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What a workhorse!
By: Mark Trammell
Submitted: 3/4/2024
Product Rating
Product Review
If your a one man band, recording layers in the studio and can't afford brass, keys or other band instruments, this is for you!!! Had I know how powerful and versatile this was, I would have purchased it long before now.
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Parts
By: Barry Powell
Submitted: 3/4/2024
Product Review
If you accidentally break the filter where the gk cable plugs in you cannot order another board to change it out. Warranty does not cover this.I have contacted Roland services several times to no avail
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Great addition to any rig
By: The Punkster
Submitted: 6/13/2023
Product Review
Great product can’t wait to use this for my shows ??
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Absolutely Amazing
By: Dm
Submitted: 10/7/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Decided to take a chance on this piece of gear, wondering if I would actually utilize it or not..and let me tell you- this thing doesn't disappoint!
Awesome presets/ ridiculous amount of features/ tons of hookup options and opens up a world of musical possibilities.
Be wary of equipment setup time and minor limitations, but this thing added a whole new perspective to my music, as well as for our band- whether at home, in the studio, or live!! Zero regrets- All smiles
Would definitely recommend to anyone who is familiar with synths, or wants to enter or expand their musical creativity.
Thanks AMS for carrying top notch products and terrific prices.
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You can drop tune your guitar without touching the tuning keys on your Guita
By: Patrick
Submitted: 7/8/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
You can change the tuning on your guitar within the GR-55 patches without touching the the tuning key s on your guitar.
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If you want to sound like a professional at everything, get this!
By: Brad Bishop
Submitted: 6/28/2022
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I put this on my Les Paul custom. Our band fired our keyboardist. Now we don’t need him at all. We don’t need rhythm guitarists . This piece of engineering is a great feat of invention and ingenuity. It’s a triumph in bridging the gap between what you can play and what you wish you can play. You can do anything with this device. Well worth the money. I’ve heard people complaining about latency. That’s not even a problem if you know your patches. Thanks.
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I have the first one made in the early 90’s
By: Greg D.
Submitted: 4/15/2022
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
And Rolan is a creat company including amplifiers, too.
Yes, I bought the 1st Guitar Synthsizer.
And added the whole things.
That makes the newest one... that adds everything that Roland make this.
Well, Thank-you AMS and Roland!
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Possibilities are endless
By: Rusty
Submitted: 1/26/2022
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This has literally changed my guitar playing tenfold. There is so much you can do with this product. My favorite feature is the alternate tuning when I have to play transposed songs and have to learn it in the original key. I did purchase the additional Sub Sonic filter that takes some of the ghost notes out of the Sax/piano sounds but other than that it is worth every penny. 12/10
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The best on the market!
By: Martin Campos
Submitted: 10/25/2021
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
For cover songs or originals, it expands the way you create and play. , easy to set up, easy to use!! It’s worth every penny!
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Great Guitar Modeling Inteface
By: Jose Ferrero
Submitted: 6/28/2021
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
It was easy to setup and install the GK3 pickup to my Fender Strat, then I was ready to use the interface, first with my headphones using the output jack and the thru the amp, using the line out L/R; I've been using it for a week or so, there's a lot sounds to try out and making notes on which one make more sense to reuse and keep in a list of favorites. It will be nice to add an iPad control via Bluetooth and have all at your play/stand/sit level, instead of bending over to select or change settings. Very well design and looking forward to get more inspiration with all the features on this device.
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Nothing Beats A Roland
By: Ulric
Submitted: 4/17/2021
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Great features. Easy install and setup. Some of the best patches in a guitar synth. If you don’t own one get one now!
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Great Tool for expanding writing capabilities
By: Steve Del
Submitted: 1/28/2021
Product Review
Bought this to expand my playing.
Exploring different styles.
Still working out the kinks
with the gk3 pickup.
Might end up going with a piezo if it’s compatable.
Unit is definitely more than I’d like to have paid.
Filling out this review with hopes to have that taken care of. Lol I WISH
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Like nothing else
By: Patman
Submitted: 1/12/2021
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I stepped up to the GR55 after using the GR30
for years in order to use the USB function. I greatly underestimated the improved tracking and sound clarity not to mention having all the VG88 sounds too in one pedal
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Really great sounds
By: Steve T
Submitted: 11/6/2020
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Wanted one for a long time, finally took the plunge. It’s amazing how good the sounds are. I’m using it for recordings, so I can add instrumentation while still using the guitar. It’s really amazing how good it sounds. Flute, violins, cellos, saxes etc. It’s so good I might use it live as well.
The GK3 was easy to hook up on a LP. A little more work if you have a strat but it’s well worth it.
