G1X Review

The G1x pedal provides a total of eight modules with 54 effect types ranging from standard to advanced. Emulations of the historic sounds of the MXR Dynacomp, Vox Wah, or Crybaby Wah.

Ease of Use:	8.3
Sound:	8.5
Reliability:	8.3
Impression:	8.6
Overall rating:	8.4
Users rating:	7.7
Comments:	37

overall: 8.5

Featured review by: untitled039, on january 04, 2007

Price paid: $ 79

Purchased from: Florida Music Company

Ease of Use: This is really easy to use multi-effects pedal and editing patches is so so simple. Since a few of my bandmates own Zoom products, I'm pretty familiar with using them so I didn't need to read the manual. The way it works may seem a bit complicated at first, but it's really easy to use once you get used to it. It also comes with a very useful patch list that tells you what the patch's main effect is, what the expression pedal will do if you use it and what artist uses it (if applicable). // 9

Sound: I am using this with an Encore Strat Copy and a Marshall MG15 CDR. There is next to no noise on this, as it has the ZNR (Zoom Noise Reducer) built in to it. The effects are always strong as you can adjust them to suit you. There is around 16 artist patches already on here and although it doesn't have any of my 'heroes' on it, it has some brilliant ones on there. My favourites are the Kurt Cobain Clean, Van Halen and Tom Morello settings. There is a huge variety of distortion types on there. My favourites are the Peavey 5150 and the Boss OD-1 distortions. It also has a brilliant acoustic simulator onboard. // 8

Reliability & Durability: It is very reliable, made out of super-strong plastic and rubber for the expression pedal surface. I would definitely use it Live without a backup, but I would always connect it up to the mains or put fresh batteries in it before a gig just to be safe. I've had it for 2 weeks now and the batteries have run out once, but that's probably because I used it for about 5 hours almost non-stop when I got it, an then almost an hour every day after that, so the battery life is pretty good. // 8

Impression: I play a variety of different rock music and it suits everything I play, and is great to use with my band. If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy another one, because of the value and the quality. My favourite feature is the expression pedal because it can control so many things and do it so well. It can control volume, wah, Drive, modulaton, delay and reverb. I was orignally going to buy the Zoom 505 II, but then I saw this for $20 and went for this instead. I wish that the expression pedal was a little less creaky, which can get annoying when I'm not playing that loud, but that's all. Overall a great pedal. // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: GuitarManNick, on august 09, 2007

Price paid: $ 88.2

Purchased from: Your Music

Ease of Use: The Zoom G1X is my first Zoom product, and I have to tell you, I am very impressed by the ease of use. Just one quick glance at he manual, and you will be able to make killer tones with this pedal. The manual is very clear and explains everything you need to know. Editing patches is very easy once you have a quick glance at the manual. // 10

Sound: Well, I use a Stratocaster 2 classic Fender pickups on the neck and middle position and 1 Squier pickup on the bridge position. I mostly use the neck and the middle pickup, very rarely the bridge pickup. I also have few other custom made guitars but 1 which I mainly use with this pedal, a custom made with EMG 60, 81 active humbuckers. The amp I use is a Fender Frontman 15R and I sometimes also hook up a subwoofer to my amp so that it gives me a more bassy sound. The sound I get from this pedal is really amazing. To be honest, I fell in love with the sound the 1st time when I tried it in the guitar shop. There is almost no noise at all. The effects are great, but on some specific distortion channels the Wah may be a little weak, but that's not a big deal for me as I don't reall use the Wah effect. The distortion channels are amazing and the acoustic simulator is really good too. The Zoom G1X has a whole set of editable patches dedicated to artists. Some of my favorites are, such as the Kirk Hamlett lead and the Kurt Cobain Clean, and Breathe (Pink Floyd). My fav band is Nirvana, and the fact that they dedicated a patch to Kurt made me really happy, and I have to admit, it is really good. Apart from the artist effects, there are other amazing effects, some of my favorites are the flanger, chorus, the DZ Drive, and the MS Drive. This pedal is really amazing and has a really good sound. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think this pedal is very dependable. I've never used any pedal without a backup in a gig, as I'm just paranoid something might happen. So, no, I don't think I'd use this without a backup. I've been told by a friend (Who uses a Zoom B2 pedal) that his pedal can go upto 2days continuous on batteries. So, yea, you could probably go without a backup, but I don't think I would ever do that. // 9

Impression: I mainly play all types of metal, Grunge and classic rock.. also a little bit of blues and jazz, but mainly metal/grunge/rock, and I think that this pedal is pretty good for those three genres. I've been playing for about 1 and a half years. I also own a DigiTech Grunge pedal, a Behringer UD100, UM100 and a Korg AX5G multi effects pedal (which I replaced by buying this). I decided to buy this pedal as I heard that Zoom products were very good, and that they're good for the type of music I play, and after trying it at the guitar shop, I had no doubts that this was the perfect pedal for me, and also because I was very unsatisfied with my Korg AX5G pedal. I really wish I had known about this pedal when I bought my first multi effects (about 2months ago). If this were ever stolen or lost or anything happened to it, I would definitely buy a new one, because this is an amazing pedal and it is very reasonably priced. I compared this to my Korg AX5G (my 1st multi effects pedal) and I think this is much better than the Korg pedal. I really wish it had a bigger expression pedal as I think the expression pedal on this is a bit too small for me, as I have a size 12 foot, but hey, not everyone wears a size 12, so I don't know about others, but I wish it had a bigger expression pedal. But overall, I am very satisfied with this product, and if other Zoom products are this good, then I am always going in for a Zoom product. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 10, 2007

