Guitarists and bassists are in a golden age of guitar synthesizer and V-Guitar technology. Driven by the new high-performance BOSS Serial GK digital interface, the GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer and VG-800 V-Guitar Processor offer game-changing choices for players who want to expand their sonic horizons with a GK-series Divided Pickup. Bringing a virtual studio’s worth of sound to the pedalboard with the BOSS V-Guitar System, there’s never been a better time to dive into this bottomless well of inspiration.
Transformative Creative Power
Unveiled in 2023, the next-generation Serial GK digital interface utilizes a familiar quarter-inch TRS connection. Bespoke BOSS Serial GK cables (BGK series) are available for stable and accurate operation. The earlier analog interface employed a bulkier 13-pin connection, while the latest GK Divided Pickup connector housing sports a more compact, low-profile design. Easy to install temporarily or permanently by the user, a GK-5 (guitar) or GK-5B (bass) Divided Pickup is all that’s required to access the transformative creative power of the GM-800 and VG-800.
Fitting a GK Divided Pickup to your instrument could be one of the best moves you’ll ever make as a musician. Fitting a new pickup may seem like a small step, but it’s a giant leap into a new realm of creative possibilities. You’ll discover unprecedented levels of musical freedom, reimagining the boundaries of your instrument while unlocking sounds that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.
What’s a Divided Pickup?
Divided Pickups are a special type of pickup for guitar or bass. They enable users to operate Roland and BOSS guitar synthesizers and/or V-Guitar processors fully. Unlike a standard pickup assembly that merges all instrument string signals into one output, a Divided Pickup is divided into discrete parts that capture a separate signal for each string. It then outputs them separately to the guitar synth/V-Guitar unit for processing.
It’s important to note that, unlike a regular pickup, a GK Divided Pickup isn’t designed to produce sound directly. Rather, it’s a link between your instrument and the synth or V-Guitar processor it’s plugged into. There are countless ways to take advantage of this cutting-edge technology, with sounds ranging from complete custom guitar rigs to classic synthesizers, orchestral instruments, percussion, sound effects, and more. It’s a realm of sound creation limited only by your imagination.
"Used with the VG-800, for example, the GK-5 Divided Pickup enables precise reproduction of numerous pickup sounds and positions, including Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul Standard, and more."
Used with the VG-800, for example, the GK-5 Divided Pickup enables precise reproduction of numerous pickup sounds and positions, including Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul Standard, and more. The GK-5 also facilitates individual string pitch shifting to create customizable alternate tunings while keeping your guitar tuned to standard pitch. What’s more, there’s no lag or latency. For this reason, some guitarists who require multiple alternate tunings to perform, like Joni Mitchell, have relied on the ease and flexibility of Divided Pickups for decades.
How are Divided Pickups installed?
The cutting-edge GK-5 and GK-5B Divided Pickups are easily installed by the user, either permanently using screws or temporarily using adhesive pads. Shipped with the Divided Pickup, these options mean players can dedicate an instrument to guitar synth and/or V-Guitar as required. There are also Divided Pickup installation kits featuring expanded fingertip controls for immaculate customization of six-string guitars, seven-string guitars, and four-, five-, or six-string basses. We recommend consulting a skilled luthier or tech when it comes to installing a Divided Pickup Kit.
What are Hex pickups and MIDI pickups?
As most guitars have six strings, Divided Pickups are also commonly referred to as hex pickups. While “hex pickup” is generally accepted jargon (at least with respect to Divided Pickups for six-string guitars), the term “MIDI pickup” is a misnomer. This is because GK Divided Pickups do not output MIDI data and never have.
However, Divided Pickups have been utilized for pitch-to-MIDI conversion by various processors since the GK series was launched in the mid-1980s, and this was highlighted from the outset. Today’s GM-800 and VG-800 units both feature pitch-to-MIDI functionality for playing external MIDI instruments via USB or a MIDI cable.
