I play in a Classic Rock cover band almost every weekend for many years and still doing so and I use my Boss ME 50 exclusively. Such an underrated piece of gear.
Totally agree my friend, I'd forgotten how good the Me-50 could sound through a good amp. Setup has never been easier and no more trying to track down a dodgy patch cable. Good luck with your band and keep on rocking. 🤟
@@dallastoto3189 the trick to this if you're doing a lot of toe tapping at a gig is to write the patch numbers down next to each song on the set list I don't even have the footswitch with mine and manage by hitting the bank buttons if I need to, it has an awesome "ready" function where you can be at one preset patch, say, a clean chorus for an intro, you can cycle through to the bank number you need for your next sound and the pedal will just sit there flashing the bank number, waiting for you to pick which of the 3 patches in that bank you want to use. When you're ready, kick the button for the patch you want and it switches you straight to it. It also has a function that allows you to copy patches across to other banks should you want a Sound at B1P3 to also be available in B6P2 for example. Sorry for how wordy this was, just thought you'd be interested :)
You know what's the best part about the ME50? Its the simplicity. No complicated Ui to set everything up. Its basically 3 stomp box and a wah. No complication just set and play. Not packed with thousands of effects but it all has everything you will ever need playing live.
Thanks for honoring my favourite pedal! It is timeless with great sounds. The only deficit is, for live purpose, to switch between the 10 banks by hand. So 3 presets should be carefully edited.
Hi Stefan. Great little unit for sure, which I used to use mostly in 'Manual' mode when using it live. The switch lag in 'Preset' mode is the only thing really that let's it down, (well, that and the lack of an fx loop). Thanks for the comments.
Thanks Graeme, it's a great piece of retro kit. I know a lot of folks don't like the overdrives/distortions on the ME-50, but all I know is they sound fantastic through my Marshall and Laney amps. Much easier to transport than a large pedal board too.
Excellent informative video. I got one of these used for £100 for my bandmate to bring along to rehearsal room just to control his and sweeten sound a bit better direct into valve amps. I have my main pedal board with boutique pedals on it. Now, my pedals cost about £1500 - and they are great - but I've used this ME-50 into my valve amps and it is fantastic for doing all the essentials just right. Such a great design - for using direct into an amp old school. I wouldn't use it for recording, that's a different thing. And I just use mild effects I let the guitars and excellent amps do their thing, this is just for classic rock effects. It doesn't sound fake either it just sounds good into an amp. The key thing is, if you don't need amp sims modelling and lots of patches, and want no fuss, this is what to get. And you can get one for tiny money. Highly recommended for what it is designed to do.
Thank you my friend for the comments. As I'm pretty much retired and no longer play live, I cannot justify spending £000's on tons of pedals - this little unit does pretty much everything I need - even if I did go out gigging again. As you say it sounds great through a good amp. 👍
I had one of these when they first came out. Then I went down the full modelling route with a Variax and Pod XT Live and then Tone-X Yada yada. But a couple of years ago, I realised I wasn’t playing live regularly anymore and when I did it was often with a small drum kit and PA. So. I pulled out the ME-50, plugged it into my Blackstar 1 watt amp (the one without reverb) and rediscovered the beauty of a simple setup. Knobs for everything, no endless choices of heads, amps and cabs and juts about everything I needed and no more. Ok, I’ve ended up adding my Sansamp (the original one with the DIP switches) because I like what it does to my Les Paul, even into an amp (which is not what it was meant for) and I’m in heaven. The only extra I would like is maybe another delay pedal but I can make do with using the ME-50’s delay and using the modulation with the slowest mod speed to get close to the very subtle slapback/doubling effect I use on almost everything and the main delay for when I want longer delays. I’m trying to get my ‘sound’ without the sansamp (maybe I should retry the top left shaping feature which I usually leave off?) so I only have an amp, the Me-50 and a guitar. That would be truly perfect. The Me-50 is a great little box, it sounds great (which is a baseline) but the manual workflow is just so good. All the benefits of pedals and knobs but no power juggling, no failing connector cables and wonderfully light. I’d recommend something similar for anyone who has a nice guitar, a reasonable valve amp and just wants to play, not just beginners. I have a gig coming up, I might bring the Variax and tone-x for acoustic sounds, or maybe, and just hear me out here, I might just bring my Washburn acoustic-electric!
Hi Julian and thanks for your great comments. No options overload with the old ME-50, it's just very 'hands on' in Manual mode. The preset memory mode switching delay is a bit crud, but this was fixed on the later units, (ME-80 / 90 etc).
I used to play in a thrash metal band, using an ME-50 through a Marshall 8080. Once amplified through the system it was simply unbelievable how well it sounded. And being broke I used an Epiphone. Just goes to show that if you have a good engineer that knows what he's doing and half decent gear you can move fucking mountains.
Wow, a Marshall 8080 - I used one years back with a Marshall JMP-1, it sounded mega. You are right about having a good engineer, they can work miracles those guys at times.
Hi there Mel, thanks for your video and all the work you put into it - despite your wife's problems. I've been using my old ME-50 since it first came out many years ago - and I still think it's great! I did try out the ME-70 for a while, but the ME-50 sounded more direct and crisp, so the ME-70 had to go again. The compressor section and the noise gate are really effective, I also love the 4 reverbs as well as the delay section, as an old Brian May fan (Brighton Rock, etc) the long delays really make me happy. What I like the most is that this pedal is "controllable" - no menues or submenues to get lost in, just tweak the knobs and get going. Yes, newer pedals may have lots of advantages and possibilities, but I'm just an old bloke wanting a bit of spontaneous fun with my guitars. And home recording with the ME-50 is no problem if you use a multitrack recorder (I use a Zoom R8) or any other another decent interface. All in all: with all the distortion effects, modulation effects, a great delay section, pedal (volume & wah, etc.) control, a noise gate, a good compressor and a few other bits & pieces make up a really good multieffect pedal, even after all these years. And built like a tank...... 🙂
Hi Paul and thanks for sharing. It's a great old bit of kit and personally I think it also sounds better, (at least the distortions), than the ME 80 - though to be fair I haven't spent a great deal of time using an ME-80. Like you say - it does pretty much everything I want it to, it's instantly tweakable and solid & reliable.
Hello and thanks for the comments. The ME-50 is still a great unit and plays nicely with a good tube amp, so I'm not surprised at all that you've received compliments on your tone.
