Roland VG-88 from zZounds.com!

Self-contained guitar processing/modeling system. GK-Ready 13-pin input plus 1/4 in. guitar input. Onboard expression pedal for realtime parameter control. (Does not include GK2AH.)

Roland VG88 V-Guitar System reviews

125 People rated this product : 8 out of 10

19 People wrote reviews

Read all Roland VG88 V-Guitar System reviews...

10 out of 10

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

"The best all in one box available"

Feature:
Better box than the VG-8 was, because you can use your magnetic pickups from a guitar without the special GK-2 pickup. 24 bit digital, better sounding amp and guitar models. Could use stereo effects loop, memory card, and detachable AC cord. Has a foot pedal for expression built right in.

Quality:
Solid as a rock; metal, not plastic. Gigged and recorded it a ton, no problems whatsoever. Good thing, because it's pretty expensive to keep a backup for. Worst oversight is the non-detachable power cord, what the heck were they thinking?

Value:
Replaces a lot of guitars and amps. More expensive than other amp modelers, but has the most features. Plus no other modelers allow individual processing of each string, which has all kinds of benefits including pitch shifting, harmonies, detuning, etc.

Desirability:
An easy way for anyone in a cover band to have an entire arsenal of guitars, amps, effects, and sounds at their disposal. Easy to carry compared to all the gear it replaces.

Sound:
The best of all guitar modeling devices available. Great for live or in the studio. Has settings to play through any sort of amp, headphones, or direct into a mixer / recorder. Emulates an infinite variety of guitars and many popular amplifiers. Pitch shifters can be used for alternate tunings, harmonies, or "capo" effect. A great sounding box.

Support:
Excellent support both by the manufacturer and third party user groups (www.vg-8.com). Free OS upgrades, though you have to send it back to Roland or risk trying it yourself and maybe frying your motherboard. I've not needed any service at all besides the upgrade.

Overall:
If stolen, I'd get another. I already have two. This is great for me until Roland releases something even better. What I like most about it is the ability to get great sounds at low volume levels, great for recording or playing in small clubs. What I like least about it is the price, I worry about it getting trashed or soaked sitting on the floor.

Style of Music: funk / rock and pop / rock

1 of 1 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

Thanks for your opinion!

8 out of 10

"Great product for the multi-guitared."

Feature:
Programmability is both terrific and aggravating. The sysex MIDI controls were poop last time I checked (maybe there are some new editors out there), and this does mean that you have to go through menu after menu to make your own programs. Not a deal-breaker, but certainly a pain in the tukas. The upside is that the programmability is mighty thorough. There are plenty of sounds you can make from straight out driving guitar to totally wacked noise stuff to realistic Moog synth basses to decent acoustic guitar sounds. Oh, and you can program a wild-sounding electric violin. Pretty slick.

Quality:
It's a Roland product, so the quality is the closest to perfect in the electronic instrument world. I use it nearly every day for hours, switching programs, using the pedals, etc., and not yet have I had a problem with it. It's been dropped, punted, and pulled around by the guitar cable. I'm tempted to go drive over it to see if it's as indestructible as a MemoryMoog....

Value:
Another Roland trademark: Great product for a reasonable price. They're like Toyota in many ways. Sometimes the stuff can be a bit bland, but they do everything you need.

Desirability:
It's totally cool.

Sound:
A terrific sounding guitar synth. Since the problems with it are most notable, I'll mention those, though. It's fairly difficult to tweak it to make a warm, natural guitar tone. The acoustic guitar sounds are great when mixed with other instruments, but on their own they sound a bit dull and lifeless. On the other hand, there is no way you can direct-in a guitar through effects and get as great a tone unless you shell out more cash for the VG-8. But the greatest asset is having a ton of tones in one box. It seems to excel most at bluesy, driving guitar sounds, crunchy sounds, and backup rhythm guitar. In general, this is the main stuff you need for rock, and being able to switch from convincing tone to tone without doing anything but tapping a pedal is excellent. Ironically, it does a completely unconvincing job of emulating a GR-300. Go figure.

Support:
I've not needed support for this unit, but I've had to deal with Roland many times in the past. They're just okay. The manuals, of course, stink. And they're not up online. And their website is a navigational nightmare. And getting warranty work can be a bit trying. But, in general, you usually don't need much of that stuff with a Roland. In other words, they don't have the personal service of a company like E-Mu, but they're also about a bajillion times larger.

