Although a pedalboard full of single-function boutique stompboxes can be a wonderful thing, its often either too financially prohibitive, or something that is built up and refined over years of buying and experimentation.

For the uninitiated, there's no better grounding in the world of guitar effects than a good multi-FX unit that allows you to get a feel for the various types of drives, modulation and time-based effects available. For the gigging musician, there's much to be said for the lack of onstage headaches that can be caused by a spaghetti-like mess of patch leads and mains cables at your feet.

The ME-25 is the latest in a long line of fully-featured multi-FX units from Boss, and the guys at Total Guitar loved it: "With analogue-style control, a looper, USB connectivity and some free recording software, the ME-25 exceeds our expectations of what you can get for £169 in 2010." Enough said.

FULL REVIEW:Boss ME-25