Most people don’t realize that the headphone/line out has amp/cab modeling (no adjustment possible) but in to it. I preferred plugging that end into my normally bright Marshall avt50 combo (or a mixer) when I gigged with this pedal. Nice video! I enjoyed this pedal and used it for a long time. Great simple all in one and the interface is very intuitive
The effects pedal can be a bit unresponsive at times and I agree with the lag between pre-sets, but overall, this is a fair review and I like mine. I use it in concert with Boss stomp boxes too.
Hi Nigel and thanks for your comments. I use the unit in manual mode as much as possible with my dual channel Marshall amp. It takes some careful programming to use in memory mode, so I only use it when I know I have a gap between going from a rhythm to a lead sound etc. Bit of a faff but more convenient than dragging a large pedal board out.
If noise is a concern, this also makes for an excellent "practice amp" since you can select a tone modify mode and plug headphones in without any amp at all.
I really enjoyed watching your video, thank you! I just bought a boss ME-90 and it is great to see that it will probably also still be relevant in 20 years, just like this classic. Keep on rocking! 😊
Some People think that Boss, special this unit you show will be cheap and bad, i have myself bought one of this 11 Years ago for 50 Bucks, and it was in Original Package and Instruction also aviable on the Boss Homepage, and i dont will miss this smart Padel, thx for the Video.
It all depends on actually playing loudly with a band through a valve amp turned up. Sounds odd to say that now but it's how we used to play years ago. Nice video !
Exactly, I still remember going out with one guitar, (Fender Strat), and one 2x12" combo, (Carlsbro Stingray). No pedals, (other than the one that came with the amp to switch channels and the reverb/tremolo effects on/off), and I used that setup for years. Thanks for the comments.
Agreed. The ME-50 is better than the ME-80. ME-50 is easier to use and has more sounds. The later models (70 and 80) have more delay time and a sample facility but the ME-50 is a better all rounder. I had both 50 and 80 - I sold the 80 as it was to big for its own boots and had lesser sounds. Nice video. I just found out how to use the harmony!
For live use in Manual mode the ME-50 is much better than the newer units in my opinion. It falls down when using it in Patch mode and another footswitch or 2 would have made it even better. I have the ME-90 now and it's still great but isn't as easy to use and level match in Manual mode as the ME-50. The Patch mode is much better though on the ME-90 and you have more footswitches to play with - so swings and roundabouts I guess.
Just been programming mine. Now all I've got is a bank number, and I'm trying to remember what's saved in each patch. The new readout screens are useful in that respect. I've bought a Tavsou switcher pedal in order to achieve this. Best thing about it is saving banks for different guitars, eg the ability to drop the master level when you're swapping from a Strat to a Les Paul! Now you can leave the guitar volume all the way up and let the pedal reduce the master volume so that there's no huge spike. Been gigging mine since 2005!
Thanks for your story. Yes the numbers thing is a bit old hat, but Boss still use it on the ME-90. Reminds me of the old days with synths when you had to remember a Bank/Patch number for your sounds. Being able to NAME your patches would be so much better. Still great units though. I don't play live anymore, (can't because of my dead ears), but if I did I would keep my ME-90 in Manual mode and just use it as an effects board now. Cheers.
i used to own one of these back in like 05, def thinking about picking one up again. something about Boss and Roland, their stuff just always sounds great no matter what.
I bought a Boss ME-50 whilst in Florida many years ago (I'm from the UK). I never really got the hang of it, I just toyed with it every now and again. It's up in the loft, hardly ever been used. Might get it out again now I've seen this. Thanks.
Thank you Carter and thanks for the comments. The more I play around with the ME-50 the more I like it. The controls are very responsive on this unit and I think many make the mistake of tweaking them too radically.
Thank you so much for your Help. I´ve been looking for a good Vintage Pedal. I think i buy the ME 50! You made a very good and usefull Demonstration of this Pedal! All the Best for you and your Family! See you next Time.
Great review! This is my all time favorite multi effects unit. You can use the compressor as a booster with the external pedal. . The natural od is really musical with a lot of range. The bottom control on the od is a must, it's the feature that really sets it appart from the other newer ME's. The wah is thick and meaty, more for soloing than rhythm playing. The best ME!!!
Thanks. I agree with you 100% and don't understand why a lot of folks didn't like the OD's on the ME-50. It sounds amazing with not too much effort involved. I find the ME-90 not as intuitive or as easy to get a good sound on the fly in manual mode - it's way better though in many other ways to be fair to Boss. Wish I'd have kept the ME-50 though as well.
I love mine 30 quid also 100 presets no ones mentioned..I find im getting maiden,girlschool,zep sounds really well on this just the ticket when annoying neighbours lol.rock on
You're showing your age there mate 😂. I agree though, this is a brilliant unit for live gigs when you don't want to hump around a large expensive pedal board. Thanks for your comments.
Mel, I don't know if you read comments on older uploads... I'm sorry to read you are almost deaf. I wouldn't have known unless I read that. I'm impressed by your guitar abilities and knowledge. I regulary watch your channel and always learn! Years ago in the late 1980s, I had the Boss ME5. At that time I was young and was deeply impressed by Keith Scott, of Bryan Adams fame... The album: "Into The Fire", has some incredible and iconic guitar tones on it... I just HAD to try and get close, hence the ME5. Ha, it was expensive for a young lad and I worked some awful jobs to get the money... All was good, until one hot summers practice session, I kicked a tall glass of water right onto the unit... Immediately I tried drying it out in the airing cupboard with silica gel packs: DEAD! Collectors device now, but back then it was acclaimed as it contained the core sounds of the seperate Boss pedals. I'm not surprised the ME-50 sounds so good... BOSS have always been legends in effects.Yea you got yourself a real bargain there. Thanks for the channel.
Thank you so much for your kind comments my friend. I did do a video way back where I talked about my deafness and how it affects me guitar wise. I remember the old ME-5, and ouch!, that must have hurt killing off your prized multi-fx. To be honest I never used fx pedals when I first started out, (couldn't afford them), - it was guitar into amp and use the volume control on the guitar, old school :).
Hi Graham and thanks. The Boss ME-50 is still a great unit if you are old school, (like me), and still play through a real amp - it does a lot. Sounds great just straight into my audio interface too using the Line / Phones out.
