Recorded with Serek Midwestern 2 and using effect’s interface direct into MacBook Pro using GarageBand.
Clip 1 - Head hunt synth preset. Neck pickup soloed.
Clip 2 - Drive and fuzz preset. Both pickups engaged.
Clip 3 - Dreamy preset. Both pickups engaged.
Long ago, when I first started playing in bands, it was a cool thing if you were rocking out with an effects box or two. And if you had a multi-effects pedal… whoa, you were kind of a big deal. The first company to really master and capitalize on multi mania was Boss, a respected titan in the pedal industry. Over the years, Boss has loaded these do-it-all tone command centers with tons of features and sounds, with which a player could spend countless hours tweaking to their delight. One of the company’s most recent multi-function toolboxes is the GT-1B, a streamlined unit designed for bassists that’s jam-packed with 21st-century features.
The Whole Enchilada
Residing inside the relatively small (12" x 6" x 2 1/4") GT-1B are amp-modeling options, compressor/limiters, a bevy of effects and patches (both preset and user generated), a tuner, and looping capabilities. One can send an MP3 device through the aux in and plug in a pair of headphones for isolated listening capabilities. It boasts a wah/expression pedal and also serves as an audio interface for your preferred DAW—and that’s still not all. In fact, the only component seemingly missing from the GT-1B is a coffee maker, but I refrained from holding that against it. The GT-1B is powered by either four AA batteries or an AC adaptor (not included).
Operating the 3-pound unit is accomplished through a series of controls that allow you to press, stomp, and dial in your sound. The trio of knobs located on the upper-middle section of the device allows you to navigate the various, selectable parameters displayed on the LED screen. For simple navigation, the “easy” section on the left side consists of two buttons that organize the effects based on music genre or effects categories, such as clean, crunch, or modulate.
More detailed operation can be achieved through the array of square-shaped buttons located in the middle of the unit, which are sorted by effect. A quick tap of one of these buttons engages its functionality, and holding down the selected button displays the controls of the effect, which are presented on the screen. Some of the buttons require a bit of exploration, as the FX1, FX2, and delay buttons also contain menus to assign different effects. The memory edit button reveals a signal-chain-style interface from which you can reposition effects and/or assign the different sections. The menu button is similar to the settings portion of a computer’s operating system, as it provides options for initial setup and connectivity.
The quartet of foot-operable features—including the right-side-located treadle that doubles as an expression pedal or wah—offer hands-free operation. Navigating the presets is achieved through the two footswitches labeled with up or down arrow symbols. (Pressing them simultaneously engages the tuner.) The CTL1 footswitch is the special-teams feature of the GT-1B. It’s an assignable switch that can take on different roles: engaging effects, tap delay, or providing a solo boost, just to name three. Stepping on the aforementioned switch and the neighboring “up” button activates the looper, which is then controlled with various taps of the CTL1. External switches and footpedals can also be connected with the GT-1B for expanded functionality.
If you’re finding all the buttons, dials, and switches of the GT-1B difficult to navigate, Boss has created the Boss Tone Central website, where you can download the Boss Tone Studio application to your computer, which provides tone shaping in a fairly intuitive layout. Through the software, a player can also download sound profiles created by various artists and other free content as it becomes available.
How Much Time Do You Have?
Reviewing the features of the GT-1B is like trying to explain Game of Thrones to someone who has never watched an episode. There’s a lot going on, and a lot to share. Fitting all of my impressions of the GT-1B would take as much space as a few gear reviews combined, so I’ve tried to keep it as concise as possible. For this review, I placed the GT-1B between a Serek Midwestern 2 bass and a Bergantino B|Amp paired with a Bergantino HD112 cab, and a MacBook Pro was used to explore features via the Boss Tone Studio.
Ratings
Pros:
Comprehensive unit with a multitude of usable tools. Massive tonal offerings in a relatively small package. The Tone Studio app makes for easy tweaking.
