The Zoom G1u is a multi-effects pedal for guitar, part of Zoom's long-running line of compact multi-effects units that also includes models like the Zoom G1, Zoom G1on and Zoom G1X FOUR. Zoom classifies it under its guitar multi-effects range, and its support pages remain on the maker's site1.
What it does
As a multi-effects unit, the G1u gathers a range of guitar effects into one pedal, so a player can cover several bases, from drive to time-based effects, without a board of individual stompboxes. Zoom's own support pages for the G1u are still published1.
What the sounds are actually like is best left to the people who reviewed it. MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen found plenty to work with2:
"The actual sounds in the G1u cover a massive variety of musical styles and are all very usable"
That breadth matters for a player choosing an entry-level multi-effects: the presets are meant to be played, not just auditioned. Curwen's review also noted the price at the time, "all for just £99", which placed it firmly in the budget bracket2.
Build and where it sits in Zoom's range
The G1u is plastic-bodied. In a later MusicRadar review of the Zoom G2Nu and Zoom G2.1Nu, Trevor Curwen put that in context3:
"Some Zoom pedals, such as the plastic-bodied G1U, may have seemed a touch fragile for serious stage use"
That comment frames the G1u as a unit better suited to practice and home use than to heavy touring, and it is part of why Zoom's later models in the line moved up in build. Players wanting more from the same maker can look at the Zoom G3Xn, Zoom G5n or Zoom G11 further up the range, or the Zoom G1Xon as a closer sibling3.
Videos
Marián Marko testy LMSK
Marián Marko testy LMSK
Gearfacts
Sources (3)
- | ZOOM, Zoom
- Zoom G1u review, MusicRadar, 2009-10-19
- Zoom G2Nu/G2.1Nu review, MusicRadar, 2010-09-22