"There are Divided Pickup installation kits featuring expanded fingertip controls for immaculate customization of six-string guitars, seven-string guitars, and four-, five-, or six-string basses."
When did GK Divided Pickups come out?
The first model in the Roland/BOSS GK Divided Pickup series, the GK-1 Synthesizer Driver, was released in 1986. As the name implies, it drove Roland’s innovative line of GR Guitar Synthesizers.
Highlighting its other main application, the GK-1 was prominently marketed alongside the Roland GM-70 Guitar-MIDI Converter. The GM-70 converted GK-1 string signals into MIDI messages. It then transmitted them to units that produced sound, like those in Roland’s MIDI Sound Module series, such as the MKS-20 Digital Piano and MKS-70 Polyphonic Synthesizer Super JX.
When did Divided Pickups first appear on guitars?
Prior to the launch of the GK series in 1986, customers purchased dedicated instruments with factory-fitted Divided Pickups. The first guitar synthesizer, the GR-500 Paraphonic Guitar Synthesizer unit, appeared in 1977 and was paired with the GS-500 Guitar Controller instrument.
In 1980, the esteemed Japanese instrument manufacturer Fujigen continued its partnership with Roland, producing a range of Guitar Controllers. Models like the G-303, G-808, G-202, and G-505 provided guitarists with further options, while bassists were offered the G-33 and G-88 controllers.
What were the first user-installable Divided Pickups?
While Guitar Controllers were widely available, Roland soon realized that offering user-installable Divided Pickups would allow more customers to access this revolutionary technology. Subsequently, in 1983, Roland released the STK-1 GR Guitar Controller Assembly. Famously used by Mark Knopfler, this lesser-known retrofit product was intended for Stratocaster-style guitars and comprised electronic components present in the Roland G-707 Guitar Controller—the partner instrument of 1984’s groundbreaking GR-700 Guitar Synthesizer used by Jimmy Page.
A similar version designed for use with Les Paul-style guitars, the LPK-1 GR Guitar Controller Assembly, also appeared in 1983. The LPK-1 contained electronic components derived from the Roland/Fujigen G-303 and G-808 Guitar Controllers mentioned above. Gibson was so impressed at the time that they later manufactured Les Pauls containing LPK-1 components (as used by Steve Howe) as well as Explorers.
A bass version, the BAK-1 GR Guitar Controller Assembly, appeared in 1985. Its design was shared with the G-77 Bass Guitar Controller instrument, which was released the same year to accompany the GR-77B Bass Guitar Synthesizer. The STK-1, LPK-1, and BAK-1 were important precursors to today’s GK Divided Pickup series. Decades later, BOSS strives to meet the demands of forward-thinking contemporary musicians while upholding Roland’s mission to collectively “design the future.”
The Evolution of GK Divided Pickups
1986’s GK-1 Synthesizer Driver employed a relatively large, rectangular 24-pin analog connection. The same format had been in use since Roland’s debut GR-500/GS-500 system was launched in 1977. When the sleeker, rounded 13-pin analog format was introduced with the GK-2 Synthesizer Driver in 1988, it set a new industry standard.
Today, Roland continues to offer 13-pin analog products alongside Serial GK digital products, including the GK-3 and GK-3B Divided Pickups, which first appeared in 2004. The GK-KIT-GT3 Divided Pickup Kit was released the same year. To ensure seamless forward and backward compatibility between 13-pin and Serial GK gear, BOSS offers the GKC-AD GK Converter (analog to digital) and GKC-DA GK Converter (digital to analog).
"Roland created waves in the music world the following year with the introduction of the VG-8 V-Guitar System—the first guitar modeling processor of its type."
1988’s GK-2 was intended for use with Roland’s GR-50 Guitar Synthesizer rackmount unit, which was released the same year. For the benefit of existing customers, Roland created the BC-13 Bus Converter. This enabled older 24-pin products like the GK-1 Synthesizer Driver and G-series Guitar Controllers (G-707, G-202, G-303, G-505, and G-808) to be used with the GR-50.