Price paid: $ 80

Purchased from: online store

Ease of Use: First the Zoom G1X has no on and off button so, you have to either use the adapter, plug it in every time you want to play and unplug it every time you want to turn it off, or you can use batteries and have to take put them in and out every time you want to play. So, me being a lazy person I really do not want to do all that work. I just want to jam. Is it really so hard to put an on and off button on the thing. Also, editing the tempo of the drumachine to me just looked like a headache to me. I looked up how to do it in the manuel and to do it you have to and I qoute hit (bank up-tap) key once and then turn the (valve) know while the tempo value is being shown on the display. // 4

Sound: The sound is good but some effects sound the same. Pitch harmonizer is crappy but what do you expect when you pay $80 for a multi effects pedal and good pitch harmonizers cost $150 alone. I thought the delay was pretty good though. The distorions sound like Metalica or Rage Against the Machine but the sounds gets really fuzzy when you start to play chords (you can't hear the bottom strings at all) again what should I have expected for the money. // 5

Reliability & Durability: Hell no, it stopped working for me after a week but I'll just send it back and get another 1. But I really just want my money back. I would never use this Live in the first place considering you can shut it off easily, and considering my experience you better have a back up or your screwed. // 1

Impression: I play anything, other bands music (mostly rock and some metal), and I love to just play a note and go from there. If I could have done it all over I would have saved up for a DigiTech which I have used and can say first hand it's a Diamond compared to this pebble. // 3

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: White Roses, on august 20, 2008

Price paid: C$ 120

Purchased from: Parksville Keyboards

Ease of Use: This is a great, cheap multiple effects pedal for novice to intermediate players. It provides above average sound and is easy to use. It has a built-in expression pedal. The pedal has 80 patches. 40 of them are user patches (edit-able) and 40 of them are set. The editing is fairly simple, if you refer to the manual. Speaking of the manual. The manual for this pedal is very usefull. Which is good and bad. Sometimes the pedal is not exactly self-explanitory, but the manual has the answers. // 8

Sound: I don't have much gear so I'm running what I own; a Jackson dinky guitar and a Kustom Dart 10 watt amp. It has good sound good, though I haven't tried it with anything other than my friends Traynor tube amp and my amp. It has Zoom Noise Reduction (ZNR) so if you set that right, it's not noisy. The pedal also contains many artist settings and other stuff, like models of different amps and pedals. I was impressed with most of the artist settings, exept the Angus Young setting. I was very impressedwith the distortion settings on this pedal. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I would deffinetly say this pedal is dependable. It always produces good sound. I don't do many gigs but I would definetly trust it at all of my gigs. Although, if I had the option of a back up, I'd take it. But only if it was the same pedal or a Boss pedal. // 10

Impression: As a guitarist, I play all types of rock. This pedal contains many different distortion and Overdrive settings, so it's a perfect match. I would definetly replace this ifit wre stolen. It has great sound for its price. I like everthing about this pedal. I would recomend this pedal to anybody Who asks. // 9

overall: 7.3

Reviewed by: skatertrev, on august 09, 2008

Purchased from: American Music Supplies

Ease of Use: It is fairly easy to get a good sound out of this pedal, and editing patches is simple after reading the manual. There are websites online where people post patches some are quite good. The manual helped me out a lot because it is a little overwhelming at first but it is easy to catch onto. My unit hasn't been upgraded but I put on some of my own presets. You can put on quite a few of your own presets it is quite nice. // 8

Sound: Kay practice amp, Strat copy. It is noisy depending on what effects you have on or distortion modeling. The noise gate is nice but sometimes cuts out the notes unaturally. Some of the amp models are really nice, especailly if your amp's suck. The Whammy effect is kinda weak because the pedal doesn't track very fast but I still find myself using the effect all the time becuase it is so darn fun. The Trem and Flanger are great. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I would gig with it because it's all I can afford. But with fresh batteries and the power source in I would trust it. Sometimes the expression pedal squeeks and it gets really annoying if your playing at a low volume. A little grease would fix it I'm sure. One cool thing about this pedal is that you can fit the whole library of sound right in your guitar case. I can carry my amp, guitar, and effects all in one haul, no multiple trips to the car. // 7

Impression: You can harness a lot of different musical styles with this. There really is no limit because of all the different possibilities you can have. There is metal sounds to an acoustic modeler. If it were stolen I would be pissed because I can't just go out and buy another. I would probably stick some money into some nice Boss or DigiTech pedals instead. This is a great pedal for beginners because you get a taste of all kinds of effects and distortions to kinda figure out what you might buy in the future. Money well spent. Buy it used if possible though. // 7

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: toasted7887, on january 13, 2009

