[Fulltone]

I have a few questions concerning the Boss ME 50. I have read a lot of comments and or reviews on both sites like Musicians Friend and independant review sites. Both types of sites left a lot of desire in wanting to know more and I also feel as if they were either one sided either way.

Before I ask any questions, I think I should probably tell you a little about my playing style so you can give me a better idea. I have been playing for something now like 5 years (but only 3 years seriously), I play country, blues and rock (depends on what it is though).

Heres what I play most:
Brad Paisley
Robin Trower
SRV
Los Lonely Boys
Joe Satriani

Now on with the questions:

1. Can I get the sound I need to play this type of music? - I have already researched it and I know that the types of effects needed are included in the ME 50.

2. Do you own it or have you played it and what is you honest un-bias opinion?

3. Would this be something that is real useable and could just get massive amounts of different tones out of but at the same time tweak it to get the sound I need to play the type of music I listen to?

4. How is the acoustic simulator? (The reason I ask is there is a lot of country songs I play and I am learning that start with a small acoustic riff then switch to an electric).

I went to a guitar center the other day and tried a lot of these types of multi-effects out and was dissapointed in most (either for sound quality - the cheap ones or the ease of use the Line 6 Pod XT Live you litterally need a degree I think. The guy working the accessories department said that if I don't hook it to a computer which I don't want to do I can't take full advantage of it. Roughly meaning more menu surfing which I hate and you can't tweak some of the effects. I tried out the ME 50 but by the time I got to it the place was packed with people and I could really get a feel for it - although what I tried I liked.

It fits my budget and fits my style of ease of use. What is you opinion?

Thanks.

[eXperiment63]

1) Yes, you probably can get the sounds you want.
2) I've heard some recordings of it, and the effects left some to be desired, though they were not bad.
3) Yes, multi-effects units generally allow you to get a very wide array of sounds.
4) Probably as good as the AC-2, as Boss makes that pedal.

For someone not looking to take a really big monetary leap, it is definitely something that will get you off the ground and your feet wet in the effects arena. Personally, I would try to get a PodXT Live, or a Tonelab LE/SE. You can turn off the amp and cabinet simulations on those, and use them as a multi-effects unit. But you can also line-out with those sims on and get a pretty good sound for headphones practice or silent recording.

vox tonelab se guitar multi-fx board LOW BUY IT NOW! - (eBay item 190185043401 end time Dec-23-07 19:05:06 PST)

There is a used Tonelab SE for the same $$ as the ME-50, and to be honest, you will probably get much nicer effects out of that than the Boss.

[fly135]

I sold my GT-8 because I thought the amp models were too fizzy sounding. Seems like the ME-50 would have the same issues. Based on how my Tonelab table-top box sounds I would say the SE is a good bet, although more expensive.

For MultiFX pedals it really helps to be able to edit the presets on the computer. It's easier and you can back them up. For the best deals watch Craigslist. I saw a ME-50 for $125 recently. I picked up my Tonelab for $125 and a GNX2 (which I really like) for $75.

[eXperiment63]

The one I linked is used and costs the same as the ME50 new at GC, that's why I linked it.

[krissovo]

1. Can I get the sound I need to play this type of music? - Yes I would say that unless you are a tone snob you would within 85 to 90% of the tones that I know from the list

2. Do you own it or have you played it and what is you honest un-bias opinion? - I have owned it, its simple to use but the drawback is that it is not as tweak-able as a full on muti-effects unit. The unit I find rely' on a the amp you are playing through and dont bother playing this through a PA. I have since moved on to using other effects units and have sold the ME 50

3. Would this be something that is real useable and could just get massive amounts of different tones out of but at the same time tweak it to get the sound I need to play the type of music I listen to? Yes and No you could get close but as I have said the simplicity is the drawback to really nail a tone

4. How is the acoustic simulator? Its ok and would work but only if you are not a tone snob

I upgraded my ME-50 (or downgraded you could argue) to the Zoom G7.1 . I love it and I can really nail tones down, its cheap and I believe its almost indestructible. I picked mine up for about 100 euro. With the editor software I can modify the patches with my computer and save them to the unit. The Line 6 pods are good, I have the pod 2 (not good for acoustic) and recently the x3 (expensive but the tone and features is amazing). The pod 2 I picked up for 75 euro but I would put this ahead of the ME-50 for tone. For a bargain price the Zoom G2.1 would give those tones but its a bit of a pain using the interface and needs a lot of tweaking but its very cheap.

[Fulltone]

Thanks guys, this is more the kind of info I was looking for like I said I have tried other units. I will agree that the POD XT Live probably in the end when its all said and done with the computer tweaks is more "tweakable". The reason I was concidering the ME 50 was because it is a simple unit that would be more of a just tweak and go type setup. (Its also a good starting point). I don't play in a band, although I probably could but with my work schedule the way it is, its nearly impossible for me to do. I do jam a few nights a week (when I get the chance) with a few friends. I was looking at this unit as more of a personal investment. For me playing guitar is a great stress reliever even on days when I can't seem to get anything right.