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Love Roland synths
By: Andre
Submitted: 8/29/2020
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I’ve been using this synth since it was first released years ago. Love the sounds and especially the tracking. This unit definitely pulls me out of guitar writing slumps and I love the ease of use
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Intuitive and awsome sounds!
By: Don
Submitted: 7/29/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
It is very easy to figure out and the sounds are awsome. If you play guitar then you can have horns, keyboards, string instruments and even harmonica and sitar, great! I am addicted to playing it. Hard to put down but I didn't expect the quality of features. It surpasses my expectations. Don't hesitate if you have been thinking about a guitar synth. Get the gr55 now! Way better than my variax guitar.
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What an Awesome Product!
By: Mike
Submitted: 7/28/2020
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Man this thing does everything!
Great product at a great price!
If your looking for an effects unit that’s easy to use and has thousands of sounds, this is it!
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Vast Environment and Flexibility
By: Vincent
Submitted: 6/25/2020
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
There are a number of features included in one device. Not only do you have the ability to select multiple effects in a setup, you can set them in parallel or series. You also have amp modeling that you can combine into your setup giving your setup an infinite number of possibilities. There are also settings allowing you to adjust the presence level of your guitar pickups and have only the synth sounds in front. I have had this almost three months and still can find new things in the use of it. If I could offer a suggestion with this is possible a series of videos with it to help get started.The documentation is thorough and details but long. This meets my expectations and excels beyond them. Great device and I love it.
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Tweaking , tweaking and more tweaking,
By: Dig in...digitally
Submitted: 6/6/2020
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Yes,tweaking is key to creativity...that's part of the design of digital processing, dig in, dig in, it gets interesting as well, you can't get enough,and it only gets better the more you do it...so, get moving....
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Its a complex piece of equipment
By: JL
Submitted: 5/26/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The enjoyment in discovery makes all so simple ti absolutly get what i am doing.
If you're a guitarist who hears the keys, synth, strings... get it!!
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Product of the future
By: Melvin Harrod
Submitted: 5/16/2020
Product Review
Hey! I got the Gr55 about 2 weeks and i thought it would be like all other guitar synths but not quite....Ive always wanted to have my guitar and my synth work together without the lack of signal or the noise of other models.... But having COSM modeling made this a must have feature.... the Gr55 needs to be tamed and if you don't know your way around synths ,this can be quite overwhelming as there are so many way to approach this....however,this is where the Gr shines ,in its ability to control every nuance of the racal synth...some of the modeling sounds are good and blend well with the synth...
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Roland GR55 is AWESOME!!
By: Sammy K.
Submitted: 5/12/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This Synthesizer truly awesome!
The sounds that you can create is endless. As soon as I received it.
I couldn't wait to open the box.
I read the manual and I was so overwhelmed by what the Roland GR55 is capable of during. Honestly. I couldn't wait to setup the GK-3 to my guitar. The sound is incredible. You Won't regret purchasing the Roland GR55. It's so much fun. I truly enjoy it. Thank you AMS. Be safe, everyone.
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As Sheldon would say: "BAZINGA!"
By: Mocha D
Submitted: 5/1/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I finally took the plunge and purchased a Roland GR55 Guitar Synthesizer with the pickup. I've owned other Roland products in the past, so I knew going in that this was going to be an interesting adventure. It arrived, as promised, I unboxed, checked the contents, familiarized myself with the installation instructions, and mounted the GR55 on my Schecter guitar. The installation was pretty straight forward. I didn't experience any issues. Set-up went well. I plugged it in and started going through the menu. The sounds are incredible and complex. I'm enjoying the learning experience, and know that I will have many great times using this in my rig. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Thanks, AMS and Roland. You guys rock!
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When you get use gr55 for the first time you need to not rush to play it set it up to spec
By: John I Jackson jr
Submitted: 4/11/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I love the sounds of gr 55 for me it took me 2 weeks to get use to ,But now I combine the best of both worlds on stage or when I'm at home.Believe me when I say this can open up your mind for arranging music in other words changing your thinking.Oh and did I mention the factory sounds sound convincing .And now with roland impulse responses it has skyrocketed this awesome gr55 to a new level everything sound even better than before .I recommend this to anyone that guitar player or bass player if you need to expand your mind or enhance your sound this is the way to do it you won't be sorry.
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VERY easy to see and use!!!
By: tonyparsley136@gmail.com
Submitted: 2/27/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I've been wanting one for year's and now I have the chance to get one thank's to AMS!!!THIS UNIT IS AMAZING!!!!I LOVE ROLAND AND BOSS PRODUCT'S!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Everything I thought it could be... and then some!
