All user reviews for the Boss GT-3

Why on God's green earth would I be reviewing a product released almost 15 years ago? Well, you'll see as the review rolls on. The GT-3 is a tank. Solid metal casing (blue)with indestructible switches and LED, and 3 green boards on the inside and tough, top of the line jacks that they don't use anymore. I have used this thing for almost 15 years, gig after gig. Probably close to 2,000 gigs if you include studio stuff. It has been used in almost every state in the union, Mexico and Canada. As a working player, I have used it for country, rock, metal, punk, rap and hip hop, randb, jazz, fusion, jam band, and everything else under the sun.

I purchased this unit when I was working at a now defunct music store in middle Tennessee. Saw it at a Namm show and was impressed. I was getting fed up with the squirrel-y nature of my pedal board at the time and since I was gigging all the time and getting some road work, I needed something that sounded great and was TOUGH. It turned out to be the most consistent and usable piece of gear I have ever purchased in 20 years of professional music making. I am not sure how much I paid for it, but it was 3% above wholesale. I think it was around $200-$250 dollars in the mid-late 90's.

ANALOG DISTORTION!!!! That's what makes this unit a gem. All of today's multi efx floor units use digital circuitry to create their distortion flavors. Today's floor boxes have TONS of amazing bells and whistles, while ignoring the fact that digital distortion is just not what pro players use. Ever heard a pro player in an interview say how much they love their modeled distortion? Me neither.

The distortions on the GT3 are created on a green boards inside the unit that copy the circuits of various Boss stomps. You want a DS-1? The circuit is there. You want a Metal Zone? The circuit is there. Not a modeled replication, but the real thing. And to me, that is worth the price of admission alone. And there is a BUNCH of usable distortions in this box. Everything from touch sensitive light overdrive, to blues crunch, to 70's rawk to metal to shred and everything in between.

Also, the first thing I did when I got the unit was to test the bypass and see if there was any change in tone. I did an a/b test with the guitar into the unit into the amp vs. the guitar into the amp. No change in tone. Just like using a single Boss stomp. No loss of dynamics either. Boss is known for how clean their bypass is on their individual stomps, and they did it with this unit. Can't say the same for many of the multi's I've tried over the years.

The other thing I like about the unit is that while there aren't as many crazy efx as you find in multi's today, there is plenty of usable stuff. The choruses, delays and reverbs are clean, clear and crisp. They use a separate green board inside the unit for the digital stuff. Digital time based efx and analog distortion. The way God intended.

I don't use the 'gimmick' efx such as the slicer and the vowel effect very often. But they are in there and work great. And programming patches is a breeze at this point.

Depending on what gig and rig I'm using, I use the unit on the 'front end', in the amp's efx loop, or the 3 cord system that goes like this: guitar>GT3>distortions>amp>amp loop out>GT3 loop in>time based efx>GT3 loop out>amp loop in.

The only nick on the unit is that the Wah kinda sucks. I put my own wah in front of the unit. The synth tracking is weak, but this problem is prevalent in all boxes that work with analog guitars. A uni-vibe is noticeably absent. But if you use the basics; distortion, chorus, flange, phase, delay, reverb, modulation, whammy, envelope, ring modulation, eq, this box is the best multi that has ever been made.

Almost 15 years and close to 2,000 gigs and not one problem. Not one. A look under the hood reveals a simple design and construction that is part of the GT3's toughness. Nuff said.

There are a ton of these things on Ebay and Craigslist. And they are cheap. And while they don't have all the crazy 'gimmick' efx that today's multi's have, the GT3's efx palate is full of top notch, usable stuff. And since it doesn't suck tone, you can use your own stomp favs with it. I believe that this box is the best multi ever built. I have tried all the Boss multi's, Digitech's GNX, and Vox's tone lab stuff, and the GT3 has the best FEEL and USABILITY of anything I've tried. I know a few pros who have put them in their pedal boards just for the distortions! This pedal is in my opinion, an underrated classic.

If you've ever looked at a multi and said 'I'll never use HALF of that!' and then said 'Jeez, what does all that stuff do to your signal?' then check the GT3. You'll be glad you did.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought this unit brand new at a local music store. Paid about $500 canadian, which is a very good price.
Reason for buying it: i needed something a bit better than my Boss ME-30, which was kinda cumbersome and limiting.


First, it's -versatile- as hell!!! Anything can be assigned to any control, the effects chain can be modified at will, plus there's a connector for adding some external pedals. You can get any kind of guitar sound possibly imaginable out of this thing - and the sound quality is outstanding. You can also use it with practically anything that has speakers on it, the stereo output can be "shaped" to fit a conventional guitar amp, a typical home stereo system, a mixer or headphones, ... it also has a memory of 140 presets that you can create.