Purchased from: under trhe christmas tree

Ease of Use: I think it could be a lot easier to use but it could also be so much harder but... ! Do not buy one if your impatient! It took me about a week to get used to it and now it's like a sixth sense while playing guitar. It's easier to get a good sound out off than my amp and I quite like it. Yer, I said it takes a lot of getting used to but it probably wouldn't of taken so long if I'd used the manual straight away, it does help. // 6

Sound: it (surprisingly) doesnt't give any background noise or feedback..that said it hasn't been at full yet. When you choose an effect using the instructions it WILL be what you want and pretty much perfect. All the effects are good, reverb in perticular... the wah is slightly disapointing but you can definatly Live with it and I hear you always get a slightly naff wah with multi-effects. I currently use it with my westfeild E4000 LP copy, a Marshal Mg10k and a couple of leads and it's the only peice of equipment I'm not even slightly disapointed in. I can get the sound of any artist I want, not perfectly but I have been very impressed with the Van Halen setting and many more. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes. It's never broken down, I don't think it ever will, it has a tuner built in and everything so I don't need to keep unpluging it. I'm going to use it at gig's without a backup and I'm not scared of it falling apart (unless I chuck it at the drums). // 9

Impression: I play hard/ heavy, AC/DC, Van Halen style rock... it suits me perfectly (I recon even if I played classical I could sound ace with it). This is my first pedal in the 2 and a half years (about half a year VERY seriously) of playing. I don't have anything to regret, great pedal, awesome. If I lost it I'd probably buy another. I especialy love it. Unfortunatly I've got nothing to compare it too, but if I had I think it'd win. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 19, 2009

Purchased from: Ebay

Ease of Use: This pedal is so easy to operate, though at first it's a little confusing, the manual tells you everything you need to know. Within literally about 20 minutes of me buying this- 5 minutes of which were reading the manual, I completely understood everything there is to know about this pedal. Editing the patches is very simple but is a little annoying having to go through all the different effects as there are soo many. // 9

Sound: I use an Ibanez GRG270B which has pretty useless pickups, however no matter what type of guitar you use the quality of sound is perfect. Due to the built-in ZNR (Zoom Noise-Reducer), you can set if you want it to hum a little or not- have yet to figure out why you would want that. The only problem with this is the sustain on your guitar is slightly hindered, but it's a small price to pay for the quality of these effects. The built in effects especially for certain artists are amazing. I particulary prefer the "Kirk Lead", based on Kirk Hammett from Metallica, this effect is absolutely perfect for the solo in "one". Another of my other favourites is the "Rage Riff" patch, based on Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, I'm not sure what song the effect is based on, but if you set the Pitch bend to +2 octaves, you can play "Killing in the name" perfectly, and with the built-in expression pedal, the solo is soo easy to play. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing's built like a tank, if you ever break this thing. Your an idiot. The solid plastic body is extremely tough and would be really hard to bust, the expression pedal is bolted on tight so there's no chance of that ever screwing up. I would definately gig with this with no backup, you don't even need any other effect pedals, this thing does everything well. // 10

Impression: I play a massive variety of music; from Slipknot to Less Than Jake, this pedal has so many effects, if you can't find the effects you need, you're not looking hard enough. I've been playing for just over a year but I'm religiously obsessed with guitar-playing so I think I have a valid opinion. If this were stolen, I would hunt down whoever stole it, that's how amazing this pedal is... of course I'm quite a lazy person so I would just go buy another one. I love the built-in expression pedal as I am a fan of Zakk Wylde style solos with ridiculous wah-sounds and with the pedal I can perfect this style. My brother uses another Zoom multi-effects pedal, which honestly I didn't particluarly like, Which is why buying this one was a big gamble, needless to say, I don't regret my decision and I would strongly recommend this pedal. If you need an effects pedal. Buy This. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: shredder408, on july 09, 2009

Price paid: A$ 130

Purchased from: Musos corner, Newcastle

Ease of Use: This Pedal is a multi-effects unit with 40 preset patches and 40 user defined patches. It has 2 patch selector buttons (footswitch), 2 dials to dial in the sound and an expression pedal with a display screen in the middle. The manual wasn't great, but online there is a downloadable PDF that I found helped more. It also has a built in noise gate, and a inbuilt digital tuner which are handy. Editing patches is fairly simple: you use the left dial to select the effect/EQ/reverb etc and use the footswitch buttons to turn it on/off, and use the right dial to select the speed/depth of the effect. At first it seems complicated, but I picked it up within about an hour. My unti hasn't been upgraded at all. // 8

Sound: I use a B\.C\. Rich KK wartribe and an Ashton GA100FX with it, and it has a good sound. Because of the inbuilt noise gate, which is permernant, you can't switch it off, it has a volume increaser, so it is very loud. It seems to make ur amp 1 1/2 times as loud from esperience. The effects in general sound great, my only whinge is the distortion which on some patches sounds a bit too digital. I can easily get the sound of my favourite artist, Metallica, especialy since there is an inbuilt Metallica patch. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This this is built solid as they come. Althogh the top is plastic, I could never see it breaking unless you dropped it off a building, and even then might take it all lol. The left dial came off once, so i put a drop of super glue inside the dial cap and its never come off again, nor the other dial. I would well and truly use it at a gig without a backup. // 10

