Revisiting My Discontinued Zoom G5n

It’s been a really long time since I last took my G5n out for a spin. Usually, my practice sessions have been just to strum or pick an unamplified electric guitar.

Yeah, it’s still a legit form of practice and although you won’t hear it amplified, a good guitar has enough resonance to let you hear the sound ring out as you strum or pick it without being connected to an amp.

I know I sound like an ungrateful brat who owns a gadget other guitarists would kill for but my Zoom G5n has sat in the closet for a long time. The only real time it gets some action is when I take it onstage or go to band practice.

Why I Bought the Zoom G5N

I said goodbye to multi-FX pedals back in 2014 and went back to analog pedals because I couldn’t get the sound quality I liked out of Multi-FX pedals. The last one I owned was a G1Xon that I know I still have stowed away somewhere in the ancestral home.

I was very disappointed with that multi-FX pedal. But then again, I was comparing it against my Zoom G2.1nu that I traded for a Boss DS1.

And then I realized why I went the multi-FX route. I don’t have that much money to buy analog pedals to complete my pedalboard. And even if I did, I would rather invest it in something else.

But the biggest reason why I bought the G5n was because I couldn’t get my hands on a Zoom G5.

I also wanted a G9.2tt but it looked way too big and heavy as well as too complicated for someone like me to operate.

And that’s why the G5 was the ultimate piece of equipment that I had lusted after for many years.

The G5n was touted as its spiritual successor and had everything I needed plus a way to connect to a PC to use as an audio interface for recording.

It was also the last guitar purchase I made before my son was born.

So, there is some sentimental value attached to this piece of equipment.

The Zoom G5n is a Solid Piece of Equipment

The Zoom G5n is a solid piece of equipment.

Literally.

It’s built like a tank and weighs like a ton of bricks too.

I’ve never had an issue stomping on it hard. It just worked.

I could set it up to use presets or like a pedalboard full of analog pedals by switching it to “Stomp” mode. There’s over a hundred presets and hundreds of choices for the stomp boxes to choose.

There was also a dedicated tuner pedal which was pretty accurate.

It also had a Looper function but I’ve not used that function as much as I wanted because I do get confused with complicated operations.

I did love the drum machine though not for its sound but for the fact that it was there and it made practicing more fun than playing scales to a metronome.

It was future-proof. (Obviously it’s not true anymore because it’s discontinued) I could update the firmware whenever I wanted. I could also get presets made by others online.

I could also hook it up to a PC and do some simple recordings.

So yeah, the G5n is remarkable.

And despite its discontinued status, if I didn’t already have one in my possession, if there was one on sale in 2025, I’d still buy it.

I Just Recently Found Out That My Zoom G5n Has Been Discontinued

As of this writing, the Zoom G5n has officially been discontinued. I don’t know when they did it but I bet it was during the last year or so.

I bought my Zoom G5n back in 2020 so it’s been 5 years. And I know the Zoom G5n was released back in 2016 so yeah… that seems like a good enough run for a product like this. But I did kind of expect it to continue being in production for another 5 years…

But maybe it’s time.

Guitar gadgets are getting smaller and smaller and the use of apps is becoming more prevalent so big, clunky gadgets like the G5n are really going to go the way of the dinosaur.

I can’t believe I almost sold this one a few months ago. I don’t think I’m gonna let go of this any time soon even if I buy some new gear that will ultimately replace it.

Yeah… this is a sign for me to go buy some new gear…

Thank you Zoom G5n for never letting me down all those times we were onstage and for being a good songwriting partner when the mood hit me.