Tremonti
Fractal Fanatic
Re-posted this to new site...hope it helps those who are in doubt...because I've searched forever and the search is over!.
First a little about myself....I am 30 years old and play in a cover band that plays Van Halen, Creed, Tool, Chris Issak, Billy Idol, Gavin DeGraw, ZZ Top, Pearl Jam, STP, oldies, 80's & 90's pop, country....everything!
I have played guitar for 12 years and play both Lead and Rhythm equally well as the sole guitarist in my band. I use a Mark Tremonti single cut PRS guitar with 2 stock Tremonti humbuckers. I have a home-made EVH Ernie Ball/Wolfgang with a floyd rose and 1 Tremonti PRS bridge pickup...Finally I have a home made strat with 3 Lace chrome dome single coil pickups.
My current rig(until the AXE-FX came) was a Mesa Boogie Triaxis, ISP Decimator Pro Rack G, TC G Major, Mesa Boogie Power 2:90 poweramp, and a Mashall 1960 straight cab with Celestion GT-75's. This rig was fantastic except the ISP Decimator was a must have because the Triaxis was so squeally and hissy on high gain, I couldnt get great low volume cleans, the mid gain was not the best, and the effects while decent were not mind blowing.
I have owned a Vetta I combo, a Vetta II head, a Flextone III combo, a Cybertwin combo, a Pod XT Live, a Pod XT, an atomic amp, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier(modded by VooDoo Amps), and a Marshall TSL100 head. All of these also had things I liked but ultimately gave up because of what was missing and the search continued.
I also worked through college at a couple music stores that carried every kind of top dollar boutique or vintage amp you could name. While I always prefered tubes...it was really just a means to an end.....I was and have always been up to the challenge for a non tube amp that could satisfy my tone quest. Basically...I wanted one amp that could do it all and do it all well with no reservations or compromises. Enter---AXE-FX.
I got the standard and hooked it 1st up to my buddies Carver 950 watt solid state power amp....I built a patch from scratch 1st without even listening to the presets because that is the one thing with gear...presets usually suck! Started dry with cab sims off, power sims on, and was going for that EVH Van Halen II Beautiful Girls tone...after learning how to program it by just fiddling around 30 minutes...bam....got it! I added delay and reverb and instantly saw that the effects were far beter than my TC G Major. I then went on to build several other presets for 3 .5 hours. I did a lot of noodling in between and had fun...left that day with my cleans not being what I had envisioned....but thought it was the power amps fault.
Came back next morning and thought I'd try the Axe-FX with my Mesa Power 2:90 poweramp...HOLY HELL it was amazing....everything came to life...the cleans were the best I'd ever heard and all the other patches that I'd made also sounded perfect. Pristine yet warm clean, gritty shimmer, mid gain, Marshall, Mesa, boutique....anything is now possible...there are no compromises because you can tweak in or out anything because their are so many parameters!
Yet it is very easy to program...very logical! I'm fine with still having one foot in the door with a tube power amp....guess it just gave me the clean head room I needed. Maybe the solid state poweramp I had used the day before wasnt good or rated as high as I thougt(borrowed that from a buddies PA and it was a Carver(not Carvin) 950???
I am able to get everything I want from this preamp, the feel of tube amps, the ease of digital, an all in 1 package, effects that all steller, and tweakability that is endless. I just sold all my gear and my new rig is the AXE-FX, Mesa Power 2:90, Mashall 1960 straight cab, GCP midi footboard, and a Ernie ball expression and Dunlop wah(which after I mess with the Axe's wah I may sell too). I told my wife my 5 year search os over...I have no need for another amp(EVER). Maybe a wireless unit and a 2/12 cab...that's it....and this chair and this remote control(sorry...had to qoute some Jerk lines). If anyone has any question they can PM me and I will gladly give them my cell # to chat with...I love this thing...Told my wife in explaining it, that it was like having a machine in the kitchen that cooked whatever you wanted(without buying the food) with a press of a button! Instant whatever meal!
One more thing...the shipping was fast as hell. Paid last Monday....had it Thursday....by Sunday all my old stuff was for sale on Ebay. If you buy this...spend a little time with it...I played with it for 6 hours before I was ok with selling my other stuff. Alsotry several different power amps and cabs before you hate it, write a bad review and sell it. Your patience will be rewarded..trust me! I would have gladly paid twice what I did for this thing...
