NGD-First Guitar day

[cmutt]

I get what you're saying. But there is also something to be said for simplicity.

I have never made better progress than when I finally dumped my modelers for a tube amp.

I never realized how much of the time that could have been spent practicing was instead spent searching out different tones. This may not be so bad when you're a seasoned player, but there is something to be said for turning on the amp and practicing rather than fiddling.

Kevin

That's something I've been wondering about myself, because I've read many things where people have said that they feel like they spent too much time noodling with modelers, playing with tones... compared to actual practice time.

But does that just apply to the beginning, when you're playing with the modeling amp, and trying to discover the maybe 5 -10 settings that you really like? Because I'm guessing that once you find the certain few presets that you like, they will be the primary ones that you use, and you'll just turn the amp on and go right into one of those favorites.

That's another thing I've been wondering about too. Out of all of the available presets/tones on modelers... are 70-80% of them throw aways, ones that most people won't like, or won't ever use? (I'm sure that varies somewhat, depending on peoples taste)

As for myself, I already know right off the bat that I'm not into the raw/pure heavy metal type of guitar sound, nor the country/rockabilly type of sound either. So that eliminates those two types for me.

 

[grausch]

I am one of those guys who always has to have a tube amp or two in the house, but recently I needed something for headphone practice and it needed to be portable within the home. The Boss Katana and Yamaha amps featured highly on my list, but I also wanted a looper and that meant an additional bit of kit to move around. Could also just have bought a Jamman Stereo, but that would have meant getting another amp for the bedroom and the wife likes my hobby only so much.

After a ton of research and comparing things on line, I finally received a Zoom G5n on Friday. Played a little over lunch and was pretty disappointed. Based on the reviews it should react like a tube amp when rolling back volume and changing the pick attack. It did not react like this at all with the presets I tried, so I was pretty disappointed.

Played some more with it yesterday and today, starting with the basics, i.e. amp, cab, drums & looper. Suddenly I am getting the tones that I like. Maybe most of the presets had too much drive, i.e. overdrive + amp, but I can now get cleans on the neck pickup and great dirt on the bridge - exactly how I like it.

To me the modelling is pretty decent, but if a patch is overloaded with effects it loses its charm. Compared to my older ME-30 (which has been played since the late 90s), the new modelers are worlds apart. Will they replace my tube amps? Probably not, as I still need something that can make noise when I don't want to use headphones

All kidding aside, a multi-fx unit with a small solid-state amp may be a pretty good buy as a practice tool. Try finding a tube amp or head with headphone outs, aux in, fx loop and a built-in attentuator. These are all things that are nice for home practice, but the only amp I found that had all of these features was the Bugera G5 and since it is only 5W, the attentuator is not really needed. Also gives a pedal-phobic like me a little bit of an idea as to which effects I may like.

 

[kes7u]

That's something I've been wondering about myself, because I've read many things where people have said that they feel like they spent too much time noodling with modelers, playing with tones... compared to actual practice time.

But does that just apply to the beginning, when you're playing with the modeling amp, and trying to discover the maybe 5 -10 settings that you really like? Because I'm guessing that once you find the certain few presets that you like, they will be the primary ones that you use, and you'll just turn the amp on and go right into one of those favorites.

That's another thing I've been wondering about too. Out of all of the available presets/tones on modelers... are 70-80% of them throw aways, ones that most people won't like, or won't ever use? (I'm sure that varies somewhat, depending on peoples taste)

As for myself, I already know right off the bat that I'm not into the raw/pure heavy metal type of guitar sound, nor the country/rockabilly type of sound either. So that eliminates those two types for me.

If you are anything like me, even when you find the ones that seem great to you, you are always going to be looking to see if something is just a little better. Particularly in the case of the Kemper where many new profiles are being released daily, often of the same amp you already have.

Yes. Many of them are throw aways, either because of the type of music/sound or simply because of the quality of the preset.

Kevin

 

[dmatthews]

That's something I've been wondering about myself, because I've read many things where people have said that they feel like they spent too much time noodling with modelers, playing with tones... compared to actual practice time.

But does that just apply to the beginning, when you're playing with the modeling amp, and trying to discover the maybe 5 -10 settings that you really like? Because I'm guessing that once you find the certain few presets that you like, they will be the primary ones that you use, and you'll just turn the amp on and go right into one of those favorites.

That's another thing I've been wondering about too. Out of all of the available presets/tones on modelers... are 70-80% of them throw aways, ones that most people won't like, or won't ever use? (I'm sure that varies somewhat, depending on peoples taste)

As for myself, I already know right off the bat that I'm not into the raw/pure heavy metal type of guitar sound, nor the country/rockabilly type of sound either. So that eliminates those two types for me.

