Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer
By: Brady Lavin
There have been many attempts over the years to make a guitar able to play any sound, like modern synthesizers and keyboards, which can usually play anything from a string section to a harpsichord to percussion patches. Technology has been advancing, and the attempts have been getting better, but it hasn’t been until now, with Roland’s GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer, that it has really been done right.
Roland has gotten rid of all of the problems with the note attack, poor patches and practicality that have plagued previous attempts, crafting a product that delivers exactly what is advertised: an effects pedal that effectively turns any guitar into a synthesizer.
It comes loaded with a huge bank of sounds that range from the expected, like a solid piano sound and a variety of horns, to some out-of-this-world effects. They are completely responsive to any bends, hammer-ons or pull-offs and actually sound like the patches in high-end synths.
Also built in to the unit is an 80 second looper, allowing players to layer different patches to create soundscapes or entire band sounds from just one guitar. The guy who demoed the GR-55 at Roland’s NAMM booth (an amazing guitarist, by the way) was able to make this huge-sounding track to improvise over with over ten different sounds in about a minute. I never would have been able to tell it wasn’t a well-produced recording if I hadn’t seen him build the loop.
The GR-55 comes with a little unit that mounts on the guitar itself that can also be used to switch between effects, and it is connected to a special pickup that nestles in right by the bridge. This pickup is what allows it to be so responsive to your every move, as it is specifically designed for the GR-55, unlike normal guitar pickups.
Gibson is trying to do a similar thing with their new Firebird X, but their execution isn’t as stellar as Roland’s. Instead of a floor unit with an AC adapter like the GR-55, the Firebird X has all the sounds loaded in the guitar itself, which goes through a battery in only two hours. No one wants to have their guitar run out of battery in the middle of a song, that’s for sure, and the hefty price tag of $4,000+ makes the marginal $700-$800 for the GR-55 Guitar Synth look pretty damn good.
Climbing on the sonic jungle jim that is the Roland GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer
Roland GR-55 guitar mount
