Plug-and-play high-quality synth and instrument sounds for your guitar.

The Roland GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer with GK-3 Divided Pickup is the ultimate MIDI pedal for guitars. Ever wanted to thicken up your guitar sound with a warm synth pad? Or how about a screaming lead sound that puts you in front? The GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer makes playing high-quality synthesizer and instrument sounds from your guitar as simple as 1-2-3. First, attach the included GK-3 Divided Pickup to your steel-stringed electric (no drilling necessary). Second, select the type of sound you want using the Bank knob. Third, choose a sound variation using the Number/Value dial and start playing. With the GR-20, it's easy to tap into the power of guitar synthesis.

Guitar Synth or Compact Pedal?

With the GR-20, it feels like both. Selecting a sound is like choosing an effect. First, select a sound category using the Bank knob. Categories include Strings/Orchestral, Wind, Brass, Bass/Guitar, Organ/Keyboard, Piano, Synth/Lead, Voice/Pad, Ethnic, and Rhythm/Percussion. Now you can select individual sounds using the Number/Value dial.

Roland's Finest Sounds with Exceptional Tracking

At the heart of the GR-20 is an advanced sound engine based on Roland's professional synthesizers. Sounds can be played with up to 48-voice polyphony for full, rich-sounding patches. And the sounds are equally impressive. From expressive string ensembles to spiritual tabla loops coupled with sitar-all with adjustable attack and release. Sophisticated DSP makes the GR-20's pitch detection ultrareliable, so you can strum with confidence.

Take Your Guitar Playing Further

Want to create a sound that's all your own? Try blending the natural sound of your guitar pickups with the GR-20. Thankfully, the GK-3 Divided Pickup makes this easy via a larger and smoother knob. Imagine playing chords and then slowly fading in a swirling, breathy pad to create intensity. Or how about playing a distorted lead on your guitar with a thick synth lead sound? Now take this a step further with the GR-20's Patch Link function. It allows you to easily assign GR-20 patches to match effect patches in MIDI-capable processors such as the BOSS GT-6.

Includes the GK-3 Divided Pickup

When you buy a GR-20, you also get a GK-3 Divided Pickup and GK cable in the box. In other words, everything you need to start playing synth sounds is included! The GK-3 is 30% thinner than its predecessor, and it now uses a 1/4" jack for normal guitar input. The pickup includes an adjustable curve design to keep an even distance between the strings for better response (the pickup cable length is also adjustable). Owners of LP-type guitars can install the GK-3 pickup safely using a special attachment plate included in the box.

Roland GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer with GK-3 Divided Pickup Features:

• Affordable guitar synthesizer with new sounds, easy interface, and GK-3 pickup
• Easy to use: select a sound category (Strings, Organ, Synth, etc.) and play!
• Quick editing via Attack, Release, Chorus, and Delay/Reverb knobs
• Digital pitch detection for lightning-fast tracking
• Includes Roland's latest sounds like sax, strings, flute, brass, bass and percussion loops
• Includes an adjustable curve design and pickup cable length, plus an attachment plate for Les Paul guitars
• Patch Link enables easy connection with MIDI-capable multi-effects such as the GT-6

The fattest rhythm sounds, with leads full of sting-or how about a synth string section doubling your riffs? It's all possible. Order the GR-20 now.

Roland GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer with GK-3 Divided Pickup

Write A Review

Average of 39 User Ratings

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Customer Reviews

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Fantastic!

Posted by Strat Project Studio from Eldon Missouri on Jul 2, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: project studio- 30+ years guitarist

Reviewer's Play Style: eclectic- jazz, rock, alternative, ambient

It took me about an hour to install the pickup and control on my Stratocaster, and almost needed no adjustment. I didn't even have to take the strings off, just drilled the pilot holes and installed the screws per instructions and I was good to go. After plugging in and hooking up, I was immediately able to use the unit, very user-friendly, and the volume/expression pedal is nice- there are so many features on this that I haven't had time to demo them all, but some very nice sounds.

I immediately did some recording to put this thing through the paces, and over all my finding is that it tracks very well, misses very few notes even on 'machine-gun' staccato-type leads (provided you are using the lead-type voices, that is) and have noticed very few 'artifacts' (digital synth transients) mentioned as 'normal operation' by the user manual- just keep your axe in tune, and you will not be dissapointed. I did not notice any extraneous 'hiss' that another reviewer complained about, but I hooked up through an analog mixer straight into my computer sound-card, and any engineer will tell you an analog source will require SOME noise-reduction in the post-processing. The manual does mention that placing the unit near RF signals will likely introduce noise, so maybe that reviewer had it in a bad location.