I'm a new Kemper player, but I'm 61 and have been playing for quite a while (poorly)
That being said, I cannot tell you how much MORE I play using the Kemper over the last couple of months. Nary a day/night goes by without plugging in to it and playing.
Now... honestly I do search for and try new profiles, no doubt about that. Thing is I'm finding new tones that inspire me to play. As an example I found a tone that reminds me of Keef/Midnight Rambler. I liked it so much I learned how to play the song.
Same thing today. Found a JVM/AFD type profile which sounded like EVH, so over the last hour or so I have learned Dance the Night Away. Needs work but I have the basics down.
Never had the idea of playing/learning those songs before.
Go figure...

 

[bodia]

I'm a new Kemper player, but I'm 61 and have been playing for quite a while (poorly)
That being said, I cannot tell you how much MORE I play using the Kemper over the last couple of months. Nary a day/night goes by without plugging in to it and playing.
Now... honestly I do search for and try new profiles, no doubt about that. Thing is I'm finding new tones that inspire me to play. As an example I found a tone that reminds me of Keef/Midnight Rambler. I liked it so much I learned how to play the song.
Same thing today. Found a JVM/AFD type profile which sounded like EVH, so over the last hour or so I have learned Dance the Night Away. Needs work but I have the basics down.
Never had the idea of playing/learning those songs before.
Go figure...

This is me. I still have tube amps, but they don't get played everyday. The Kemper does. Townhouse living, and a shared wall prohibit the tubes, at times. Never a problem with the Kemper. I fell in love with Mike Britts profiles, and play mostly through those

 

[dmatthews]

This is me. I still have tube amps, but they don't get played everyday. The Kemper does. Townhouse living, and a shared wall prohibit the tubes, at times. Never a problem with the Kemper. I fell in love with Mike Britts profiles, and play mostly through those

I "think" that one of the big reasons is that I never wanted to invest in a large and complicated pedal board/array. All those power connections, and series connected pedals just seemed like too much complicated BS for what my job in the band is (rhythm player). So I spent many happy years with a simple rig with clean, lead/dirt, reverb, and boost on both channels with the Custom 50. Fabulous tone, and no hassle.
Now with one foot controller I can sound like anything I want at any time. It has given the band more depth and variety without making me insane.

 

[bodia]

I "think" that one of the big reasons is that I never wanted to invest in a large and complicated pedal board/array. All those power connections, and series connected pedals just seemed like too much complicated BS for what my job in the band is (rhythm player). So I spent many happy years with a simple rig with clean, lead/dirt, reverb, and boost on both channels with the Custom 50. Fabulous tone, and no hassle.
Now with one foot controller I can sound like anything I want at any time. It has given the band more depth and variety without making me insane.

Cool! I found a handful of profiles I like, and stopped there. Haven't bothered to "tweak" them, or go deep into the menus. Figured that would lead me down the rabbit hole and steal,playing time!

 

[kes7u]

Just goes to show. Different strokes for different folks! For myself, the availability of so many tonal options was similar to paralysis by analysis. Honestly, at this point in my playing, I am just looking to sit down, work hard and get better. I'm not where I'm looking to be just yet.

Obviously, for many others, the modeler and the many available tonal options is an inspiration and encourages MORE playing. For me, personally, I just found that it cut into my available playing time.

Kevin

 

[dmatthews]

Cool! I found a handful of profiles I like, and stopped there. Haven't bothered to "tweak" them, or go deep into the menus. Figured that would lead me down the rabbit hole and steal,playing time!

Yup, I've settled on just a few myself. I have definitely tweaked a bit though. Mostly EQ, normalizing volumes, and adding effects. Now that I have an expression pedal I've found a way to toggle between volume and wah. Too much fun!

 

[dmatthews]

Just goes to show. Different strokes for different folks! For myself, the availability of so many tonal options was similar to paralysis by analysis. Honestly, at this point in my playing, I am just looking to sit down, work hard and get better. I'm not where I'm looking to be just yet.

Obviously, for many others, the modeler and the many available tonal options is an inspiration and encourages MORE playing. For me, personally, I just found that it cut into my available playing time.

Kevin

Absolutely! There is no "one size fits all", which is why we have such a gorgeous cornucopia of PRS guitars and amps to play.

 

[JKM]

I get what you're saying. But there is also something to be said for simplicity.

I have been playing guitar for a few years now. I have never made better progress than when I finally dumped my modelers for a tube amp. Not so much for quality reasons on my part (although I am certainly starting to hear the allure of a tube amp!), but for simplicity's sake. I now have a bunch of modelers sitting around my house, up to and including a Kemper profiler.

I never realized how much of the time that could have been spent practicing was instead spent searching out different tones. This may not be so bad when you're a seasoned player, but there is something to be said for turning on the amp and practicing rather than fiddling. In my case, I picked up an Orange TH30, which simplifies things even further by having a simple shaping knob rather than separate low-mid-high knobs. Again, not optimal for the seasoned player, but perfect for improving my skills!!!

