Ok heres the dealio. I've got a birthday coming up (and Christmas shortly following) and I'm going to ask for funding towards something...but what?

Here are some of the options I have considered:
Boss GT-8
ENGL E530 Pre amp

Feel free to comment on these options or suggest new options.

I would get the Ibanez, but that's me. That model is pretty sweet,... neck-thru, edge trem, lots of goodies.

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Get whatever you need most, first?

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If I were you, i'd get the gt-8. But thats just my preference. What exodus said

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+1 for the gt-8. That thing is amazing

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I agree

well you obviously want to get my RR i'm selling

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Well you see I don't really 'need' any of them. Its just that all of these things are looking mighty good to me right now (especially that RR ) and I'm trying to find reasons why I should pick one over the other.

Everybody back off, that bitch (guitar) is MINE! In 2 or 3 days

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word. you've got mail, btw.

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I bought the Ibanez RGT42DX about 1 month and a half ago. Couldn't be happier. Sold a guitar I owned for 9 years to get all the funds I needed for it. Definately a sweet , Sweet guitar. I say go for it.

You're bad

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well go by this.

What do you think would help diversify your setup/make your send better most?

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Well right now I guess I've narrowed it down to the Ibanez and the GT-8 but Its like comparing apples and oranges so to speak. I mean both would be fun to mess around with. Guitar wise I don't have anything against my guitars aside from the fact that the action is uncomfortably high but I can't seem to find the right size of allen wrench to adjust that. I've also got somewhat decent tone right now but its very 1 dimensional. I've got a decent distortion but I don't have anything with a decent clean tone. I just like alot of the unique things that the gt-8 brings to the table.

well get the gt-8 then. It is possible to use your amps pre-amp in conjuction with the gt-8, and the clean pre-amps on the '8 are amazing.
I have the '6, and it's the best piece of gear I have.

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I think that that's what I'm going to end up getting.

Good choice! If you ever decide to upgrade amps and stuff, the gt-8 will still prove useful with a tube amp w/ effects loop. Also, the direct to PA "if all else fails" possibility is a plus, if you gig and run into some amp trouble. As I have learnt, the learning curve on this thing is steep, but within a month you should have a good hold on it and all of its features. If you have the chance to get it, don't pass it up- it will complement any other gear you happen to have.

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I'm with the guys suggesting the GT-8. I don't have one (just a shitty Digitech) but I know others that do and they love it.

Or you could get yourself a line 6 pod xt pro. Those are pretty bitchin in my book

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Yea I tried out the GT-8 last night with the RG and I'm definately getting the GT-8 I would get it just for the harmonizer but I also liked all of the sorta wacky novelty type stuff like the synth guitar and the auto riff(it sounded like the future ). And the rotory sounded cool. Much better than my RP-200

Haha I know how you feel. That's exactly what I have. Except my expression pedal is broken, so half the effects don't work because the EP controls volume. Plus I can't really play much with a whammy or wah effect. It was a shitty EP in the first place, but damn it's the reason I bought the 200 over the lesser models.

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Yea on mine the expression pedal still "works" its just that it was sqeaking really bad so i loosened it and now its way too loose but when i tighten it just a little it squeaks again. Neither of the stomp pedals work. and last but not least it just plain sounds like shit.

Yeah that's how mine was before it went to shit. Really annoying when you're playing at lower volumes. And yeah I forgot to mention my left stomp pedal is fucked up...sometimes it just sticks and will cycle through everything backwards. That was the biggest waste of cash I've spent on guitar gear. Even my piece of shit Slammer, which cost less than the pedal. I saw the ads in Guitar World for the GNX pedals from Digitech and I wanted one so bad but all I could afford was the RP-200, so I got it. Huge mistake. That GT-8 looks/sounds sweet as hell though.

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Me too but I got mine when I was first starting out so it was all so novelty to me.

Same here. Anything sounded better than playing straight through my little Randall 25-watt combo amp. Well, actually, I had the guitar a year or so before I got an amp so I plugged into my sisters cheap-ass karaoke system which was really just a shitty combo amp with a mic input and a tape deck...man I hated that shit.

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I was just on rocksolidamps and I realised that it isn't ridiculously pricey for the E530 proamps so one more option would be an ENGL E530 Preamp. So its either the ENGL or the GT-8.

e530.

get the ENGL... no wait, GET BOTH!

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How close could the GT-8 get me to an ENGL type tone?

I can get both prety frostbitten grim and br00t4l sounds out of my '6, but it's rather hard to make it model somthing specificly, like an ENGl. After tweaking a bit, I can usualy come up with something I like, tough I never got to nail something exactly like something else.

I guess that could be the same with the '8.

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But you can get a nice brutal tone out of it though? I hate being so indecisive.

Just go the ENGL.Then save up for a decent poweramp and get a rack going.

thats what I'm considering but the GT-8 has all those nifty effects and the dual amp modelling.

Modelling?Nothing beats the real thing,and even eventually you can get a better rackmount effects unit.

well at least u werent playing out of a radio.
what i did was have those tape things for cd players to play in the casettes. then i had my guitar on in, on my pedal. and i had the casette thing on out, hooked in this shitty as radio probably about as big as a moniter. ohh well, we all got start out somewhere. thats the lowest i have gone yet

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get both u rich bastard. but if u have to choose between them, i say the gt-8. that thing is amazing

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I wish I could afford both. But I can't and yea I'm thinking I'm gonna have to go with the GT-8 here. I went back to the shop and got someone to show me some of the cool stuff on it and i'm convinced that thats what I should get. Plus if I get the ENGL it'll involve excange rates and shipping and before I know it its probably going to end up being like $750. Down the line I may get one though.

Well, i have the 530 and it's served me well.


But if you need the effects RIGHT AWAY get the GT. It's like all in one, you just need a poweramp/speaker or a combo.


The 530 has DAMN good distortion tones, but you'll need a poweramp, rack case, power conditioner, and (if you want them) effects processor. So in the end you'd spend more on the rack system. I was comfortable with that and went that way. (and in April my Ran comes...HOORAY!)


but yeah. If you want good base tones and dont mind spending some cash on a rack (+ midi footcontroller!) then go 530.

If you want some decent distortions and kick-ass effects and tweakability, get the Gt-8. personally, from what i've heard, I like my 530's distortion better than any of the GT models...but that's me.

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Yea I just want something decent for the money and the GT-8 seems pretty cool. And like you said its gonna cost me quite a bit more to get a rack set up. Eventually I'll look into it but probably not for a while.