Impression: I play metal, and it suits it fairly well. I have been playing a few years, and own a Ashton GA100FX, B\.C\. Rich KK wartribe. This pedals effects smash that off the asthons inbuilt effects. If It we're stolen I would probably buy a higher model on this Zoom G line, but if I were strapped for cash I probably would. I love the reverb and delay, which are realy easy to use, but I dislike some of the distortion patches in this pedal. I did compare it to a cuple stopboxes, but I prefered the all in 1 effects unit. Overall quite impressed. // 8

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: ColossiRain, on february 11, 2009

Purchased from: Dawsons, Stockport, UK

Ease of Use: This is a very basic but effective pedal. You can take it out of the box, plug it in and get great effects and tone without editing or making your own patches. When you do decide to edit a patch, you wont have the foggiest idea of what to do unless you have had a similar pedal before, or read the instruction manual. When you do know what to do, it is easy and can be done in minutes. The Manual itself is very straightforward and easy to understand. It isn't a dictionary, and isn't a picture book. // 8

Sound: I currently have no job and therefore no money, so I use my Squier Stratocaster (been playing 2 and a bit years and it has done me well) along with my Line 6 Spider III 30 watt amp (bought together with pedal shortly after Christmas). The tone is great for the price, and there is little to no background noise. The only time I do get static is when I have the bridge pickup selected, Tone knob on 10 and the TV on with the pickups facing the screen.
The effects are fairly decent, they make playing even more enjoyable and the acoustic guitar simulator is great! The wide range of effects for the price is amazing, although some effects such as the pitch shifter can get a little out of hand compared to their expensive cousins on the market. One of my favourite patches is C6/26 - Kirk Hammett's patch. It sounds very good, and he is one of my favourite musicians, along with Eddie Van Halen, Hendrix, Angus Young, Satriani, Santana, Clapton etc. There are a few websites that host patches for you to impliment into your list to allow complete customisation of your tones! // 9

Reliability & Durability: I have had this pedal for little over a month, and nothing has gone wrong so far. The battery life is quite long, but I recommend plugging it in most of the time. There have been no crashes or bugs, and my patch list is still intact with no wipes. I use it regularly at my band practices with no problems. It survived a Marshall 15 Watt amp being dropped on it, with no scratches, and the expression pedal operates smoothly with no creaks or anything. I would use it Live at a gig without backup, as long as it is plugged in. It can be easy to unplug if you trip over the power lead, so be careful as when it turns on, it is set to default and will need re-setting up, which doesnt't't take long, but in the middle of a song is not a very good thing to happen! // 10

Impression: I play everything from Rock, to Metal, to Indie to blues, and this pedal ticks all the boxes. If it were to be stolen I would definitely buy another, however maybe of the G2.U instead as my good friend has that pedal and tells me it is better than his G1.
I love the look and feel of this pedal. It is modern and the tuner is extremely handy when Live or simply at home. There is only one thing that I dislike and that is the colour. Possibly variations would be good, IE blue, purple and green, or black but this suits the G1X as it is so I am happy with it. The only thing I wish it had is a bigger tap button so that I can use my foot instead of having to lean down to set the tempo, but I only do that for the drum Machine so it doesn't really bother me too much. Overall a great buy, and I totally recommend it! // 8

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: mack attack, on may 27, 2008

Price paid: $ 79

Purchased from: L and M

Ease of Use: This is an extremely easy pedal to use and getting the tones you want out of it is very simple. Editing patches is also very easy and user-friendly. I never bothered to read the manual for this effect as it seemed to be mostly common sense, however it did come with a patch list of all of the tones and the artists that use them which is very helpful. // 10

Sound: I either play my ESP LTD M-400FM (which I love btw) or my Epiphone Dot into this and from there into my Crate Flexwave Halfstack (which I also love) and I can usually get very good tones. It is also has very good versatility. I can get good Metal, Hard Rock, Modern Rock, Blues, Ska, Prog and probably country (though I've never tried)sounds out of this effect and they all sound pretty good, particularly metal. The wah on the Zoom G1X is, however, pretty bad sounding and I would recommend a Cry Baby or something seperate along those lines for heavy Wah usage. The Acoustic Simulator is also pretty weak and I would never use it in a performance. My favourite artist effects are: Tom Morello (w/ the octave up on the expression pedal), Angus Young (pretty good Hells Bells sound), and the Kurt Cobain effect. Although my favourite effects on the unit are deffently the Fuzz Face, the Peavy 5150, and the Boss OD-1. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Although I haven't because I have needed all of the effects it has, I would deffently depend on this because, like said in an earlier review it is cased in a very hard plastic that would be tough to break. I would use it on a gig without a backup but I would be a lot more comfortable with it if I had the AC Adaptor to make sure the batteries wouldn't die. // 9

Impression: I play anything from Metal to Blues and this suits all styles of music well. It has AMAZING value for only $100 CDN. If it were stolen I would probably save up for a different multi-effects pedal, probably something by Boss or Line 6 just becuase they have more tones. It's very compact and I would deffently recomend it to anyone Who is not an extremely serious player, as the tones are oviously not as good as those that you would get from a $800 multi effects pedal. // 9

