Line 6 POD GO Review (tested first-hand)

I have to remind myself that the POD GO is not a member of the Helix family. It's sort of a follow up to PODs of the past, like those little oval-shaped PODs way back in the day. But it draws very heavily from the Helix design and still uses a combination of Helix and Legacy effects.

If you're comparing to the HX Stomp, which is more expensive, the POD GO gives you a lot more foot control and an expression pedal. It could also be comparable to the Helix LT, though there's a much larger price difference (more on this later).

Read more: Line 6 POD GO VS HX Stomp

To be honest, I'm surprised the POD GO is cheaper than the HX Stomp.

Both are great multi-effects pedals, but the POD GO gives you a lot of the same sounds, and a lot more control.

It's just easier to tweak and adjust. 

Though I will add that the Stomp feel like it's built stronger and perhaps has more processing power.

• HX Stomp: One SHARC ADSP-21469 processor
• Helix: Two SHARC ADSP-21469 processors
• POD GO:  400MHz SHARC DSP processor

You can get more details on the processor differences here:

Read more: Line 6 processor comparison chart

However, the POD GO is an excellent alternative if you want to save some money. We'll cover all the details in my full Line 6 POD GO review.

Read the full HX Stomp review: Line 6 HX Stomp

Compare to Other Line 6 Processors

The comparison to some of the other Line 6 processors makes sense, even if the POD GO is not considered part of the Helix series. You can compare them here with basic specs and live pricing. You can also add more pedals with the search option below.

Line 6 POD GO Price Tables

This section compares live pricing for the POD GO from Sweetwater. Note that these prices are updated live, though are subject to change depending on retailer and the product in question.

Prices updated Fri, September 29th, 2023.

Pricing from Sweetwater

Price Alert Tool

Price History

IDEAL FOR: A Helix family alternative, live performances, church, multiple genres of music, clean/ambient sounds, and recording

Audio and Settings Demo

Thanks again to the Bonedo YouTube channel for fantastic demos.

Tone quality of effects in the POD GO

The Helix library has been particularly good with their ambient effects. Whenever I've tested a Helix pedal, or the POD GO, even always been drawn to those sounds. In the POD GO, here's how I would rank the top four effects categories in terms of sound quality:

1. Ambience (delay, reverb, etc.)
2. Modulation (chorus, phaser, flanger)
3. Filter (auto wah, pitch shifting)
4. Gain (distortion, overdrive)

In these new Line 6 pedals, a lot of their presets combine delay and reverb with pitch shifting and octaves. For example, you might have a reverb where the trail is pushed an octave higher. This gives you some incredible ethereal sounds that we haven't heard in older pedals.

Distortion models in the POD GO are good, but I didn't like them as much as the ambient and modulation effects.

My distortion preference has always been to have it based in an amplifier, as digital distortion models tend to have a harder time keeping up.

Heavy distortion sounds decent, with a lot of saturation and crunch.

By the same token, bluesy leads give some nice Fender tube amp warm or VOX brightness if that's what you dial in. But again, I would buy the POD GO for the other effects categories and the combinations thereof.

Not really a question of tone quality

In light of all this, I wouldn't question the tone quality of the POD GO. With these high-end effects processors, that's rarely going to be an issue, just because audio signal processing has become so advanced.

The reality is that with a pedal like the POD GO, you can make it sound like whatever you want.

I wouldn't question the tone quality of the POD GO. With these high-end effects processors, that's rarely going to be an issue

This goes for the effects and amp models alike.

So you might not love all the sounds, but if you hear something you don't like, it's likely a quality that can easily be dialed out.

Controls and parameters

Once again, there's literally nothing you can't control with this pedal, so I won't go into all the details of the LCD panel. The controls and interface are entirely digital, and you can tweak whatever you want, a process which is honestly a bit overwhelming. I found myself just going back to factory presets, because there were so many things I could change once I started digging.

The sounds I use are pretty set in stone. I currently have three pedals on my board: Delay, distortion, and a tuner.

But, if you like tweaking and experimenting with different sounds, the POD GO will be a lot of fun and even addictive.

I'm more of a set-and-forget type of player (a lot of my pedal knobs are actually taped off), but that's just my preference.

Extra footswitches and expression pedal

I'm really impressed with the eight footswitches and expression pedal, which we don't get in the HX Stomp. Yet, the POD GO is cheaper, so I'm surprised they haven't set the price point higher.

But I'm also not complaining.

This gives you more functionality, especially if you're on stage.

The expression pedal is just okay for me, though I'm used to switchless wah pedals so I have trouble with the feel of having to rock back after pushing forward.

Again, that's more of a personal problem.

Price and value

Remember that pricing is subject to change, so check the updated price tables above. But at the time of my review, the POD GO was about $100 less than the HX Stomp and a whopping $700 less than the Helix LT.

I suspect this could have something to do with the casing or building materials, because the POD GO feels lighter, while the Stomp felt like a dang brick in my hand.

There's also a different processor in the POD GO, which I mentioned above and linked to an in-depth breakdown.

But even considering all this, I'm surprised the POD GO isn't more expensive.

It's a great value, especially when compared to the high retail numbers for members of the Helix family.

Ideal Fit and Context

The ideal buyer is probably someone who has been thinking about the Helix LT or HX Stomp, but doesn't like the price tag.

It's important to note that they are not one and the same. Yet, the POD GO gives you a lot of the same perks and tones that you get with the more expensive processors. I'm a big fan of this pedal for guitar players in low to mid-sized bands in a live setting, or for someone wanting to consolidate their pedalboard. 

Perhaps you play in church and you want to bypass your amplifier? That's another good fit for the POD GO.

To drill down even further, if you're a big fan of clean and ambient tones, I can see the POD GO (or any of the Helix processors) being a really good fit for you.

They just give you a ton of room to work and experiment.

Review Conclusion

For the price, there's little to complain about.

The POD GO benefits from years of improvements in the science of digital guitar effects, to the point where the tone quality of digital pedals is no longer in question the way it used to be.

For rig centralization, it's one of your highest value options.

If you have questions about the Line 6 POD GO, or our review process, please leave them in the comments section below and I'll help out as much as possible.

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