 |
Introduction to the Roland G-303:
If there is one guitar that has become the "gold standard" of guitar synthesizers, it has to be the Roland G-303 guitar. No doubt much of the popularity of the G-303 comes from Pat Metheny, who has played this guitar year after year on stages across the world, always amazing audiences with the moving and emotional quality of the G-303 and GR-300 rig.
There is another reason why the G-303 is so popular: it is just a really great guitar. There is no learning curve to the G-303, no time required to "get acquainted," this is a guitar you want to play as soon as you put your hands on it. In Los Angeles I have seen many jazz players using the G-303 plugged straight into a Polytone amp, just for the sound and playability of this great axe. In terms of sophistication of design and electronics, the weighty Ibanez IMG2010 comes out way ahead of the G-303, but like the Roland G-707, the IMG2010 is a bit of an acquired taste, and its curious body design means that the Ibanez IMG2010 is virtually impossible to play sitting down without a guitar strap!
The other vintage controllers, the G-202 and G-505, are well-built, fine guitars. But they cannot escape the feel of being really well made Fender copies, no matter how nice they are. The G-303 has a sibling, the G-808. The more expensive G-808 has through-neck construction and other nice features, like gold hardware.
There are some ideas as to why the more expensive, classier G-808 never quite took off with the same following as the G-303. Aside from the fact that Pat Metheny is not dragging a G-808 out every night, the G-808 guitar seems slightly neck heavy when compared to the G-303. Also, vintage guitar synth guru Rich Hilleman has suggested that the through-neck design of the G-808 adds to the resonance of the guitar, making the G-808 less suitable as a synth controller. I have tested and played both guitars, and can not say that I was able to detect a difference.
 |
The Pat Metheny Group performing this year at the Montreaux Jazz Festival.
Pat Metheny can play any guitar he wants, but for 25 years he has stayed with the G-303. The neck is easy and comfortable, the action is great, and it exhibits an even, excellent sonic performance across the range of the guitar. |
Details: Front of Guitar
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
Details: Back of Guitar
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
Details of Guitar Control Overlay:
|
|
|
|
|
Rare White G-303:
|
|
|
|
|
||
Origin of the Roland Guitars:
|
It is often reported that the Roland guitars and the Ibanez IMG2010 guitar were built by the Japanese guitar builder Fuji Gen Gakki. The name "Fuji" comes from Japanese icon, Mount Fuji. "Gen" means stringed, and "Gakki" means musical instrument. Fuji Gen Gakki built a lot of guitars, for a lot of people, including Greco Guitars. Greco Guitars were sold almost exclusively in Japan. Fuji Gen Gakki also built guitars for Ibanez, Fender, Fender/Squire, Yamaha, and of course Roland.
Contractors could provide their own designs to Fuji Gen Gakki, but often they would consult with the Fuji Gen Gakki engineers, and make modifications of existing designs. This explains the similar designs and features of Roland and Ibanez guitars of the same era. The 1981 Greco Catalogue shows every Roland guitar synth product in production at that time. The Roland G-808 is a modified version of the Greco GO1000. These Greco guitars are excellent, top-of-the-line instruments. In case you are wondering, it has been suggested that the "GR" at the top of every Roland guitar actually stands for Greco-Roland. |
|
Roland G-303 Guitar and the NED Synclavier:
|
Always the guitar synth pioneer, Pat Metheny added the New England Digital Synclavier system to his sonic arsenal in the early eighties. Many tracks on Offramp feature both the sound of the Synclavier, as programmed by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, plus the fresh, distinctive sound of the Roland GR-300.
The advertisement at left, from the September 1983 edition of Guitar Player shows the Roland G-303 modified with a Synclavier remote control panel. Pat later had one of his own G-303s modified with the Synclavier panel permanently attached. It is not clear how often Pat actually used the $100,000 Synclavier system live in concert. I have seen Pat play his Synclavier-modified G-303, and the only thing I could hear was the Roland GR-300! The photo to the right is a picture of Pat using a very early Synclavier guitar controller at the Montreal Jazz festival in 1982. Click on the photo and you can see a YouTube video of Pat playing "Going Ahead," using this super-rare guitar synth controller! |
|
Roland G-303 NED Synclavier Magazine Advertising:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Have you wondered what year your Roland controller was built? I located some excellent information on dating guitars produced by Fuji Gen Gakki.
This is from an ebay page called Ibanez Does Not Make Every Japanese Electric Guitar "Guitars made at FujiGen from about 1976 through 1985 use a signature serial numbering system. All Ibanez-branded guitars from 1976-1985 use it, as do Grecos and the other Hoshino-associated brands I discuss below. This serial number system makes it very easy to date the guitar. The serial number is made up of a letter followed by six numerals, for example, B781234. The letter corresponds to the month of the year (A = January, B = February, etc.) and the first two numbers correspond to the year (in the example I give, 78 stands for 1978). There are newer serial number schemes for later years, but they get complicated and I'm not going to go into them now." Later Roland controllers uses a metal plate attached to the headstock with serial numbers only, and no letters. |
|
Video Sample of the G-303 and GR-300:
 |
|
| Brief video clip from the early nineties. Classic Pat Metheny shredding with the Roland G-303 and GR-300. | |
 |
|
| The VG-99 does an outstanding simulation of the classic Roland GR-300. I used an Ibanez IMG2010 with a BX-13 V3 with the VG-99. CV#1 controls volume, and CV#2 controls filter cutoff. The mode switch works just like the GR-300 mode switch! Up for synth, down for hex guitar, and middle for hex plus synth guitar. | |
 |
|
| This demo shows a Warmoth Strat with internal GK-3 hardware. The VG-99 delivers perfect GR-300 tones. The modified S1/S2 toggle switch on the guitar works just like the GR-300 mode switch! Up for synth, down for hex guitar, and middle for hex plus synth guitar. | |
 |
|
| While Pat Metheny always plays a Roland G-303 controller, the distinctive sound of Pat’s guitar synthesizer can be generated with any Roland vintage G-series controller and a GR-300 synthesizer. This is a sample of a G-707 driving a GR-300, recorded through a Yamaha 01V mixer with delay and reverb added. | |
 |
|
| This video is a quick introduction to the sounds and features of the G-303 and GR-300. Hear samples of each of the humbucking pickups, hex fuzz, synth sounds and various other features like LFO Touch pads and Filter Modulation. The video clip was recorded with the GR-300 output going through a Yamaha 01V to add delay and reverb. | |
 |
|
| G-303/GR-300 player Leo Garcia posted a video to YouTube of a live gig, playing his rare white G-303 guitar. This is a great opportunity to hear a wonderful player using his G-303 dry and clean, with no effects. Leo reports he loves the direct sound of the G-303. You can also visit Leo at his MySpace page. | |
 |
|
| G-303/GR-300 player Neff Irizarry posted a video to YouTube of his gig at the Copenhagen Jazz House. In case you miss it - Neff is also playing a white Roland G-303 controller. This is a great clip that highlights Neff’s inspired and fluid melodic style. | |
 |
|
| Analogger created some great vintage Roland synth videos on YouTube. Click on the picture to see a downloadable QuickTime clip, created by Analogger, or go to YouTube to see the original. | |
 |
|
| Analogger also created this entertaining video with voltage-controlled filter modulation, posted on YouTube. Click on the picture to see a downloadable QuickTime clip, created by Analogger, or go to YouTube to see the original. |
Download the Roland GR-300/G-303/G-808 Service Manual