I love the 'mix' feature, where I can have my original guitar sound simultaneous with the gr synth, because I can use my Crybaby Wah pedal to add an extra 'zing' to the sound.

The only reason this does not get an overall '5' is the contruction of the pedal is not really 'road-worthy', although I would not say it is as flimsy as others have described it- it's good enough for my project studio, which is where it will stay for the time-being.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

A lot of fun...

Posted by Gibson Schmibson from Clearwater on Jun 25, 2009

Experience w/product: I have heard about it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Anything guitar

I received my GR20 yesterday (sad day for everyone else but me!) and I love it. It took about an hour and a half to put it together and get started and for the most part it was pretty simple. I definitely those who said they had a problem. Take your time and follow directions (except you really don’t have to take the strings off with the double sided tape) and with just a bit of luck you should be fine. The trick is to get the p/u as close to the strings as possible. Anyway, I played with this for six hours last night and overall I rate it very good. Tracking is good (not perfect) and most of the sounds are reasonable realistic (too many to break down and talk about). I would rate this more than a toy but not quite something that you would want to seriously play live with (although I have a friend who does, so there you go) but somewhere in between. Great for recording and worth the money, I don’t regret this purchase. Make sure this does not get delivered on a work night!

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Workable but could be better

Posted by MusicMan 101 from Columbia, SC on Jun 1, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Active professional musician

Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, Country, Worship, Blues

I've had the Roland GR-20 for a few months now, and have used it extensively on stage. Just a few comments: 1. Construction is cheap, lightweight plastic, hardly suitable for a unit this expensive. It has, however, held together so far, and I guard it carefully. There have been a small number of electronic glitches, such as the time the unit wouldn't recognize my second string and blocked the sound (I eventually fixed that more or less by accident). 2. Some patches (many keyboard, strings, synth, voice, percussion) are quite good. The brass, however, produces horrible sounds very much like the cheapest synths available 20 years ago. The same is true for some woodwind patches (e.g., Wind ensemble). 3. Very easy to use, with some experience and reading the manual. However, remember to calibrate your touch and string balance, following the manual. Those who have trouble with tracking I suspect have never read the manual and did not follow the explicit directions there (GK SEN). I have found tracking to be fast and accurate (although you're never going to get a pipe organ patch to play "Flight of the Bumblebee"). And in spite of the simplicity of use, Roland made a mistake, IMHO, in assigning numbers to the various patches instead of names (on the unit itself): do you know what "ORGAN/KB 20 is? Of course not, you need the manual to tell you (it's a fine cathedral organ patch). So don't lose that handbook. Overall, I would buy this unit again if mine got stepped on by an elephant (a.k.a. one of our acoustic guitar players), but I would be glad to see significant improvement in contruction and sound quality overall.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

great synthesizer

Posted by oltimerguitarplayer from corsicana tx on Dec 10, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: N/A

Reviewer's Play Style: gospel

i bought one these about 2 yrs ago and it has really been a big help to me. it has really good piano sounds and strings as well however after playing it for a few weeks while moving around playing there maybe a short somewhere in the gk itself makes a buzzing noise but overall it has been great i would reccomend it to a friend.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

GREAT RHYTHM DEVICE BUT DON'T PLAY TOO FAST!

Posted by Lucky Larry from Los Angeles on Sep 21, 2008

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Former pro musician, band director,

Reviewer's Play Style: All styles- really!

I've had this for about 6 months now and as the bassist in my band, decided to take it out since our keyboardist quit. I bought a Roland PK-5A midi bass pedal controller so now instead of a 3 piece on all our stuff, I'll double on bass pedals and throw in some realistic sounding keyboard sounds. I'm not really jazzed about the acoustic piano sound, but the Fender Rhodes sound is dead on- think of Billy Joel's- "Just the Way You Are". An awesome FARFISA organ, too. Think- DOORS. I even bet that if I read the instruction book, I could do a lot more with it, but for now, I need to perfect the basics now that I'm multitasking. The other guys in the band are impressed with the sounds.

View more product reviews »

If you would like to write a review, please see our product review guidelines.

Roland GR-20 Guitar Synthesizer with GK-3 Divided Pickup

Read 39 Reviews