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: HLrocker, on january 05, 2008

Purchased from: Musiciansfriend.com

Ease of Use: Once you've played around with the pedal for awhile, it's easy to use, you will need to read the manuel first though, it's not very long (27 pages). Editing patches are easy store, and it even comes with a patch list that shows you what effects to use to get specific sounds. Also, it comes with a display translation card, you don't want to lose it Until you get used to the pedal, the card is essentiel for navigating through all the effects. // 8

Sound: I use this pedal with my Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and my Line6 spider3. Even with my so-so set up, this pedal delivers amazing sound, it has several clean settings that are wonderful, and even an acoustic simulator, which sounds great, and with all the many distortions settings they have, it's easy to get a variety of sounds. One thing about the sound that's not so good I've found though, is on one of the distortion settings (PV Drive), it makes a quite roaring sound even when your not playing anything. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I've had it for about a month now, and it hasn't give me any trouble yet. It's a pretty durable pedal, the bottom of it is metal, and the top is a hard plastic. Not the most durable, but durable none the less. I haven't used it on batteries yet, I have a friend with the pedal, and according to him, batteries don't last very long, but with the AC power adapter, it hasn't failed me yet, so I'd have to say it's reliable. // 8

Impression: I've been playing guitar for a little over a year, and I play pretty much any type of hard rock. This pedal suites me perfectly, for the price, I don't thinks there's any pedal out t here to match this one, I'd definently buy another one if it was lost or stolen. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: realic, on june 05, 2007

Price paid: $ 70.31

Purchased from: Long and Mcqaude

Ease of Use: This is sooo easy to use, it has multiple present patches that sound pretty awesome. All the effects are very true to the tone of the guitar. It is truely easy to find that sound you are looking for. The manual explain everything but the device is almost self explainatory. // 10

Sound: I play a Les Paul Standard and Strat through this bad boy into a little Peavey tube amp. The noise reducer really does it's job, high gains are not muffled as when I play through just the amp. The effects are all pretty awesome, though sometimes the wah's are not as noticable when you have a strong Overdrive on (I am comparing it to my crybaby that I own though). The presets have some great artist sounds ~20 of them are deticated to artists. IMO all the effects sound as good (or close enough) as the single pedals. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It seems dependable, nothing has broke yet (knock on wood), but I think it is not tough enough to Gig with (again I am comparing it to my crybaby), it is extreamely light, a little cheapy, but what do you expect for the money, the price had to come from somewhere and they did not sacrafice sound. // 8

Impression: I play every style of music (except country) and I can get any sound I want from it, prolly even a little country if I wanted. If it was lost or stolen I would definately buy another one, with the price the purchase is a steal in itself. I love the sounds that it creats, but I don't like the size of the pedal (again the crybaby is much larger and accomodating in size). I only wish it was a little larger and maybe a little tougher. // 9

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: patmann3, on february 08, 2007

Purchased from: www.Wersound.com

Ease of Use: Overall it is a very easy to use pedal. However it may take a while for some people to work out how to use it. I found that the manual wasn't particularly helpful and can be uite confusing at times. But it is still very easy to get a great sound without having to know all the ins and outs of the pedal. // 9

Sound: I'm using it with a Yamaha Pacifica and a MG15CDR. It sounds really good and any rubish sounds I can blame on the guitar. It doesn't make any unwanted noise even on the highest distortian settings. The effects are very good and sound amazing. Certain overdrive settings sound a bit strange and the Vox wah can sound a bit weak when used with some of the overdrive. However the flanger and phasers are both really good and so are a lot of other of the effects. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Well, when I first got this my strap broke and my guitar landed on it. I'm not a short person so it was a long way down for the guitar. The guitar came out worse off, with a lot of dents and the G1X only had a scratch on the screen but, hey, wot can you expect from a pedal with a plastic screen. I would probably use this in a gig without a backup but you never can be too careful. // 10

Impression: I play any music that takes my fancy but mainly blues and rock. It's great for both and a lot of other different generes including heavy metal all the way to imitating an acoustic guitar. If it were ever stolen then I would probably buy something a bit better but it is still very good. I wouldn't use this pedal at a professional level but I would recomend it to beginers because it is relatively easy to use and offers a wide range of effects. The only thing I don't like about this fx pedal is its drum machine. It has a very limited selection and it would probably be better to get a younger brother or sister to bash a load of pots and pans. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 02, 2007

Price paid: $ 79

Purchased from: eBay

Ease of Use: This is a very easy unit, you just can unpack it and get some great sounds out of it, and if you are/were a Zoom 505 II user, this will not represent any problem when using it and editing the sounds. The editing of patches is even simpler than with the 505ii due to the spinning knob instead of buttons, even when you have now more parameters to deal with, but this ensures you can get very acurate sounds. The manual is quite complete, obviously it covers all the functions of the unit, in the way Zoom got us used to, though for some effects and it's parameters I find the explanation was a little better in the 505ii manual. Good thing is that this time you got a complete list of al the factory patches with their descriptions and what makes them sound like that. // 9