Cons:
Significant learning curve to really maximize its potential. Likely won’t satisfy analog disciples.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$199
Boss GT-1B
boss.info
While it did take some time to get familiar with the effects processor, I personally found that the layout and interface made it surprisingly easy to navigate. You should, of course, read the instructions for the device, but my initial exploration of the GT-1B began by simply hitting buttons and turning knobs. Pedestrian as this may sound, anyone who has had to learn a smart phone’s OS will be just fine experimenting with the pedal. Once familiarized, I opened up the Tone Studio and quickly found it to be a more pleasing way to manipulate the unit. It’s easier to explore the preset effects as well as change the parameters of the sounds. In particular, the “liveset” feature in the Tone Studio’s library is great for organizing effects for a particular gig or re-organizing the effects for easy access.
The tonal options are quite varied, from the practical to the peculiar. There are numerous onboard fuzz and distortion options, which, depending on the desired timbre, ranged from subtle to snarling. A personal favorite was the “drive & fuzz” preset, which will likely please fans of Roger Glover. The wah sounds were impressive, as they responded to the touch with immediacy and characteristic swelling. Boss did a nice job with the “octave wah” effect, which tracked very well, and the “boots funk slap” preset got me pretty close to the implied bassist’s tone. I really dug the “head hunt synth” preset, which emulates the bubbling synth sound heard on Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon.” And it was a blast experimenting with the “pipe organ” effect and the ethereal textures that “atmosphere” and “dreamy” created. It goes without saying that the presets and effects of the GT-1B inspired different and unique approaches to my playing.
The pedal and switches also provided me with some quite useful tools. I’m not going to tell you the tuner is as precise as my strobe tuner, but it was accurate and quick. The looper function provides 32 seconds of sampling with layering capability and was simple and fun to use. I found it to be a valuable tool for practicing, whether I was soloing over looped chord changes, rehearsing melodies, or crafting quick compositions. And kudos to Boss for the smooth action of the expression/wah pedal, which can be calibrated through the GT-1B’s menu. Add to all this the means to record with the device, since it serves as an audio interface (which was used for the audio samples you can hear online), and I found the GT-1B to be a pleasing, albeit sometimes exhausting, playing partner.
The Verdict
Remember getting that giant box of crayons as a kid? Opening it, checking out all of the colors, and scribbling on paper to see how they look? The GT-1B is the sonic equivalent of the big Crayola box. It houses a wide spectrum of effects, and it’s rife with features and flexibility that—with a bit of exploration—can expand your tonal palate. Bassists who are comfortable with technology will enjoy delving into the deep layers of this new offering from Boss, especially with the assistance of the Tone Studio software. If you’re into the idea of a multi-effects unit—specifically one with great features, portability, and an approachable price—you might want to check out the GT-1B.
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Onstage, Tommy Emmanuel executes a move that is not from the playbook of his hero, Chet Atkins.
“My biggest decision every day on tour is, ‘What do I want to start with? How do I want to come out of the gate?’” Emmanuel explains to me over a video call. “A good opener has to have everything. It has to be full of surprise, it has to have lots of good ideas, lots of light and shade, and then, hit it again,” he says, illustrating each phrase with his hands and ending with a punch.“You lift off straightaway with the first song, you get airborne, you start reaching, and then it’s time to level out and take people on a journey.”
In May 2023, Emmanuel played two shows at the Sydney Opera House, the best performances from which have been combined on his new release, Live at the Sydney Opera House. The venue’s Concert Hall, which has a capacity of 2,679, is a familiar room for Emmanuel, but I think at this point in his career he wouldn’t bring a setlist if he was playing Wembley Stadium. On the recording, Emmanuel’s mind-blowingly dexterous chops, distinctive attack and flair, and knack for culturally resonant compositions are on full display. His opening song for the shows? An original, “Countrywide,” with a segue into Chet Atkins’ “El Vaquero.”
“When I was going to high school in the ’60s, I heard ‘El Vaquero’ on Chet Atkins’ record, [1964’s My Favorite Guitars],” Emmanuel shares. “And when I wrote ‘Countrywide’ in around ’76 or ’77, I suddenly realized, ‘Ah! It’s a bit like “El Vaquero!”’ So I then worked out ‘El Vaquero’ as a solo piece, because it wasn’t recorded like that [by Atkins originally].
