My first step to sonic nirvana

L

lexman

Inspired
Well, after a couple of weeks of contemplation (can I really afford it, will it be any good etc,etc), I've just ordered my Axe-Fx Standard. And, now I'm eager to discover it's wonders - hopefully later this week. I thought about buying a low-powered bouteek tube amp at first, but I still kept coming back to the issue of volume - I generally play through headphones or at low volume through monitors, and I think even with a low-powered tube amp, you've still got to crank it to get 'the tone'. I'm looking for lower gain bluesy type tones, so I'm (really, really) hoping the Axe-Fx can get me there. I currently use a Digitech GSP1101 modeller which is pretty good IMHO, prior to that a Line6 PODxt.

Hopefully, I'll be posting a rave review in the not too distant future.......
 
A word of caution from a relatively new user like myself:

The factory presets DO NOT represent the true ability of the Axe FX. Don't just plug in and declare foul. Some of the presets are OK, some are just plain strange.

You will need to tweak the FX to get the sonic gold from it. It will be a bit daunting at first if you've never dealt with modelers, but you will catch on quickly. This forum is a great resource.....use it.

Be patient when you get it. Sonic Nirvana does indeed await you..................................if you have the patience and ear to find it.
 
The way I got into my Axe quickly was to just pick an amp model I'm already familiar with (that is, familiar with the real thing), i.e. the USA Lead stuff, and start from there. Picking the cabs was the hardest part, but once I figured out what worked for me there, I was straight into some sweet tones. :cool:
 
lexman said:
I thought about buying a low-powered bouteek tube amp at first, but I still kept coming back to the issue of volume
Click to expand...

I went that rout before getting the AF. There are some great power scaling amps out there now. They sound great at lowish volumes, but there is still some correlation between tone and volume. And for better or worse, they are pretty simple - you can use pedals to vary your tone, but you're pretty much stuck with the tone of the amp. With the AF, I can go from a really wet clean loaded with time based FX to a twangy crunch, to a smooth mesa lead, to a searing uberchall at the touch of a foot switch (and I do on a regular basis!).

I mentioned in another thread that there is something nice about a simple amp, in that it forces you to get your tone from your fingertips, and guitar. But as much as I grew from working with simple amps, I love having options, and complete control via footswitch.

DNW said:
The way I got into my Axe quickly was to just pick an amp model I'm already familiar with (that is, familiar with the real thing), i.e. the USA Lead stuff, and start from there. Picking the cabs was the hardest part, but once I figured out what worked for me there, I was straight into some sweet tones. :cool:
Click to expand...

It's funny, I started out that way, but I've ended up using amps that I probably wouldn't have gravitated towards in the real world. I was never a Mesa player, but I love the USA leads in the AF. And I never thought I'd like the more aggressive amps, like the Engl and the Uberchall, but they've become some of my core amps. I think it pays to have an open mind, and experiment.
 
Thanks for the postitive comments, and I really look forward to delving into this unit in search of some good tones. I take the point about not jumping to conclusions with the factory presets - seems to be a common theme with most Multi FX/modellers. Anyway, looks like there's a lot of helpful folks who frequent this forum who are quite keen to help out should the going get tough.
 
funkle said:
It's funny, I started out that way, but I've ended up using amps that I probably wouldn't have gravitated towards in the real world. I was never a Mesa player, but I love the USA leads in the AF. And I never thought I'd like the more aggressive amps, like the Engl and the Uberchall, but they've become some of my core amps. I think it pays to have an open mind, and experiment.
Click to expand...

Definitely. :cool: The USA Lead models were I guess a way for me to quickly confirm that the Axe does indeed put out sweet effing tones, but since then I've really got into a lot of the other stuff... D60, Cornford, Plexi, etc. Great tones to be had all 'round in this thing. ;)
 
lexman said:
Thanks for the postitive comments, and I really look forward to delving into this unit in search of some good tones. I take the point about not jumping to conclusions with the factory presets - seems to be a common theme with most Multi FX/modellers. Anyway, looks like there's a lot of helpful folks who frequent this forum who are quite keen to help out should the going get tough.
Click to expand...

I think the factory presets get a bad rap. For the most part with every major firmware upgrade the presets are updated as well. They have come a long way. Sure some of them are there to show off the ability and effects at extremes but most are very usable with only minor tweaking.
If nothing else they are great stepping stones to learn how to create your own.
 
DNW said:
The way I got into my Axe quickly was to just pick an amp model I'm already familiar with (that is, familiar with the real thing), i.e. the USA Lead stuff, and start from there. Picking the cabs was the hardest part, but once I figured out what worked for me there, I was straight into some sweet tones. :cool:
Click to expand...

That's how I got started with my FX.

As far as the factory presets go, I'm actually using a few of them with minor tweaks to fit my rig. Some guys just want to pull their new Axe FX out of the box and hear the miraculous transformation in their tone without a single tweak - not going to happen. The core strength and beauty of the Axe FX lies in its supreme ability to be tweaked to user's nirvana.

Lexman, don't be afraid to dig into it. Your sonic adventure awaits you when you do. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom