ROLAND SYNT GR-300 with original Guitar Roland GR-505 EX+++ code Va757
1980s Roland GR-300 and G-505 Analog Synth Guitar Controller complete with an NOS Roland C-24G 24-feet 24-pin cable.The guitar is made in Japan by Fujigen / Greco for Roland The controller is compatible with Roland 24-pin guitar synths including the GR300, one of the best tracking guitar synths available to this day - a Mini Moog for the guitar that features a super clean hex fuzz that can cut thru any mix. Made famous by Robert Fripp, Pat Metheny, Eric Clapton, Andy Summers, Neal Schon, etc. If you've been looking for one of these, here's a good one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BZfEZBtmYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BUgJ3UZWHA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdBNrgU1pAM
http://www.joness.com/gr300/G-505.html
Introduction to the Roland G-505:
Guitar players who love the feel of a Fender guitar but wanted to explore
synthesis were immediately taken with the Roland G-505. The G-505 has classic
Fender lines with a satisfyingly chunky maple neck bolted to a lightweight ash
body. The majority of the guitars shipped with traditional all maple necks and
fretboard, but there was also a rosewood option. In addition to accessing the
world of vintage 24-pin synthesis, the three single coil pickups did a great job
of capturing the wide range of Fender strat sounds as well.
Adrain Belew
Adrian Belew and various Roland G-505s
The fact that the G-505 is such a great representation of Fender stylings should
come as no surprise to those aware of the history of the guitar's builder: the
Fujigen Gakki factory had experience making quality Japanese Fender clones, and
for years this same factory built Fender guitars for sale in the Japanese
market.
Perhaps because there are such a wide range of after market products for Fender
guitars, the G-505 has the distinction as the most modified vintage Roland
guitar. While the original Roland tremolo works fine, and has the range and
tuning stability of a typical Fender guitar, quite a few of the guitars you find
for sale on ebay have the original tremolo system upgraded with a Kahler or
Floyd Rose trem.
Roland Japan: G-505/GR-300
Click to enlarge
Pickup changes are also very common. Given that this guitar was sold in the
eighties, it seems that many players were also tempted to replace the bridge
pickup with humbucker. And a new neck on the G-505 was only four bolts away!
While the G-505 generally stays faithful to the Fender aesthetic, there is one
interesting change: the passive volume and tone controls use 500K pots. Single
coil pickups, like those in the G-505, are almost always wired with 250K pots.
The 250K pots make for a warmer guitar tone, and tame some of the brightness
associated with single coil pickups. But the G-505 shares the same electronics
card design as the Roland G-303 and G-808, guitars with humbucking pickups. So
the G-505 inherited 500K components in place of the traditional 250K parts.
I have mentioned this curiosity to G-505 players when working on their guitars,
but most everyone has told me they love the sound of the G-505, and would not
want to make any changes that might effect the tone. And this is a good idea,
since like all the vintage Roland guitars, the master volume control is a dual
50K/500K pot, to control both active synthesizer level and passive guitar signal.
This part is difficult to replace, though Warwick does include this part in
their catalog.
guitarist and synthesizer player Barry Coates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S55g1BC-1lI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuATUYOwE_I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1sVN-HCUYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb6RwLIKfxk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYq7QzE2Ip