When playing live, versatility is key. Whether covering a wide range of styles, switching between electric and acoustic tones, or using alternate tunings, traditional setups often require multiple instruments and time-consuming adjustments. The BOSS VG-800 V-Guitar Processor revolutionizes live performance by putting an entire guitar/bass collection, custom tunings, amps, and dynamic effects into a single pedal—all controlled from one instrument equipped with a GK-series Divided Pickup. Compact yet incredibly powerful, the VG-800 delivers instant sound changes, ultra-realistic modeling, and advanced performance features. In this article, we’ll explore how the BOSS V-Guitar System can streamline your setup and expand your creative possibilities onstage.
Beyond the Conventional
There are plenty of choices when it comes to guitar effects and all-in-one direct amp/cab solutions, from individual BOSS compact pedals right up to the flagship GT-1000 Guitar Effects Processor. All work with a standard electric guitar and deliver excellent results.
However, the guitar you play also greatly impacts the sound. Playing the same riff on a Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul, or an acoustic guitar with a pickup system will produce distinctly different tones despite using the same rig and settings. Consequently, playing in a covers band or writing songs in very different styles could mean taking two or more guitars to a gig. Then there are players who use alternate tunings for specific songs, which often equates to either more guitars or spending time retuning between songs.
Roland’s revolutionary V-Guitar processors were developed to solve such issues. The series launched in 1995 with the Roland VG-8 V-Guitar System and has been continuously developed. This groundbreaking unit, along with the VG-8EX (1998), VG-88 (2000), V-Bass (2002), VG-99 (2007), and VB-99 (2008), was designed for use with Roland GK-series Divided Pickups. These user-installable devices are divided into discrete parts that sense individual string signals for separate output to the V-Guitar unit. This grants players access to sounds and techniques beyond the reach of conventional guitar pickups that merge all string signals into one output.
"A key difference between V-Guitar modelers and conventional amp/effects modelers is that V-Guitar also allows musicians to recreate the sounds of different instruments."
Powerful Capabilities—Essential Tools
A key difference between V-Guitar modelers and conventional amp/effects modelers is that V-Guitar also allows musicians to recreate the sounds of different instruments. Additionally, individual strings can be pitched up or down to create alternate tunings. All the above units were highly advanced at the time of their release. Despite their larger form factors, such powerful capabilities made them essential tools for many players.
Fast forward to 2025, and BOSS picks up the V-Guitar story with the far more compact and advanced VG-800 V-Guitar Processor. This user-friendly pedal is designed to work directly with instruments equipped with the next-generation Serial GK digital pickups, including the GK-5 Divided Pickup for guitar and GK-5B Divided Pickup for bass. The VG-800 can also be used with older 13-pin analog GK-series pickups by connecting a BOSS GKC-AD GK Converter. This converts the analog output of a 13-pin GK pickup to the digital Serial GK protocol used by the VG-800 and GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer.
A Virtual Guitar Store
That’s the background, so what does the VG-800 V-Guitar Processor offer the live player? The VG-800 is like a virtual guitar store with all the guitars, alternate tunings, effects, and amplifiers you could wish for in a single pedal. It offers unparalleled flexibility, adapting to your workflow and musical style—all while using just one instrument.
The VG-800 can store multiple presets, including the type of guitar, pickup position, individual string tunings, effects, and amp/speaker sounds. There’s even acoustic guitar modeling, so if you need an acoustic 12-string for one song followed by a baritone humbucker electric guitar for the next, you can have it.
Need a capo for the next song? No problem. Just save a patch with the required tunings, and you have a virtual capo. The convenience of alternate tunings is particularly relevant if you play a guitar with a floating vibrato bridge. As many players know only too well, attempting to retune conventionally (even to something as simple as a drop D) often means the other five strings go out of tune. Again, no problem with the VG-800 V-Guitar Processor.
"The VG-800 can store multiple presets, including the type of guitar, pickup selection, individual string tunings, effects, and amp/speaker sounds."
Array of Options
The effects section is extremely well-stocked. In addition to all the essentials, you’ll find classics like the BOSS Slow Gear effect, ring modulation, pitch shifting, and more. There’s even a factory preset that enables players to perform B-Bender-style techniques via the CTL 1 footswitch on the top panel. The V-Guitar Processor also offers unique synth-like sounds, organ emulations, and hybrid instruments that aren’t possible to achieve using a conventional guitar pickup.
The patch up/down footswitches on the VG-800 allow you to flip between sounds mid-song quickly. But what if you want to use the natural sound of your own guitar for some songs? The VG-800 has that covered with an input for standard pickups that can be used as an alternative to the modeled guitar sound or combined with it. If you record your music, the VG-800’s ability to output MIDI data to play software instruments might also be of interest. In another article, we’ll explore how the VG-800 can be used live in conjunction with synthesizers.
Optimize Sound for Any Situation
When setting up your rig, the flexible V-Guitar Processor can be plugged directly into a flat response PA speaker, the return jack of your amplifier’s effect loop, or the amp’s regular input. There are settings to optimize the sound for any of these situations. If you have an amp you love just as it is, then simply bypass the VG-800’s amp modeling section. Similarly, the VG-800 can provide all your guitar effects, or you can use it in combination with external pedals via its stereo send/return jacks.
You can assign a range of functions to the switches on the top panel and to expression pedals or footswitches connected to the CTL 2, 3/EXP 1 and CTL 4, 5/EXP 2 jacks on the rear panel. This enables real-time command over essential parameters such as wah-wah, pitch glide, and volume. Once you’ve experienced the flexibility and convenience of the BOSS V-Guitar System, you’ll wonder how you ever managed to play gigs without it.
