G1X FOUR Guitar Multi-Effects Processor with Expression Pedal, With 70+ Built-in Effects, Amp Modeling, Looper, Rhythm Section, Tuner, Battery Powered

I love this stupid little thing, though my use-case scenarios are... a little odd. But it is useful in several different situations. So, a few months ago, my lead guitar player gets it in his head that he wants to do this song we wrote in 2016 that has me playing a wah-wah pedal, and it was recorded-- weirdly-- on an old Zoom 606 that had been sitting in a trap case for about 5 years until a few months ago. I actually had just used the 606, for the first time in 10 years, for some fly dates in NYC! It was a bizarre show, in that one of the acts I played with was acoustic, but the other three bands are electric, I can't bring two guitars on the plane, so I brought the old 606 because it has a great "acoustic" patch for electric guitar. Problem solved-- the 606 made my electric sound acoustic enough so that it blended in fine with the 'real' acoustics. But I did notice-- the switches on the 606 were a little dodgy when I was rehearsing to track on the east coast. It got through the shows with no problem, but it's clearly at retirement age. I looked at standalone wah-wah pedals, but they all have tone pots in them, and I know what that means-- the WILL get dusty and go bad sooner than I'd like, and some of them can't even be opened and cleaned. The cheaper multi-effects units have optical or digital pots or something that are less subtle, but more reliable. First, I tried the MOOER GE100, and whoa, what a POS that was-- the switch for the wah-wah turned on and off every time I pressed the pedal, so back it went. Grudgingly, I shelled out an extra $30 for the Zoom... And man, it's SO much easier to use than the old 606! You can SEE which effects are turned on or off, and it's pretty easy to modify a patch on stage-- tap the button to change the display, bring up the individual units, change some of the parameters or remove them from the signal chain, takes no more time than adjusting the tone or drive on a TS9 or whatever. The pedal is also better ergonomically than the one on the 606, though obviously not in the same league as a CryBaby-- I HATE playing wah-wah, by the way-- and the pedal just pivots better, though I can't explain why. Then, we get to the showcase, and this time I'm playing a real acoustic-- but a 3/4 size, because my osteoarthritis has gotten so bad, and the 3/4 is easier to play with Silk and Steel strings-- but being mahogany and a smaller body, and also with the Silk and Steels, it doesn't sound QUITE like a "real" acoustic. So I did something truly demented: I used the "Acoustic" patch on the G1X4 to make the 3/4 mahogany sound... more acoustical. It was FANTASTIC; we did six songs counting sound check, and everyone loved us. I was on the edge of feedback for the whole set, but I got some really wild psychedelic sounds just using the factory presets. Best of all, if the feedback starts to really get out of control, just hit the two pedals simultaneously to engage the tuner, and you're back to a clean signal immediately. Much less disruptive to the set than trying to kill the feedback by turning the volume down or adjusting the tone pots, which will involve more trial and error. It's capable of some of the same zany psychedelic weirdness as the 606, but the audio quality and UI are way better. I don't know that I'd use this for the larger shows I play once or twice a year; even for a compact fly rig, I want a bit more control, a dedicated chorus, phaser, delay, distortion, etc. But the G1X Four is TOTALLY fine for smaller venues. Obviously, it's not gonna have the same sound quality as high-end boutique pedals, but for smaller clubs with beater amps in the backline, really, no one is gonna care. The only thing I noticed: In the effects loop of a BantAmp hybrid, it doesn't play nicely with the solid-state power amp stage if the Gain is set past 9:00. But nothing else seems to, either-- my Mystic Edge and Tube Pilot don't really work in the effects loop either, though the G1X four sounds a bit worse than they do in that particular configuration. My guess is for that particular hybrid, with a tube in the preamp and a solid state power amp, I should keep dirt pedals and overdrives in the input part of the signal chain anyway. So it may not even be the pedal. And could be a non-issue for a full-on tube amp. Highly recommended. Didn't even buy it on sale, but if it were lost or stolen, I'd buy it again.