By: Matt Rogers
Submitted: 2/26/2020
Product Review
I owned a GR20 for years, and it served me well. But the GR55 is definitely a huge leap forward in the GR series. You are greeted with a big display when you power it on, as opposed to the alpha-numeric LED on the GR20. The preset list is mind numbing! The sounds are fantastic and the unit tracks very well. The build quality really stands out, as well. The metal chassis and expression pedal are welcome improvements over the plastic body of the GR20. I've only had the unit a couple of weeks, but long enough to know that it's exceeded all of my expectations.
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Great
By: Wilfredo Laureano
Submitted: 11/6/2019
8 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Wonderful! Very good for the price. You really need try this
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Amazing !!
By: OHMS
Submitted: 10/26/2019
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Perfect for any type of music. If you love searching for different sounds and chasing tones, this is one module to have. Aliens !!
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Pandora's Box of tones
By: Lazlar
Submitted: 10/6/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
This thing is amazing, the sounds you can get out of it are unreal. There's a bit of a learning curve but it's worth the time spent figuring it out.
Just get it!
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A Gamechanger for sure
By: CBond??
Submitted: 9/5/2019
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
The GR55 is an awesome machine. It's full of wonder and wow! The sounds are so realist! I love playing the organ sounds during our worship services. People turn their heads trying to find the organist. I literally love it! It's everything I expected and more! Here's the thing, it doesn't matter if you're playing a $200. The GR55 can make you feel as if you've got top of the line. It truly is a Wonder of Wows!
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Amazing product!!!!!
By: Absolutely recommend this product to anyone and everyone!!!!!
Submitted: 7/5/2019
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
My husband absolutely loves this product. He plays the bass and he is able to do so many things with his new work station.
review title:
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Really cool!
By: TjW
Submitted: 5/25/2019
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Product is great. No problems.
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Best sounds
By: Fabiano Rodes
Submitted: 5/25/2019
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
If you’re a player that needs versatility this is for you
review title:
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This thing is wonderfull! Incredible! You need buy one for sure
By: Willie Laureano
Submitted: 5/6/2019
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This thing is awesome! Incredible!!
review title:
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Really great sounds
By: Kc
Submitted: 4/30/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
1st you should have a computer to utilize the library, (downloading - saving swapping out patches). Overwhelming at 1st (you can play with the presets for months, Quality sounds throughout, the amount of cabinets-effects-sounds from flutes-sax-keyboards guitars etc. is amazing. By far the best out there.
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Freakishly Cool!
By: Michael L.
Submitted: 4/17/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I am not what you'd call a guitar purist. I've always embraced effects processors, but a guitar synth seemed to cross the line for me. I was about to buy a new synth keyboard to upgrade my studio when I found the GR55. I was blown away by how much better guitar synths have gotten over the years. The tracking is nearly flawless, and a huge improvement from a decade ago.The synth sounds are top notch. The guitar and amp modeling are way cool for a guy like me that only has a few axes and only one amp. Don't turn up your nose at the idea of a guitar synth, you will almost certainly regret it when cuttin' heads with someone who owns one. The GR55 demands the attention of any player.
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This thing is amazing
By: John Hadley
Submitted: 4/15/2019
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I've wanted one for a while. Finally did it. Makes country music easier I can do most of the instruments on my guitar. You don't need 3 extra people to play the parts.
review title:
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I love this thing..Could use a few small improvements
By: Christopher Beasley
Submitted: 4/5/2019
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I love it..It use direct outs
Better tracking..but I t's a
Main part of my setup
review title:
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"Even better than I had hoped for"
By: Peppy Daffron @ JHDaffron Guitars
Submitted: 3/25/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I bought this to replace an old GR-50 rack mount unit that I have used for years. I used it mostly for string pads and fills but it never was fast enough for any punchy horn lines or organ parts. Well that all changed when I received this unit. The tracking is Fast and Accurate. Hardly ever any glitches and the patches are greatly improved. Now I can double with the sax and keyboard players when working with the full band. When I'm doing singles or trio gigs I have my lush string pads to fill up the holes. The synth sounds are pushing me to branch out on my lead work but mainly I'm having fun! I recommend this Synth with full confidence!
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Love this thing
By: Paul B. Burress
Submitted: 3/25/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
makes the praise team at church sound great
review title:
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Great toy
By: Infinate_sorrow
Submitted: 1/5/2019
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Roland and boss are the only company that offers this level of sophistication in guitar synth so if you really want to explore using your guitar add a synth this is really the only way to go
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Wide variety of sounds.
