Zoom GFX-1

I play lead/rhythm electric/acoustic guitar. I have been playing instruments for 14 years. I am currently in a band that plays a wide variety of songs. My main influences are 80s hard rock, blues, and metal.

I received this unit for my birthday this year (may) from my fiancee. There were many choices of units in this price range, but I picked this one. It was $99 new. My fiancee bought this at a local guitar store.

It has many good sounds including the amp sims and the effects are quite good as well. I love the fact that there are 4 footswitches which can be assigned any patch, instead of having to tap your way to what you want.

The range of each effect is very strict to what the manufaturer put on it. There is no gray area like you would find tweaking a knob on a pedal. The layout of the input/outputs is set so that the only way to hook this up to my rig is to have the guitar directly into this unit and then to my other pedals, finally into my amp. Doing this and trying to bypass the unit to use my Fender Deville 2x12 only - causes a good deal of noise to come through the amp. Its almost like the unit wants control of the rig. For that reason alone I am really starting to hate this unit. Overall the amp sims are in the ballpark, but as I do not own a Marshall/Mesa/Peavey I can't tell you how close it is.

It is made of nearly indestructible metal with hard plastic pedals, and rubber knobs. Excellent.

Very versitile, yet confining. This is great for what it does which is give me the ability to include effects and new distortion tones to my current setup without have to buy 5-10 new pedals. Very good unit.

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

- What are the effects or types of effects available?
Simple almost everything lol (distos, amp models, flanger, phaser and etc. I will not state all because I want to go to the bathroom ...

9 simultaneous effects possible (we can really make the sounds you want, not bad at all.

UTILIZATION

- Publishing of sound effects or is it easy?
One has to do, I have not read any textbook on the multi and I use it all!

SOUND QUALITY

The clean sounds with chorus or delay etc. are wonderful, the course distos pa are monstrous, but normal.
But the distortion is fully configurable and very good when well!

Which instruments do you use?
I use a multi fender telecaster and an Ibanez RG 321, the sound is different with 2 guitars! So the pedal is very transparent and respects the sound of the instrument being regardless of the quality stuff.

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?
For about a year!

- How would you rate the quality / price?
Frankly awesome, it niquel to start!

- With experience, you do again this choice? ...
With the experience not of course lol! Each musician's own research and it's not what I want! But it helped me musically when I had it changed my view, I could make a person, have my own sound, now I'll move on!

Excellent small multi purpose, 10 banks and 4 patches directly accessible luxury.

We pass easily from one bank to another (up and down)

UTILIZATION

Very easy to edit, and save, even if sometimes not very intuitive.

The pedal is compact, very sturdy, works great on batteries.

Patches very easy to chain.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects are fine for this price range.

Some are surprising, but hey, they are, and why not!

Distortions and modulations are quite a success.

We can put a package on a single patch.

Too bad the pedal is optional (it plugs into the back).

OVERALL OPINION

I recommend for its efficiency and small footprint.

Excellent value for money, I think that given the value argus is undervalued.