The BOSS GX-1 and GX-1B are the new entry point into the GX family — cheaper, simpler multi-effects units for guitarists and bass players that keep the features you actually want while cutting a few corners to hit the price. In this guide I break down where they sit in the range, what you get on each version, and who each one is really for, so you can decide whether it belongs on your board.
Where the GX-1 sits in the range
The GX series already had the GX-10 and GX-100 — the flagship and mid-range processors, both with touchscreens and full-colour screens that dragged BOSS into a proper new generation. The GX-1 is the entry-level model beneath them, aimed at beginners or anyone buying their first multi-effects unit. It comes in at $229, or £219 in the UK, which I think is reasonable for what it does.
The two versions: GX-1 and GX-1B
There are two units. The GX-1 is for electric guitar and comes in dark grey. The GX-1B is for bass and comes in a sky-blue, light-blue finish. The colour scheme is a little confusing, because BOSS normally uses blue for their synth-style products like the SY-1000, but here the blue one is the bass model. The key difference is under the hood: the GX-1B carries amp models built for bass, while the GX-1 handles your lead and rhythm tones.
What you gain and lose without the touchscreen
The UI has been simplified. You don't get the touchscreen — that's one of the reasons it's cheaper — but you do still get the full-colour display, which is a good size and easy to navigate. Everything runs off the old-school encoder-knob menu system that traditional BOSS products use, working through the system menus and sub-menus. If you've owned a BOSS pedal before it'll feel familiar, and honestly it doesn't slow you down. It's a world away from the tiny black-and-white screens that feel ancient.
The colour-coded effect buttons
On the front there are buttons that light up in different colours, each assigned to an effects block in your chain. They're RGB and clearly labelled, so a beginner doesn't have to dive into the screen and work out how the whole chain is laid out. If you want delay, you turn the delay on; if you don't, you turn it off. The colour coding makes it obvious at a glance what's active and what's disabled. They act as quick-trigger buttons, so you can switch things on and off without deep-diving into menus.
The snapshot feature
There's a new snapshot feature for saving the current state of the effects blocks you have loaded. If you've dialled in a particular delay sound, you can save it and then recall it instantly on other patches, quickly and simply. It's a fast way to carry a tone you like across multiple presets.
How many amps and effects you get
The GX-1 comes with 23 amps and 140 effects. The bass version, the GX-1B, comes with 16 amplifiers and 135 effects, with cab simulators and amp-head models suited to the instrument. For context, the more expensive GX-10 has 32 amplifier types and 170 effects, and the GX-100 has even more, catering for both guitarists and bass players in one unit.
Connections, power and using it as an interface
The back panel is deliberately simple: one input jack, a stereo output, and a headphone out on a standard quarter-inch jack, so you don't need any adapters. There's no dedicated MIDI. For external control you get an expression and footswitch output, so you can add a second footswitch or an extra expression pedal for wah — there's already a volume pedal built in. BOSS has moved to USB Type-C, which is faster and also handles power delivery. This is a battery-operated unit, so it runs with no power source at all, but you can also power it over USB bus power from your computer — and when it's plugged in that way it doubles as an audio interface for home recording or practising to backing tracks.
Footswitches, toppers and the expression pedal
There are three footswitches on the front, and they come with pedal toppers that give a bit more surface area. You can also buy those toppers separately — handy if you own something like an RC-600 or RC-500 loop pedal and can't stand the tiny stock footswitches. There's an expression pedal too, used for wah or volume and for triggering the tuner depending on the preset you've loaded, and you can customise it to suit. Different pedal modes let you get the most out of those three footswitches, and you can reassign them to trigger different effects blocks or bring in extra control pedals.
Bluetooth and the BOSS editor
The unit supports Bluetooth, so you can connect a laptop or phone and edit all your patches in the BOSS editor. If you'd rather not work off the small screen, you can tweak your tone, craft your presets on your computer or mobile, and save them straight to the pedal.
Presets on board
In classic BOSS fashion there are 99 factory presets out of the box and 99 user presets for you to customise, save and reorganise however you like.
Who each unit is for
For around $200 I think this is good value for the quality of amp models and effects inside. I use the GX-10 myself, largely for its smaller form factor, and the GX-1 shrinks that down even further while keeping the core features you actually want. The battery operation is the standout — it's one of the very few multi-effects units that runs off a battery, which makes it genuinely portable. And if you do run it from a supply, it only needs 9 volts, not 12 or anything larger, so a tiny power supply will do and it slots easily onto a pedalboard.
Tip: If you buy the GX-1 to record, you don't need a separate power supply on your desk — plug it into your computer over USB Type-C and it runs on bus power while acting as your audio interface.