By: Ronnie Eldridge
Submitted: 12/27/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Love it. I want to do some recording, and with the variety of voices available on the GR55, I can use my guitar to play keyboards, horns, strings, and other parts that aren't normally available to me, cuz of a shortage of musicians where I live.
review title:
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I love it
By: RR
Submitted: 11/29/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Amazing synth sounds. User friendly navigation
review title:
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Excellent Synth for My Godin Grand Concert SA
By: Victor
Submitted: 11/29/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I love the sounds and the ease of use of the GR 55 with my Godin Grand Concert SA. I primarily use the Saint Pats in love the rich stellar tones and the widespread when used in stereo I’ve had no issues with set up and thoroughly enjoyed using this . The service from American musical has been fantastic and I appreciate how they allow musicians to get the year they need to pay overtime thank you so very much .
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Best board since forever ,AMS is the greatest !
By: Russell Reinacher sr
Submitted: 11/7/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
It allows me to switch from lead to anything I want with ease.cant believe the options it has .
review title:
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This product exceeded my expectations!
By: Rudy Gaye
Submitted: 10/24/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Tracks great with my Godin MultiAc Nylon SA
review title:
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Amazing system
By: Tony
Submitted: 10/23/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I've always wanted a guitar synth since the 80's. I'm glad I waited, this is a great machine. I use it with a Godin guitar and it tracks great and sound wonderful.
review title:
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Love this item wish I had gotten it long ago.
By: Alton B.
Submitted: 10/7/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Very cool love all the features still learning all the ins and outs of unit wish I had more time to play around.
review title:
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I love this synthesizer
By: Jake
Submitted: 9/26/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
It is well made, easy to use and it has a huge bank of synthesizer sounds and effects
review title:
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I was a little disapointed
By: Mark L
Submitted: 9/7/2018
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Does not track as well as I thought it would.
review title:
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The Roland GR55 with the GK3 pickup is one of THE best investments I have ever made!!
By: Alongwayback
Submitted: 6/25/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I brought it simply as a way to enhance my palette of choices tone choices, I already own the HeadRush multi-FX pedal board, so I kinda' thought what more, then I got the Roland GR55 to add to an already outstanding tone arsenal and I nearly lost my mind with how freakin' well they work together, it's as if they were made with each other in mind. My GR55 alone was well worth the purchase and then some (That truly is an understatement trust this), after very little tinkering, it worked perfectly right out of the box, any specialized programming was simple, so I breezed through it with the manual guiding the way, very easy to follow and very straight forward, the GK3 pickup was a snap to install and tracks perfectly with hardly any adjustment necessary, about the only thing that I needed to do, was lower my bridge pickup ever so slightly and from there, I am a tone creation machine, the control unit for the pickup *(Guitar mounted), makes program navigation/selection super easy..:)
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most awesome studio tool!
By: PhantomMuchoKiller
Submitted: 2/23/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
the Wife got me this after hearing us alway asking if we knew someone who played piano or violin and othe horn instruments. Look no more, this does it all!
review title:
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I love this thing
By: Randy
Submitted: 1/29/2018
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This synth has opened up a whole new world of musical sound's and style's for guitar. It's easy enough to use straight out of the box, it does have a learning curve the deeper you get into it, but the pay off is worth it. you must adjust your playing style a little bit for some patches, but nothing totally drastic. I would suggest that if you do not have experience installing the GK3 pick up, or you don't have a guitar with a hex pick up already on it, then having a pro do it for you will save you some head pain. It must be adjusted correctly or you will experience ghost notes that you do not want. I had mine done at a local shop and they did the whole job including setting up the unit for under a hundred buck's including a guitar set up and new string's. you will love this thing.
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Very Classy
By: Karl
Submitted: 12/9/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The GR-55 comes loaded with awesome sounds right out of the box. Immediate inspiration for new song ideas and layering. The more I use it, the more impressed I am with it.
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Better than expected
By: The Butt Toucher
Submitted: 10/13/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The sound and perameter options are mind boggling! I didn't expect the tracking to be so fast either. The only drawbacks so far are patch change delays and almost no product support from Roland. There hasn't been a firmware update since 2014! However there is a very large online community at vguitarforums.com that is very helpful.
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Nice sounds from my Willis fretless and BTB 6-string bass
By: Les
Submitted: 3/5/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
A recent purchase so I've not had a lot of time to try out on my fretless and fretted basses, but so far it's been a great addition to my bass effects tool kit.
review title:
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"It Works Great"
By: Amaeze Amadi
Submitted: 1/9/2016
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I have a telecaster which I haven't waited the opportunity to give feedback for use w/Roland Gr-55. My input was very well accommodation immolate the real Stratocaster, from Jazzmaster Strat to yrs'82-'02 Strat. Or even maybe a Relic '62-'65 Jazzmaster Strat.::Rickenbacker, Gibson Less Plus or LP, H-H Strat Modified Tele w/ Distortion+ even.. any of the following guitars without immolated flaws. Perfect J20 Roland Amplifier preset: I recommend this use pedal strongly with a amplifier input over recording device. It works real well. For that kind of use.