You have to know what you're doing to get the most out of this unit. Also, not many of the factory presets sound really cool, but with a little tweaking.... Its only "big" problem is that you can't use several effects in the same 'block' simultaneously, like for ex. Flanger and Harmonist from the "Modulation" block.


Full metal chassis, very solid, and very good mechanical parts (exp pedal, footswitches, ...)


I've been using this console for about a year and a half, and i'm very happy with it. From acoustic or plain, clean sounds, to ripping heavy distortion, to more flashy synth kinds of sounds, this console delivers, and delivers well.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

$300 (I think - might have been $250) ebay

It does basically everything. I'm submitting a review because the other reviewer annoyed me so much by panning it just because it does too much for him to easily understand.

The effects are great overall - it's like having a whole bucketload of boss effects in one pedal. The amp sims are pretty good as well I think. I use it to play live and for direct recording.

The amp sims might not be quite as good as the POD in some instances, but the effect are a billion times better and more comprehensive, and there are 140 user presets (+ 200 unchangeable presets)

They are a little behind by not including any software with the unit to do editing of effects. There are shareware programs available (windows only, unfortunately), and you might be able to use sound diver, but they should join the 21st century on this.

It could be smaller/lighter (but the GT-6 is even bigger, so I guess I should be happy).

Some of the included presets are pretty cheesy (most use too much reverb, IMHO), but isn't that always the way... you've still got 140 of your own to do whatever you want with.

I think you could drive a car over it and it would be OK.

The GT-3 is a great piece of equipment. It does a whole lot for the money, and you should be able to find it even cheaper now that the GT-6 is out.

I have been very happy with it and I have only scratched the surface. There is a great user group at yahoogroups.com and they have developed all kinds of additional documentation and are active in discussing the product and helping people out who are interested in learning more or buying one.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this unit in Memphis TN at yarbrough's music.It retailed in at a wild 495.95 list and I just assummed to forget about it. Well about a week later I went back and played through it and talked the guy's into hooking me up for about 300.00, they said sure . And the rest is history.

There are so many great things with this pedal, I mean the preamp is so real on it,it just blows me away.It uses COSM technology which is if you don't know (one wicked model maker).It has very realistic sounds of some of the most popular amps,and the distortions/overdrives are great too.Also for all you effects freaks, it has awesome modulation and pitch shifting qualitites.But the real mind blower is the delay, it is so versitile that you can use it in any situation,studio or live.Dude it's just all that and more ,and for the price ,it just can't be beat.

Well after raving about all the good stuff ,it's time for the bad.
ONE- GET READY TO GO ON AN EDITING TRIP.
TWO-THE LEVEL ADJUSTMENT IS ON THE BACK OF
THE UNIT (I PERSONALLY DON'T LIKE THAT).
THREE-THE FACTORY PRESETS SUCK.
Other than that it's all good.

The construction of the pedal is brutal,to bust this you gotta be pretty sick in the head.It just ain't gonna happen.And the quality is just great,like I said before for the price it just can't be beat.

Well the bottom line,you need to go try one,you won't be disappointed at all.For all the stuff thats packed inside,it's like spending ten grand or more.So just go try one and then shell out a few hundred and have a blast when you get home.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid $225 on ebay.

What's not to like? It's loaded with great features and it sounds fantastic.

I didn't care for the manual. It just didn't explain things clearly enough for me to start using it effectively right away. Big learning curve.

It's built very well with a strong metal casing not cheesy plastic like some other multi-effects manufacturers.

Overall, I should have waited a while and just got a POD. Most of my playing is done while recording and although you can get a decent signal from this, there's nothing like a POD.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Everything has been said.

Note the presence of an "input distortion" foreign controlled from the pedals. This allows you to use your favorite distortion as if it were a distortion of availables in the GT3 and operate it with one of the buttons on the pedal.

PS: This is the second boss pedals GT (the first being the gt5)

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use.

Those who tell you they are not doing should not be computer savvy either!

on the other hand, get to the sound you're looking, that's difficult and it takes time because there are a multitude of parameters to be able to change the parameter and the information displayed on the screen are not transcendent (the name alone does not allow us always to know "Why this")

There are several version of the manual (simple 40 pages to 173 pages long)

Some changes have no effect on the sound (that one is a combo or a stack)

SOUND QUALITY

The sound is not as good as the separate pedals, it is clear that there will never be the same sound of pedals 32 for only 400 €! ! !

The modulations are sufficient, the distortion is not all useful (you will end up always using the same: the blues, and disto1 disto2

The reverb and delay ... blah blah, it makes his job but does not say "wouawwwwou, it's great."