I have another question. Can it be run next to another pedal of any brand or type or will it get messed up?

I also know that with a lot of these units, the sound quality and end result is all depending on the user, the users equipment and the users ear, because what sounds great or bad to me might be different to someone else. It all depends on the user him or her - self.

I will continue to check out others and continue to shop around. Like I said the day I went the place was packed and the longer I was there the more packed it got with not only customers but other guitar and drum noises, so that also makes it hard to tell good from bad. I also suppose that the POD XT Live might have sounded better through a better amp. The one they had was running through a really small amp and even with no POD meaning playing just through the amp the quality was really not that great.

If you guys and or gals have any more opinions or suggestions or you just think of something else pertaining to this please post. It is going to be about another month before I get one.

OH and no I am not a tone snob, as long as I can get close enough as I would be the only one who would be able to detect the suddle differences. For me being really close for me is ok. I am not a rich who can just go out throwing money around for the same pedals that I would need to exactly duplicate the sounds of the artist of whos music I enjoy playing. So for me its just a good tool to experiement with and create new music and sounds as well as getting some enjoyment out of playing the songs I like.

Thanks.

[Stratrat]

I own an ME 50 also. I like the simple interface MUCH better than having to tweak patches and fiddle with multiple arcane parameters and computer editing on the more "advanced" multi-fx. The ME 50 doesn't use amp/cab sims - it's basically just a bunch of fx boxes all integrated into one casing. You can set and use patches on it, but many complain of a delay when switching between patches, and I've never even used it that way other than testing out the factory pre-set patches (which are way over the top, BTW) when I first got it. I always used it in "manual" mode as a series of stompboxes.

With that said, I think it's great for bedroom playing and/or computer recording, but the effects (especially the OD/distortion models) don't sound as good when you crank it up and play loud - they get fizzy and cruddy-sounding. I was very pleased with it until I started jamming with a buddy of mine who is a drummer - at the volumes needed to get over live drums, the sound was completely different and not pleasing at all.

It can be run in a chain with other pedals - I'm not a hardcore "tone snob" so I can't really say whether or not it sucks tone - it wasn't noticeable to me at practicing volumes. I never tried it at jamming/rehearsal volumes, as I went back to a pedal board with separate pedals when I found that it wasn't cutting it for that purpose.

You said that you play some country, which means that your most-used effects would probably be delay and compression. The delay on the ME 50 is fine - no complaints there, it sounds decent and has plenty of range via the multiple adjustments you can make. The compressor is much less desirable - I bought an MXR Dyna Comp and compared the two, and there's no comparison whatsoever. The ME 50 just won't get that "squishy" Nashville sound.

A lot of the effects are very usable (Uni-Vibe, wah, delay, flanger/phaser, etc.), and the acoustic simulator is fine and does a reasonable facsimile as long as you don't expect to sound 100% like an actual acoustic guitar. As I said before, where it really falls short (at least IMO) is in the OD/distortion models at higher volumes. I keep it around for recording and dinking around at home, but the pedalboard goes with me for jamming/rehearsal.

[Fulltone]

Stratrat, thats sounds like what I was guessing. Like I said its more for me to fiddle with and learn basically, I have used effects before. Maybe someday down the road I might switch to individual pedals but for what it would be used for I think it would be up to what I need. The blues driver and the delay I think would get me close to a Brad Paisley sound, maybe I would have to do a little tweaking (I know its is not going to be perfect, I am looking to get closer to help me better picking out tones and chords for songs). I am not looking for the 1-2 thousand dollar studio quality effectss. I am not in a recording studio (nice wish for me though). I just can't not afford to buy a ton of individual effects and other things need to get a reasonable sound. I am also not a tone snob and I play because I want to and as long as I can pretty much play what I want and get a good tone that the average joe couldn't really tell from one to another its fine by me. It going to pretty much be for practice and jam with a few other guitarist now and then.

Thanks for the input.

[krissovo]

Sounds like its perfect for you, to me its a no brainer

[Stratrat]

Yep, I agree with Kriss....for the purpose you want it for, it's a great piece of equipment. It's great for experimenting with different effects, learning what they do and creating different tonal palettes, and a whole lot cheaper than buying all the different stompboxes it models! I posted what I did because I've found that it's much better to have some realistic input from users before laying down your hard-earned cash than it is to read a bunch of glowing reviews and then find out that it's not what you wanted/expected at all. It sounds like the ME 50 will fulfill your needs/expectations quite nicely.

BTW - I'm a big Brad Paisley fan also. To work toward his sound, crank the compressor up, use a bit of slapback delay (more or less according to which particular sound you're looking for), and play with the lower-gain distortion models until you find one you like that kind of gets you that 'Z' sound. Using one of the mid-heavy EQ settings may also help, as the AC30's and Dr. Z amps he plays have a lot of mids. He played a couple different AC30TB amps before he went to the Z's, and still uses his favorite vintage (tweaked) AC30 for some of his stuff. Also, don't forget that "tone is in the fingers" - work on your hybrid picking to get that twangy, snap-and-pop sound.