In 1994, the GK-2A Divided Pickup introduced a slimmer and, therefore, more practical form factor. The GK-2A-KIT was made available later in 1997. While 1994’s GR-09 Guitar Synthesizer floor unit made guitar synths relatively affordable, Roland created waves in the music world the following year with the introduction of the VG-8 V-Guitar System—the first guitar modeling processor of its type.
Low-End Action
The first dedicated bass GK-series Divided Pickup, the GK-2B, was unveiled in 2002, along with its equivalent install kit, the GK-KIT-BG. At the same time, bass players were treated to Roland’s extraordinary V-Bass system, offering advanced modeling for four-, five-, and six-string players. The GK-3B Divided Pickup arrived just two years later, followed by the GK-KIT-BG3 install kit in 2005.
Three decades after its 1995 inception, BOSS carried the torch of the innovative V-Guitar line forward for guitarists and bassists with 2025’s pedalboard-friendly VG-800 V-Guitar Processor, which features dedicated guitar and bass modes. In the same vein, the next-generation GM-800 guitar and bass synthesizer uses the Serial GK interface to offer musicians unrivaled performance utilizing the advanced ZEN-Core sound engine derived from flagship Roland synthesizers.
Click here for more information on the history of GK systems and V-Guitar.
q and a
Sound on Sound Executive Editor and guitar synth/V-Guitar expert Paul White offers answers to some of the most common questions on GK Divided Pickups.
Do GK Divided Pickups have something to do with MIDI?
No. Although the GK pickups are used to drive Roland and BOSS guitar synthesizers and V-Guitar processors (which may themselves have MIDI functionality), the pickup itself simply functions as a link between the guitar and the synth or V-Guitar unit to provide separate signals from each string.
What does a GK Divided Pickup sound like?
Because of its location very close to the bridge, the unprocessed sound from a GK pickup is not particularly useful. However, when processed via a modeler like the VG-800 V-Guitar Processor, it can be transformed into the sound of many different types of pickup or pickup combinations where the guitar being modeled permits.
Do I have to modify my guitar or drill holes in it to mount a GK Divided Pickup?
You have the choice of permanent mounting using screws or fixing with the included adhesive strips (with various thickness shims to get the right string clearance) so that installation is completely reversible. The GK-5 also comes with a mounting plate designed to work with Gibson-style bridges and a robust mount for the connector box that clamps to the guitar body and is held firm by the strap button.
Kit versions are available for permanent installation on six-string guitars, seven-string guitars, and four-, five-, or six-string basses. An experienced luthier would normally fit these, as more advanced skills such as wood routing may be required for successful installation.
Can Roland and BOSS guitar synths and V-Guitar units work using a standard guitar pickup?
Some guitar synthesizers can. For example, the BOSS SY-1 and SY-200 Synthesizers work with a standard guitar pickup. You can also use a regular guitar pickup to take advantage of various effects and amp modeling with units like the flagship GT-1000 Guitar Effects Processor.
However, using a Divided Pickup with more sophisticated synths and V-Guitar processors like the GM-800 and VG-800 separates the signal from each string, which has numerous advantages, such as faster and more accurate pitch tracking. Divided Pickups also enable accurate pickup and instrument modeling, along with the ability to apply different pitch shifts to individual strings for alternate tunings and 12-string emulations.
Are all the different GK Divided Pickup models interchangeable?
13-pin analog Divided Pickups from the GK-2 onwards can be used with any Roland/BOSS product that requires a 13-pin input. The latest Serial GK (GK-5 and GK-5B Divided Pickups) employ a digital interface and are, therefore, not directly compatible with 13-pin products.
However, the good news is that BOSS supplies converter units to translate between the two formats. The GKC-DA GK Converter allows the GK-5/B to interface with analog 13-pin BOSS and Roland devices, while the BOSS GKC-AD GK converts the output of a 13-pin GK pickup to the new digital Serial GK format.
