Boss ME-90 vs GX-100: Which Multi-Effects Pedal Is Right for You?
The Boss ME-90 and GX-100 are both excellent multi-effects units aimed at different players. We compare workflow, editing depth and features so you can pick the right one.
Boss makes two of the best multi-effects units on the market, and they are aimed at quite different players. The ME-90 is built for people who think like a pedalboard. The GX-100 is built for people who want to programme.
Boss ME-90: the pedalboard you already understand
The ME-90 lays its controls out like a board of stompboxes. Eight footswitches, dedicated knobs for each effect section, and no menus to wade through. If you have ever used a pedalboard, you can use the ME-90 in five minutes.
- Eight footswitches with stompbox-style switching
- Two expression pedals
- A full set of amp characters plus a large effects library drawn from classic Boss pedals
- USB audio interface built in for recording - no interface required
- Runs on batteries as well as a power supply
That last point matters more than it sounds. Being able to throw it in a bag with a tuner and a cable, with no power supply, is genuinely useful.
Boss GX-100: the deep end
The GX-100 gives you a colour touchscreen and far greater editing depth. Amp models, cabinet models and effects can be placed anywhere in the chain and moved around visually. If you want to build specific tones rather than select from presets, this is the one.
- Colour touchscreen with drag-and-drop signal chain editing
- A larger library of amp models and effects than the ME-90
- Bluetooth built in - no adapter needed
- USB audio interface with more routing flexibility
Which one to buy
Buy the ME-90 if you gig regularly, want to switch effects without looking down at a screen, and prefer knobs to menus.
Buy the GX-100 if you enjoy programming, want the widest range of amps and effects, and want visual control over your signal chain.
Neither is better. They suit different ways of working, and both sound excellent - the difference is the workflow, not the audio quality.
If you play bass
The Boss ME-90B is the bass version of the ME-90: same stompbox layout and workflow, with amp models and effects voiced for bass guitar. Bass players have historically been underserved by multi-effects, and this one is worth a look.
Shop Boss multi-effects at OneStopMusic
- Boss ME-90 Guitar Multi-effects Pedal
- Boss GX-100 Guitar Multi-effects Pedal
- Boss ME-90B Bass Multi-effects Processor
Browse the full range of Boss products.
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