KORG ToneWorks G1 demo (HQ audio, no post-processing)

[@JakeANowhereMan]

Thanks for the upload. I just read an ad for it in Guitar world 95. Very cool.

[@NecroPolo]

Yep it's almost 30 years old. I got it in 1995 and it ended up to be my longest running guitar gear. It still works and still delivers, sounding absolutely amazing through contemporary amp/cab sims.

[@JakeANowhereMan]

Don't tell me that. Now I gotta get one. Thanks again for the upload.@@NecroPolo

[@NecroPolo]

@@JakeANowhereMan You're welcome, mate (y) Some faulty switches may occur, but it's 30 years old so it is something like an old car considering care & maintenance. Also, its factory power supply may not be in the best shape after all those years. I got a non-functional KORG A4 I got for almost free that was for bass I guess but I don't know, it was never switched on. I salvage switches and stuff from that unit. Apart from that, after a general maintenance check, the G1 tends to run for years with no problems.

[@jamesalfano5740]

Mines is still working fine since '95'. You can get infinite tone variations by adjusting the tone and contour controls. Theyre interactive. Also have the korg foot controler for the wah functions.This pedal is great for late night low volume practicing and has tons of gain for onstage use. Thanks for the demo.

[@NecroPolo]

You're welcome mate. Yep mine is the same, got in '95 and is still going strong. This unit was way ahead of its time. There was an entire decade when I used this one exclusively to record solos in the studio because of its snappy attack and fluency right out of the box. I think it was model 3, just the line out and a filter + gentle compression, functioned like an amp/cab sim these days, but it was a decade before usable amp/cab sims existed.

[@paoloblaquera-guitarist461]

Awesome! I still have mine too! Still kicks ass after all these years. Cheers!

[@NecroPolo]

I still love my G1, too. Cheers mate!

[@johntrinder3987]

I used one of those in the last half of the 1990s plugged directly into my Yamaha Mt50 4 track and always got compliments for my guitar sound. Also had a G3 , but I mostly ran the vocals through that one.

[@NecroPolo]

I think G1 was way ahead of its time. Voc recording is some interesting use of G3 but now that you're telling me this I can clearly recall recording various things (vocals, drum one-shots and so on) through a Boss ME5, using its compressor as a sort of leveller. Cooking with what you have sort of thing I guess :)

[@benjamint8611]

I bought one earlier this year. Ordered it from Japan. Brand new in the box... Just put a new set of .60--.13 strings tuned down to A got the ESP rigged with 81/85 actives. HEAVY!!

[@NecroPolo]

Could you find a New-Old-Stock version, after 30 years or so? Wow. A great find, especially if you like '90s / early 2000's heavy guitar sounds. It's all there, especially if you use it with an amp or an cab sim / IR. About longevity, the switches will probably tend to stammer after 10 years of use so you may have to replace them but apart from that, it is a typical "Japanese car", ridiculously reliable. Damn, even the original PSU works since 1995 :D

[@louisbonilla6780]

@@NecroPolo Bought mine in '95 still has eyebleeding presets - Love it for practice!🎸

[@NecroPolo]

@@louisbonilla6780 We got this around the same year as far as it seems. I'm still using it. The same 9 presets actually that I set during the first hour of operation. Those presets ended up on so many recordings where I was involved in the last 30 years. So, G1 is my longest running high gain guitar gear as far as it seems, pre-dating tube heads, wah pedals or anything. Only two of my gutars are older. And myself, of course :D

[@louisbonilla6780]

@@NecroPolo Still have the VP-10 Wah Wah that works with the G1 - Killer Wah Wah effect and the largest foot pedal I've ever seen🎸

[@NecroPolo]

@@louisbonilla6780 I can remember the VP-10. Nephews used it as an aircraft carreer for their toy planes. That's been quite a sizeable device :D I always had a Cry Baby so I just used in front of the G1 just like it was a high gain preamp. Well, as for the present trends go, it was a high gain preamp. Sonically, so much ahead of its time.

