that's good. I'm just trying to get the other stuff (pickups) worked out and get some feedback from y'all out there. Please give me anything, I need your help!
Dennis :-)
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Looks and sounds like a pretty interesting device. I've never spent anytime playing with one.
I did look around and to check it out its possibilities, does look interesting.
I would think it would more for use in a studio setting were the guitar was left in a stand.
The Idea though of having control of each individual string looks interesting. The possibilities for creativity could be endless. if it allows you enough control to add different effects to different strings. then allow you to export each string into a separate channels on the console.
if the place your looking at one would allow you to take it home for X amount of time to try it out. convince them that you'd like to spend sometime with it before making up your mind. Use to be music stores would do that, but now a days that would be iffy unless the store new you.
What is it your looking for sound wise? Anything in particular.
Call me old fashion, but the feel of tubes combined with effects is hard to beat. Speaking for myself I need that feel and sound that I've grown so use to that I get from tube pre-amps. And yes I've played and even build my own gadgets on that quest for something none else has done. Although I can imitate the sound and even add some with electric devices just isn't the same.
Hope this helps some your quest.
Joe
i have a brian moore (LOVE IT !!) and i use a roland guitar synth (gr-33) .. i have used my guitar with the vg88 and love it too - saving up for one as we speak (can you tell me the online seller who will do $550?
i bought the least expensive brian moore, i88.13, because i didnt want to mess with the gk2A stick on thing .. i know fender makes a 'roland ready' strat ... the 2 mini toggles are used for patch change (no tap dancing on stage) and for selecting synth only - both - guitar only .. .also very cool
the RMC unit is preinstalled in the brian moore and it tracks flawlessly .. my only quibble is that brian moore didnt include active eq controls for the piezo .. only volume .. this wouldnt effect the vg88 though
good luck with your search ... i'd be really wary about shelling out a bunch of money to have someone cut into a perfectly good guitar .. maybe you can pick up a reasonable brian moore on ebay instead
cheers,
tone
Hey Tone, you can email [email protected] to get a quote on a VG-88. I talked to him yesterday and he has a version 2 (with the new lighter colored outside) new for $649 shipped free. I got mine for $549 because it was the old V1 outside (dark black) with the new v.2 software and a scratch or two down the side. His site is http://www.riksmusic.com .
I'm still trying to see what guitar options I have. I want something very, very close to my SG. Light, short-scale guitar with a wide fretboard and fat neck. Maybe fat neck is not that important but if I get another guitar I'll have to adjust all my fingering again. I heard Carvin, Godin and Brian Moore have some of their guitars all ready for Roland 13 pin. That would be great but I don't want a Strat type guitar. I can't believe some manufacturer of short scale guitars don't have Roland ready.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Just an update. I got the VG-88 unit many days ago but just worked with it the last two nights. What a beast it is in size and complication. None of the patches sound striking through my bass amp and without using a Roland special pickup or guitar. Heck, that's kinda defeating the purpose. I was told the Roland external pickup is really not so good for and SG in that the pickup is curved and the SG is not. So I'm still hoping to get some ideas on how to get this thing rocking
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Ok I have bought both the GR-33 and the VG-88 in the past couple of months, and I have the GK2a stick on on one guitar and the Roland ready Mexi strat as my other. (the GKP-4 is on the way within a few days, so that I can run sound through both at the same time) And I'm very suprised that you have been anywhere that couldn't get the 88 to run with no issues, I'd be curious to hear why they couldn't but none the less I would say you should hit guitar center if there is one near you as they usually have the roland ready strat in stock, plug it in and go, on HUGE tip though this is not your Fathers Olds play it through a full range system to really get the effect of what you would her recorded or in the PA. If you play it on a guitar amp you are WAY limiting the sound of all of the amp emulation and trust me it's amazing. The acoustics are good, but I still ended up buying a Taylor 310 to get that sound cause there is no real replacement. I'd say this about either device (the 88 or the 33) I'd tell anyone to buy either because they are Freakin amazing devices, it all depends on what you want to do. Do you just want tons of tons and diffrent amps and guitar sounds then the 88 is the device for you trust me even without seeing it work in person, buy it from somewhere that will let you ship it back if you don't like it, but trust me once you get it you won't ship it anywhere, unless you need the version 2 upgrade :-)(BTW there is an amazing software for the 88 that makes editing the patches a breeze, it actually shows you the pedals that are represented in the virtual chain you can get that here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VEditor/ I have nothing to do with that except I'm an avid user of the software) or if you want to be able to play the piano and MIDI record you playing then the 33 is the way to go. Or you could be a greedy bastard such as myself and get both and be able to do either at anytime. Trust me either is worth the money you just can't go wrong. And BTW if you had issues with the GK2A stick on it wasn't installed correctly IE: too far away from the strings and or the bridge measurements were wrong when you setup the 88. As for alternate tunings I've had very good luck as soon as you get it going just drop the E and try it out but trust me the software will make it much simpler you just need MIDI in out from your machine and if you need ports don't screw around with the sound card cable just get a USB to MIDI port from somewhere. Feel free to email me if you have stuff you want to ask outside the forum.
Oh yeah scrap the base patches they are crap go here and download all the cool stuff others have done. http://aure.com/patches/ that should get you going. But do this once, try running it through your stereo, I know that seems odd but you need something full range, not a bass amp.
Jack, thanks for the long response and answers. I just typed out a fairly long response twice and somehow I lost them. So this time I'm getting right to the point. I saved those two links you left so I can refer to them at will. Further, I'll check out downloading some of those patches. I only have a generic sound card in my computer so I think that may eliminate my downloading unless I upgrade.
Did some reading about the Carvin DC150 and DC200 guitars. I may see if they can put the RCM stuff in one of those. That or buy a Brian Moore with it already in it. Still trying to find a guitar that feels much like my SG. Gasp, maybe I'd even have to sell my SG to help pay for a Roland-ready guitar. Blasphemy!
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
Hmmm, I think this is the first time I've actually typed out gear acquisition syndrome as GAS, but I may have it. Forrock_star just pm'ed me with a cool link that seems to have caused the outbreak:
http://www.gibsonmagic.com/digitalguitar.html
Looks like a great technology and they said it would be available in the next 3-4 months. The only bad thing is that type of (computer) cable is not compatible with my VG-88. Maybe there'll be some sort of converter kit. Either way, I'm pretty happy that GIbson is taking initiative to actually pre-install the necessary items in stock guitar so guys like us don't have to fork out $500 in labor to have it installed later. Neat stuff!
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
