Boss RC-5 Loop Station review

A compact looper with expansive features, does this justify upgrading from your RC-1?

Boss RC-5 Loop Station
(Image: © Future)

Guitar World Verdict

Big on features but typically compact, the RC-5 is a powerful practice, writing and performance tool that is ideal for soloists and a very cool addition to any player's pedalboard.

Pros

  • +

    Heaps of memory.

  • +

    Encourages creativity.

  • +

    Compact.

  • +

    High-quality 32-bit processing.

Cons

  • -

    Nothing.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

For some, the only functionality required from a looper pedal is to track chords to jam over at home, but others will need far more capabilities as they explore the potential of multiple tracks and samples onstage. 

Boss has earned itself an impressive reputation in the field (including the most famous looper on the planet, thanks to Ed Sheeran using the RC-30 for years). The RC-5 pitches itself in a very inviting position: compact like the RC-1 and RC-3, but with upgrades. It’s the traditional winning Boss pedal chassis dimensions with that reassuringly sized area for stomping on and activating key controls.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Rob Laing

Rob is the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar, he worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including as Editor of Total Guitar. He's currently set aside any pipe dreams of getting anywhere with his own songs and is enjoying playing covers in function bands.