Great review. I've used the ME-50 for about 4 years for live gigs and the sounds are generally pretty great. The latency lag in preset mode means I only use it in manual, with an external clean boost pedal for solos etc. The only other con I find is that I occasionally I hit 2 pedals at once which switches it either to the tuner (muting the sound) or into preset mode...which can be embarrassing(!). I'm thinking of upgrading to the ME-90 but I'll hang on to this unit anyway.
Hi and thanks. It's still a good sounding unit the me-50. I think hitting 2 pedals together on multi-effects units is probably the biggest drawback, (same on the ME-90). You have to be very fleet footed, (wearing winkle-pickers might help 😁).
@@sgt1959 yes that’s true. Haven’t worn winkle-pickers since the 80s but I can see the advantage so may need to search some op shops. Having large feet doesn’t help.
Does it still have everything you've come to expect from it? Still catch your groove? Still get you rockin' and then some? If yes to any of those then it is still relevant. Whether its the latest cutting edge toy or a favorite old stand-by, if it works for you then that's ALL that matters. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open and it's all good.☮️
The patch modes give you a cool range of options, and you can save your own mods as well. I've found it a great muti-pedal for years. Lately not so much because I use VST, but I'm considering using it for recording again.
Cheers John. I can't get on with the VST amp sims personally, (probably because my pc is old - like me). Having said that I've not spent a lot of time using them, maybe I should play around with them more.
I understand. Even my go to pc is out of date Win7. I've got 10 but all my recorded material was xp up till 2016 and recorded without sims, the Me 50. I still keep the xp running to extract the earlier files for rework, if needed. I don't actually mind amp sims but my problem is there is so much choice that I can't commit for the options still available. With the Me 50, I had to commit and record, warts and all.
Thanks for your post, where you from pal, north west uk, I’m in the same boat but my wife ‘Is’ disabled, I’m her full time carer so I just play when I can 👍
Hi and thanks for your comment. It's a great little unit considering how old it is and such good fun to play around with. All the best and keep rocking that ME-50.
Hi and thanks, I'll pass your message on to my wife. I still love the old Boss ME-50, but I've just upgraded to the new ME-90, (which is stunningly good), so I will be selling mine soon.
There's a world of difference using between the distortions on a clean amp versus one that's on crunch or a little dirty. A bunch of them sound great when combined with a crunch
Great video. I don't use pedals for most gigs but I've a few coming up that need something and I'd be happy to acquire an ME-50 after seeing this. As for the using up the presets, why not take a photo of the settings on your phone if you come across a new sound?
Hi, I did take photos of my settings when I used it live, but that is a good idea to do the same for new sounds to save writing everything out - thank you sir.
Hi, I try to do pretty much the same thing, but I'm a bit clumsy with my feet so a bit hit & miss sometimes. Would have been nice if you were able to set the "minimum" and "maximum" levels of the pedal as on some other units, but hey ho it's still a brilliant piece of kit imho.
Fantastic review...i've had mine for years and years and I learned a bunch here! Made me appreciate the ME-50 even more...going to try it as my modulation / delay section along with with an ordered Tonex. Thanks for the vid! 🙏
Thank you Michael. I was reminded by 'RiffMusic1970' of the Stereo outs too - which I forgot to mention. Some of the effects sound epic in stereo when using both L & R outs. Still a great little unit the old ME-50.
Hi Dan and thanks. I've noticed just recently that the 2nd hand price for these on eBay seems to have gone up quite a bit? I got mine for about £90 and I'm now thinking I got a bargain - great sounding unit.
Yes, you're right, the ME-50 sounds very good indeed. Lately, I've been thinking about getting the ME-80 and wish I could hear these two units side by side. You said nothing about the ME-70.....any thoughts?
Hi Henry and thanks for the comments. I prefer the distortion sounds of the ME-50 over the ME-80, but the ME-80 does have many more features like pre-amps, solo boost, computer interface etc. Not had any experience with the ME-70, but I seem to recall reading that a number of users have had reliability issues with that unit.
@@sgt1959 Thanks for replying. I got an ME-80 and though I've not messed with the distortion yet I am delighted with the clean sounds and effects. I've got a Fender Stringmaster 2x8 lap steel console which I may connect to the ME-80. Looking forward to that. Just need to find the time.
I've kicked mine to death for nigh on 20 years at this point, playing everything from death metal to 80s indie, and most recently surf rock/punk. I wandered early on from time to time trying out various boutique pedals, but I always come back to my ME-50. Nothing (in my view) can touch its perfect combination of tone versatility, ease of use, reliability, and build quality: Gig one for 20 years with people spilling beer all over it, having it fall out of the car during load in, recording multiple albums and EPs of many styles, lending it to people for recording, etc. Then think that you can buy one for sub £100 in some circles. Trust me, it's well worth the price of admission! I truly don't believe it's possible to buy this combination of pros at any price point and not have it ever let you down, ever. (It's survived at least a dozen mains adaptors at this point haha) Thanks, Blue. Here's to 20 more years! What a great demonstration. Really enjoyed this :)
I used my boss me70 for 10+ years, just sold it so I could afford the gt 1000 core, You can never go wrong with any boss unit, Sometimes I even miss the me70 haha
I subscribed and liked and very much enjoyed your video. I read your a music tech If you have time, would you suggest how to tune those old units up. Clean up the agey feedback they get with age. Thank you.
Hi Kelas, yes, it's clocking on a bit the old ME-50, (like me), but I think it still sounds just as good today. The fact that you can pick one up, that still works perfectly over a decade later, is testament to the quality of BOSS products.
Average 2nd hand price is currently around £100 on feebay uk, but you may get lucky and get one for less. Great unit - just sold mine as I've now bought the ME-90.
Hello, I would like to use it as individual pedals. And use the pedal modulations through the effects loop of the amplifier. I want to use the distortion from my tube amp which sounds great. Is this possible with this pedal. ??
Hi William. Unfortunately no - probably the biggest drawback on the ME-50 is that there is no Effect Send / Return loop. It's best used in front of a clean amp. I used it for small pub gigs, mostly in manual mode, through the clean channel of a Marshall DSL 401. That was all I needed and it did the job admirably. Later versions ME-80/90 etc, do have an fx loop, so if that's something you need then I'd go for one of those instead.
Thank you for posting this. Had mine in the attic for 10 years and just dusted it off. Would love to find a place online where specific ME-50 settings are listed that tie to specific bands. This setting will get you a Led Zeppelin sound, this one a VH sound, this one a RUSH sound, etc.. Does that exist?
