Boss VG-800 Guitar Processor: After Re-Amping comes Re-Guitar!
Play banjo, sitar, and more!
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The Boss VG-G800 Guitar Processor is not just another multi-effects unit like the recently released GX-10. This blue box makes your guitar sound like a banjo, acoustic guitar, or sitar – when used in combination with the GK-series synth pickups. But the pedal also excels as a pure multi-effects unit.
Boss VG-800 Guitar Processor: Re-Guitar your Guitar
Let’s rewind: In 2023, Boss not only introduced the GM-800, their latest synth-guitar flagship. They also released the GK-5 and GK-5B, so-called synth pickups for guitar and bass, for the low-latency conversion of your guitar signal into MIDI notes. These two pickups provided particularly accurate tracking compared to earlier iterations.
With the VG-800, Boss is releasing another pedal that works with the GK pickups, just like the GM-800. But this time, it’s not about synth guitar sounds, this pale blue box makes new guitar sounds. At first glance, this might seem a bit odd, but it could open up a lot of new sonic options down the road.
That’s because the VG-800 lets you build your own virtual guitars, complete with different pickups and strings. So you can quickly turn your Les Paul into a Strat, your electric guitar into an electric bass, a banjo, a sitar, or an acoustic guitar. Synth sounds (including the legendary Roland GR-300) are possible as well as string-like sounds thanks to the Roland VIO Guitar technology.
Guitar Modeling 2.0
However, one of the GK pickups is required for this to work. But if you do happen to own one, combining it with the VG-800 allows for alternative tunings. Imagine that: no more need for drop D or constant retuning! How well this works and, above all, how good it sounds remains to be seen in practice.
The dual guitar/bass function should interest duos in rock, punk, and metal. These usually consist of vocal and bass/guitar, and drums. Depending on which one you play, the VG-800 can generate the missing instrument, which sounds much more realistic than just using an octave pedal.
Incidentally, if you own a GM-800 guitar synthesizer, you can directly control it via the dedicated output.
Display and Foot Switches
The VG-800 is pleasantly compact and comes in the same Smurf blue color scheme as the GM-800. The large, monochrome screen displays signal chains, detailed settings and parameter values. The pedal is controlled via the six buttons on the right side, as well as the five dials below the screen, and the Select controller.
You can switch between presets using footswitches 1 and 2 (from left to right). The third footswitch activates the expression pedal, which you can connect to the back panel. In addition, the multi-effect comes with is a stereo FX loop, inputs for the guitar signal and the signal from the GK synth pickup, as well as a pair of outputs that can be used either as a stereo output or as a mono output and a separate headphone.
The MIDI input and output are on the left side, as well as the USB-C port, and the second expression input. You have two options if you connect the pedal to your computer via USB. Either the VG-800 acts as an audio interface, and you can record directly into the computer in your DAW. You can also use the included BOSS Tone Studio software to change presets, install firmware updates, and more.
Bags for Boss Multi-Effects
Before we get to the price of the multi-effect, here comes something handy for owners of the popular Boss multi-effects: The compact Boss CB-BM Small Multi-Effects Bag can safely store and transport pedals sized like the Boss GX-10, GT-1, and GT-1B.
There is also a second bag for the larger Boss multi-effects units, the Boss CB-BM Medium Multi-Effects Bag. This fits the GX-100, GT-1000, ME-90, and ME-90B multi-effects units. Both bags are available now from Thomann.£58
How much does the Boss VG-800 cost?
The Boss VG-800 is available now for 699,- euros at Thomann*.
More on the new Boss-Pedal
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One response to “Boss VG-800 Guitar Processor: After Re-Amping comes Re-Guitar!”
So I assume this fills in the gaps for the features of the SY-1000 that didn’t make it into the GM-800?