Fractal AX8, Helix, Headrush, Kemper.....

[Rufes]

I would like to get me one of these for Christmas. I don't use a lot of effects (if any) or different tones so I don't need a lot of options. Just a unit that has a great sound specially for recording. Maybe I would consider gigging too.... Not very sure.

I don't use much gain. Good clean to plug my L5 and play some jazz mainly and nothing dirtier than let's say Jeff Beck.

... or maybe I just get me one of these new Tweed Deluxe Fender just released.

Thanks!

[blille]

Honestly, all of them are great IME testing them. Particularly for a clean sound. Technology has come a long way. If money is not a constrain, Kemper.

Just check the amps they have before buying. For example the HX Stomp didn’t have Tweed Deluxe or Blackface Princeton which are my two go to amps. The Headrush Gigboard did. The more expensive ones have a ridiculous array of amps so you’ll find anything.

[rpguitar]

If someone uses a basic clean sound without many effects and not a lot of tonal options, what is the selling point for these $$$ products? Serious question - not trying to offend.

[Rufes]

No offense taken. I am just trying to find new options to get a very nice jazz tone for recording without the hassle of the mic/amp route.

[mr quick]

If someone uses a basic clean sound without many effects and not a lot of tonal options, what is the selling point for these $$$ products? Serious question - not trying to offend.

I use a headrush. Now granted, I use it for a ton of different pop gigs, but I also play jazz with it. It's nice to "have the options", should you want to do something different. It's also very nice to be able to go directly into the PA and sound the same each time, not having to gamble on backline or bring along my own amp. Sometimes I'll add a delay, or a different reverb, or some chorus, etc etc you get the point. Reason I like the headrush so much is cause it's the most intuitive of the floor units imo. tweaking "pedals" and the likes in it feels very natural

I was always bringing a pedalboard and an amp to gigs, and the headrush is exactly the same size as my old board - but i could put the amp "into" the pedalboard and have no variables, not have to remember settings each night, not have to buy pedals and fiddle with power supplies etc... In the many projects I currently play, I only use spring reverb with one of them. tap of a footswitch sure beats either switching out pedals or bending down to change settings while on stage

edit: oh and to be able to just plug into a D.I. box at a show. bliss. no needing to place the amp, no backline shenanigans, no mics, no trying to get the amp volume right - just plug and play!

[wzpgsr]

If someone uses a basic clean sound without many effects and not a lot of tonal options, what is the selling point for these $$$ products? Serious question - not trying to offend.

I use software-based sims: S-Gear, the PRS amps from Waves, a couple others. I like being able to try different speaker and cab impulse responses with both tweed-and blackface-based sounds. It’s a lot cheaper than buying the speakers themselves. It’s also nice to be able to EQ in a DAW, experiment with reverbs etc.

[rpguitar]

Ok, good ideas. Carry on. Thank you.

[jzucker]

If someone uses a basic clean sound without many effects and not a lot of tonal options, what is the selling point for these $$$ products? Serious question - not trying to offend.

Seriously?

The selling point is that in one device you can essentially get the equivalent of a twin reverb, vibroverb, marshall plexi, clarus, polytone and more. Just because you use a basic clean sound doesn't mean you will use the same basic clean sound forever.

Case in point, for the first year I had my axefx, I used a fender amp model through either JBL or SRO speakers. I now use a matchless clean sound through matchless speakers.

Also, you might like the sound of vox blue bell speakers. Well, with the modelers you can get that sound but through a 1200w powered cabinet.

To answer the original question, I have owned axefx/ax8/kemper and I feel that for 99% of tones, I prefer the axefx. The only amp that was markedly better that I've never been able to reproduce was the robben ford dumble tone. The kemper sounded more like an amp. I suppose extrapolating that out, it indicates that the kemper is more amp like in terms of dynamics on overdriven tones.

For cleans and semi-cleans, I really like the axefx/ax8 and you aren't dependent on who profiled the amps as you are with kemper.

[Alder Statesman]

The Headrush not only has the amp models most of us are looking for, but a greater looper as well.

[feet]

I went the waves/prs super models route. Hard to complain for $29. Getting decent results for cleans with archtops so far. But they didn't sound all that bad direct through my somewhat elaborate recording chain.

I may have been more interested in one of these if they made a lower cost model that only had amp models and no effects. I already have a gang of pedals and I record dry, so that's where they lost me. Also, I don't need 50 amp models. Just a few good ass ones and I'm straight. I really only played one or two amps before so I'm fine with fewer, better options, with maybe the option to expand if I need a specific sound.

[medblues]

If someone uses a basic clean sound without many effects and not a lot of tonal options, what is the selling point for these $$$ products? Serious question - not trying to offend.

You can achieve it for $300 now by buying a used Line 6 HD500X for modeling clean sounds (especially if you use preamp models only) you may not need the very expensive gear.

[Rufes]

I just bought me the AX8.

I think it can be a great tool for recording. Not so sure about using it with the band. I will check it out

Thanks guys

[Alder Statesman]

I just bought me the AX8.

I think it can be a great tool for recording. Not so sure about using it with the band. I will check it out

Thanks guys

Post some clips.

[rpguitar]

The selling point is that in one device you can essentially get the equivalent of a twin reverb, vibroverb, marshall plexi, clarus, polytone and more.

Totally understood, but here's the OP, which implies not caring about that:

I would like to get me one of these for Christmas. I don't use a lot of effects (if any) or different tones so I don't need a lot of options.