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It lived up to all my expectations!
By: Rob A
Submitted: 12/7/2015
15 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Excellent device! I researched this for months before making my purchase. THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to understand is that it is NOT plug and play. You absolutely must set-up your instrument properly to work with the GR-55. I have a Godin LGXT and I simply watched 3 or 4 good vids on youtube on setting up my guitar. After that it worked perfectly. A couple OTHER IMPORTANT notes: 1) The pre-set patches are just ideas, a lot of them will not seem useable as they span over every genre. 2) You really need to get good at programming the patches for your music. Again there are many youtube vids to explain how. 3) Give youself a week or two to work with it before throwing it into production in a love performance. This thing is awesome but there is a learning curve. If you love endless creativity from your guitar - you want this!
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Amazing musical adventure!
By: Rick L.
Submitted: 11/20/2015
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Out of the box amazing. Installing the pickup was a breeze. It took me about an hour and then playing music.
review title:
Subject
just what i was looking for
By: jbbonner56
Submitted: 8/19/2015
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I read some of the reviews on this item before I purchased it. some people said it was difficult but it wasn't difficult at all. love the different sounds.
review title:
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Top of the Line~
By: JT
Submitted: 7/20/2015
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Excellent piece of equipment. Endless mixes for custom jammin........
review title:
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you can,t appreciate this synth until you try...it/ll be years b4 i understand
By: dennis donovan
Submitted: 7/2/2015
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
great..way over my head right now..try running both cords into a behringer , the 1/4" w/crybaby and the roland cord at the same time...
review title:
Subject
Nice sounds through your guitar
By: Pedro Torrez
Submitted: 1/21/2015
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The Roland takes some getting used to, but canbe beneficial and you can pull some great sounds out. I am still learning to edit the sounds and it can be complicated. You have to learn a new way to pick if you are used to using lots of slides and hammer-ons.
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tech support kool cant wait till i can afford one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By: Robert Lenig
Submitted: 1/21/2015
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
well you mentioned ghost notes, that was the old CSI clue, you need a noise gate, the higher the volume and greater gains requires noise gates, and add envelope filter as well or a type of noise gate setup as one, try it and you'll love this thing!
review title:
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Delivers about 1/3 of what you think.
By: Chris Pierce
Submitted: 11/30/2014
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Set up could be a lot easier, Apple should take this product line over.
I get a lot of ghost notes (notes that don't belong) from the Roland which is a issue with other players. 2/3 of the sounds are "weird" and about a 1/3rd of the sounds are something I like and could be used.
I bought a Godin LGX-SA guitar as I researched this unit for 9 months before playing it. The silver lining in the cloud (or case) is the Godin is a fantastic guitar. The only real Les Paul, and strat at the same time, I've owned. I wasn't expecting that. The acoustic tones are not the same as my Taylor, but very acceptable.
I may very well send the Roland GR-55 back. The Godin LGX-SA I'll keep.
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Not as great as I hoped
By: Joe
Submitted: 10/24/2014
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Too many odd combinations of sounds, not really usable as is. The GR33 had great patches that werent combined with other things. Im sure if I spend hours programing I can get what I want, however this thing is not usable right out of the box....Unless of course you are looking for an abundance of odd patch combos. I like the fact that you can setup patches for different tunings, more presets like this would have been a great feature out of the box,. The 2 or three I have found again combined with unusable synth patches. Really expected more professional patches from Roland.
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Looks nice however, I can't use since it didn't came with the 13 Pin cable
By: Benjamin Lopez Jr
Submitted: 10/8/2014
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Seem excellent, if I only had the 13 pin cable... How can?
review title:
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Pretty Cool Piece of Gear
By: Bryan Thompson
Submitted: 10/7/2014
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Product works as i expected, one note you need a full range system to make all the tones and patches sound good or at all. I normal guitar amp will not be adequate for this piece of gear.
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It's a pleasure to add this as part of my studio gear.
By: Pauly Bags
Submitted: 10/1/2014
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The samples are very accurate and the variety is endless. For a composer that plays guitar it's a professional tool to create and explore many options.
review title:
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AWESOME!!!
By: RODNEY ROANE from coos bay or.usa
Submitted: 6/27/2014
1 person found this review helpful.
review title:
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This unit is SICK!
By: Jason Reese from Chapel Hill, NC Orange
Submitted: 5/6/2014
2 people found this review helpful.
Your general opinion of this product.
With the touch of a button, a flick of the switch I'm instantly shredding on violin/piano/synth/brass etc.
Get the f*** out of here.
