earth or for the common guitarist to
purchase (off the rack), an effects switching
system as advanced as the ES-8.
So what is so special about the Boss ES-8
that has me comparing it to a spacecraft?
In short, everything.
In its simplest use, you can think of the
ES-8 as a programmable switcher and
router for up to nine effects. The first six
loops on the ES-8 are mono—meaning one
connection in and one connection out.
Loop seven is mono in and stereo out. This
connection is perfect for the first stereo
pedal in your chain. I placed a stereo delay
pedal in this loop. Loop eight is stereo in
and stereo out. Here I switched between a
stereo chorus pedal and a stereo reverb.
After loop eight, you have a send and
return for a volume pedal. After that comes
your stereo outputs, and then finally there
is a jack for connecting a tuner. These are
the building blocks for the ES-8. With these
30
TONE TALK //
connections made, you can use the buttons
labeled 1-8 to switch your individual effects
on and off. And you have the added
convenience of a mute switch—perfect for
silent tuning or preventing noise when
switching between various guitars.
ANY WAY YOU WANT IT
The true beauty of the ES-8 is that it can
be as simple or as complex as you want it
to be.
I have no doubt that there will be numerous
guitarists that use only the functionality
outlined above. And you know what? They
are still getting a bargain. You have a great
analog-through tone, and a simple and
elegant switching system with well-placed
and great feeling switches.
For guitarists willing to dig a little deeper,
the ES-8 offers some pretty impressive
switching and routing options with just a
little further tweaking. The next logical step
Unleashing the Power of the Boss ES-8