New Amp -OR- Midpriced modelers -OR- Is anyone here (still) playing a Tonex?

I'm gonna throw my "green" hat into this ring and say get a FM3 from Fractal ;~)) I have owned my Axe FXIII from them for almost 2 years now and simply love it. It is like having a warehouse of amps and pedals that are VERY close to their real world counterparts. As for those who claim they can tell the difference, I think 99% of those people have not done a TRUE comparison. What do I mean by that? So many people hook up a modeler through some FRFR's and expect it to sound like the 4x12 and amp they are used to. AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! The speakers in that 4x12 are what makes the soundwaves in the room. Same with the FRFR's. So if there is any difference between the actual sound wave producers, you are already comparing apples to Chevrolets! The ONLY way you could truly say that the modeler can not produce exactly what an amp does is to run the modeler through the exact same speakers with a truly neutral amplification of those speakers. That too is nearly impossible as everything seems to adjust tone slightly. Point is, from an FM3, you will be able to get a dizzying array of GREAT sounds (and create new ones that no amp and pedal board could ever give you), and if you buy one used, can probably get it for just under $1000. It will be the last modeler you will ever need because Fractal continues to update their products with a fervor that even PRSh could appreciate (the never ending quest for perfection of their product).

Now all that said, I don't know sh!t about amps, pedals, etc. so take my words with that in mind. But when you have Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci and so many other world class players using these products, you know it is good. FYI, Vai says the only reason he does not use the amp modeling (pedals/effects only) on his Fractal unit is he can perceive an ever so slight delay in the signal (he also has an endorsement with his amp supplier but he does not give that as a reason)!!! I don't have that problem and I have rejected signal modifiers and paths for that very reason.

Best of luck in finding your perfect rig!!!
 
You're all going to laugh but the Fender Mustang III amp is a decent modeler and you can get one for $200-300. Even has a decent 12" Celestion speaker.

I was working with a duo a couple of years ago and the guitarist I replaced had a Line 6. That's what the guys wanted to hear...all those sounds

So i bought a Mustang III. I liked it better.

Seriously: it's good!

https://imgur.com/a/C7wHGCM
 
Lewguitar said:
You're all going to laugh but the Fender Mustang III amp is a decent modeler and you can get one for $200-300. Even has a decent 12" Celestion speaker.

I was working with a duo a couple of years ago and the guitarist I replaced had a Line 6. That's what the guys wanted to hear...all those sounds

So i bought a Mustang III. I liked it better.

Seriously: it's good!

https://imgur.com/a/C7wHGCM
Click to expand...
I started out with a Mustang GTX100. It was surprisingly good. I sold it to make room for my baby markv25 because Mesa and toobs. I’m not so sure that was the best move, but here I am now.
 
DreamTheaterRules said:
Honestly, now that I have the HDRX, I’m going back to the thread and encourage you to do the same. Lots of user feedback there, including some pros. Did you see Tim Pierce video? He’s completely sold on it!
Click to expand...

László said:
He was sold on the Kemper, too. But afterward I never saw it again in his videos. He used his tube amps. So far, it appears to be the same with the ToneX. I've only seen him use the real amps since that video came out.

Maybe he gets excited about a piece of gear and then goes back to his usual, trusty favorites. I've done the same thing with studio gear.

There have been many times I sold a favorite piece of gear because I was excited about some new thing, and then sold the new thing and bought the old fave again.

The honeymoon thing is real, and I think it probably affects everyone.
Click to expand...


And Tim was completely sold on the Fractal FM9 when he got his hands on one of those. I learned with my thread on TGP that no matter how much power you give to a famous you tuber's opinion, they are all selling products and some are able to draw you in better than others. If you want to put this to the test, tell them you are looking at 3 different devices they did demo videos on and ask them which would be better for your use case. You may get what I received and get a recommendation for something that is their biggest sponsor that isn't even one of the three devices you asked about. I couldn't have been more disappointed in that person at that time and no longer consider their opinion on things they do videos for.
 
In the price range you are looking at and to keep it simple, look at something like the Boss Katana. I have heard them sound pretty good. I am one that feels that you get what you pay for with a modeler. I own two top tier units and I can tell you they get close but not all the way there. Nothing gets all they way to a tube amp and analog pedals IMHO. I personally think the amp tones and feel is best done by Kemper. It is also easier to learn and use than many of the other digital devices out there. It makes sense to someone that is used to using an amp and pedals.
 
aamefford said:
I started out with a Mustang GTX100. It was surprisingly good. I sold it to make room for my baby markv25 because Mesa and toobs. I’m not so sure that was the best move, but here I am now.
Click to expand...
I got a lot of compliments on my sound with that Mustang III. As you said, surprisingly good. Still have it.

The chorus, reverb and echo are more than just decent as is the OD, and biggest surprise was that it actually inspired me to play well on the gig.
 
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aamefford said:
I started out with a Mustang GTX100. It was surprisingly good. I sold it to make room for my baby markv25 because Mesa and toobs. I’m not so sure that was the best move, but here I am now.
Click to expand...
I'm a fan of big iron, however, the Mk V 25 is a great amp that can do an awful lot of things well. And it's light weight!