The amp simulation: While there, many users did not understand what is the point: it is not a simulator but a preamp, so use the GT3 as a pre- amp (thus linking to live in the fx loop of your amp) to realize that it works well! ! ! on the other hand, as a simulator (to save on a PC or put it in a mixer) that either!

I bought it the day of its release, this is my first multi and I do not regret it.

OVERALL OPINION

Swiss Army knife a foot that will vout many services but not worth the separate pedals.

While the full effects of the simulators of eq reverb delay ...
easily editable
Input connectors GTR jack outputs L and R 6.35, Midi, headphone mini jack

UTILIZATION

Manual with very clear sounds of factories recap
easy configuration except perhaps for the audio channel

SOUND QUALITY

Effects effective by the presets cons are very uneven (like the preset soldano comp looks like a park 10W ...!)
I use it with my guitar directly into the soundcard of my PC

C when not even a POD .... the sound is in deca ...

OVERALL OPINION

Use at least 2 years
I like the simplicity of the machine phasers (reggae pot ...)
not at all like the slight lag in the pitch-1oct !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Value for money: I would buy again if cta a pod (not even pro)

All pedals boss, and COSM amp simulator pedal with a few more trinkets (slicer, preamp for acoustic ...).
20/24 bits, good everything.
MIDI in out for the pedals, hehe, it does not transform your stratovolcano in MIDI guitar ^ _ ^

UTILIZATION

We must delve into the manual a few hours, but is pulled quickly sounds very good.
Note EZ-edit mode, completely inutlie for my taste. There is no simpler than the "normal" mode, and it is rather difficult to settle.

The expression pedal is assignable to anything, and it's quite interresting. Crushing his intuitive.

So very easy, very convenient, but after 3 hours of use.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects are good, no nasty surprises for all that is conventional.
The amp simulators are not great, compared to a pod is a bit cold, but it helps out well

But the effects that work with the pitch (octave / whammy, guitar synth ...) are relous! The computing power of the beast does not exploit all of it effectively! The latency is huge, and you need a big signal, just hyper, so that it is recognized without problem. The best thing is to have its next whammy ...

I pass on the simulation of microphones that turn, supposedly a simple, hambucker is bogus, and it works poorly.
Feedback is fun, if you have no amp at hand.

6 pask alone on a console, a sound card or sound, the preamp not sound great, and some original effects are really bad.

OVERALL OPINION

It's a GT5 which has been removed quelqles fake things and a switch.
The color effects are very good, but they could do without harmonisers and self riff, if it was to swing such a thing.

GT3 + amp = great combination correct

Do not expect miracles in home studio, but it helps out anyway.

I add one last thing, the sax of the group I played with who uses maintenet without using the effects of distortion / saturation / simulations lamps etc, and it goes really well.

Multi-purpose digital modeling COSM
all classical effects are available (chorus, reverb, delay, ...) but others can make the most original sounds downright (the slicer coupled with self-riffeur and an auto-wah, all in the past "ring" will give you a perfect imitation of the seal that revels in the morning).
midi controllable
many presets, amp modeling and more memory to integrate its own preset

UTILIZATION

Usage is very simple
you can set all parameters possbile imaginable and even fly with the pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

Base effects are good (chorus, delay, reverb) and it has enough fun with all other effects.
on the other hand for fans of tube amps (which I am one), we can not use the saturation on pain of being seriously hurt the ears (transistorized all goes !!!!)!
Pay special attention to setting levels of effects if we do not want to spoil the sound "All Tube" because the multi-effect tendency to remove the low and mid-bass and you end up with a sound flat and frankly unpleasant.

OVERALL OPINION

To play a sound, it will be great for those who like but I recommend to those who play on all lamps.
The effects are very good and original but I do not use them at all, so for the same price, it is better to buy the good old analog pedals from the same brand (in the effects loop and wah wah live).

A-max classic effects, plus ring modulators, Slicers, feedback, guitar synth etc. ...
Technology-cosm for modeling amps, rather bad for aillor except for distortion effects of apoint
Connection-output stereo audio and MIDI. MIDI is very convenient as using a MIDI switcher, I drive the CHANNELS my amp with my GT3 ca opens me all possible combinations of sound

UTILIZATION

And pro-Complete Edition of all parameters and assignment of all possible parameters to the expression pedal (very practical and encouraging creativity)
-Many banks allow a bank to songs if desired.
We parameterize the synchronization bit of each time with the beat, simple setup and efficient thanks to the scroll wheel.
The manual is very well designed.

SOUND QUALITY

"It is a pretty nice pedal model. Aside from the latency of the harmonizer, it is very comprehensive and enjoyable with all these base effects and a lot of effects sympatic.
-I use it on an amp with a Charvel ENGL and it is fairly transparent sound level (no level loss, no noise).

