Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer 

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

The "cons" header would let me only type a few spaces. What I wanted to say is that the manual is not the easiest in explaining things, but then I'm not a programmer and I probably use only 1% of what it's capable of.
What I needed, and the effect gave me, was keyboards and wind instruments. Also some really nice modeling (awesome Marshall stack--through the P.A.). I don't know about the rest of the bands, but finding a keyboardist who isn't playing with a multitude of other bands and wants to stick around and practice is pretty hard, at least for our little band. This GR-55 eliminated all the drama that surrounds keyboardists coming and going. It's not perfect and doesn't sound exactly like a horn section or a Hammond B-3, but I'm not playing for musicians...I'm playing for people that want to dance and hear something similar to the record, and it gets synth, keys and horns good enough to get them to dance. Good enough for me.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

I play in a band where I'm required to play several instruments. This machine has simplified my life. I'm not much on instructions…I got this thing up and going in no time and figured out how to manipulate patches and create my own in no time. Now creating the patches is another story, that takes some time if you really try to dial in your sound. The piano and synth sounds are great. The guitar sounds are really good (nothing is as good as a tele and a dr z but we're talking about simplifying here) all of the weird sounds are…weird and have their place. My only gripe is the acoustic guitar sound is average at best. I wish I could just get a good dry acoustic guitar sound…it's not in there. I had to add some effects and light strings ect to find a sound that was good for acoustic songs. You can not play a "G run" and it sound like a d-28 so no faking bluegrass. I have started going direct instead of through my amp and that is much better. My amp was messing with the tone. The horn sounds are decent and believable enough. Long story short this is worth the money. It's not perfection in every aspect but it is very good and if you aren't a tube amp snob and you think ovations are in the same ballpark as old Martins or new Collins then you probably will have no idea why I didn't give it 5 stars instead of 4 and you'll love it.
Oh yeah, I did have to route my guitar out for the pickup to go under the strings of my tele w/out it touching and buzzing. Be ready to possibly do a little permanent work on your guitar if you don't own a roland ready one.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

Great customer service. This piece of equipment looked like it was new out of the box. Well packaged in original box with all manuals.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

Do not buy this if you are going to use it as your primary guitar tone.It is best used as an expansion of your soundscape.I currently bypass the guitar out and connect my guitar cable to a stereo processer into 2 amps for the regular guitar sound.I then connect the GK3 to the GR55 and use the L/R output of the GR55 into 2 other amps.You get the best of both units,no noise,and the ability to mix varying amounts of either rig depending on what the song/gig calls for.I'm quite pleased with the combinations this set-up is able to generate.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

If this is used. I couldn't tell the difference from a new one.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

This is my 3rd Roland guitar synth (after GR-20 and GR-33). This is by far the most versatile and should replace the other two in my solo gig. Yah, lots more room on the floor! I create string split patches with bass on the two low strings. The COSM modeled bass sounds track much better than the synth bass tone I'd been using with the GR-33 (I still use synth bass on some songs though). I'd say the tracking is similar to the other two Roland synths... maybe slightly better... it's really in how clean you play and how you set up the patches. I play almost entirely finger style picking and use a pick ocassionaly for solos.

The amount of flexiblity that you have with this device is great. I've been tweaking my patches for a few weeks, and so far I'm really happy. I use it with a Godin ACS Slim guitar. I can get good electric guitar sounds with the modeling, and OK acoustic guitar sounds... but typically just prefer the straight through sound of the Godin blended with a warm pad or electric piano (or both). Having 2 PCM tones, 1 COSM modeled tone, and the straight through guitar (to which effects can be added) is an incredible combo of possiblities. I don't use any of the factory supplied patches, but I'm not sure I'm the typical GR-55 user.

The only thing I wish was a little different is the way that all of the sounds of a patch are routed through the Chorus, Delay, Reverb, and EQ at the final stage. Obviously with my setup, I don't want Delay and Reverb on my bass sound, but might like it on my guitar and the piano. Fortunately there is also a Multi_effect and Mod Effect which each contain an assortment of chorus, reverbs and delays. These two can be mapped to independent sounds using the structure settings. Anyway, I doubt Roland imagined most people using the device like me... but it still has the flexibility to work for me.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

Rating the GR-55 at two stars (below average) hardly seems fair considering that there just isn't much out there for comparison, but this seems to be the very reason Roland dropped the ball in so many places - they can afford to because they don't have any competition. The reason I bought this was because I wanted a multi-effects unit with good amp modeling and I figured that, while I was at it, I should get the crazy midi-guitar-synth-monster. I wanted a one-unit solution for my guitar rig to run into FRFR speaker setups (and headphones) so that transitioning from playing live to practicing to recording would be filled with less tonal guesswork - don't get me wrong, the GR-55 can do this if you're willing to play by its rules.