Hi Mike and thanks for your comments. Wow, 10 years, and I bet it still works doesn't it? I did find this website that has some artist patches for the ME-50 - guitarpatches.com/patches.php?unit=ME50. It might be of use to you.
Hello Bernard and thanks for your comments. The Tone Modify and Compressor on the ME-50 have no dedicated On/Off control on the front panel. Connecting a double footswitch to the Tone Modify / Comp input allows you to control these two effects with your feet, (I think you can also use it to switch banks Up or Down too). I use my Hotone Ampero double footswitch which works perfectly.
Hi Stefan, it was a footswitch I bought for my HoTone Ampero and worked perfectly with the ME-50. Any decent latching dual button footswitch should do the job though - Boss do a couple but they are quite expensive.
Hi, the 2 button footswitch is for my Hotone Ampero but works perfectly with the ME-50. Any 2 button latching footswitch will maybe work and I know that BOSS do one but it's pretty expensive. Good to have though as it allows you to turn the 'Tone Modify' and 'Compressor' effect on & off.
@Stocksbridge Guitar Tech many thanks ,just bought another boss me50 as was going cheap at 60 euros ,think there awsome, am going to try you marshal guv setting with the delay ,sounded great 👍
Not really no, this unit was designed to be used like regular effects pedals straight into the front end of an amp. You could try using the 'Line/Phones' out and that might give you a decent sound depending on the other gear that you are using.
Hi, you press down hard on the expression pedal at the front with your toes to turn it on/off. You also have to select the effect you want to control, (wah, resonance, voice etc), using the 'Pedal Mode Switch'.
Hi Barnaby. Press footswitches 2 & 3 together, that puts the ME-50 into "Memory Mode", (press switches 2 & 3 again to return back to "Manual" mode). Select a BANK using the Tuner Pitch / Bank left & right arrows. Press a single footswitch, (1, 2 or 3), to select a memory location. Edit your sound and when you are ready to save it just press the "Write" button - done.
@@sgt1959 I hope for you love, joy and peace in abundance! On the feedback of the boss me50 unit: I swapped the beringer power supply to where the exterior pin was protruding by design, by about a quarter inch and replaced it with one that finished off flush when inserted and the feed back is gone!! Problem resolved. It is an good working unit, although with the original power supply I was getting nasty clean beautiful distortion. Oh well, just trying to get the desired sound. Blessings! This is Houston, over.
Do not apologize for the late videos when you have a family responsibility. That's come first always!
Thank you man, and of course my wife Linda will always come first for me. 👍
nooo to hell with that, guitar videos first!!! infact take the guitar to bed and let the wife sleep outside the house!
@@LokeshThakur 😂😂
Absolutely
@sgt1959 hope you're both fine scales ⚖️ 🇬🇧! ❤I've the Boss ME 25! Similar. You demonstrated the Boss ME 50 superbly above average on RUclips 🏆🏅
I play in a Classic Rock cover band almost every weekend for many years and still doing so and I use my Boss ME 50 exclusively. Such an underrated piece of gear.
Totally agree my friend, I'd forgotten how good the Me-50 could sound through a good amp. Setup has never been easier and no more trying to track down a dodgy patch cable. Good luck with your band and keep on rocking. 🤟
@@sgt1959 so you patch in your sound you like and then have to remember which patch for a particular sound??
Unfortunately, yes you do have to remember patch numbers, (unless using in Manual mode). That is a downside to all Boss ME units.@@dallastoto3189
just get a notebook and give all the numbers " unique names, that you can recognize and remember. " lol @@sgt1959
@@dallastoto3189 the trick to this if you're doing a lot of toe tapping at a gig is to write the patch numbers down next to each song on the set list
I don't even have the footswitch with mine and manage by hitting the bank buttons if I need to, it has an awesome "ready" function where you can be at one preset patch, say, a clean chorus for an intro, you can cycle through to the bank number you need for your next sound and the pedal will just sit there flashing the bank number, waiting for you to pick which of the 3 patches in that bank you want to use.
When you're ready, kick the button for the patch you want and it switches you straight to it.
It also has a function that allows you to copy patches across to other banks should you want a Sound at B1P3 to also be available in B6P2 for example.
Sorry for how wordy this was, just thought you'd be interested :)
You know what's the best part about the ME50? Its the simplicity. No complicated Ui to set everything up. Its basically 3 stomp box and a wah. No complication just set and play. Not packed with thousands of effects but it all has everything you will ever need playing live.
Absolutely right, no menu surfing or option paralysis on this beauty. Thanks for your comments.
Thanks for honoring my favourite pedal! It is timeless with great sounds. The only deficit is, for live purpose, to switch between the 10 banks by hand. So 3 presets should be carefully edited.
Hi Stefan. Great little unit for sure, which I used to use mostly in 'Manual' mode when using it live. The switch lag in 'Preset' mode is the only thing really that let's it down, (well, that and the lack of an fx loop). Thanks for the comments.
I've had my ME-50 since 2005. Your excellent video is like rediscovering it all over again. Thanks so much!
Thanks Graeme, it's a great piece of retro kit. I know a lot of folks don't like the overdrives/distortions on the ME-50, but all I know is they sound fantastic through my Marshall and Laney amps. Much easier to transport than a large pedal board too.
Excellent informative video. I got one of these used for £100 for my bandmate to bring along to rehearsal room just to control his and sweeten sound a bit better direct into valve amps.
I have my main pedal board with boutique pedals on it. Now, my pedals cost about £1500 - and they are great - but I've used this ME-50 into my valve amps and it is fantastic for doing all the essentials just right. Such a great design - for using direct into an amp old school.
I wouldn't use it for recording, that's a different thing. And I just use mild effects I let the guitars and excellent amps do their thing, this is just for classic rock effects. It doesn't sound fake either it just sounds good into an amp.
The key thing is, if you don't need amp sims modelling and lots of patches, and want no fuss, this is what to get.
And you can get one for tiny money. Highly recommended for what it is designed to do.
Thank you my friend for the comments. As I'm pretty much retired and no longer play live, I cannot justify spending £000's on tons of pedals - this little unit does pretty much everything I need - even if I did go out gigging again. As you say it sounds great through a good amp. 👍
I had one of these when they first came out. Then I went down the full modelling route with a Variax and Pod XT Live and then Tone-X Yada yada.