The Zoom G1X Four is an excellent multi effects processor that can power up to five effects at once. Pretty much everything you could ever need is included here & there are meaningful emulations of some esteemed pieces of gear. I got this for processing synths & guitars. I use it multiple times a week & for the money it just can’t be beat. I haven’t played with the presets much as they are designed for guitar & I mostly use this to process two Linked Korg Monotribes. I don’t know how “true” the emulations are but I am happy getting a variety of different effect tones. I mainly use it for cabinets with various mod effects & the seven band graphic EQ & so far I haven’t had any struggles or issues at all. You CAN max out the processor power & I suppose at this price that’s just what you get for not spending more money on more expensive computing. Similarly there isn’t “room” on the device to house all the potential effects at once. You have to use a software editor to swap in & out what you do & don’t want accessible. This limits creativity surely but also makes you commit to certain effects which can be a good thing too. I would potentially gig with this but so far it has just been home studio use & has delivered sonic fun pretty effortlessly. There are both a looper & a drum track that I haven’t played around with but based on how well what I’ve explored is laid out I expect these to be pretty top notch too. I recommend this multi effect to anyone. At this price point it really can’t be beat. I had a Line 6 POD X3 Live before & I enjoy this wayyy more. That was convenient for toggling on & off the effects within a patch & for being controlled via MIDI but with this you have such a beautifully small footprint & if you want to toggle a certain effect just copy the patch into the next memory location & make your changes. I’ll almost certainly purchase whatever follow up there is to this when it comes out. ANYONE looking for a studio or live solution for multi effects should at least investigate the G1X Four. Also just pay the extra $20 for the expression pedal. Better to not need it & have it than to want it & not have access.

I was able to find enough detailed reviews online that I don’t feel the need to do a deep-dive on zoom G1 FOUR. But I wanted to add an honest review on amazon, specifically for musicians around my age (55-65). I paid full price for this and would have returned it if I couldn’t use it. I got this specifically to use at work on lunch break and while I’m waiting for file process/render. Guitar > multifx > headphones. I will def use the drum patches and looper. Everybody has different opinion of what sounds “good”, obviously. I’ve been musician for decades. I've owned 60s 70s and later tube amps; fender vox marshall soldano bogner mesa egnater etc. I have A TON of stompboxes, tho live these days I primarily just use a klon clone and DD-8. I either build or modify my electric guitars; I always replace pickups. I use sc, stacked sc, hb, & mini hb. I like bitey icepick clean surf, 70s southern mid gain, Uli-era scorpions, sabbath, maiden, etc. I have never been a fan of scooped rectifier tone; just not my thing. So that’s me. DO NOT base your opinion of the G1 tone on youtube videos where somebody just cycles through presets. To me, the presets sound like an afterthought (when they *should be a sales tool). The factory patches on the G1 suck imo. Nothing came in the box. No cable, no PSU, and no user manual. Just the G1 and a “quick start” guide, which was useless for me. I googled to find the full user manual & FX list. I also downloaded zoom’s app, GuitarLab. My computer had trouble seeing and retaining conn to the zoom. I swapped usb cable and problem went away. The app seems quirky when finding the zoom. It doesn’t always work on the first try; unplug/replug. It *looks like it’s connected, but unable to edit anything, and then after maybe minute or so it finally works. YOU NEED THE APP! Not all of the fx and amp models are loaded in the zoom. Some of them are only available to load from the app. You use the app to unload and load the fx & models on the zoom. Out of the box the G1 memory was already at 98%. Before I did anything else, I printed out the fx list and went through every single thing. Everything that I knew for sure I wouldn’t be using, I removed from the G1. I’m picky so in my case I freed up a lot of memory. After that I went back through and added some things that I knew I wanted (or at least wanted to try). The amp and cab sims are individual, so in my case I deleted amps I didn’t want (rectifier & other boogie) but I kept all of the cabinet models. You can mix/match amp/cab. Some reviews say the zoom isn’t stereo. False. If you choose a stereo effect, it IS in stereo. This is great for someone like me using it with headphones to noodle at work. If you’re planning on using this live then stereo doesn’t matter. (I can’t imagine ever using this thing live omg lol) I’m not sure about creating/editing patches in the software while ALSO playing your guitar to hear differences. I’m sure you should be able to do this, but I didn’t. I’m not gonna have software at work so I learned how to edit patches (and edit fx and amps) on the zoom itself; it’s not that hard once you get gist of it. Just scrolling through amp models I landed on Bogner ecstasy (blue channel) and it’s fantastic, *in my opinion*. This first patch I sortof randomly created is maestro echoplex preamp > Bogner > boogie rect 4x12 (vin30) > delay > HD hall (verb). Sounds fantastic, at least with SC strat I’m using. You can rearrange your fx order any way that you want, but, you’re limited to 5 slots in the patch. Since I AM using the amp and cab models, that leaves just 3 slots. For me though just using it at work, I will duplicate patches right next to each other with whatever variations I want, then just push footswitch to go between them. There's no I/O for fx loop. I didn't try putting pedals in front of the G1; its just not something i'll use this for; but there's probably a video where somebody tries this. If you’re on the fence on this thing and cant find what you’re looking for in other reviews, I would say go download the full patch list and look it over. I went through every amp and cab (though not every possible combination!). There are three amps I dig that can do some level of gain, and I think about four amps with really good (imo) clean tones. Every amp has eq controls AND you can also do on the fly EQ (low, mid, hi) on the zoom itself for whatever patch you have.