This thing is so stupid and amazing. I'm in love all over again.
Never had any problems with ANY of the dozens of Roland products I've bought.
review title:
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Fantastic
By: Gary
Submitted: 4/10/2014
2 people found this review helpful.
Your general opinion of this product.
Amazing sounds. I have had an embarrassing amount of guitars, amps, and effects over the years and none of them match the fun factor/inspiration of this thing!
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Endless Possibilities !!
By: Reuben Hill from San Leandro, CA,USA
Submitted: 4/2/2014
1 person found this review helpful.
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This Guitar synth is Amazing. It is so much more than I thought it would be.
By: Frank Sciara from Burnsville NC USA
Submitted: 12/19/2013
1 person found this review helpful.
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great product
By: Richard Tomak
Submitted: 8/18/2013
1 person found this review helpful.
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Great sounds if you are patient in learning the device.
By: wmh0901 from Jackson, TN USA
Submitted: 12/7/2012
2 people found this review helpful.
It is well made. Metal housing no loose pieces. It is a quality device.
I have only had it about a month. The first pickup was not working properly but AMS set out a replacement very quickly.
Your general opinion of this product.
Ok, there are some things I did not know when I purchased this. I wanted to sell my GT-10 when I bought this as I saw no need in both units. The problem with this one is that it has no other guitar in except for the GK3 pickup. I cannot simply plug my other guitar into this and use the tones. I has a guitar out but it only outputs the clean tone of whatever guitar model you choose. Now the cool part is that I can make my Les Paul sound like a classical guitar. I think this is where this unit shines is the guitar modeling. This is different than the regular synth tones as there are no tracking issues whatsoever. The nylon string guitar with a string overlay really sounds great. It even models bass guitars very well. Another issue that I have is that the Wah function is a modulation and falls under the other mod categories like Uni-Vibe, tremolo, etc. The problem is that you can truly only have one modulation at a time.
Take your time and set this thing up according to the instructions. I slapped the pickup on a Stratocaster with the the double sided tape and got ready to play. It sounded horrible. You need to get the distance correct from the strings to the pickup and you need to spend a lot of time with the setting to get it right. Once you do it will do some amazing things. You can run the USB into Logic or whatever computer program and see the notes you are playing in real time. It is not as good at translating the notes as the unit itself does but it is cool to play other instruments in Logic or Garageband.
Telecaster sound is great and a few of the acoustic guitars sound nice. It is a full blown synth so you need to study up on LFOs and TVAs and things like that and you can create some ridiculously cool sounds. Unlike other devices where you can get tired of the same sounds, I don't think that will be the case with this unit. My favorite tone is a jazz guitar, with a vibraphone and a little snare hit every time you play a note. Sounds like a three piece band. Alternate tunings on the fly are also awesome. I created a Kashmir tone and a classical guitar / cello tone tuned to an open G. Each patch can have a different tuning if you so wish. You will need to free user created floorboard editor as it makes getting around the device A LOT easier. Some tones sound like cheesy Casio sounds but that is always the case with multi-effect units. Some synth models don't cross over to guitar very well like the Harmonica. It sounds like crap. I do like the rotary organs with a crunch sound.
Great look and bright display. I got the black unit.
You need to take your time and install the pickup correctly or you may want to send it back like I first did. You will also need to adjust your playing style slightly. You can't just plug it in and expect to play a Grand Piano sound note for note without adjusting the pickup and possible playing your guitar a little differently.
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Absolutely "TOP SHELF"
By: Michael Rutherford from Culloden,WV USA
Submitted: 9/4/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
The Roland GR55 w/GK3 is the Absolute "Best" I've ever heard/seen/used/played, best guitar synth ever. It is extremely "Road Worthy", built like a tank, made for guitarists with a heavy foot(that's me). It does what I want it to do, when I want it to do it. I won't be wearing this thing out anytime soon, made for longevity and absolute dependability. Highly durable, down to the finish.
The switches and buttons on this unit are top notch, they won't wear out for quite some time, giving me a lot of years of the best synth sounds I've ever heard. I'll be workin' it hard as I play all the time and record on my off times. I love this thing, it is built right to last.
Your general opinion of this product.
This is what I've wanted for a long time(years) and could not afford, but it's perfect how it worked out, being a new product that has been recently updated, and the latest version so I don't have to throw and old one away(like would anyway-NOT)Price is good plus a $100.00 rebate-can't beat that. The sounds in this synthesizer are absolutely incredible. I am playing orchestration on my songs and it sounds just like cellos/violins/brass/ all of it. My original material is now sounding like I did it in a huge pro-studio. Beautiful stuff.
