TASCAM MPGT1 Portable MP3 Guitar Trainer

240-song memory capacity. Variable Speed Audition. Pitch control.

Overall User Ratings (based on 21 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(21) (see rating details)
Submitted November 8, 2007 by ortmonster<at>gmail.com

"Excellent for learning solos."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Suits its description very nicely.
Sound
sounds great. The quality of the mp3 should determine this.
Features
External non usb power supply INCLUDED would be nice. Swappable/expandable memory. 1/4 out would be cool. the buttons and wheel are EASY to learn. Picked it up in 5 mins without touching the manual. Seems a bit odd to use the 'guitar cancel' feature. Maybe I don't have it 100 percent figured out yet, but was only able to REDUCE some guitar sounds, not cancel them. Again, this may be my lack of knowlede of the unit, or how the MP3 files actually 'store' guitar 'tracks'... Its a sturdy little unit.
Ease of Use
WAY WAY easy to use.
Quality
Sturdy exterior. Looks like it will take a few drops and kicks no problem.
Value
Fairy nice. More memory would justify its current price.
Manufacturer Support
Havn't needed support. This is my first Tascam product too.
The Wow Factor
Kicks butt over the old CD trainer, that seemed slow and laggy.

Musical Background:

hobby - novice guitar player

Musical Style:

rock, metal, pop
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Submitted January 9, 2008 by a customer from hotmail.com

"Best investment of 2007"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
It is the best design on the market to date. I have not used my CD models since this purchase.
Sound
This is by far the best trainer yet from Tascam. I'm always a little picky about sound so It should get a 10.
Features
This is an all in one solution. The battery last for hours and it's so small can go anywhere. Also bought the leather case from ValetStand which makes it totally portable. Just clip it on your belt and you can walk around no powercords or wires.
Ease of Use
If you have an iPod it sould take less than 1 hour to get this down. it is way easy.
Quality
The only challenge I've had is forwarding songs to quickly. My bad. It sometimes mixs the songs and have to reset. Just like iPod.
Value
For $200 it is the best investment made to date. The leather case from ValetStand ran me another $37 dollars - but well worth the money.
Manufacturer Support
Have contact tascam on other products. They always resolve.
The Wow Factor
It's small and sleek. Clipping on my belt allows me to Jam walking around so it looks alot better than sitting down in front of the old CD models.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Funk
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Submitted March 22, 2010 by a customer from generalinnovations.com

"Great Practice Tool"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I hope to get several years of use out of this. If it doesn't work out I will complain about Tascam and probably not buy anything like this for another 10 years. I don't think I have unrealistic expectations, but I do hope that by having the ability to practice while I'm in my hotel room I'll get to play more with real musicians as well.
Sound
The actual guitar sounds are good. The distortions sound natural and the reverb, delay, and modulation effects all sound good. (Even if they are limited in their adjustment). The playback sound is perfect for mp3's at 0 pitch and key adjustment. With pitch correction the playback sound quality suffers. This is not enough to deter me from the advantages of tuning the guitar once and then adjusting the songs to the guitar.
Features
The transposition, tuning, timing, and loop features are what this product is all about. I wish it had the capabiltiy to store the tuning, timing, and pitch adustment on a per-song basis. i.e. I wish I didn't have to retune the unit each time a song comes on that I have already played to and adjusted the tuning. However, that being said, it's not that hard to tune the song to the instrument.
Ease of Use
It took me a few hours to get used to the user interface. However, once I got the hang of it I realized it's very consistent. The hard buttons are well chosen, in that you always have access to the transport, guitar sound, volume, and mix fuctions. I do wish the pitch and timing adjustment were also linked to hard buttons, besides having the final settings stick to the song.
Quality
The overall build quality seems very good. I plan to put the unit in my gig bag with the formed aluminum case facing out and then fly to Brazil (and lots of other places) while hoping the airline doesn't gate check my bag. Long term, your guess is as good as mine. Tascam has a pretty good history.
Value
For me, it's worth it. I just need a headphone amp/FX unit with an MP3 player built in. The tuning feature is the clincher for me. I don't have to stare at the computer screen after work anymore. Just plug in and play. It's not perfect in terms of sound, but it IS perfect as a practice tool.
The Wow Factor
It's not as sexy as an iPhone. BTW..."Is there an iPhone app for that?"