Wow - I mean, seriously?! This multi effects box is ideal for just about anything anyone would ever need. For starters, Zoom was right to see a massive hole in the market for an affordable multi effects processor, but the rest of what they have done with this genius item is what's most impressive. Why? Because it's one thing to conceive of such a product, but it's a dramatically different thing to be able to execute on that promise with such elegance, which is what Zoom has done. Here's what makes this thing amazing: - Spectacularly easy interface. Right out of the box, you're playing...and not just playing, but tweaking patches, effects, setting up features, etc. (The long-version of the manual is online, but honestly, one can learn 50% of all available features on one's own.) That's impressive interface design, my friends. - A full range of effects and effect parameter controls that translate to endless sound combinations. Mix and match, add, subtract, tweak, combine, re-order, save, rename, etc. You'll never run out of possibilities to design the sounds that work just for you and whatever style you prefer. - A built-in looper, tuner, and rhythm machine, all which can be customized. - It’s very clearly laid-out, physically; meaning, the buttons and their functions on the unit itself are intuitive to understand and to learn out of the box. - And if that’s not enough, the companion software online is like, honestly, a marvel in itself. It’s so EASY and so ROBUST - those two words rarely go together with companion softwares for products like these. You can backup all factory and your own custom patches for safe keeping, and each backup instance stays in a backup bank for future reloading, if needed. You can add new sounds from Zoom’s sound bank, you can remove certain effects, but keep them in a sortable list that allows you to reload with the click of a button. You can sort by effect type, memory size, etc., and even update the unit easily without a bunch of hoops to jump through. And so much more I can’t list here. I mean, the software alone is an achievement because it’s so freaking easy to use and so helpful. All of this in a package that is priced for any musician of any financial situation and any experience level. I tip my hat to the people at Zoom. They have created a superior multi-effects processor at a price point that is unreal. Bravo...and before I forget….THANK YOU!!!

There are so many things that could be better about the pedal. That said, it's amazing and is fast becoming my favorite practice pedal. It's so feature rich and flexible with on board tuner, drum kit, and looper, plus it's battery powered and is small enough to toss in your guitar bag without needing to lug a full pedal board. The UI is a pain and I almost exclusively plug it into my PC to set up different tones and configure everything. It won't replace a good pedal board for live shows since you can really only cycle up and down preset tones. I wish the looper had more memory. I wish it was faster to switch to the drum kit. I wish it had configurable stomp buttons so I could switch between tones, drums, and loops hands free and faster. For the price though, it's awesome and as a travel and practice pedal, I love it.

This thing is super portable. Very easy to throw into the pocket of a gig back or a backpack. Perfect for situations where you might need a preamp to plug into a PA at a bar or something, and don't want to lug around a much heavier device. It's battery powered, so you don't have to go hunting for outlets. Very handy device to have around for random things where it becomes useful. The rhythm machine is really good, and the looper is easier to use than other loopers I've had before. It only has 30 seconds of loop capacity, but I never found that to be a limitation for just looping some quick chord progressions or a chorus. It has two pedals for the looper, which is nice because it's less confusing to use live. Probably wouldn't recommend the looper if you play Jazz or something and need 2 minutes of loop capacity, but for everything else, it's good. The preamp models sound good, and the effects sound great. The preamps aren't as high-quality as some of Boss's newer AIRD stuff, but they sound decent, definitely better than some of the older COSM-era Boss GT products (just for comparison, in case there's anyone reading who is familiar with them). The sound quality is good enough to use for gigs. It also has a global EQ that you can set very easily. I cannot exaggerate just how useful this truly is in random live settings. Very often presets will sound good at home but sound a little bit unbalanced through someone else's PA system. This global EQ is fantastic because it takes about 2 seconds to bring up the treble or the bass if you need to make it sit better in a mix live, or need to make it fit better with a system that has a different frequency response. Seriously a very useful addition, and it affects all of the patches, so you can very easily rebalance the whole thing without needing to go in and try to edit each patch individually just for a quick gig. The only thing I don't really like about it is that the presets are less impressive than the rest of the device itself is. They aren't bad, you can get some really neat sounds out of it right out of the box, but you don't really realize the full potential of the device until you go and start making some of your own patches with the the Guitar Lab. It would have been nice to get more presets, but for how cheap and portable this device is (and for how much it can do), I don't think that's really a very significant complaint. These things are very useful to have around. I have more advanced guitar processing rigs too, but I still find a use for this little thing fairly regularly just because of how convenient it is to carry around.