Sound: I use a Stratocaster guitar with single coil pickups, and some low power home made amps; I haven't take this unit out yet to try it with other guitars and "real" amps, and I must say that the G1X makes them sound great, it has a powerful noise gate (you got to be careful when using it or your sound will be chopped). Electrical noise passes sometimes but that's due to my single coils, compared to the 505 II, the G1X is too much quite until you hit the strings and then, it releases it's big sound. The G1X is a great improvement to the way the 505 II sounded, if you liked that, this will blow your ears and brain with quality simulations and effects. I'm mostly in the heavy metal side of rock, following the path led by Iron Maiden, Saxon, Black Sabbath and those, and let me tell you that sounding just like them it's not hard with this, even if you use small practice amps, it will take just a little editing on the patches and that's it (obviously it is helpful if you know what are like the guitar rigs of your favorite artists). Now distortions are better than before, also modulation effects, having in mind the control the expression pedal gives over them. Time effects have now more options. The EQ section is more friendly than the 505 II, now you can control lows, mids, and highs separately, with a wide range of action. Noise gate as I told is strong. At last but not least, the rythm patterns are quite suitable for an ample variety of music styles, and they just sound good. Even if you use it with headphones it sounds great, and my recommendation is to use it always with a stereo amp or two amps to get everything of its sound. The new harmonics technology Zoom says it is included here really makes it sound just fine, the first time I play with it, using the presets it sounded so fine to me that certainly it became my new take-it-where-ever-you-want standard. // 9

Reliability & Durability: If the G1X is constructed (and it seems) like the 505 II was, I'm pretty sure it will last for many years, even if it receive some hits. Obviously I won't let my 1.8 meters tall, 240 pounds mate to jump on it, but I think it will last if you treat it well. Just remember it is still plastic, so don't pretent to stop bullets with it. // 8

Impression: Having in mind my musical tastes, it is a match, you can even use it to process voice if you sing. I'd been playing for the last 15 years, and I have tried many different systems, all sound good, RP21D, Marshall effects, Boss, the 05, 505 II, and now this. Let me tell you that if you're looking for a great sound and ease of use, this is your choice at a low cost. I haven't tried yet the G2 series, but beside the facts of the metal case and the USB recording capabilities of that, the G1X looked better to me when I read the specifications. So for now, if something happens to my G1X I will get another one. The G1X has this modern look that I like, even when I have to confess that the appearance of the 505ii is the best, I'm starting to love G1X's. What I less like about it are the foot switches, big ones like those of the 505 II would be better to use features like the tunner and the by-pass mode that are activated stepping on both at the same time (would Zoom be the first company to offer switchable covers of different styles for their low cost units to improve their appearance just like cell phone manufac tures do). I don't hate it but have you think how wonderful would be the G1X if it also had features like a phrase sampler and an aux-line input, just like the Zoom 707? // 9

overall: 5

Reviewed by: sword shredder, on august 18, 2007

Price paid: $ 109.8

Purchased from: Morlings House Of Music

Ease of Use: Since this is a multi-effects pedal with only two foot-switches, it's going to be hard to program it so you can have any effect whenever you want. The actual sound can be quite good, but you'll need to do a lot of tinkering. Editing patches is easy if you know how, but if you don't know how, prepare to be very confused (e.g. amp modelling and noise gate use the same setting). The footswitch seems very stiff and sqeaky for me; too noisy for low volume use. There is a manual, and it goes through everything you need to know. // 5

Sound: I'm using it with a Jackson DK2M Dinky into a Randall RG50TC. I don't use the pedal very much with the Randall, but I did when I had my Marshall AVT. Some of the effects are pretty useless, but there are some nice ones in there. The Whammy effect sounds extremely fake, and the Noise-Gate effect completely kills your sustain. The phaser is after distortion, not before, which makes it useless for Van Halen type things. The wah is fine, but I've never used a 'real' wah before. // 6

Reliability & Durability: This is made of plastic. The batteries refuse to stay in (have to use an adaptor), one of the knobs came off, the left selector broke and moves through all settings way too fast. It's never just 'Stopped Working', so it's not completely unreliable. Would I use this at a gig? Hell no. But since I don't have anything else for it, I have to. // 3

Impression: I play all sorts of stuff, and this pedal handles it fine. I've been playing for 3 years, and I had a Zoom GFX-1 before this, and I have a Behringer DD100 and MXR Phase-90. If it was stolen/lost, I'd just buy some single effects, because I don't really use this anymore, apart from wah, chorus, a boost, and octave down, and maybe flanger. Nothing in particular that I really like about this. It would be much easier if this had a few more buttons, like a modulation and boost button, but that's why Zoom has higher end products. // 6

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: rocker dude 736, on march 31, 2008

Price paid: $ 89.67

Purchased from: GAK

Ease of Use: I liked this pedal from the start because it was easy to use before I even read the manual, you can just plug it in and play with the effects, but if you want to edit patches you're going to have to read the manual because other wise you'll get confused. Once you've read the manual though it's a simple process to edit patches. The sound is also a good quality for the pittance I paid for it. It is extremely good value. // 9

