Boss GT-1 presets and settings
Compact floor unit with two patch footswitches, a CTL1 switch, a built-in expression pedal and three editing knobs. 99 user and 99 preset patches; it runs on four AA batteries for about seven hours.
⚡ Match a tone on this gearHow do you dial in a specific tone on a Boss GT-1?
A multi-effects unit gives you the whole chain in one box, which means the order of the blocks is as much of the answer as the values inside them. Settings for the Boss GT-1 name the amp model, the block order and the parameters together, rather than handing you numbers with no chain to put them in.
Name the song you are chasing and Tonelify returns the settings for this exact multi-effects unit, not the settings the original artist used. Those are two different things: the recording was made on gear most players do not own.
Starting settings on the Boss GT-1
Values as the unit's screen shows them, on its own scale; each drawn knob shows that value's share of the range. They are where to begin, not Boss's numbers: pick the amp model first, then move one control at a time from here.
Clean
CLEAN TWIN preamp type, which BOSS says models a Fender Twin Reverb. Gain 30, Bass 50, Middle 50, Treble 60, Presence 40. The GT-1's Gain runs from 0 to 120 and its tone controls from 0 to 100, so this Gain is a quarter of the way up. For a flatter clean, NATRL CLN is the type BOSS describes as minimising an amp's trebly character and boomy low end; JC-120 models the Roland JC-120.
- Gain 30
- Bass 50
- Middle 50
- Treble 60
- Presence 40
Edge of breakup and blues
DxCRUNCH, BOSS's model of a Fender Deluxe Reverb, or TWEED, its model of a Fender Bassman 4x10 combo. Gain 50, Bass 45, Middle 60, Treble 55, Presence 45. For more bite, VO DRIVE models the drive sound of a VOX AC-30TB, the type BOSS suggests for sixties British rock.
- Gain 50
- Bass 45
- Middle 60
- Treble 55
- Presence 45
Classic rock
MS1959 I+II, BOSS's model of a Marshall 1959 with both inputs linked, which it says has a stronger low end than Input I on its own. MS1959 I is the brighter one, suited to hard rock in BOSS's words. Gain 60, Bass 50, Middle 65, Treble 60, Presence 50. Keep the mids up: rock guitar sits in the midrange, and scooping it is the usual reason a patch sounds thin next to a band. For a solo, add a booster rather than more Gain.
- Gain 60
- Bass 50
- Middle 65
- Treble 60
- Presence 50
Metal
R-FIER MDN, which BOSS bases on the Channel 2 Modern mode of a MESA/Boogie Dual Rectifier, or 5150 DRV, the lead channel of a Peavey EVH 5150. Gain 80, Bass 55, Middle 45, Treble 60, Presence 50. Turn the NS (noise suppressor) on and raise its Threshold only until the hiss between chords goes: BOSS warns that a high Threshold can cut the sound when you play with the guitar's volume down. For tighter palm mutes, put T-SCREAM in the OD/DS section (BOSS: a model of the Ibanez TS-808) before the preamp with DRIVE low and E.LEVEL up, and take the preamp's Gain down a step.
- Gain 80
- Bass 55
- Middle 45
- Treble 60
- Presence 50
Add T-SCREAM in OD/DS before the preamp for tighter palm mutes.
Lead
Start from the rhythm patch and switch on OD/DS with MID BOOST, which BOSS describes as a booster that gives a sound suited to solos when it sits before the amp. Add DELAY with TIME set to a BPM note value, so it follows the patch's MASTER BPM, and a little REVERB. Then assign CTL1 to LEVEL +10: one press raises the patch volume by 10, so the solo sits above the band without a second patch.
Boss GT-1 specifications
- Released
- 2016
Boss GT-1 questions
What amps are in the Boss GT-1?
27 preamp types. BOSS names the amp behind 19 of them: JC-120 (Roland JC-120), CLEAN TWIN (Fender Twin Reverb), PR CRUNCH (Fender Pro Reverb), TWEED (Fender Bassman 4x10 combo), DxCRUNCH (Fender Deluxe Reverb), VO DRIVE and VO LEAD (VOX AC-30TB), MATCH DRV (Matchless D/C-30), BG LEAD and BG DRIVE (MESA/Boogie), MS1959 I and I+II (Marshall 1959), R-FIER VTG and MDN (MESA/Boogie Dual Rectifier, Channel 2 Vintage and Modern), T-AMP LD (Hughes & Kettner Triamp AMP3), SLDN (Soldano SLO-100), 5150 DRV (Peavey EVH 5150 lead channel), BGNR UB (Bogner Uberschall high-gain channel) and ORNG ROCK (Orange Rockerverb dirty channel). The other eight, such as NATRL CLN, ST CRUNCH, POWER DRV and CORE MTL, are described by their sound rather than by an amp.
What do the preamp controls on the GT-1 do?
Each preamp type has Gain from 0 to 120, Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence from 0 to 100, a Level for the whole preamp, a Bright switch on some types and SP TYPE for the cabinet. BOSS notes that Presence acts as a high-cut filter on some types. SP TYPE ORIGIN uses the speaker of the amp the type models; the other choices run from a 1x8 open-back cabinet to an 8x12 double stack.
Which OUTPUT setting should you use on the GT-1?
Set it once in MENU, OUTPUT, so the GT-1 knows what it is feeding. Into the front of an amp, choose JC-120 for a Roland JC-120, SMALL AMP for a small amp, COMBO AMP for other combos or STACK AMP for a head and cabinet; BOSS adds that some amps sound better on the JC-120 setting. Into an amp's effects return, choose the matching RETURN option, and STACK RETURN for a guitar power amp with a cabinet. LINE/PHONES is for headphones, monitors, a mixer or a recorder, and it is the only setting where the preamp's speaker type applies.
How do you save a patch on the GT-1?
Press EXIT and ENTER together to open WRITE UTILITY, choose WRITE with knob 1 and press ENTER, pick the user patch to save to, then press ENTER to name it and ENTER again to set its category. There are 99 user patches, U01 to U99, and 99 presets, P01 to P99, which cannot be overwritten. An edit you do not save is lost when you switch patch or turn the unit off.
Can the Boss GT-1 run on batteries?
Yes. It takes four AA alkaline batteries, which BOSS rates at about seven hours of continuous use, or a BOSS PSA adaptor. The INPUT jack doubles as the power switch: the unit is on while a guitar cable is plugged in, so unplug it when you stop to save the batteries.
What are the best Boss GT-1 settings for metal?
Start with R-FIER MDN or 5150 DRV, Gain 80 of 120, Bass 55, Middle 45, Treble 60 and Presence 50, with the noise suppressor on and T-SCREAM before the preamp. These are starting points rather than BOSS's numbers. If it fizzes, lower Gain first and Treble second.
When did the Boss GT-1 come out?
BOSS announced it on 9 September 2016, as a compact unit with the GT-series engine, more than 100 effect types and a street price of $199.
How do you build a patch on the Boss GT-1?
Pick the amp model first, then set its controls, then add the blocks in signal-chain order: drive before the amp, time and modulation after it. A patch built the other way around ends up compensating for the wrong stage. Tonelify returns the model, the order and the parameters together.
Does Tonelify support the Boss GT-1?
Yes. Name it in the tone matcher along with the song you are chasing and the settings come back adapted to it. Gear does not need to be in the catalog for a match to run.
Sources
Panel, specifications and dates checked against these on .