“The co-writer of ‘El Vaquero’ is Wayne Moss, who’s a famous Nashville session guy who played ‘da da da’ [sings the guitar riff from Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Woman’]. And he played on a lot of Chet’s records as a rhythm guy. So once when I played ‘El Vaquero’ live, Wayne Moss came up to me and said, ‘You know, you did my part and Chet’s at the same time. That’s not fair!’” Emmanuel says, laughing.
Atkins is the reason Emmanuel got into performing. His mother had been teaching him rhythm guitar for a couple years when he heard Atkins on the radio and, at 6, was able to immediately mimic his fingerpicking technique. His father recognized Emmanuel’s prodigious talent and got him on the road that year, which kicked off his professional career. He says, “By the time I was 6, I was already sleep-deprived, working too hard, and being forced to be educated. Because all I was interested in was playing music.”
Emmanuel talks about Atkins as if the way he viewed him as a boy hasn’t changed. The title Atkins bestowed upon him, C.G.P. (Certified Guitar Player), appears on Emmanuel’s album covers, in his record label (C.G.P. Sounds), and is inlaid at the 12th fret on his Maton Custom Shop TE Personal signature acoustic. (Atkins named only five guitarists C.G.P.s. The others are John Knowles, Steve Wariner, Jerry Reed, and Atkins himself.) For Emmanuel, even today most roads lead to Atkins.
When I ask Emmanuel about his approach to arranging for solo acoustic guitar, he says, “It was really hit home for me by my hero, Chet Atkins, when I read an interview with him a long time ago and he said, ‘Make your arrangement interesting.’ And I thought, ‘Wow!’ Because I was so keen to be true to the composer and play the song as everyone knows it. But then again, I’m recreating it like everyone else has, and I might as well get in line with the rest of them and jump off the cliff into nowhere. So it struck me: ‘How can I make my arrangements interesting?’ Well, make them full of surprises.”
When Emmanuel was invited to contribute to 2015’s Burt Bacharach: This Guitar’s in Love with You, featuring acoustic-guitar tributes to Bacharach’s classic compositions by various artists, Emmanuel expresses that nobody wanted to take “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” due to its “syrupy” nature. But for Emmanuel, this presented an entertaining challenge.
He explains, “I thought, ‘Okay, how can I reboot “Close to You?’ So even the most jaded listener will say, ‘Holy fuck—I didn’t expect that! Wow, I really like that; that is a good melody!’ So I found a good key to play the song in, which allowed me to get some open notes that sustain while I move the chords. Then what I did is, in every phrase, I made the chord unresolve, then resolve.
Tommy Emmanuel's Gear
“I’m writing music for the film that’s in my head,” Emmanuel says. “So, I don’t think, ‘I’m just the guitar,’ ever.”
Photo by Simone Cecchetti
Guitars
- Three Maton Custom Shop TE Personals, each with an AP5 PRO pickup system
Amps
- Udo Roesner Da Capo 75
Effects
- AER Pocket Tools preamp
Strings & Picks
- Martin TE Signature Phosphor Bronze (.012–.054)
- Martin SP strings
- Ernie Ball Paradigm strings
- D’Andrea Pro Plec 1.5 mm
- Dunlop medium thumbpicks
“And then to really put the nail in the coffin, at the end, ‘Close to you’ [sings melody]. I finished on a major 9 chord which had that note in it, but it wasn’t the key the song was in, which is a typical Stevie Wonder trick. All the tricks I know, the wonderful ideas that I’ve stolen, are from Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, James Taylor, Carole King, Neil Diamond. All of the people who wrote really incredibly great pop songs and R&B music—I stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a -half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.”
I share with Emmanuel that the performances on Live at the Sydney Opera House, which include his popular “Beatles Medley,” reminded me of another possible arrangement trick. In Harpo Marx’s autobiography, Harpo Speaks, I preface, Marx writes of a lesson he learned as a performer—to “answer the audience’s questions.” (Emmanuel says he’s a big fan of the book and read it in the early ’70s.) That happened for me while listening to the medley, when, after sampling melodies from “She’s a Woman” and “Please Please Me,” Emmanuel suddenly lands on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
I say, “I’m waiting for something that hits more recognizably to me, and when ‘While My Guitar’ comes in, that’s like answering my question.”