Sound: I am currently using an Epiphone standard les paul and a Kustom amp (I'm not sure about the model) but I used to use a stratocaster copy either way it sounds great. Unfortunately it can be noisy on low volume(especially on distortion patches)and there can be a lot of fiddling around with amp settings to keep it quite. Though most effects have a volume control so it can be done without messing up amp settings. I haven't experienced any problems with sound in the pedal and most of them sound very good. Another good point for this pedal is that it has some signature effects of some of my fave artists (Nirvana, Van Halen etc.) and I have used these efffects possibly more than the rest. Effects such as wah and Whammy are pretty cool and distortion wins it for me too. I'm not so impressed with some of the reverb but other than that it is an amazing piece of equipment. My favourite effect is a Zoom creation 'ExtremeDS' which is a metal effect. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It is a pretty durable piece of kit to have. I have dropped it 6 times and it hasn't broken, except for the covering to the patch display which fell out. It is also sooo relable. I have used it already in front of an audience of about 200 with my band without a backup. One problem I experienced was changing effects quickly, but I don't mind, I only use about 1/2 of the effects anyway. // 10

Impression: I play a lot of rock music and this pedal and my music is a match made in heaven. It has most of the distortion and overdrive I need and it has Whammy and wah. I have been playing about two 1/2 years and have used a DigiTech Death Metal and a noise suppressor pedals, out of them I would choose the Zoom G1X it is much easier to use, you can edit patches easily and it is good for a wide range of guitar players. I would definitely buy another if it got lost or stolen it is so cheap it is worth it. I love the expression pedal it is one of my favourite features but I don't like the size of the pedal I think it is too small, and my feet are only size 9! I wish it had an easier way to change patches but even so I would recommend it to anyone wishing to buy their first effects pedal. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: udaz, on november 12, 2007

Purchased from: Green Brothers

Ease of Use: This pedal is not the type you can just look at and use, read the manual! Editing patches is a breeze once you've read it. The manual is excellent, and the expression pedal, I suggest should be oiled a little then you can get the easiest movements out of it. Even crappy batteries last for a while (5 hours) with the Zoom. // 9

Sound: I'm using either my 'crap' Ashton Strat, or my Squier Tele, thru this and my crap Ashton GA10, and Marshall MG30DFX. If you have a decent guitar like a Squier or Epiphone, and decent amp (Marshall)all the effects will sound good. The Zoom has 54 effects and the wah, and pitch hamonizing is pretty good. The distortion settings can get fuzzy and noisy, but you have to be sure what noise gate you're using. I would have to say the distortions, Overdrive, clean/compression, and chorus setting are my favourite, you can get a Nirvana distortion, Slash chorus, Lynyrd Skynyrd compression, Kirk Hammett Wah, and even a John Frusciante phaser. John Frusciante solos sound very good with the Overdrive and chorus. The single effect always will sound crap but you should add amp, reverb, and the equalization settings. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I've had this for about 8 months not a hassle, it's not like I'm using it as armour, it's made out of plastic but survives the fall down the stairs. At a gig I would use it without a backup, it's very stable and I'm not gona use it as a rug. The batteries also run for a long time, but it also depends on what batteries your using. // 10

Impression: I play any rock/blues/and funk which I like, a multi effects pedal such as the Zoom G1X is good for me because I have such a diverse taste of music, although I would not suggest this to a mate Who liked a single genre such as metal, then I would advise them to buy a Boss Metal Zone or something more towards and useful to them. I've been play for about 2 years, I used to own a Crossfire Distortion which was very crappy. I own a Squier Tele, and Strat, and my amps A Marshall MG30DFX, and Ashton GA10 I bought this for my diverse taste of music and the price tag. I would buy this again because of its price and sound, but if I had a bit more cash I would be lke any one else and get something a bit more high end. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 06, 2008

Purchased from: eBay

Ease of Use: This is a very intuitive piece of equipment. It took about 20 minutes to get a hang of the multi-function knobs. Thereafter, it took little thought to choose specific effects. When a good sound is achieved, saving it as a patch is incredibly easy and quick. The manual is easy to understand with plenty of diagrams showing the front of the processor with relevant labels. The only thing missing was a patch list showing the 40 preset patches. // 10

Sound: I'm using a Cort Zenox Z-44 with double-humbuckers and a Crate GT212 amp. I'm yet to use my Washburn acoustic with it. I haven't noticed the slightest unwanted noise. It's as quiet as a mouse. Effects are quite controlable and impressive. Every effect can be weakened or strengthened by means of one or two parameters. I can't isolate any particular effect which is better than the rest though I have noted one or two patches with enormous distortion. The acoustic simulator is quite nice. And the variety of wah's gives you some options in that area. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I've only just bought it, but it's clearly well made. I would trust it based upon my own brief experience and the great number of fantastic user reviews - both on this site and others. I've only read one negative review among them all - and that by a person Who appears to be a whinger and rough on his equipment (just my impression). I would happily use it on a gig without a backup. // 10

Impression: I play ballads and blues and this processor fits the bill perfectly. I love good, clean, sounds - sometimes with a bit of punch - and occasionally some mild distortion. In small quantities, I also like to have some vibration or echo. There are plenty of these options here. I've messed around with guitars for over 20 years but only started getting serious (serious amateur) in the last three years. Other gear I own include a selection of blues harps, a custom-built two-octave panflute made of blue gum and polished aluminium, and a ukulele. Is there something I wish I'd asked before buying this? Most definitely! "Why didn't I buy it earlier?" If it was lost/stolen, I'd buy it again. I love it's sturdy construction, easy of use, and quality/variety of sound. I bought a secondhand Korg Toneworks. While it was faulty, I found it noisy and totally unpleasant to use. This is a dream in comparison. // 10

Comments

[ericgentz]

I tried my friends, its pretty good. Thinking about getting one.