[Rufes]

I will, thanks. It is supposed to arrive just before christmas

[mateo2006]

I understand the OP has solved his problems with the great choice of AX8 but others tuning in to this thread might appreciate some other options.

I have the Kemper.

It took a good while to bond with it and now I rarely play through anything else.

AxeFX is said to have better effects.

Now you may say, "I don't use many effects." - But even if you you use only reverb and delay having a better reverb and delay may be a significant thing and by all accounts Axe FX is top notch in this respect.

I am actually satisfied with the kemper reverbs although waiting for a Spring reverb has been a long, long wait. Anyway apparently Kemper is upping its game in this respect.

There are other advantages to this kind of gear: going mike-less removes a lot of variables, having a direct out and a wet out, and the lightness of transporting a huge variety of sounds. Also with the Kemper you can record your own favourite sounds from other amplifiers. I have even profiled sounds from other modelling gear and then used the Kemper to modify those sounds significantly. I really like the extent to which you can modify the EQ and the compression options available.

Also if you use the Modeling gear exclusively you remove a lot of noise from the connections between your effects and the amp.

You can also have the sweet volume spot of that amp at any actually volume.

There are cheap alternatives to the top of the food chain (and expense account) from both the past and the present.

Past:
Mesa Boogie V-Twin Pedal - This preamp pedal could dial in the thickest midrange of any amp I have ever had. I had one of these pedal and if you wanted to play really clean, thick single note lines that really stood out, this baby did that.

Joyo American

which is the cheaper version of the Tech 21 Blonde

Older Line 6 stuff can be had for almost nothing:

I definitely could get good sounds out of XT Live.

You can get a first or second generation AxeFX for around a third of the price of a new one.

Present:
Amplifire is getting real good reviews:

Line 6 Helix:

For me, a big advantage of all the modeling/profiling stuff is the access to a huge variety of sounds that you can create presents for.

I had never really played through a 63 Vibrolux and found that Fender Brown/Blonde cleans are just the "bees knees" for me. How would I have known I had affinity for these sounds otherwise (unless a buddy of mine had one) if I never heard any of them from the modeling gear. I certainly never a chance to play through a Dumble or Dumble clone.

My favourite jazz sounds with a Kemper are usually found with a bunch of different profiles:

Brighter Cleans
62 Blonde Bassman with added mids and compression
Ethos Overdrive
Blackface Deluxe

Darker Cleans
A unspecified POD Pro profile by Supertino (Early 60s compressed sounding like Nels Cline's vibe on Beautiful Love)
Ploytone MiniBrute IV
An Instrument Tube amplifier profile I made heavily EQed

I can also modify slight EQ/Compression/Reverb variations on these profiles and save them as presets for chordal passages vs thick single note lines or modified to bring out the best in a humbucker versus a P90 equipped guitar.

I could make hundreds of presets if I wanted to. You can't do that with a regular amp.

But if you are looking for an amp to play at small gigs unmiked where the audience is hearing you from your amp volume then you are going to have to invest in FRFR cabinet which will negate many of the benefits of the small package of the modelling/ profiling gear:

One might argue if I am bringing the AER amp to hear my AXE through then why not just use it instead of the AxeFX?

Or a Fender Deluxe or a Polytone.

I would love to have the Gemini FRFR cambinet but at 85 lbs, I could be bringing a real Blonde Bassman.

Basically, Modelling stuff solves many problems ...but not all of them for every situation.

[feet]

i have a pa thing that i can occasionally plug into, and you know... things sound alright through it. acoustics, basses, electrics... not bad. and when you add an eq or preamp or pedal or three it gets really nice. then i sort of wonder what the point is, and think that maybe, since i can get good sounds out of just about anything i plug into, i should just stop dicking around with gizmos and just play some guitar.

even now, that i'm recording direct. i'm using a modeler in the computer. but i plug into three or four pedals for color and flavor and then into a preamp that really colors things, too. i'm not using an amp, but i'm not exactly "amp free", either. it is odd. you keep wanting to add and tweak things, thinking you're only a box or two away from nirvana, but you already sounded good to begin with.

[mateo2006]

I use software-based sims: S-Gear, the PRS amps from Waves, a couple others. I like being able to try different speaker and cab impulse responses with both tweed-and blackface-based sounds. It’s a lot cheaper than buying the speakers themselves. It’s also nice to be able to EQ in a DAW, experiment with reverbs etc.

I have gotten great recorded sounds with S-Gear (Scuffham Amps). I turned an engineer on to it years ago and he tried to convince many guitarists coming in afterwards to use it as we could get such good results with the program. - He was not very successful with that, I have to say.

People are used to using what they are used to using.

https://www.scuffhamamps.com/product...iers/custom-57

I have heard of people using S-Gear live but seems like it would be a bit unwieldy for that.

I loved "The Duke" model but there is a "Custom 57" - Tweed Deluxe that people might prefer more for traditional sounds with the gain down low. The "Wayfarer" can do something Twin-ish for bright clean.

I could get almost any sound I wanted from an amp "in the box" out of one of the Scuffham models...but that is the application it is made for. I feel more comfortable with hardware for other playing situations where being attached to the computer might be better for those hoping to defy 'Murphy's Law' - of which I am not one.

[rhoadsscholar]

Don’t overlook the Fender mustang V2 series amps III iV And V. The new fender gt series is quite different and V2’s can be had between 200 and 300. I think they have a great twin emulation (from a former kemper owner)