“It’s also Paul and John, Paul and John, George,” Emmanuel replies. “You think, ‘That’s great, that’s great pop music,’ then, ‘Wow! Look at the depth of this.’”
Often Emmanuel’s flights on his acoustic guitar are seemingly superhuman—as well as supremely entertaining.
Photo by Ekaterina Gorbacheva
A trick I like to employ as a writer, I say to Emmanuel, is that when I’m describing something, I’ll provide the reader with just enough context so that they can complete the thought on their own.
“You can do that musically as well,” says Emmanuel. He explains how, in his arrangement of “What a Wonderful World,” he’ll play only the vocal melody. “When people are asking me at a workshop, ‘How come you don’t put chords behind that part?’ I say, ‘I’m drawing the melody and you’re putting in all the background in your head. I don’t need to tell you what the chords are. You already know what the chords are.’”
“Wayne Moss came up to me and said, ‘You know, you did my part and Chet’s at the same time. That’s not fair!’”
Another track featured on Live at the Sydney Opera House is a cover of Paul Simon’s “American Tune” (which Emmanuel then jumps into an adaptation of the Australian bush ballad, “Waltzing Matilda”). It’s been a while since I really spent time with There GoesRhymin’ Simon (on which “American Tune” was first released), and yet it sounded so familiar to me. A little digging revealed that its melody is based on the 17th-century Christian hymn, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” which was arranged and repurposed by Bach in a few of the composer’s works. The cross-chronological and genre-lackadaisical intersections that come up in popular music sometimes is fascinating.
“I think the principle right there,” Emmanuel muses, “is people like Bach and Beethoven and Mozart found the right language to touch the heart of a human being through their ears and through their senses ... that really did something to them deep in their soul. They found a way with the right chords and the right notes, somehow. It could be as primitive as that.
Tommy Emmanuel has been on the road as a performing guitarist for 64 years. Eat your heart out, Bob Dylan.
Photo by Jan Anderson
“It’s like when you’re a young composer and someone tells you, ‘Have a listen to Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,”’ he continues. “‘Listen to how those notes work with those chords.’ And every time you hear it, you go, ‘Why does it touch me like that? Why do I feel this way when I hear those chords—those notes against those chords?’ I say, it’s just human nature. Then you wanna go, ‘How can I do that!’” he concludes with a grin.
“You draw from such a variety of genres in your arrangements,” I posit. “Do you try to lean into the side of converting those songs to solo acoustic guitar, or the side of bridging the genre’s culture to that of your audience?”
“I stole every idea I could, and I tried to make my little two-and-a-half minutes as interesting and entertaining as possible. Because entertainment equals: Surprise me.”
“If I was a method actor,” Emmanuel explains, “what I’m doing is—I’m writing music for the film that’s in my head. So, I don’t think, ‘I’m just the guitar,’ ever. I always think it has to have that kind of orchestral, not grandeur, but … palette to it. Because of the influence of Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Elton John, especially—the piano guys—I try to use piano ideas, like putting the third in the low bass a lot, because guitar players don’t necessarily do that. And I try to always do something that makes what I do different.
“I want to be different and recognizable,” he continues. “I remember when people talked about how some players—you just hear one note and you go, ‘Oh, that’s Chet Atkins.’ And it hit me like a train, the reason why a guy like Hank Marvin, the lead guitar player from the Shadows.... I can tell you: He had a tone that I hear in other players now. Everyone copied him—they just don’t know it—including Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, all those people. I got him up to play with me a few times when he moved to Australia, and even playing acoustic, he still had that sound. I don’t know how he did it, but it was him. He invented himself.”
YouTube It
Emmanuel performs his arrangement of “What a Wonderful World,” illustrating how omitting a harmonic backdrop can have a more powerful effect, especially when playing such a well-known melody.
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