It just isn't as flexible as I thought it would be, mainly due to the way Roland botched utilizing all the pedals - you can't assign the three left-most pedals to do anything - they just switch patches. This wouldn't actually be a problem if it weren't for the giant silent gaps that occur when changing patches (not just banks, patches). There are ways to get around this by working with the "assigns" that you do have, but they don't offer you a full-featured type of "manual-mode" or "stomp-mode" without buying an external controller - and what's more, you're still a bit too constrained by the signal flow options (there are essentially two). Another problem with switching patches is that your delay and reverb tails don't spill-over, they get cut-off (the same problem apparently exists on Boss's new GT-100).

The dual(ing?) synth engines have a million different keyboard tones that just aren't very good. I'm used to the keyboard tones that come with one of the Ableton Live Suites and Roland's just don't compare (which is really sad in my reckoning - doesn't Roland actually make keyboards!?!?!). You can trigger external midi stuff with your GR-55, but you can't use it as a sound module (but who would want to?). The responsiveness of the individual keyboard noises varies and you'll be wanting to tweak them on a per patch basis because the global settings that manage how the midi stuff works are not one-size-fits-all. I wouldn't rely on any of the keyboard noises that require a short attack (piano = no) in a live situation because bunk triggering does happen even if your have amazing technique and a great setup.

Speaking of a great setup - it can be a achieved without being a Roland certified synth-guitar luthier. The GK-3 pickup goes on easy when the instructions are followed and the process of getting it talking to the GR-55 is fairly simple - I think it took me about an hour and half after opening the box before I was playing. The problem is that you have just ruined any good looking guitar by allowing the Borg to assimilate it - that black hex-pickup is just plain ugly (especially when you run a patch cable from your regular guitar jack into it) and it adds weight that you will notice when playing with a strap.

But don't worry, you won't be using your strap much after buying the GR-55, because you'll be sitting down surrounded by a computer, the GR55 and a mess of wires (including that extra long 13-pin cable) so that you can tweak it with the software that a generous man named "gumtown" made - look up the GR-55 Floorbaord Editor, it's fantastic. But wait, didn't Roland make some software for it? Ya, but...well...it sucks - don't bother. Gumtown's software makes the unit much more usable in that it becomes very straight forward to change things and the GUI is arranged in a visually and functionally intuitive manner. There is nothing bad to say about Gumtown and his Floorboard editor - it's free and Boss-Roland should hire him for a number of reasons beyond his software abilities, but I digress. The real issue is that it is likely you'll spend more time tweaking than playing. I'm someone that likes tweaking, but I like playing more which is why after almost a year of dealing with my dysfunctional relationship with the GR-55 I am now selling it having already moved on to greener, simpler pastures.

...and that why you always leave a note.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

I have the GR-33 and now just got the GR-55 and love it so far. Like the new features and sound is great. Now useing the looper and USB feature to replace a couple of other boxes I had on stage. A lot to learn but worth it.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

I am very impressed with the GR-55. Tracking, effects, modeling are all outstanding. I've played the other Roland guitar synths before, for me the downfall was the lack of editing that could be done. With the GR-55, the possibilities are endless, which is what I really needed in a synth. One of the features that I use a lot is the acoustic guitar modeling, very organic sound and feel. I am primarly a worship leader, so this comes in very useful to add synth/wave type sounds that pop in and out, you can get great celtic type sounds- flutes, violin, accordian, etc., strings, pads, the works.

Keep in mind it will take some time to get the hang of, there's a lot of stuff packed into this unit. I use the Graph Tech Ghost system for my midi pickup, they work very well. The Roland GK-2 pickups work great too, especially if you don't want to modify your guitar, I just prefer having everything internal.

Highly recomended.

Comments about Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer:

Easy to edit, multi-variables, take the conventional key board work station to the lever guitar players can appreciate. With the visual tutorals on-line, makes a 50+years of playing guitar artist go where "no one has gone before" into the 21st century and beyound!!!