[@geckobaldy]

Great Demo. I also have one. I must find it again!

[@NecroPolo]

It saved tha day countless times for me during recording sessions. Great idea to dust it off!

[@hgostos]

I had one that I loved dearly.

[@NecroPolo]

I still use mine for recording here and there. Doesn't sound outdated to me.

[@Gizmowerks]

Man, Brings back memories! I bought mine from Musician’s Friend catalogue when there wasn’t a 100$ in the world. I think I traded it for a 4 track tape deck.

[@NecroPolo]

Man, 4 track decks were all the rage back then :) I can remember, it was something like a Tascam porta-whatever wonderful rickety piece of kit that recorded (and occassionally chewed up) sooooo many demos during the '90s :)

[@aguswahyudiipink3751]

thank man, now iam buy one, great tight the little unit but have a giant tone!!!

[@NecroPolo]

You're welcome friend. Crank it up!

[@DogsharkGPS]

I had one of these when I was about 13. Wish I'd have kept it.

[@NecroPolo]

That's been good stuff. It covered such a wide array of music styles, sort of swiss army tool for high-gain tones.

[@alexandrebovo6192]

Was my first drive pedal, in ninety's

[@NecroPolo]

I got this in '95, too. It absolutely stood the test of time for me. I often use it to track guitars straight away with cab sims and these wet tracks go to the albums, too.

[@bernardogui3933]

sounds very good!!

[@NecroPolo]

A great little unit, especially with a dedicated external cab sim. Considering that it is a 1994 design, I think it was way ahead of its time.

[@shredmaster1049]

This is the pedal Dimebag recorded the floods outro solo on 😢

[@NecroPolo]

Surely, and probably other bits'n'pieces on the album here and there. In an interview he said he liked the feeling of certain demo tracks better than the rig tracks that was assembled for the album so in many cases they just put the demo tracks into the mix. As for me, despite being a Pantera fan around the time when I got it and it was '95, it is a complete coincidence that I got this pedal. There was a band competition and it was a prize that we had for place #3 among other stuff that gone, long ago. I kept this one. During the last 30 years this little pedal was my main guitar pre/drive unit for solos and many times rhythm and it's still going strong. Amazing piece of gear with its own character. It's a pity that KORG doesn't make something like this anymore.

[@blakkno666]

Still got mine.. not used for years but still works. Yep, built to last. We had an onstage water fight at a gig in the pedal was full of water and still working!

[@NecroPolo]

:D Guess what, around its golden days I had waterproof wrap-around coating on my G1 to prevent if from onstage drinks splashing. Crazy '90s :)

[@onzkicg]

Cam sounds are good! Nice, brings back the 90’s! If I see a cheap G3, I should prefer that over G1?

[@NecroPolo]

Sure, these are all about the '90s. If you are an amp guy, you will like the G1 more because it has more drive types and just a simple optional delay. If you are an effect guy you will like the G3 more as it has less drive types and more FX, it is a simple and effective multi FX unit.

[@benjamint8611]

The G-3 is a multieffects unit while the G-1 is geared for Distortion. It does have its own delay but the G3 has added more effects. Flanger, Chorus and a compressor. G3 is more bang for the buck if you dig effects or a more processed sound

[@demonlust75]

I wonder if KORG still works on these beauties

[@WackorMiki]

Their latest floorboard technology was re-badged as VOX Valvetronix around 2000-something (KORG owns Vox) and the VOX units were pretty good IMO. Probably it survived even in the newer VOX modelling amps. As far as it seems, the whole AX floorboard line retired to two tiny budget VOX Stomplab pedals. I have no idea how they measure to this or the AX3000G as I've never played one. I guess it is a reaction of the changing market. Folks seem to go Line6 or above, beginners keep it really cheap. So, unless KORG decides to invest an ample of effort into some sort of a modelling pedal that kicks the ass of the present market favourites, these two VOX Stomplabs all what remained. About the G1, it was so way ahead of its time. KORG released a lot of units around the time and despite that some were good, others weren't that good. The texture of the G1 is pretty special. If used with a modern cab sim it can easily kick major ass during reamping.