But a couple of years ago, I realised I wasn’t playing live regularly anymore and when I did it was often with a small drum kit and PA. So. I pulled out the ME-50, plugged it into my Blackstar 1 watt amp (the one without reverb) and rediscovered the beauty of a simple setup. Knobs for everything, no endless choices of heads, amps and cabs and juts about everything I needed and no more. Ok, I’ve ended up adding my Sansamp (the original one with the DIP switches) because I like what it does to my Les Paul, even into an amp (which is not what it was meant for) and I’m in heaven.
The only extra I would like is maybe another delay pedal but I can make do with using the ME-50’s delay and using the modulation with the slowest mod speed to get close to the very subtle slapback/doubling effect I use on almost everything and the main delay for when I want longer delays.
I’m trying to get my ‘sound’ without the sansamp (maybe I should retry the top left shaping feature which I usually leave off?) so I only have an amp, the Me-50 and a guitar.
That would be truly perfect.
The Me-50 is a great little box, it sounds great (which is a baseline) but the manual workflow is just so good. All the benefits of pedals and knobs but no power juggling, no failing connector cables and wonderfully light.
I’d recommend something similar for anyone who has a nice guitar, a reasonable valve amp and just wants to play, not just beginners.
I have a gig coming up, I might bring the Variax and tone-x for acoustic sounds, or maybe, and just hear me out here, I might just bring my Washburn acoustic-electric!
Hi Julian and thanks for your great comments. No options overload with the old ME-50, it's just very 'hands on' in Manual mode. The preset memory mode switching delay is a bit crud, but this was fixed on the later units, (ME-80 / 90 etc).
The Killers used the ME-50 in the studio to record many of their biggest hits. So yeah, it's probably good enough for most people.
Nice bit of trivia, thanks for that. You know something is good if it's still working a decade or more later - the ME-50 is one of those things.
I used to play in a thrash metal band, using an ME-50 through a Marshall 8080. Once amplified through the system it was simply unbelievable how well it sounded. And being broke I used an Epiphone. Just goes to show that if you have a good engineer that knows what he's doing and half decent gear you can move fucking mountains.
Wow, a Marshall 8080 - I used one years back with a Marshall JMP-1, it sounded mega. You are right about having a good engineer, they can work miracles those guys at times.
Hi there Mel, thanks for your video and all the work you put into it - despite your wife's problems. I've been using my old ME-50 since it first came out many years ago - and I still think it's great! I did try out the ME-70 for a while, but the ME-50 sounded more direct and crisp, so the ME-70 had to go again. The compressor section and the noise gate are really effective, I also love the 4 reverbs as well as the delay section, as an old Brian May fan (Brighton Rock, etc) the long delays really make me happy. What I like the most is that this pedal is "controllable" - no menues or submenues to get lost in, just tweak the knobs and get going. Yes, newer pedals may have lots of advantages and possibilities, but I'm just an old bloke wanting a bit of spontaneous fun with my guitars. And home recording with the ME-50 is no problem if you use a multitrack recorder (I use a Zoom R8) or any other another decent interface. All in all: with all the distortion effects, modulation effects, a great delay section, pedal (volume & wah, etc.) control, a noise gate, a good compressor and a few other bits & pieces make up a really good multieffect pedal, even after all these years. And built like a tank...... 🙂
Hi Paul and thanks for sharing. It's a great old bit of kit and personally I think it also sounds better, (at least the distortions), than the ME 80 - though to be fair I haven't spent a great deal of time using an ME-80. Like you say - it does pretty much everything I want it to, it's instantly tweakable and solid & reliable.
I’ve used this little machine and a 1x12 fender valve combo all over the country music festival in Broadbeach. Had great compliments on my tone.
Hello and thanks for the comments. The ME-50 is still a great unit and plays nicely with a good tube amp, so I'm not surprised at all that you've received compliments on your tone.
Most people don’t realize that the headphone/line out has amp/cab modeling (no adjustment possible) but in to it. I preferred plugging that end into my normally bright Marshall avt50 combo (or a mixer) when I gigged with this pedal. Nice video! I enjoyed this pedal and used it for a long time. Great simple all in one and the interface is very intuitive
Hi Randy and thanks for your comments. Yes the line out sounds pretty darn good considering the age of this old war horse.
Wow, thanks for that scoop!
The effects pedal can be a bit unresponsive at times and I agree with the lag between pre-sets, but overall, this is a fair review and I like mine. I use it in concert with Boss stomp boxes too.
Hi Nigel and thanks for your comments. I use the unit in manual mode as much as possible with my dual channel Marshall amp. It takes some careful programming to use in memory mode, so I only use it when I know I have a gap between going from a rhythm to a lead sound etc. Bit of a faff but more convenient than dragging a large pedal board out.
If noise is a concern, this also makes for an excellent "practice amp" since you can select a tone modify mode and plug headphones in without any amp at all.
Yes there is the headphone / line out socket on the ME-50 too which I didn't point out - thanks for reminding me.
I really enjoyed watching your video, thank you! I just bought a boss ME-90 and it is great to see that it will probably also still be relevant in 20 years, just like this classic. Keep on rocking! 😊
Thank you, and yes the new ME-90 looks like it could be a future classic.
Some People think that Boss, special this unit you show will be cheap and bad, i have myself bought one of this 11 Years ago for 50 Bucks, and it was in Original Package and Instruction also aviable on the Boss Homepage, and i dont will miss this smart Padel, thx for the Video.
Cheers Andy and $50 was an absolute bargain for the ME-50 which is still a great unit.
It all depends on actually playing loudly with a band through a valve amp turned up.
Sounds odd to say that now but it's how we used to play years ago.
Nice video !
Exactly, I still remember going out with one guitar, (Fender Strat), and one 2x12" combo, (Carlsbro Stingray). No pedals, (other than the one that came with the amp to switch channels and the reverb/tremolo effects on/off), and I used that setup for years. Thanks for the comments.
Agreed. The ME-50 is better than the ME-80.
ME-50 is easier to use and has more sounds. The later models (70 and 80) have more delay time and a sample facility but the ME-50 is a better all rounder.
I had both 50 and 80 - I sold the 80 as it was to big for its own boots and had lesser sounds.
Nice video. I just found out how to use the harmony!
For live use in Manual mode the ME-50 is much better than the newer units in my opinion. It falls down when using it in Patch mode and another footswitch or 2 would have made it even better. I have the ME-90 now and it's still great but isn't as easy to use and level match in Manual mode as the ME-50. The Patch mode is much better though on the ME-90 and you have more footswitches to play with - so swings and roundabouts I guess.