I'm not a professional musician, so I don't need top notch/ perfect sounding gear. I just need it to sound good enough to please me as I noodle around on the guitar. This does that, and it does it very easily and convincingly. It is intuitive to use and I really like the ability to power it with batteries only. As far as the tone- it sounds good enough for me and I haven't yet had an experience where I was thinking the sound was off or not accurate. There are four complaints I have; 1) You can't load all of the effects onto the device at once- it runs out of memory. I can't think of a good reason they built it this way, digital memory is cheap and easy, but you have to leave some of the options behind if the memory fills up (which it did for me pretty quick). It's pretty annoying to be honest., and the more I think about it the more annoyed I get about it. Really a bad design decision- you know they could have upped the memory but chose not to. 2) Not a fault per-se, but I'm coming to this from a Digitech RP 150, and I really liked the large number of amp models I could choose on that device. I think the amp models on the G1x are limited by comparison. 3) I'm not a pro and I don't collect pedals, therefore some of the pedal descriptions mean nothing to me. For example, "a classic golden colored overdrive." I'm sure there are a lot of people who know exactly what pedal is being referred to, but I have no idea, and it bothers me that so many of the descriptions are like that. Not sure why they can't use some product names but not others- legal reasons probably, but it annoys me nonetheless. 4) The software (Zoom Guitar Lab) is easy enough to use but it's not as refined as I would prefer. The graphics are very basic and it just feels cheap, especially compared to the Digitech X-Edit software I am used to. Other such soft wares I've used were refined and looked inviting and operated smoothly. This Guitar Lab does the job, but it's not attractive and seems kind of cheap. Despite my issues with it, this device does what I want it to do and does it easily and cheaply enough that I'm happy with the purchase. I do wish there were a larger online community making patches, but so far I haven't found that many, but maybe that will improve with time.

I recommend this multi-fx for any traveling guitarist or if you're on a budget and can't afford to buy a bunch of stomp boxes. I have a much better multi-fx unit (amplifi by line6) but I wanted a portable processor. The g1four does this perfectly - it's really small (I got the one without the foot pedal to fit in my gig bag's accessory pouch, but the one with the pedal would probably have just fit), easy to use, has a great variety of sounds and the sound quality is generally quite high. I wish something like this had been available to me long ago - multi-fx units are usually so difficult to use you forget what you're doing, and purchasing individual stomp boxes can get very expensive (and awkward to travel with). The biggest standout here is usability. The interface is intuitive, you barely need to skim the manual. It's easy to edit patches, easy to operate the "rhythm section" and looper, and easy to switch between patches and then fine-tune if you need to. There's a master volume for the output when playing in stompbox mode. Everything is clearly marked. I wish the input and output jacks were labeled a little more clearly (maybe some marking on top in addition to the marking next to the jacks, and maybe with some color difference - it's a bit hard to see), but that's a minor issue. The other big standout is variety and quality of sounds. It has a ton of different sounds including a lot of amp models. I can't tell the difference between most of the cabinet models, but the amp models give you a lot of tonal variety. The distortions, compressors, phasers/flangers, chorus, reverbs are all at least pretty good sounding. I can't believe how much quality and variety they've packed into this little unit. You might find other units that have better quality and more control for each effect, but you will pay a lot more - many hundreds of dollars - and you probably won't get as intuitive an interface. It supports a chain of 5 effects, any order you like (so you can also make some weird mistakes like putting reverb before distortion, though maybe you want that). The rhythm section is easy to adjust - you can set various metronome styles, a number of different genres (the rock, shuffle, funk and jazz beats all worked well for me). Makes practicing more fun and more realistic if you've got the right groove going. The looper holds up to 30 seconds. Easy to use, you can overdub, so you can make some very complicated loops. I doubt this replaces a real looper but have no experience with any other kind of looper. I find it useful to set up a rhythm I like, loop a short backing chord progression, then practice on top of that. 30s isn't long enough for an extensive verse-chorus section (e.g., a 12-bar blues), but it's good enough for simple stuff. You can plug in headphones to the output jack (it's 1/4") and it'll serve as a headphone amplifier for private practicing. You can plug the output into an amp or PA input and hear your sound right out of the speakers. The free downloadable software (Zoom Guitar Lab) is even easier to use for patch tweaking, and it also lets you access some things you don't get from the pedal. Not necessary by any means, and the on-device interface is what I use 99% of the time. The usb port serves as both connection to your computer for the software and as a power supply. Note that it's not an audio interface (I assume that would have raised the price significantly), so if you want to record the output, you'll need to patch the output of this unit into a separate audio interface. Instruction manual and patch guide are very well written - you'll be using and exploring this thing with very little effort and all of the fun of having up to 5 simultaneous stomp boxes in front of you. I took this on a trip and had to remove from my gig bag to go through the TSA scanner because it's bigger than a cell phone, but had no problems from that process.