There are times we set an amp up, leave it that way, and forget about all of the wonderful things it's capable of just by working with it a bit.

If it was my amp, I'd put NOS tubes in it because I think that's something that makes long term ownership of an amp more satisfying, but that's just me.

You probably saw this demo before you bought the amp, but I'm posting it because 'how soon we forget'! It's an awfully good amp.

mesa mk V 25 demo
 
László said:
I'm a fan of big iron, however, the Mk V 25 is a great amp that can do an awful lot of things well. And it's light weight!

There are times we set an amp up, leave it that way, and forget about all of the wonderful things it's capable of just by working with it a bit.

If it was my amp, I'd put NOS tubes in it because I think that's something that makes long term ownership of an amp more satisfying, but that's just me.

You probably saw this demo before you bought the amp, but I'm posting it because 'how soon we forget'! It's an awfully good amp.

mesa mk V 25 demo
Click to expand...
Very true. A bit fiddly, but lots of tones. It is super light! A 1x10 combo at like 22 lb. A 1x12 to go with it at about the same. The only real downside is my two favorite settings are on channel one, fat clean and crunch. There are good cleans on channel 2, and probably good crunch as well, so not the end of the world. Plus, fat clean and crunch both do a nice edge of break up thing and are super responsive to the guitar volume.

I have seen most of the demos. The one you linked isn’t coming up for me. Is it one of the Mesa ones, or “by others?”

Anyway, the little mark is unlikely to go anywhere.

The dark horse in this whole game is a used USA Archon 50, though I fear it covers much the same ground as the little mark v.
 
aamefford said:
Very true. A bit fiddly, but lots of tones. It is super light! A 1x10 combo at like 22 lb. A 1x12 to go with it at about the same. The only real downside is my two favorite settings are on channel one, fat clean and crunch. There are good cleans on channel 2, and probably good crunch as well, so not the end of the world. Plus, fat clean and crunch both do a nice edge of break up thing and are super responsive to the guitar volume.

I have seen most of the demos. The one you linked isn’t coming up for me. Is it one of the Mesa ones, or “by others?”
Click to expand...

It was the official Mesa demo. I have no idea why the link isn't working!

aamefford said:
Anyway, the little mark is unlikely to go anywhere.
Click to expand...

As I watched the demo again, I kept thinking, "This is a really sweet amp, I could use it with all of my cabs via the amp switcher and get lots of different tones going!"

It'd be a great little grab and go amp.

"But you don't go anywhere."

"Yes, this is why I don't own one, Maybe I should put together a band so I'd have an excuse."

"There's an all-accordion band forming here in Hell, Laz. You might want to check it out..."

Seriously, though, you might want to try some other speakers out, easiest way in the world to get different tones.

aamefford said:
The dark horse in this whole game is a used USA Archon 50, though I fear it covers much the same ground as the little mark v.
Click to expand...
The Archon is a great amp, no doubt of it.
 
Just throwing this out there, I agree that the Boss Nextone is super useful. I've considered getting a modeler, and may in the future, but the Nextone sounds awesome in a band mix, had lots of options to play at bedroom levels, doesn't weight 4 tons and it's easy to use! Switching tube emulators is fun and quick and all that I need for blues, rock, and pushing pedals.
 
gilbertpsk said:
Just throwing this out there, I agree that the Boss Nextone is super useful. I've considered getting a modeler, and may in the future, but the Nextone sounds awesome in a band mix, had lots of options to play at bedroom levels, doesn't weight 4 tons and it's easy to use! Switching tube emulators is fun and quick and all that I need for blues, rock, and pushing pedals.
Click to expand...
Is the consensus that the Nextone and the Artist are both superior to the base Katana? Not completely relevant, but I bought a used pair of the Waza Air headphones. Tones are good, app fiddliness is annoying. That and not being completely comfortable with headphones will have me moving them on. That’s funny because I spent a good 15 years as an active headphone geek. I’ll look into the Nextone and the Artist a bit further.
 
If you dont need effects, just amp, and no fuss, you could try the Strymon Iridium or the walrus ACs1. Easy peasy, marhall and vox aplenty.
 
I bought a Katana 40 as an all-in-one home rehearsing amp and sold it back because I found it too thin or bright for my taste (could not get a good chugging sound and leads were kinda weak). Went to the Positive Grid Spark: it is a really good looking unit, the app is great and has a couple of gimmick features that can be fun to use but it the tones are so muddy / bassy that I will sell it soon for sure. A friend of mine has this Yamaha thr10 that is not exactly a beauty to behold but seems to sound decent enough. That may be my next target or maybe I'll start using at home the Fractal unit, which is indeed an absolute marvel
 
Also, I'll throw out there that if I do get a modeler like a Kemper, I've read that pushing it through the effects loop instead of through the front of the amp really helps get the tone from the modeler much cleaner. So in essence, everything just goes in front of the modeler, and then the modeler goes into the effects, and the preamp on the amp would be ignored.

I like this approach, because I don't have to buy yet another piece of kit to carry around (ie FRFR cab).
 
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