Just been programming mine. Now all I've got is a bank number, and I'm trying to remember what's saved in each patch. The new readout screens are useful in that respect. I've bought a Tavsou switcher pedal in order to achieve this. Best thing about it is saving banks for different guitars, eg the ability to drop the master level when you're swapping from a Strat to a Les Paul! Now you can leave the guitar volume all the way up and let the pedal reduce the master volume so that there's no huge spike. Been gigging mine since 2005!
Thanks for your story. Yes the numbers thing is a bit old hat, but Boss still use it on the ME-90. Reminds me of the old days with synths when you had to remember a Bank/Patch number for your sounds. Being able to NAME your patches would be so much better. Still great units though. I don't play live anymore, (can't because of my dead ears), but if I did I would keep my ME-90 in Manual mode and just use it as an effects board now. Cheers.
i used to own one of these back in like 05, def thinking about picking one up again. something about Boss and Roland, their stuff just always sounds great no matter what.
You should get one, if only for nostalgia's sake - hours of fun and some really useable sounds.
I bought a Boss ME-50 whilst in Florida many years ago (I'm from the UK). I never really got the hang of it, I just toyed with it every now and again. It's up in the loft, hardly ever been used. Might get it out again now I've seen this. Thanks.
Hi Eric, yes you should dust it off. If nothing else you'll have a ton of fun with it. Thanks for commenting.
Great video and playing. Just bought one used, before i saw this video. BTW, like the distortion/OD as well. Thanks heaps!
Thank you Carter and thanks for the comments. The more I play around with the ME-50 the more I like it. The controls are very responsive on this unit and I think many make the mistake of tweaking them too radically.
Thank you so much for your Help. I´ve been looking for a good
Vintage Pedal. I think i buy the ME 50! You made a very good and
usefull Demonstration of this Pedal! All the Best for you and
your Family! See you next Time.
Much appreciated my friend. I now have the ME-90 which has a few more bells & whistles on it, but the ME-50 still rocks.
Great review! This is my all time favorite multi effects unit. You can use the compressor as a booster with the external pedal. . The natural od is really musical with a lot of range. The bottom control on the od is a must, it's the feature that really sets it appart from the other newer ME's. The wah is thick and meaty, more for soloing than rhythm playing. The best ME!!!
Thanks. I agree with you 100% and don't understand why a lot of folks didn't like the OD's on the ME-50. It sounds amazing with not too much effort involved. I find the ME-90 not as intuitive or as easy to get a good sound on the fly in manual mode - it's way better though in many other ways to be fair to Boss. Wish I'd have kept the ME-50 though as well.
Thanks for going through this. You've inspired me to get mine back out the box.
Hi Alfred, you should do that. It's amazing what you can come up with sometimes when re-visiting an old piece of gear.
I love mine 30 quid also 100 presets no ones mentioned..I find im getting maiden,girlschool,zep sounds really well on this just the ticket when annoying neighbours lol.rock on
That was an absolute bargain at 30 quid mate, and yes I forgot about the presets - still a cracking unit imho. Thanks for sharing & keep on rockin'.
@@sgt1959 np...you too...yeah only issue was dodgy power cable to transformer,re wired it and its A1
Still my favorite multi effect pedal on the go for gigs and shows. Got it when it first came out can't remember when as it was too long ago.
You're showing your age there mate 😂. I agree though, this is a brilliant unit for live gigs when you don't want to hump around a large expensive pedal board. Thanks for your comments.
Mel, I don't know if you read comments on older uploads... I'm sorry to read you are almost deaf. I wouldn't have known unless I read that. I'm impressed by your guitar abilities and knowledge. I regulary watch your channel and always learn! Years ago in the late 1980s, I had the Boss ME5. At that time I was young and was deeply impressed by Keith Scott, of Bryan Adams fame... The album: "Into The Fire", has some incredible and iconic guitar tones on it... I just HAD to try and get close, hence the ME5. Ha, it was expensive for a young lad and I worked some awful jobs to get the money... All was good, until one hot summers practice session, I kicked a tall glass of water right onto the unit... Immediately I tried drying it out in the airing cupboard with silica gel packs: DEAD! Collectors device now, but back then it was acclaimed as it contained the core sounds of the seperate Boss pedals. I'm not surprised the ME-50 sounds so good... BOSS have always been legends in effects.Yea you got yourself a real bargain there. Thanks for the channel.
Thank you so much for your kind comments my friend. I did do a video way back where I talked about my deafness and how it affects me guitar wise. I remember the old ME-5, and ouch!, that must have hurt killing off your prized multi-fx. To be honest I never used fx pedals when I first started out, (couldn't afford them), - it was guitar into amp and use the volume control on the guitar, old school :).
A great video, mate, thanks so much! I bought one second hand a year and a half ago and I love it. Recording or live.
Hi Graham and thanks. The Boss ME-50 is still a great unit if you are old school, (like me), and still play through a real amp - it does a lot. Sounds great just straight into my audio interface too using the Line / Phones out.
Don’t forget the stereo outs. Pan, ping pong delay, stereo chorus. All sound great going out to two amps.
Yes, I forgot about that - thanks. 👍
Great review. I've used the ME-50 for about 4 years for live gigs and the sounds are generally pretty great. The latency lag in preset mode means I only use it in manual, with an external clean boost pedal for solos etc. The only other con I find is that I occasionally I hit 2 pedals at once which switches it either to the tuner (muting the sound) or into preset mode...which can be embarrassing(!). I'm thinking of upgrading to the ME-90 but I'll hang on to this unit anyway.
Hi and thanks. It's still a good sounding unit the me-50. I think hitting 2 pedals together on multi-effects units is probably the biggest drawback, (same on the ME-90). You have to be very fleet footed, (wearing winkle-pickers might help 😁).
@@sgt1959 yes that’s true. Haven’t worn winkle-pickers since the 80s but I can see the advantage so may need to search some op shops. Having large feet doesn’t help.
😂😂
Thank you for this. I bought one but the stick on pads were missing. Got them from Boss.
Thanks and I hope you enjoy the ME-50 for years to come.
Does it still have everything you've come to expect from it? Still catch your groove? Still get you rockin' and then some? If yes to any of those then it is still relevant. Whether its the latest cutting edge toy or a favorite old stand-by, if it works for you then that's ALL that matters. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open and it's all good.☮️
Absolutely right Mark and thanks for your comments.
