Johnny Marr’s Roland GR-50 Guitar Synth

In the early ’90s, Marr used a Roland GR-50 guitar synth while playing with The The. When he joined the band, he realized he’d need a lot more equipment than he’d used with The Smiths, as he was expected to replicate some of the intricate, effects-heavy sounds that The The had already recorded. At that time, Marr’s rig became significantly more complex. Alongside this synth, he used stuff like the TC 2290, the H3000 Harmonizer, and a Roland GP-8 Guitar Effects Processor.

However, it’s unclear to what extent Marr actually used the synth, as he stated in a 1990 interview with Guitar Player that, at that point, he had yet to use the effect live.

I haven’t used my Roland GR-50 guitar synthesizer on-stage yet, but I’m planning to. The controller is a GK-2.

Johnny Marr, Guitar Player magazine, January 1990