The tracking on it is "Great". I always wondered about that with the older versions. A friend told me the older ones did fairly well also, but this one is a WOW in my book. It follows me wherever I go, and as fast as I can get there,(and that is pretty darn quick)
There's a place in here that you can go into and change the tonal quality if it doesn't suit you, I did NOT have to do that at all. I use a real nice active PA cabinet(woofer & horn) and it's perfect all across the board, couldn't ask for more perfect tonal qualities. Sounds GREAT!
I got the black one, everything I have is black, so it matches all the things I have on stage, and just looks killer w/the big display that's easily seen. I don't have great eyesight, and I can see it just fine. Blue is nice but Black is beautiful on this Item. The finish will not be easy to hurt. It is a very nice looking piece of gear and it will look nice for a long time.
It tracks beautifully and goes where I go just as fast as I can get there. It does a GREAT job of following me. And I drive really fast. The action on the expression pedal is much better than I thought it would be, and an excellent wah-wah.
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Great opportunity for guitarists to expand their ideas
By: Mirvn
Submitted: 8/22/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
The product is made well.
Only had it a couple of weeks.
Your general opinion of this product.
I like the Product. Great sounds in it. I plan to spend a lot of time creating my own patches and altering some of the presets.
It plays well for the most part. I will have to continue playing with the sensitivity some patches don't respond well, particularly on fast passages.
Tone is nice for the most part There is not enough instruction on how to change patches and tone. I wish their was a better manual or a third party book on the subject. I have been relying on You
Tube videos and internet searches which are most helpful.
The blue finish is great!
Like I mentioned above the response of the pickup is not always what I would like it to be.
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Best effects ever!!
By: Dave from Akron, Ohio
Submitted: 8/22/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
Best ever!
This will last and last.
Your general opinion of this product.
Greatest ever!!
Feels great and easy playing!
Bright & snappy.
Great paint job.
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Roland does it again
By: AJ Nemasis from Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
Submitted: 7/12/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
The GR-55 is very well built. The only thing I would consider changing would be the 4 plastic selection foot switches to metal switches to match the rest of the units construction.
I've had the unit for about 1 month and I feel that it should last for a good many years.
Your general opinion of this product.
I really like the GR-55. The COSM system really allows you to create some sounds that you would need to purchase multiple guitars and amps. Also the ability to run 2 different synth systems allows for a huge amount of sound landscape to make your dream music come alive.
The 4 foot switches and 1 continuous controller make for the system easy to control and run while practicing or gigging.
The unit has a full range of tonal control.
The paint job is very clean.
The unit worked well right out of the box with my Godin XTSA Solid Body 3-Voice Electric Guitar (Dark Trans Red)and it also worked well with the GK3 pickup that I setup on my ESP UltraTone Guitar.
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Amazing Possibilities
By: Jack Servello from Shippensburg, PA, USA
Submitted: 6/5/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
Top notch Metal case and great interface with the computer
Haven't really had all that long but I think it will hold up under the strain!
Your general opinion of this product.
Finding new and different things everyday, I am loving it more and more!!
It plays just as fast as I try to play!
Great sounds all around!
Love anything in blue!
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Guitar Synth at its best
By: Darryl Cliett from Augusta, GA US
Submitted: 3/29/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
Solid steel construction is great.
Your general opinion of this product.
Got this unit as a birthday present. Definitely one of the best investments that could have been made.
Out of the box had some pretty good presets, just a little tweaking and they really jumped at you.
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Best Guitar Synth Ever
By: Jerome E. Mathews from Waukegan IL, USA
Submitted: 3/13/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
The build quality is "Tank Like" drop this on your toe it's off to the ER for sure. As I said before Roland makes some sturdy stuff.
Haven't had it but about three weeks. Haven't put it down much in that time either , so far so good.
Your general opinion of this product.
I'll start by saying I'm a big fan of Roland products, they are well made and can yield professional results once properly configured. The GR55 is a perfect example of that. I've owned the GR20 & GR33 and found them both to be very good synths. However with the GR55 there is no comparison. The tracking with the GR55 is incredible, I can practically "shred" on ANY patch with minimal to no droputs or errant ghost notes, and this is straight "Out the box" with minimal setup. I'm left handed using a Fender strat with the GK3 pickup. If you are left handed be SURE to install the pickup with the wire side under the low "E". This may seem like a no brainer but it's a lot easier installing it the other way because the cord is kind of short for us "Lefties". Once done however there are no problems with string senstivity setup , tuning , or tracking.
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A little bit over priced but worth it
By: jumborabbit from hurricane wv
Submitted: 2/23/2012
1 person found this review helpful.
the casing is pure metal the expression pedal is metal and the switches are very hard plastic..it is very heavy..its not gonna move around under your feet on stage ...very sturdy construction
dont know ..only had it a few days
Your general opinion of this product.