The patch modes give you a cool range of options, and you can save your own mods as well. I've found it a great muti-pedal for years. Lately not so much because I use VST, but I'm considering using it for recording again.
Cheers John. I can't get on with the VST amp sims personally, (probably because my pc is old - like me). Having said that I've not spent a lot of time using them, maybe I should play around with them more.
I understand. Even my go to pc is out of date Win7. I've got 10 but all my recorded material was xp up till 2016 and recorded without sims, the Me 50. I still keep the xp running to extract the earlier files for rework, if needed. I don't actually mind amp sims but my problem is there is so much choice that I can't commit for the options still available. With the Me 50, I had to commit and record, warts and all.
Been on my gig board since I bought it in 2005-6. Still get compliments on my tone lol
And why not? The ME-50 is still a great sounding unit when set up correctly. Thanks for sharing my friend.
Good review and thanks for sharing this with us all. I have used the GT 6 for years and think you would like it.
Thank you, I used to have the GT 8 and used that for years, and I've just taken the plunge and upgraded to the ME-90 in 2023.
Great job! Watching from Central Texas.
Thanks Kevin and greeting from sunny, (not), Sheffield in the UK.
2023 y la acabo de adquirir. 😊
Espero que lo encuentres tan divertido como yo, amigo mío. 👍
Me the same i am buying the me 50 used of course
Quisiera adquirir una, la recomiendas bro?
Thanks for your post, where you from pal, north west uk, I’m in the same boat but my wife ‘Is’ disabled, I’m her full time carer so I just play when I can 👍
Hello Kev and sorry to hear about your missus. I'm from Sheffield and just dabble myself now when I can.
thanks a lot for this, super helpful video! I bought one used but it had no manual so I came here to see how to use everything haha
You're very welcome!
Thank you very much for this video. I've got since yesterday the ME -50 and this help very much!! Good presentation also!
Hi and thanks for your comment. It's a great little unit considering how old it is and such good fun to play around with.
All the best and keep rocking that ME-50.
Sounds great
Thank you.
need to get mine going again, nice piece of kit. enjoyed your vid
Thank you very much.
Awesome review 👌🏾👌🏾 , thank you so much !!
Hi and many thanks.
I hope your wife has better days.
Great video, was just thinking about buying one of these.
Hi and thanks, I'll pass your message on to my wife. I still love the old Boss ME-50, but I've just upgraded to the new ME-90, (which is stunningly good), so I will be selling mine soon.
There's a world of difference using between the distortions on a clean amp versus one that's on crunch or a little dirty. A bunch of them sound great when combined with a crunch
Yes they can sound great with crunch tones too, but I tend to only use overdrive/distortion through a clean channel in the main.
Thanks so much!
Hi, and you're welcome!
Very nice video thank you for sharing! Wishing you and your family health and happiness.
Thank you, that's very kind and I extend my best wishes to you and your family also.
Cracking video, loved every second!
Thanks Dylan - much appreciated.
Great video. I don't use pedals for most gigs but I've a few coming up that need something and I'd be happy to acquire an ME-50 after seeing this. As for the using up the presets, why not take a photo of the settings on your phone if you come across a new sound?
Hi, I did take photos of my settings when I used it live, but that is a good idea to do the same for new sounds to save writing everything out - thank you sir.
thank you so much for this review
Most welcome Shawn and thanks for your comment.
As far as solo mode, I keep the volume pedal at 3/4.Then when I solo just take it to full
Hi, I try to do pretty much the same thing, but I'm a bit clumsy with my feet so a bit hit & miss sometimes. Would have been nice if you were able to set the "minimum" and "maximum" levels of the pedal as on some other units, but hey ho it's still a brilliant piece of kit imho.
bless you for taking such good care of your wife.
Thank you Kurt and bless you too for caring my friend.
Fantastic review...i've had mine for years and years and I learned a bunch here! Made me appreciate the ME-50 even more...going to try it as my modulation / delay section along with with an ordered Tonex. Thanks for the vid! 🙏
Thank you Michael. I was reminded by 'RiffMusic1970' of the Stereo outs too - which I forgot to mention. Some of the effects sound epic in stereo when using both L & R outs. Still a great little unit the old ME-50.
What an amazing piece of gear I’m gonna have to cop it
Hi Dan and thanks. I've noticed just recently that the 2nd hand price for these on eBay seems to have gone up quite a bit? I got mine for about £90 and I'm now thinking I got a bargain - great sounding unit.
This was one of the tutorials I’ve seen. Thank you so much.❤
Hi Gregg and thank you for your comments.
@@sgt1959 it certainly was one of the comments I've ever seen :D
Very nice....
Thank you! Cheers!
I dug mine out, for 2023... so yeah!
Still a great unit Joshua without a doubt.
Awesome video!
Ty for posting
Cheers Ed and thanks for posting your comment.
It's a heap of BOSS pedals, along with some passable clones of other well loved pedals. It's a bargain at twice the price if you like BOSS stuff.
It is indeed a bargain, although I've noticed 2nd hand prices creeping up of late compared to what I bought mine for. Thanks for the comments.
Nice review thanks
Thanks for watching!
Yes, you're right, the ME-50 sounds very good indeed. Lately, I've been thinking about getting the ME-80 and wish I could hear these two units side by side. You said nothing about the ME-70.....any thoughts?
Hi Henry and thanks for the comments. I prefer the distortion sounds of the ME-50 over the ME-80, but the ME-80 does have many more features like pre-amps, solo boost, computer interface etc. Not had any experience with the ME-70, but I seem to recall reading that a number of users have had reliability issues with that unit.
@@sgt1959 Thanks for replying. I got an ME-80 and though I've not messed with the distortion yet I am delighted with the clean sounds and effects. I've got a Fender Stringmaster 2x8 lap steel console which I may connect to the ME-80. Looking forward to that. Just need to find the time.
@@henryb160 I do like the ME-80 too, but those darn folk at Boss have just released the ME-90 and it looks good - I might have to get one!
@@sgt1959 I know and I'm already starting to itch! Will be convincing myself of the need for one shortly...lol
I've kicked mine to death for nigh on 20 years at this point, playing everything from death metal to 80s indie, and most recently surf rock/punk. I wandered early on from time to time trying out various boutique pedals, but I always come back to my ME-50.
