The late 70s were an era of progress, with a wonderful synergy between production of innovative gear and daring musicians using it resulting in expanded creative horizons. Guitarists were becoming increasingly comfortable with complex rack-based effects to bring the studio sound to the stage. Guitar-controlled synthesizers were the answer, showing that fun wasn’t just for keyboard players!
Roland, recognized this early and in 1977 launched the GR-500, pairing a full stand-mounted analogue synth with the GS-500 guitar controller, offering guitar players unprecedented sonic potential. This was a game-changer, placing Roland guitar synths in the hands of Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Andy Summers, Steve Hackett and more.
The GR-500 synth unit comprised five sections that could be blended, modulated and filtered to create a mix of electronic and guitar sounds. And with three synthesis modes, each had a three-stage envelope and VCF, so the possibilities were endless.
The GS-500 controller also had a lot to offer, including a standard magnetic humbucker and Roland’s divided pickup, sustainer section, six volume controls, a master tone knob, and eight switches to control most of the GR-500’s parameters remotely.
Debuting in 1977, Roland’s GR-500 synth and its accompanying GS-500 guitar controller opened the door to new sonic possibilities. Today, the bleeding edge of guitar-synth tech is embodied by the BOSS GM-800, and we’re excited for what the future holds for guitar synthesizers!
Fast forward to today, and Roland and BOSS have continued the development of their guitar synthesizers, arriving at the most recent: the BOSS GM-800. It’s a triumphant display of technological progression, packing a mesmerising array of classic and contemporary synth sounds into a compact floor-based unit. BOSS’s latest GK-5 divided pickup works in tandem with the GM-800 to deliver lightning-fast,