Musical Background:

hobbyist

Musical Style:

varried
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Submitted September 24, 2007 by a customer from aol.com

"If you are serious about learning guitar, then buy one of these and take your guitar everywhere"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
this should outlast my ability ;)
Sound
sounds are great. pre-sets work well and with a bit of fiddling can produce even better sounds.
Features
Would have liked a soft case for it. slows down sections really well keeping them in tune. i would like to be able to add my own FX but as i said before, the ones onboard do the job well.
Ease of Use
simple as.
Quality
very well made. like the metal surround, helps when the unit gets pushed around lol. a cover for the usb port would help too, to keep muck out of there.
Value
the only mp3 based one so its very good

Musical Background:

hobbyist

Musical Style:

rock/metal/blues
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Submitted January 8, 2010 by a customer from copper.net

"Hold out buying until TASCAM does redesign with updated memory & battery features."

Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Technoligically obsolete since it was introduced. It needs expandable memory with cards, a replaceable lithium ion battery, and an AC Charger in the box. I'll stick with my CD Trainer until either TASCAM updates the design, or a competitor like BOSS or ZOOM comes out with a similar better product.
Sound
Sound is good, depends more on what you play it through
Features
This thing was nearly obsolete when it was introduced into the market. It needs to have ability to expand and/or switch out memory with cards. It also needs to have a replaceable rechargable lithium battery. I don't want to have to toss the whole thing out and buy a new one when it will no longer hold a charge. Finally, it needs to have an AC Charger included in the box.
Ease of Use
Pretty easy to use.
Quality
As noted already, make it so the battery can be replaced.
Value
There may not be other similar products on the market (yet), but that does not mean it is a good value. Fix the memory issue, go to a replaceable lithium ion battery, and add an AC Charger to the box, and my rating will go up to a 10!
Manufacturer Support
No comments
The Wow Factor
Fix the memory issue, go to a replaceable lithium ion battery, and add an AC Charger to the box, I'd buy one before sundown.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Blues/Rock/Jazz
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Submitted February 19, 2008 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Better than the previous TASCAM CD-GT1mkII But..."

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Nice little gadget. I guess I am not the gadget type, especially since my experience with the TASCAM CD-GT1mkII.
Sound
The sound coming out of it is comparable to that of my iPod.
Features
The effects are good enough. It would be nice to have the power supply included, and even the carrying case. Biggest problem is I actually own more than 240 MP3s that I would Like to Jam to. I like that it is compact and portable, but so is my iPod. I mean I don't see myself walking down the street while playing my guitar, let alone jammin' while driving.
Ease of Use
Pretty easy to use
Quality
Looks pretty sturdy, but I would drop just to verify this...
Value
I thought $200 was a bit steep, and that's without the power supply or a case. So I won't buy one since I am extremely happy with my new setup (mTrax from terrasofta.com)
Manufacturer Support
Do not know
The Wow Factor
No I don't want it. I tried my friend's just to see how far Tascam had come along since the days of the CD-GT1mkII, which I had bought and quickly sold, at a loss of course, on Ebay. I think my friend will sell his MPGT1, look for it on Ebay, now that I showed him the software I am using, mTrax from www.terrasofta.com. For $30, I think mTrax is a much better value. One thing mTrax does not have is guitar effects. I play along with my guitar amp. You can also plug your guitar into your Line6 POD (or similar) and then your POD into you Laptop.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock Jazz Latin
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Submitted July 2, 2007

TASCAM MPGT1 MP3 Trainer Customer Review

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I expect it to last a long time. I would definately replace it if lost. It has fundementally improved my guitar playing. The ability to slow down music to figure it out and practice it before having to blaze through it has opened new doors for my guitar playing. Loop feature is invaluable.
Sound
Digital MP3 As good as the file and your headphones.
Features
Effects are amazing. I can always find one that sounds like the song I am trying to play. I have barely messed with the custom settings, just using the presets.
Ease of Use
Read the manual, OK.
Quality
The ON-OFF switch is a little wierd, you have to hold it in and move it. Battery could last longer.
Value
It is uniquie - only MP3 Guitar trainer. Price seems reasonable compared to other MP3 players, plus it has lots more it can do.
Manufacturer Support
I was to dumb to figure out the ON-OFF switch, but I emailed support and they got me the right answer the next day.
The Wow Factor
None compared to IPOD.

Musical Background:

Intermediate Guitar Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Blues
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