Kevin

No I definitely get that too. I’ve tried a lot of amps and pedal combos in my relatively short picking career. Most of it was beneficial to figure out what I really needed and would use.

Modeling amps are hit and miss. Line 6 is a big miss for me. Too heavy on the metal tones, not much else. The vox valvetronix 20 I had was a nice mix of usable tones and the headphone out was a god send for the dorms haha.

The Katana is my favorite of all because it’s not complicated to dial something in, and it really has some great sounds. It’s perfect for my needs and has tons of effects that I rarely use. That’s another advantage of it-maybe I’ll be inspired by a random song to mess with the more obscure effects, but the interface is clean for living room jamming and setting up is easy and uncluttered.


I would loooove a boogie or prs low wattage tube rig. I’d just be miserable and wishing I could let those tubes loose instead of living on an attentuator and low volume.

 

[cmutt]

That's precisely why I'm leaning heavily towards a modelling amp. I know for a fact that I won't be investing time and money into effects pedals, and/or various other gear and gadgets. (primarily due to budget, but also due to time and space)

Between work and family... my personal time for noodling and practice will be somewhat minimal. I'll be using headphones sometimes as well, so simplicity and economy of effort, in terms of setup, are gonna be strong factors for me. The quicker and easier I can switch everything on and off, is gonna make playing around and practicing much more realistic and doable for me.

So since I'm leaning towards modelers... what are 4 or 5 modelers that you guys would suggest for me? And why? (with consideration that I'm really into Alex Lifeson stuff)

I have been leaning towards the Fender Mustang III ver. 2... but that's only because I don't know much about all of the modelling amp choices.

Thanks, in advance.

 

[dmatthews]

Dear Scott...
I'd like to apologize for derailing this thread and talking about stuff unrelated to your NFGD
As punishment, I'm going to stare at this picture



There... Let that be a lesson to me!

 

[ScottR]

Oh, its okay Dave, don't be so hard on yourself man... watch this it'll make you feel better.

 

[dmatthews]

Oh, its okay Dave, don't be so hard on yourself up man... watch this it'll make you feel better.

Bwahahahahaha!!!
Hey wait a minute...

 

[Alnus Rubra]

NGD/FGD- Well, the day finally arrived! After 49.9 years I finally got my very first guitar. Of course...it HAD to be a PRS. I have always had a great love of music and a great respect/love of guitars. I received mine from Sweetwater today! I couldn't be more excited! That being said...I am also very anxious! I finally have the time to dedicate to learning and hopefully doing it the right way. My camera stinks so I am posting pics that Sweetwater sent me. Wish me luck fellas I'm gonna need it!

Wow, what an exciting time! Hope the learning is going well.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum.

As a guitarist of more years than I care to say, the feelings of excitement of that first guitar are amazing.

However you will find yourself wanting/needing another soon

 

[JKM]

That's precisely why I'm leaning heavily towards a modelling amp. I know for a fact that I won't be investing time and money into effects pedals, and/or various other gear and gadgets. (primarily due to budget, but also due to time and space)

Between work and family... my personal time for noodling and practice will be somewhat minimal. I'll be using headphones sometimes as well, so simplicity and economy of effort, in terms of setup, are gonna be strong factors for me. The quicker and easier I can switch everything on and off, is gonna make playing around and practicing much more realistic and doable for me.

So since I'm leaning towards modelers... what are 4 or 5 modelers that you guys would suggest for me? And why? (with consideration that I'm really into Alex Lifeson stuff)

I have been leaning towards the Fender Mustang III ver. 2... but that's only because I don't know much about all of the modelling amp choices.

Thanks, in advance.

Katana or the blackstar stereo amps. The Katana is more balanced and isn’t a one trick pony. It responds well to subtle adjustments.
New 200, and used I’ve seen anywhere from 120 to 175. Not many though. Relatively new so the market isn’t flooded with them.

The blackstar 40 head is a great option because of the stereo outs. Had a blast with that and my stereo memory man. 60-80 used all day. Obviously you’d need a cab, and I’d recommend two so you can use the stereo outs, so around 200 all together.

Haven’t messed with the new mustangs. I’m sure I’ll do that soon . Modeling amps are great for the price too. Used you can get a pretty damn good amp for under 150ish.

 

[ScottR]

Okay, I have been really neen enjoying myself for the last few months with my first PRS! As of today, I started the process of feeding the beast aka my GAS! I am really stoked! What model? Nope can't tell, not yet, I am ordering it from a place far far away...from a guy with a funny accent... I am having to go thru all the CITES import permit stuff to get it here, so that gives me time to devise an emergency evacuation plan...you know, just in case the redhead has a violent reaction to my soon to be second "thing" joining the family...just remembered i never posted pics. My bad

Betty, the pic that started it all...

On the sofa waiting for patiently me...

SW Headstock shot

3:30 a.m. unplugged about to fall off my stool from sleep deprivation, still picking away quietly.