First a little about myself....I am 30 years old and play in a cover band that plays Van Halen, Creed, Tool, Chris Issak, Billy Idol, Gavin DeGraw, ZZ Top, Pearl Jam, STP, oldies, 80's & 90's pop, country....everything!
I have played guitar for 12 years and play both Lead and Rhythm equally well as the sole guitarist in my band. I use a Mark Tremonti single cut PRS guitar with 2 stock Tremonti humbuckers. I have a home-made EVH Ernie Ball/Wolfgang with a floyd rose and 1 Tremonti PRS bridge pickup...Finally I have a home made strat with 3 Lace chrome dome single coil pickups.
My current rig(until the AXE-FX came) was a Mesa Boogie Triaxis, ISP Decimator Pro Rack G, TC G Major, Mesa Boogie Power 2:90 poweramp, and a Mashall 1960 straight cab with Celestion GT-75's. This rig was fantastic except the ISP Decimator was a must have because the Triaxis was so squeally and hissy on high gain, I couldnt get great low volume cleans, the mid gain was not the best, and the effects while decent were not mind blowing.
I have owned a Vetta I combo, a Vetta II head, a Flextone III combo, a Cybertwin combo, a Pod XT Live, a Pod XT, an atomic amp, a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier(modded by VooDoo Amps), and a Marshall TSL100 head. All of these also had things I liked but ultimately gave up because of what was missing and the search continued.
I also worked through college at a couple music stores that carried every kind of top dollar boutique or vintage amp you could name. While I always prefered tubes...it was really just a means to an end.....I was and have always been up to the challenge for a non tube amp that could satisfy my tone quest. Basically...I wanted one amp that could do it all and do it all well with no reservations or compromises. Enter---AXE-FX.
I got the standard and hooked it 1st up to my buddies Carver 950 watt solid state power amp....I built a patch from scratch 1st without even listening to the presets because that is the one thing with gear...presets usually suck! Started dry with cab sims off, power sims on, and was going for that EVH Van Halen II Beautiful Girls tone...after learning how to program it by just fiddling around 30 minutes...bam....got it! I added delay and reverb and instantly saw that the effects were far beter than my TC G Major. I then went on to build several other presets for 3 .5 hours. I did a lot of noodling in between and had fun...left that day with my cleans not being what I had envisioned....but thought it was the power amps fault.
Came back next morning and thought I'd try the Axe-FX with my Mesa Power 2:90 poweramp...HOLY HELL it was amazing....everything came to life...the cleans were the best I'd ever heard and all the other patches that I'd made also sounded perfect. Pristine yet warm clean, gritty shimmer, mid gain, Marshall, Mesa, boutique....anything is now possible...there are no compromises because you can tweak in or out anything because their are so many parameters!
Yet it is very easy to program...very logical! I'm fine with still having one foot in the door with a tube power amp....guess it just gave me the clean head room I needed. Maybe the solid state poweramp I had used the day before wasnt good or rated as high as I thougt(borrowed that from a buddies PA and it was a Carver(not Carvin) 950???
I am able to get everything I want from this preamp, the feel of tube amps, the ease of digital, an all in 1 package, effects that all steller, and tweakability that is endless. I just sold all my gear and my new rig is the AXE-FX, Mesa Power 2:90, Mashall 1960 straight cab, GCP midi footboard, and a Ernie ball expression and Dunlop wah(which after I mess with the Axe's wah I may sell too). I told my wife my 5 year search os over...I have no need for another amp(EVER). Maybe a wireless unit and a 2/12 cab...that's it....and this chair and this remote control(sorry...had to qoute some Jerk lines). If anyone has any question they can PM me and I will gladly give them my cell # to chat with...I love this thing...Told my wife in explaining it, that it was like having a machine in the kitchen that cooked whatever you wanted(without buying the food) with a press of a button! Instant whatever meal!
One more thing...the shipping was fast as hell. Paid last Monday....had it Thursday....by Sunday all my old stuff was for sale on Ebay. If you buy this...spend a little time with it...I played with it for 6 hours before I was ok with selling my other stuff. Alsotry several different power amps and cabs before you hate it, write a bad review and sell it. Your patience will be rewarded..trust me! I would have gladly paid twice what I did for this thing...