If you visited guitar stores in the '90s, you almost certainly plugged into multi-effect processors like the Yamaha GW10. Who needs a whole pedalboard when you can have a quirky hunk of plastic with lights, switches, and a wah-wah pedal? For a couple of years, multi-effect processors were all the rage.
Nowadays, pedals like the GW10 provide the obvious '90s nostalgia, but they can also be a lot of fun for exploring sounds. Sure, the digital possibilities available today are endless, but there's something refreshing about the simplicity of the GW10. It's a Saturday afternoon in a box.
When you break it down, the GW10 essentially lets you run up to three different effects simultaneously, and then you have, real‑time control of various parameters on each effect. Basically, there are three blocks of effects to choose from: Distortion, Chorus, and Delay. Within each block, you can switch between effect types, and then the three knobs can be used to adjust three parameters on each effect. From there, you can save up to 20 presets of various configurations.
That might sound complicated, but it really isn't. You'll get the hang of it fast. When you add the wah/volume control into the mix (and other cool stuff like a stereo output and onboard noise gate), there's a wide range of sounds in a package way more accessible than an interface and some plugin you downloaded.
This 1994 Yamaha GW10 shows some cosmetic wear and tear, but it functions 100% as it should and includes its original power supply. This old '90s relic might be more fun you'll want to admit. We promise we won't tell your friends you traded your Klon for a GW10!