The BOSS GT-8

I haven't tried the GT-8, I think Dagwood has one if I remember correctly, but I have owned the GT-6 for about 6 years and have no problems with it. Very user friendly, and built like a tank. Most of the patches a very good sounding, and can be adjusted to your liking, and you can download additional patches if you want, (I've never gone that far myself). You can also make your own patches very easily, and the effects sound just as good as if you had each individual one in front of you.
The GT-8 has a few more features, (touch sensitive effects for one), which look to work good and owners are raving about. I'd say go for it - you'll be impressed!
Here is a site you may want to check out also: Boss GT Central Lots of good info.

Good luck,
Dan

Hey there (sorry for my fragmented response, its early on Sunday morning),

Yes I own a GT8 and love it. I have a question for you then a few things to say or 'warn' you about the "Eight" well just one thing really. After owning the "Eight" for over two years now I still love it. It does however pose a philosophical change or more over challenge in sound generation with the electric guitar... more about that way down at the bottom :)

Questions I encourage one to ask of oneself before taking that $350-$450 plunge :)

Q: Do you know why you want one? (or anyone else who may read this thread)
Q: How would you use or apply it? Live? In the bedroom or studio?

The warning. The GT-8 is NOT a plug and play unit. Yeah there are stock patches, some are great but most are over distorted (driven) and there's quite a bit of tweaking one must do to get the sound balanced right for their particular rig. But that is where the genius lays in this. Its so darned versatile. The BossGTCentral site is 'the' resource on the net for all things in the Boss GT family and they're more than happy to help a newbie out.

The GT-8 IS an extremely versatile amp modeling/multi effects tool that allows one to mimic dozens of amps and dozens of distortions and effects very precisely and accurately, (read: if you like to twist knobs this thing is for you) and then some.

If the Digi RP series is like swimming in a kiddy pool, and the POD/V-Amp etcs are like swimming in an olympic pool, this thing is like a Huge Water Park, complete with slides, shoots, rapids, waves, and water guns....and then some :)

And if you want to read on I'll tell my story. If not, go hit the Boss/Roland website, they're marketing piece on this is well done.

I'm sure you've read and or seen the demo vid at the Boss/Roland site. If not I encourage you to go there. The biggest reason I bought one and its a bit of a story was the bang for the buck. After owning an RP100a (total crap) then a V-Amp (which I traded, amongst a few other bits to get into my Am Strat) and I liked and still like them and would get another one; was looking into getting separate pedals. (you know the whole 'tone quest' thing)

So I went to my local shop one day and lo and behold a Boss/Roland rep was there that day. I was looking at the Dist/OD pedals, Delays, an EQ and maybe a phaser or similar. If I got all the pedals I was thinking about the total cost would've come close to around $600. Just the EQ was like $120. (Yikes).

He (the Boss rep) did a great job showing and explaining the differences in ODs/Dist/Metals and Delays...etc. Explaining the basics of the "CHAIN" and the order of such a chain before and after the pre-amp etc etc etc. The whole time we were looking at that big Boss board that a lot of music stores have that display all those pedals hooked up to each other and they put an amp on the floor...?

Anyhoo I then asked him about the GT-8, what it was, how did it differ from what we were talking about. He smiled and said everything on this board and then some are in the "Eight".

Then he plugged into one and it was magic. The amp modeling alone...whoa!!! At least to my ears. And if you hook this thing up in stereo (Left and Right) you can have a Marshall out one side and a clean Fender out the other at the same time. Or with a little added delay between both channels it can sound like two guitarists playing the same riff. Of course the Amp models have their own tone/gain controls for each channel plus there's a dynamic setting you can set, so you can have the same amp model in both a/b channel with the say the B having a bit more gain. When you play a little hard or aggressive it will automatically switch to the higher gain side. Blew me away it did. That's just the amp modeling. No effects nothing at this point.