I think the sounds are amazing and the control over all the tonal aspects is great. I think it could be a little cheaper but I guess considering the great sound and control, if lowering the price at all would affect this then I would say its priced good.And I didnt even have to remove my strings to install the gk3 pickup..its fit was just right on my Ibanez RG series guitar and all I had to do was put the double sided tape on it and slide it under the strings and press and it was installed.
felt heavy
whatever you want you adjust it to your likes
I like the color..although Ive seen others that wouldnt agree...they want black or whatever..but this if for studio use only and I like it
had to set up the pickup and adjust things...took about two hours all together ..after that I was jamming and having fun
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Roland For The Win
By: from Oakland, CA
Submitted: 11/27/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
Yes, very well made. Seems quite sturdy so far.
Still pretty new to me
Your general opinion of this product.
I was so excited to get this item. It has completely changed the way I play and write music. I'm so excited to learn this piece in and out but so far it's been an absolute pleasure to play with. It is well made, had great sounds, and tons of possibilities and options. A+ Roland!
You can save your own modified sounds and with the GK3 pickup you can switch to the next sound without having to touch the synth.
Amazing tones!
Finish looks fantastic.
Easy to get started - simple after pickup installation.
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AMS Rocks
By: Gregerr
Submitted: 8/30/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
Roland gear is great made well for the road.
Your general opinion of this product.
Roland is one of the best the GR-55 rocks out of the box.
Out of the box it took 2-3 days adjusting it took it to the gig on day 5 left my old gear at home sounded great.
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Worth the wait.
By: cigarsnguitars from Lancaster, PA
Submitted: 5/26/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
Well made.
Have only had it a couple of weeks but seems to be well made.
Your general opinion of this product.
Great product. Realistic modelling for amps and guitars as well as excellent synth sounds.
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See above.
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Right out of the box I was able to use the product. I have since tweaked a number of the patches (mostly guitar modelling) to suit my personal taste.
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Noticeably better than any of the previous models
By: Drum major
Submitted: 5/25/2011
2 people found this review helpful.
Your general opinion of this product.
I've owned most of the past Roland guitar synths and this new version doesn't disappoint. More synth sounds that work better an inclusion of some of the guitar models and amps is a huge improvement.
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Wow. Finally Roland nailed it! The tracking is perfect...the sounds are phenomenal
By: Dr Steve Shredinski
Submitted: 5/11/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
Tank like construction
Your general opinion of this product.
Great job Roland.....I kept up with the Roland synth evolution. But it was never quite right....until now. The sounds are beautiful...the tracking is spot on, and the versatility
Of the gr-55 is much more than anything they've done in the past.
I finally can recommend this powerhouse to anyone looking to sound great live or in the studio
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I Love This Thing!!!!
By: Louis Schulte from Cincinnati Ohio
Submitted: 4/17/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
The very highest quality construction.
I just purchased mine from American Musical last week so it’s too new to judge, but every Roland Product I own (and I own quite a few) has held up well over the years.
Your general opinion of this product.
To truly appreciate the incredible power this device possesses you must invest your undivided attention to studying the manual and working with the editing parameters. And keep in mind... this is not a plug and play toy... It requires meticulous setup and calibration, but if you take the time to follow the instructions, the payoff is enormous .... The GR-55 is an extraordinary and sophisticated piece of equipment that is an instrument for creativity limited only by our individual imagination!
If you set up your Guitar and the unit as instructed you will love the way it plays and sounds.
Sounds Killer! Really wonderful...
This thing seems well designed and well constructed.
The GR-55 requires setup, but if you follow the manual to the letter you will appreciate what you learn and your experience with the unit will be much enhanced.
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Best GR yet
By: from
Submitted: 2/24/2011
1 person found this review helpful.
Nice sturdy metal road worthy box on a GR! FINALLY!
unknown. Roland usually makes good stuff though.
Your general opinion of this product.
The GR-55 has overcome triggering problem of previous GR synths and became a GR for the masses. It works well with normal guitar playing with less adjustments to playing style than ever before. Latency issues have been minimized on most all patches.
The GR is fast triggering and handles different picking styles well. I rarely finger pick so I don't have much comment there one way or another.
This is a swiss army knife of tones. If you don't like it, you didn't dig hard enough into the guts of it. I will say the ROland presets are interesting but only a few are keepers.
Not fond of blue on stage gear. Should be black or silver...maybe GT-6 gold. Sorry Roland stylists: the more you make stuff stick out on stage the less people like it.
I installed the GK3 on an Ibanez ART100 (bought at the same time from AMS) and it works fantastic...I used adhesive attachment too so the guitar is not altered perminantly