I put 8 because the modeling is rather disappointing, but the effects are fairly good order.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 4 years on stage, not a worry and it is very robust.
"I loves its convenience and intuitive method of programming I do not like modeling and distortions too disappointing.
"I have tried many other multi-effects, it remains very much the level of ergonomics and remains a very good value because it helps make the scene while not being a huge pedal. It is an intermediary between pti crappy pedal cranks and big crazy!
"I would do this knowing that I just choose the switcher MIDI CHANNELS amp for good distortion as those provided by the multi was not matched by that of my ENGL (éhéhé!)

All the effects that we might need, and more!
Each holds 10 preset effects:
- An SFX (from "Acoustic guitar simulator", "Slow Gear", "Anti-Feedback," "Feedback", "Pickup Simulator", or "Tremolo / Pan)
- A compressor / limiter
- A Wah (wah-wah pedal controlled by the expression or auto-wah, both being entierment parameterizable)
- An Overdrive / Distortion (many simulations Boss)
- Amp simulator + speaker (many simulations Marshall, Vox ...)
- EQ
- A modulator (Harmonizer, Flanger, Phaser, Auto-riff, sub-equal, 2x2 Chorus, Short Delay, Humanizer, Vibrato, Guitar Synth, Ring Modulator, Slicer)
- A Delay
- Chorus
- Reverb

The master section adjusts the volume, tempo (for effects that have become wedged in rhythm, as the delay, the slicer, or self-riff), to use a Noise Suppressor, and especially to define the EFFECTS OF ORDER!

The possibilities are simply endless!

UTILIZATION

EZ-Edit mode ("easy edit") can find its very simply by reducing all adverse to 6 parameters. We can then refine it by adjusting each effect separately.
Very easy to use even without instructions! But it takes time to explore everything, and the interface, while simple and clear, is not very practical. It takes some getting used to navigate menus (though they are facts) in golfing with the buttons and knob ... It's quite daunting when you're used to turning knobs on an amp. Hence the note.

SOUND QUALITY

I was disappointed by 90% of factory presets. In fact it is because the GT-3 sounds (and this is normal and inevitable) very differently depending on guitar used (in my case a Vantage 118T) and by amplification we call it a good hi -fi, it sounds a little too cold, but on a combo amp is pretty hot too! In fact we must work according to its preset that, and then we can draw wonders! I understand that we can have a very negative opinion on this machine if you just browse the factory presets and play with the EZ-Mode.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had a few weeks and I already can not live without it!
What I like are the endless possibilities (eg the expression pedal you can assign almost any parameter of any effect).
Before that, I had a Samick amp not bad but very limited, and a multi-purpose Yamaha FX-550 that I liked but now I find that really sucks!
I can not comment on the value price. Let's say I traded my Fender Telecoustic AC cons and I'm happy with my case!
When to make the election again, yes of course, but the GT-6 looks a bit more practical (and fun) to use with knobs ...

This unit has the pressure da little overall effect on the market
s digital technology and it means but we'll see her in the
it has a MIDI input and output and thru dun noon if I don abuse
stereo output and can connect footswitch and pedal exp aditional

UTILIZATION

Very complex to settle
I guess the designers have not thought No this pedalboard was designed for amateur musicians

SOUND QUALITY

I put 2 for the reverb and delay are not yucky but it is expensive and cumbersome for 2 more effects that digital technology and the lack of true bypass eats the sound of the amp

for the rest, we play on the Bontempi
modulation effects are not pretty
the distortion and amp simulation are pitiful (and I weigh my words)
they have a grain numerical bastards and only see the cleans are decent nice
there are no effects that I've used that once, I even asked what they were a complete from the list of effects (simple simulation of micro or just double, acoustic simulation, automatic sentence of triad etc.;

OVERALL OPINION

C is not expensive, c is sound, there are plenty of purpose
s should not expect miracles from this pedalboard
c is a good pedalboard of initiation (or disgust) to multiple effects

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...
NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the usual boss effects pedals and broken down into the multi-effect together.
- Affordable, experience BOSS.

UTILIZATION

- Simple, visual effects we see active in the blink of an eye and the screen is nice
- Editing is easy
- Manual light

SOUND QUALITY

- The effects are the classic BOSS effects pedals ... effects already experienced.
- The classical effects are good ... As for cons effects "in experimentation" = often very uneven ... I found however that the simulator microphones coupled with the acoustic simulator could catch up so interresting sound punchy guitars too ...
- Some sound effects give too little, not flattering at all: in the case of distortions and almost all modelers.
- For clean sounds it's no problem

OVERALL OPINION

- Used 3 years
- I love the aesthetics of the device and its design-oriented live
- Good value for money.