For every working guitarist who has ever lusted after a David Gilmour-esque custom Bradshaw switching system to control all of their effects, the Boss ES-8 comes very close in a much more affordable, off-the-rack form. While still a significant gear investment, it's much less than the custom switching systems of yore, and it is outfitted with a range of functions at least as impressive. The ES-8 is indeed a major engineering accomplishment on Boss's part, with its elegant black enclosure, rugged build quality, simple layout, transparent sonic characteristics, and astonishing signal routing and switching powers. In its most basic mode, it can be set up as a simple router and switcher for up to nine effects. Dig in deeper, and it becomes a complex signal chain master controller that can save up to 800 presets, switch the order of effects instantly, and harness the power of MIDI to communicate tempo and other information to your pedals. It's capable of so much, in fact, that few users will ever truly be able to maximize its powers. That's okay, though, because even if you only use 25 percent of the Boss ES-8's capabilities, you're still getting a wicked good deal.