Roland GR55

[ecca]

Anybody got one ?
I keep looking at all these new pedals that seem to come out every month and am much tempted and I then I think......
I have this GR55 which actually has all the ingredients of these pedals + much more.
Even dismissing the synth aspect of it and the virtual guitar modelling there is a very powerful effects section with all manner of sounds.
Modelled amps, filters, distortions, chorus, etc etc.

...........and it does the Shads echoes.

Anyone else with one ?

[dave robinson]

I like the look of that Ecca, but the price is hefty by comparison. I'd love to try one though, my own guitar synth hasn't been out of it's case in over fifteen years, I think it's a GR-50 in a rack mount with a 'divided pickup' that fits to the guitar. I used to use it quite a bit back then.

[dave robinson]

Do you ever use it Ecca ?

[ecca]

Apart from an occasional trip with it to the Hankies , never, but that applies to everything else as well, I might as well flog the lot.

[dave robinson]

It' just that it seems to be the latest one, how long have you had it ?
I still have my old one and two of those GK-3 Divided pick ups.
I stopped using it because of the odd rogue note when fingering, it didn't
happen too often but once is enough. Is yours a big improvement in that area ?

[ecca]

I've had it 2 years.
It will possess a better response than the Gr50 but not much better than the newer Gr09s or Gr33. I think the limit has been reached on the frequency to voltage conversions and pitch recognition claims.
The ultimate is wired frets.
Having said that I used a GR09 for a decade in a band with excellent results, the mis-triggering varies from voice to voice, but is still useable.
The GR55 combines the guitar synth with the VG8 - virtual guitar with, again excellent results, there is no latency whatsoever on the modelled guitars and mine does a splendid Thunderbirds.
The effects can be used by your guitar using the original controls and pick-ups as well as the modelled guitars and the synth voices - or a combination of them.
You can have 3 echo heads to be programmed a la Meazzi timings so it does a decent Shads echo.
3 footswitches, expression pedal, lots of various ways of using them, even a built in music player and poor mans sampler.

[RayL]

The ultimate is wired frets.

Ah! Takes me back . . . Time: the mid-1960s. Place: The Musical Instruments Trade Fair, held in various hotels around London's Russell Square. The player: Bert Weedon, trying out an organ guitar with wired frets (the Vox, I think).

Bert really struggled. He was used to playing guitars where he could control the attack of the note by the way that he manipulated the plectrum. With the wired frets and the notes that sprang at him as soon as he touched a string, Bert's timing was all over the place. He handed the guitar back to the salesman with a rueful smile.
Ray

[ecca]

The best of the bunch re. fretted midi guitars is the Ztar.
There's one here;http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Starr-Labs-ROCK-MAPLE-Z-TAR-guitar-MIDI-CONTROLLER-w-Case-Power-Supply-ZTAR-/111429425447?pt=US_Other_Pro_Audio&hash=item19f1b61927
But they're expensive and I don't know of a place in the UK to try one.
The import duty alone makes you gasp.
Here's the home page; http://www.starrlabs.com/product/z7s/

[roger bayliss]

Godin Guitars do MIDI controller built in but not sure what they are like. The Fishman Triple play got some very good reviews too.

[ecca]

They use split pick-ups - same as Roland and with all the same drawbacks.
The Ztar has wired frets.