Boss ME-70 Review

Product Review from George's Music:

BOSS ME-70

Limitless options!

For years, guitarists have been using BOSS effect pedals as a staple to their rig. Whether it be individual pedal effects, or multi-effect boards, BOSS has been a prominent name in the effect game since the early 1970's. One of the reasons BOSS pedals have been so popular, is because of their rugged design. They are definitely built tough to withstand everything from kids jumping and stomping on them, to the true rigors of the road. 

One of the coolest new products from BOSS, is the ME-70 Multi-Effect Processor. Incorporating many different pedals from BOSS, this processor has it ALL! It's a very portable pedal that could not be more user friendly. Nothing gives you more control over each individual setting! Let's check out some of the features.

Pre-Amp Selection
One of the newest upgrades to the ME-70, the pre-amp selector allows you to pick an amp setting from crisp "Fender-Style" cleans, to a screaming rectifier. Other settings include; Combo, Tweed, Stack, and Lead Stack. Easy Control knobs allow you to tweak your tone just as you would on your amp. For those guitarists that already have their "dream amp", simply bypass this setting.

Compression/FX
Another new feature to the ME-70 is a more controllable compression section. Choose to set this as a compressor, a touch wah (in the up position), a touch wah (in the down position), slow gear (for volume swells), or a defretter. You can also set this section to make your single coil guitar sound like smooth humbuckers, or your humbucking guitar sound like crisp single coils. Last, but not least, there is a SOLO setting that will give you that extra "boost" when shredding the leads.

Overdrive/Distortion
This section is where you're going to get your "grit". Choose anything from an over saturated tube amp sound (like the Kinks, and the Rolling Stones) to a hard-hitting distorted frenzy (made popular by bands like Metallica and Slipknot). Also gives you the ability to control each separate distortion mode with three individual control knobs.

Modulation
Now we're getting into the fun stuff! Ever wonder how some guitarists can make their guitars sound like an airplane, spaceship, chainsaw, or any other weird object? Well, it's all in the modulation! Choose settings of ; Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Rotary, Uni-Vibe, Tremolo, Vibrato, Harmonist, Octave, and Delay. My favorites being the Rotary (think organ sound, much like the sound heard on "House of the Rising Sun"), and Harmonist (beef up your solos by adding more guitars to them, like the killer solos of Iron Maiden).

Delay
Now it's time to add some delay to your sound - something Pink Floyd's guitarist David Gilmour is famous for. Adjust delay times from quick and punchy to slow and repetitive. Choose different time delay settings, as well as; Analog, Modulate, Reverse, Chorus+Delay, Momentary, and TAP. There is also a Phrase Looper where you can play your favorite chord progression, record it, and loop it over and over. This will allow you to practice all your scales, and leads without the hassles of getting a band together!

Pedal FX
Make your guitar talk with the durable foot pedal attached at the end of the board! Use settings such as Wah ( Jimi Hendrix), Voice (Peter Frampton), +1 Octave Whammy (Tom Morello), -1 Octave (Divebombs), Modulation Rate, and Delay Level. When not being used to create these crazy sounds, the pedal works as a simple volume pedal to make quick adjustments either on stage, or in the bedroom.

Conclusion
Aside from combining all of these individual effects into one, compact unit, the Boss ME-70 also has 36 preset banks to choose from , and 36 user banks to modify. It will run off of 6 AA batteries, or check out the BOSS PSA-120 adapter to save some bucks in the long run. Bundled together with Boss' 5-year warranty, you can't go wrong! Whether you're a new player just starting out, and would like to get their feet wet in the world of effects, or you're a long-time player looking to condense your rig for easy set-up and tear-down, the BOSS ME-70 has something for everybody! Stop by your local George's Music to try one of these killer pedals out!

Keep on Rockin'!

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