[CustomCustom]

Id get the G2.1u since it can record direct to your pc via usb and comes with Cubase LE

[delizio37]

ya i got the G2 ... its niiice

[vanhapelto]

got this for christmas.awesome pedal

[maximoose666]

Good for praticing at home particularly if you are a beginner/improver like me.

[realic]

Bought it. love it.

[mack attack]

I have one and it's amazing for its price and its effects are great, my favourite is the Tom Morello effect with the wah
only downfall is no off button

[udaz]

its good if you hav aa little crap 10w like me it really makes a difference

[the_triangle]

read the manual if your using batteries you little homo it tells you there

[GuitarManNick]

on off button ???? no pedal has an on off button, atleast no pedal that i know of has 1. you have to take out the jack from the INPUT port, thats how you switch a pedal off.

[soupdragon]

awesome pedal, this.

[soupdragon]

awesome pedal, this. got one myself, really cool

[soupdragon]

soz about the double post

[GuitarManNick]

oh yeah, i need to add something ...
now i got the Jackson Kelly JS30KE w/stock pu's ... and it sounds even better!! =D

[udaz]

wtf are u that lazy that u can't take the lead out of the port, this pedia is awesum, u need to the change the noise gate and znrs if u wana get that fuzzy noise out, the drum machines alrite needs more beats and the tempo is pretty easy to change

READ THE MANUAL

[udaz]

You can't reli trust that goddamn online music store

[Jonny Danger]

Noob here, just curious what settings to set on the G1X to get a "white stripes" sound. Songs like: slicker drips, astro, and canon. Any input is appreciated.
Thanks!

[crazyjewshie]

A tad bit complicated but you get used to it. I found it to be a very good product. Now if only they had a System of a Down patch...

[AndrogynousMind]

i got this pedal cause i needed some effects other than distortion cause i already have that.I gave it back the next day because the only good thing was distortion.The acoustic was weak and the flanger,tremolo and phaser all sounded tacky and overdone.

[plits]

I think that this pedal is sooooo goooood for its price. It's sound is very good. I tried to make some u2 sounds with delay and it was pretty good!!

[Destamoon]

just got this, hopefully its not a cheap piece of crap :S

[jesus the strat]

Got it for christmas and i love it!! My first mass effects pedal and its pretty good for about £30 i think it was :P

[ThrashMetal19]

I got one of these. for metallica and ozzy songs i use vox wah and extreme distortion its awesome as

[Chris253]

i have got one of these and i would definately recommend it. it is very good especially for its price.

[MmmmPistachios]

I just bought one of these. It's an alrite little pedal in my opinion. My only major dislike is the fact the mute function will briefly switch to the next patch for a split second. Making stop start passages quite difficult. also an option to change the range of the pedal for each patch would have been nice (other than having to mess with the range in general.

[squierstratdave]

i just got this pedal, i have to plug it into a bass amp and it sort of changes the sound into a normal guitar amp now, i cannot fault it apart from the expression pedal, in my opinion i would reccomend just getting the G1 if you were thinking going to buy this

[jagsfan08]

freeekin sweet yo

[Sudaka]

got this one... it is the best for its price.

but i'd like to know if there is any way for us users of this device to share teh patches we make...

I mean, i'd like to share the angus real patch i made, and would like to ask nice patches people made, particulary teh ones similar to teh different artists.

what about making a thread about this, huh?

[KILL EM ALLx666]

i own this thing and ITS A BEAST!

[kinslayerSOA]

its an awessooomee pedal

jeez that unregistered review - it must be such a strain to plug a pedal in ¬_¬

[_mcbrennan_]

Sudaka wrote:

got this one... it is the best for its price.

but i'd like to know if there is any way for us users of this device to share teh patches we make...

I mean, i'd like to share the angus real patch i made, and would like to ask nice patches people made, particulary teh ones similar to teh different artists.

what about making a thread about this, huh?

http://www.haax.se/manualsite/index.php?unit =G1

[ShreddimusPrime]

just tried it and loved it. much better metal tones than my boss me-20, and for nearly half the price.

[[R]ocker.4.life]

you can bypass it

mack attack wrote:

I have one and it's amazing for its price and its effects are great, my favourite is the Tom Morello effect with the wah
only downfall is no off button

[[R]ocker.4.life]

The expression pedal is pointless your better off buying the G1

[snell]

Ive just bought this today and its awesome, only problem is my guitar losing alot of its sustain and notes get cut short, does anyone have any ideas?

[calger14]

its my first effects pedal.
could someone tell me some good setting for playing metallica and iron maiden please. please send me message if u do. Thanks

[Bryce98]

This piece of equipment is everything I wanted. The wah-wah is very good, but the harmoniser isn't great, although I overlook the harmoniser because I never use it. The built-in tuner is fantastic and easy to use.