Here's a 'Matrix' of all the amps in this thing

Now you take any number of these and add the spice of the different effects available AND place them anywhere in the chain and you have an awesome piece of technology.

Which brings me to this whole philosophical thing and I've seen this debated amongst the tone/tube snobs and alot of 'old-school' guys.

Putting aside the fact that this is SS technology, not Valve...

I've found as have others that own a GT-8 that the best way to use one of these or their counter parts (Digi GNX Series or the Korgs or Zooms, whatever) is NOT to plug them into a traditional guitar amp. (sure you can if that is what you have) However because of the great modeling capabilities of this unit, it would be ideal to plug into a completely clean and neutral system.

Alot of guys have found, myself included, that an FRFR (Full Range/Full Response) type system works best. What I mean by that is, Say you have a Marshall at home. It has a good clean channel, but you can't 'Really' model a Clean Fender through a Marshall's clean channel. (does that make sense?) Remember, the traditional guitar amp has its own color or tone. Fenders are way different from a Marshal which is way different from a Vox etc etc etc.

So some guys are using Keyboard Amps (sometimes two for the stereo effects), or just plugging straight into the house board and out the front when gigging with one of these.

Can you see the philosophical change in the approach? (Shhhhyea!!!)

Hehehehehehehe.

I myself, for use primarily at home have a set of Powered Studio monitors.

I have a set of Beheringer B2031A Truth monitors. They work fantastically. I also plug into my PC via the Headphones out (with a stereo extention chord) to the Line IN on my sound card for recording. That's it. That's my rig. If I take this to a friends house or whatever and I don't wanna lug the two monitors I take my Hot Rod Deluxe, keep it on the clean channel with its tone controls all at 12 o'clock (Neutral).

So what am I saying? I'm saying I love the Boss GT-8. In my opinion its worth every penny and then some. Just the amp modeling alone with out the effects that come with it. Imagine having all or most of those authentic amps in your studio. Your in the tens of thousands of dollars.

As far as I'm concerned I don't need anything else, as far as amps or effects, UNTIL of course they come out with the GT-10 :)

Cheers

Dude...you've only been playing for like 2 months. Why pay so much money for an EFFECT now?

If you wanna spend a lot of money, go for a better amp or something.

Dude...you've only been playing for like 2 months. Why pay so much money for an EFFECT now?

If you wanna spend a lot of money, go for a better amp or something.

You do have a point there.

Unfortunately, effects gear doesn't come with built in talent. For beginners thay can be a distraction that slows you down by giving you something to waste hours farting about with. They can also be used to mask how bad you are rather than help you improve. They can change the noise you make but they don't actually improve your basic input any. Crap in, crap out, no matter what the pedal can do.

I bought a fancy Vox AD30VT amp a couple of months after I started playing electric. It can model a heap of amps and do a swag of effects. I mucked around with it for a few days, and then put it away for two years while I learned how to actually play the guitar. :P :D

But we're all different, so I guess if it keeps somebody interested, and they're having fun then maybe it's worthwhile. :)

Good luck anyway,

Chris

I have to agree with Chris, effects are too much fun for a beginner and take away any learning.
I borrowed a Zoom 3030 from a workmate and literaly spent a whole week playing Yankee Doodle just to try out all the lazerdelayreverb and all the other settings, before putting it away until I had a clue what I wanted it to do.

I have to agree with Chris, effects are too much fun for a beginner and take away any learning.
Too much is.

I bought a wah about two months after having guitar. And that made it so much funner. Not only did it improve the tone of my sound but it made it funner. Now, while learning, sometimes I'll play around with the wah.

But on the other hand, having something like the Line 6 podxt will take away from learning. Way too much to play around with. Hell, I even borrowed my friends Digitech Rp80 there's so many effects on there, and I found myself wasting time trying to get the right sound.

I'm perfectly happy with my guitar, distortion pedal, and wah...I do want a better amp though.