Nothing (in my view) can touch its perfect combination of tone versatility, ease of use, reliability, and build quality: Gig one for 20 years with people spilling beer all over it, having it fall out of the car during load in, recording multiple albums and EPs of many styles, lending it to people for recording, etc. Then think that you can buy one for sub £100 in some circles. Trust me, it's well worth the price of admission!
I truly don't believe it's possible to buy this combination of pros at any price point and not have it ever let you down, ever. (It's survived at least a dozen mains adaptors at this point haha)
Thanks, Blue. Here's to 20 more years!
What a great demonstration. Really enjoyed this :)
Thanks so much for your comments my friend, and keep on rockin'.
I used my boss me70 for 10+ years, just sold it so I could afford the gt 1000 core,
You can never go wrong with any boss unit,
Sometimes I even miss the me70 haha
Hi and thanks for your comments. I think Boss is the default for guitar effects, great sounding, reliable and indestructable, (almost).
I subscribed and liked and very much enjoyed your video. I read your a music tech
If you have time, would you suggest how to tune those old units up. Clean up the agey feedback they get with age. Thank you.
Hi and thanks for your comments. I am a guitar tech only and don't fix/repair amps or effects units I'm afraid.
This was my first pedal ever back in around 2007...
Hi Kelas, yes, it's clocking on a bit the old ME-50, (like me), but I think it still sounds just as good today. The fact that you can pick one up, that still works perfectly over a decade later, is testament to the quality of BOSS products.
@@sgt1959 true..
now i'm looking for one cheap to test it on my own =)
Average 2nd hand price is currently around £100 on feebay uk, but you may get lucky and get one for less. Great unit - just sold mine as I've now bought the ME-90.
Would you say the me90 better , I thinking me50 or me90 don’t mine spending more at moment I use pod go but looking for a change
Hello, I would like to use it as individual pedals. And use the pedal modulations through the effects loop of the amplifier. I want to use the distortion from my tube amp which sounds great. Is this possible with this pedal. ??
Hi William. Unfortunately no - probably the biggest drawback on the ME-50 is that there is no Effect Send / Return loop. It's best used in front of a clean amp. I used it for small pub gigs, mostly in manual mode, through the clean channel of a Marshall DSL 401. That was all I needed and it did the job admirably. Later versions ME-80/90 etc, do have an fx loop, so if that's something you need then I'd go for one of those instead.
Good boss me 50 I like it a lot
Me too Marcin.
Thank you for posting this. Had mine in the attic for 10 years and just dusted it off. Would love to find a place online where specific ME-50 settings are listed that tie to specific bands. This setting will get you a Led Zeppelin sound, this one a VH sound, this one a RUSH sound, etc.. Does that exist?
Hi Mike and thanks for your comments. Wow, 10 years, and I bet it still works doesn't it? I did find this website that has some artist patches for the ME-50 - guitarpatches.com/patches.php?unit=ME50. It might be of use to you.
I just dusted mine off after 14 years of non use.
Ya bro
Hi, and I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with the old girl.
Sorry for your troubles I hope things go really well for you but can you tell me why there is an input for tone modifier on back of me 50 pedal👍
Hello Bernard and thanks for your comments. The Tone Modify and Compressor on the ME-50 have no dedicated On/Off control on the front panel. Connecting a double footswitch to the Tone Modify / Comp input allows you to control these two effects with your feet, (I think you can also use it to switch banks Up or Down too). I use my Hotone Ampero double footswitch which works perfectly.
@@sgt1959 sorry for late reply but thanks a million👍
@@bernarddoyle4573 You're welcome mate.
Hi mate, what footswitch are you using there?
Hi Stefan, it was a footswitch I bought for my HoTone Ampero and worked perfectly with the ME-50. Any decent latching dual button footswitch should do the job though - Boss do a couple but they are quite expensive.
I have this for gigging ,awsome ,out of interest what was the 2 switch pedal you was using ?
Hi, the 2 button footswitch is for my Hotone Ampero but works perfectly with the ME-50. Any 2 button latching footswitch will maybe work and I know that BOSS do one but it's pretty expensive. Good to have though as it allows you to turn the 'Tone Modify' and 'Compressor' effect on & off.
@Stocksbridge Guitar Tech many thanks ,just bought another boss me50 as was going cheap at 60 euros ,think there awsome, am going to try you marshal guv setting with the delay ,sounded great 👍
@@djc8946 60 euros?, what a bargain matey.
Would it be ideal to play this to FOH without an amp?
Not really no, this unit was designed to be used like regular effects pedals straight into the front end of an amp. You could try using the 'Line/Phones' out and that might give you a decent sound depending on the other gear that you are using.
How do you turn on/use the wah pedal
Hi, you press down hard on the expression pedal at the front with your toes to turn it on/off. You also have to select the effect you want to control, (wah, resonance, voice etc), using the 'Pedal Mode Switch'.
A wild guess? Try turning the knob to "Wah" next to the pedal...
@@markzuelch7452 that doesn’t turn it on, it only selects which effect will be applied when it’s turned on.
On/off is pressing hard toe down.
Does anyone know if the ME 50 is suitable for bass? I know that there is a bass version, I'm just curious.
Why would you want the guitar version when there is one made specifically for bass?
Cheers for the help
How do you save AND retrive patches
Hi Barnaby. Press footswitches 2 & 3 together, that puts the ME-50 into "Memory Mode", (press switches 2 & 3 again to return back to "Manual" mode). Select a BANK using the Tuner Pitch / Bank left & right arrows. Press a single footswitch, (1, 2 or 3), to select a memory location. Edit your sound and when you are ready to save it just press the "Write" button - done.
Thanks for being straight. And not loopy.
Thank you mate, (not sure about the loopy bit though). 😁😁
@@sgt1959 I hope for you love, joy and peace in abundance!
On the feedback of the boss me50 unit: I swapped the beringer power supply to where the exterior pin was protruding by design, by about a quarter inch and replaced it with one that finished off flush when inserted and the feed back is gone!! Problem resolved. It is an good working unit, although with the original power supply I was getting nasty clean beautiful distortion. Oh well, just trying to get the desired sound. Blessings! This is Houston, over.
@@smarin1289 Glad to hear you have sorted out the problem with your Boss ME-50.
All the best for you and your wife mate - thanks for your videos
Hi Del and thank you for your kind thoughts and words which I will pass on to Linda, (my wife).
All the best to you and yours too.