[@onzkicg]

Dude, do you mind sharing the amphere of adapter? I know already it’s 9V. I purchased one but have no adapter. Thanks!

[@NecroPolo]

Why wouldn't I, mate? Mine says KORG A9600E that is the European 230V/50Hz model. Specs displayed as 9VDC 600mA 5.4VA. This is the factory PSU that was in the pack in 1995 when I received it. I think I've seen a replacement somewhere online last year or so. The performance dropped during the last 20+ years, it pumps out 8.5V only but it works just fine. Quite oddly, other 9V pedals are quite noisy with it. Sometimes I use the G1 with a Sony AC-L10A PSU that is 8.4V 1.5A to record because it has a much better AC input filter. I don't know if this Sony fits the unit in factory form or not as the output connector has been replaced with a compatible 3mm plug to fit 9V center-negative guitar pedals and multi effects. I hope that helps. Crank it up man!

[@onzkicg]

NecroPolo Helped a lot, thanks very much for the time and quick reply! I’m excited to try mine soon. I downloaded a pdf manual too and just finished reading, and surprisingly to see the specifications at end of page lol 😂 there listed is the official current rating is 400ma. I’m glad that I have a wall adapter (from my Zoom G3) that is very similar specs as yours.. thanks for giving me confidence. Have a good day mate!

[@NecroPolo]

@@onzkicg You're welcome mate. Give it hell! :)

[@rudyombou4138]

I wonder if it could attach with wah² ?

[@NecroPolo]

Feel free to do it. I used it with different Dunlop wahs back in time, just like: guitar - wah - G1. It has some sort of EXT controller but I have never used that way.

[@bustanorms2028]

Korg drive sound is goodl like analog

[@NecroPolo]

I really like it, too. I think this one was way ahead of its time.

[@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip]

No one has mentioned Duke Nukem? Sick cover.

[@NecroPolo]

Thanks in the name of shrinked DN3D pig cops. Maybe it's a generation thing. Maybe guys who can remember this unit don't play games. I do :)

[@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip]

@@NecroPolo Im 29, didnt actually play DN3D growing up but wanted to, I knew about it as a kid, grew up and love boomer shooters and Civvie 11, but also death metal, and apparently Suffocation recorded Pierced From Within with this and a Marshall 8100.

[@NecroPolo]

@@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip Guess what, I still have a burned out 8080 around somewhere in the house. I think we recorded the first Wackor album with that and I used it onstage before switching to a 2500 SL-X / 4x12". C11, cool channel. Lots of good insights. As a gamer I spend more time with never stuff but also like old things. Despite that I'm genX, technically I think I am a boomer :)

[@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip]

@@NecroPolo Oh was that the 80 watt version? Very cool, and you are not a boomer, we just call em boomer shooters haha, check out dusk amid evil and ion fury.

[@NecroPolo]

@@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip Yep, the 80W one. No one liked it back in time but I always believed it sounds amazing for metal. Considering age I may not be a boomer but I'm still around my late '40s. It is funny to see more and more "aww I'm too old for that" things around :) Thanks for the game recommendations, I'll be checking them out. I'm collecting review material for my gaming channel NPlay64 anyway.

[@jamesjavier8410]

The only thing i hate with this pedal is that the volume drops once you change patch. Other than that this tank is bad enough to be used as a weapon for battery.

[@NecroPolo]

Not that seamless transition, for sure. Back in time I can recall songs where riffs were constructed to have the last 8th silent where all the switching could happen :D

[@borntraitor289]

i got one back in the day coz i kept seeing that J Yuenger ad imgur.com/a/ixImlec

[@NecroPolo]

I can remember that ad from a Guitar World mag.