Overall:
Yeah, there are some gripes. Sure. But here's the most important thing: I use the crap out of it. Recording, playing live, improvising, whatever. I haven't touched another one of my guitars in a long time because I can generally get a better tone out of this. In fact, I'm probably going to go out and get another Hex-converter to attach to my former main guitar so that I can finally retire my nearly 20-year old Roland GR. So, if you play guitar and are constantly switching guitars for the right tone for a song, or if you jam a lot and feel that sometimes you brought the wrong instrument, or whatever, the VG-88 is a great choice. Yeah, the VG-8 is better. But it's much more expensive.

Style of Music: Rock, Experimental

Did you find this review helpful?

Thanks for your opinion!

Read all Roland VG88 V-Guitar System reviews...

see full size image

Additional Images:

Main
Top
Rear

30-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Applies On This Item - Buy it, and if it isn't just right for you, return it!

About This Product!

Description

Docs, Multimedia

From Our Catalog

The Roland VG88 presents guitarists with the next generation of revolutionary V-Guitar technology. This futuristic guitar system uses advanced COSM technology to "model" the most popular guitars and amplifiers in history, as well as produce some very unique "guitar-meets-synth" sounds of its own. New sounds and features include more natural tube and overdriven amp sounds, new polyphonic and guitar-oriented effects, pickup and amplifier variations, new brass sounds, an onboard expression pedal, and a 1/4 in. direct guitar input.

Features
Self-contained guitar processing/modeling system which recreates a wide variety of guitar, pickup, amp, speaker cabinet, and microphone sounds using a standard electric guitar equipped with GK-2A or compatible pickup (sold separately).

GK-Ready 13-pin input plus 1/4 in. guitar input for direct access to amp/speaker modeling sections Hollow-body and acoustic guitar models including new nylon string guitar.

Extremely natural tube amp models and overdriven sounds. HRM (Harmonic Restructure Modeling) creates synth-type sounds - including new brass sounds - with natural playing nuances and without delay.

Combination guitar output/GK pickup output for completely new types of sounds.

Polyphonic Intelligent Pitch Shifter for instant open tunings, 12-string guitars, bass guitar, string-assignable octave, slow gear, and more.

Effects include reverb, chorus, hexa-pan, delay, flanger, and parametric EQ.

Extremely intuitive operation with helpful operational graphics and icons.

Onboard expression pedal for realtime parameter control.

Output Select switch for connection to conventional guitar amps or power amps.

Offers 200 Preset and 100 User Patches, including newly-developed factory Patches.

About Roland
Roland Corporation U.S. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion kits, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, and audio processing devices. With over 25 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standards in music technology for the world to follow. Check out your favorite musicians' gear - chances are they're using Roland.

Technical Info

Signal Processing:
AD Conversion: 24-bit AF Method (Normal Input), 20-bit (GK Input)
D/A Conversion: 20-bit 128x oversampling

Sampling Frequency: 44.1kHz

Patches: Total 260 (Preset: 160, User: 100)

Nominal Input Level: -10dBm

Input Impedance: 1M

Nominal Output Level:
OUTPUT: +4dBm
GUITAR OUTPUT: -10dBm

Output Impedance:
OUTPUT: 2 k
GUITAR OUTPUT: 2 k

Dynamic Range: 100dB or greater (IHF-A)

Display: 160 x 64 dots Backlit LCD, 8-segment 2-line LED

Connectors:
GK IN
GUITAR IN
GUITAR OUTPUT
OUTPUT (L, R)
PHONES
SUB EXP PEDAL/SUB CTL (1, 2)
MIDI (IN, OUT)

Power Supply: AC 117/230/240V

Dimensions (H x W x D): 101 x 504 x 303mm (4 x 19-7/8 x 11-15/16 in.)

Weight: 4.9 kg (10 lbs., 13 oz.)

Accessories: GK Connecting Cable C13-A (5m)

multimedia

Roland VG88 Interactive Demo

x close

Using guitar synth technology, the VG-88 models not only amps, but also guitars and pickups for a vast array of guitar/amp combinations. Requires GK or other 13-pin pickup.

what our customers say about zZounds

"Your suggestion was tops! Spring reverb was just what I needed, you guys know your stuff!" - customer on November 7, 2008

Roland VG88 V-Guitar System

Roland VG99 V-Guitar System