Axe-Fx III Firmware Version 2.02

[Rex]

????? Old amps are all about power amp distortion. Plexis, Vox, Bassman, etc. get the majority of their glorious distortion from the power amp.

Hey, I get one misconception a month, right?

 

[unix-guy]

????? Old amps are all about power amp distortion. Plexis, Vox, Bassman, etc. get the majority of their glorious distortion from the power amp.

But it's circuit dependent, right? I seem to remember you saying before that for some amps you really want to avoid power amp distortion because it can sound nasty...

 

[FractalAudio]

Hey, I get one misconception a month, right?

Everyone gets one.

One way to hear this is to take an amp like a Plexi and turn off the power amp modeling. You'd be surprised at how little distortion is coming from the preamp.

 

[2112]

Everyone gets one.

One way to hear this is to take an amp like a Plexi and turn off the power amp modeling. You'd be surprised at how little distortion is coming from the preamp.

Listening to the Bassman comparison here confirms this; the Axe Bassman power amp is doing all the heavy lifting.

 

[steadystate]

Everyone gets one.

One way to hear this is to take an amp like a Plexi and turn off the power amp modeling. You'd be surprised at how little distortion is coming from the preamp.

Just the opposite of my JCM800. I remember ordering one because I wanted the classic Marshall tone. I was sorely disappointed, especially because it was an American model with 6550 power tubes. The power amp would not distort, no matter what. I tried a Scholz Power Soak, and it had no audible effect. Master at 1 or 10, no difference. I tried placing a clean preamp in the effects loop to push the power amp. All it did was clip when pushed too hard, and very harshly at that.

The preamp distortion was anemic. I was soooo happy to sell it and get a Triaxis with a H&K low wattage tube power amp.

 

[dpeterson]

Yup my 800 i had in the late 80's i had to push with an old DOD eq to get it to come alive.

 

[hanksta13]

Yup my 800 i had in the late 80's i had to push with an old DOD eq to get it to come alive.

Just the opposite of my JCM800. I remember ordering one because I wanted the classic Marshall tone. I was sorely disappointed, especially because it was an American model with 6550 power tubes. The power amp would not distort, no matter what. I tried a Scholz Power Soak, and it had no audible effect. Master at 1 or 10, no difference. I tried placing a clean preamp in the effects loop to push the power amp. All it did was clip when pushed too hard, and very harshly at that.

The preamp distortion was anemic. I was soooo happy to sell it and get a Triaxis with a H&K low wattage tube power amp.

Wow, I have an '81 2204 and it get classic Marshall tones all day. Put a Tubescreamer or Klon in front and its tonal bliss. The clean input is a great pedal platform also. I'm really impressed though with how well the Axe 3 does the Marshalls. I frequently compare my real 2204 and 1987x to the Axe and I'm amazed every time. Its fricken unbelievable how good the Axe 3 sounds.

 

[Rain]

Just the opposite of my JCM800. I remember ordering one because I wanted the classic Marshall tone. I was sorely disappointed, especially because it was an American model with 6550 power tubes. The power amp would not distort, no matter what. I tried a Scholz Power Soak, and it had no audible effect. Master at 1 or 10, no difference. I tried placing a clean preamp in the effects loop to push the power amp. All it did was clip when pushed too hard, and very harshly at that.

The preamp distortion was anemic. I was soooo happy to sell it and get a Triaxis with a H&K low wattage tube power amp.

I hear ya I bought a JCM800 back in 1985.... Loud as hell and I couldn’t get any distortion either. It was totally Clean.... I bought it back and got a Laney...

 

[dpeterson]

Yes the most i got out of my 800 was maybe "lick it up" tone. It was 100watt, 2 input and it was still the loudest amp I've ever own. I think i traded mine in on a laney 50 watt.

 

[bdrepko]

Yes the most i got out of my 800 was maybe "lick it up" tone. It was 100watt, 2 input and it was still the loudest amp I've ever own. I think i traded mine in on a laney 50 watt.

I actually like that tone. Not so much the song.

 

[steadystate]

Wow, I have an '81 2204 and it get classic Marshall tones all day. Put a Tubescreamer or Klon in front and its tonal bliss. The clean input is a great pedal platform also. I'm really impressed though with how well the Axe 3 does the Marshalls. I frequently compare my real 2204 and 1987x to the Axe and I'm amazed every time. Its fricken unbelievable how good the Axe 3 sounds.

The Axe sounds far better than my real JCM800 did. Never played a real one with EL34s though. It wasn't only that my amp didn't distort enough; it was that the distortion was terribly thin and had no dynamics or depth. It was a horrible sounding amp, for any style I can think of. I can get usable tones from the Axe model, although that amp isn't my cup of tea. The 1987x, however.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holly shitballs!!!!

 

[JTI]

I actually like that tone. Not so much the song.

We do You Should Be Dancin' and rock it up. I won't lie. It sounds a lot like Lick It Up before the vocals start

 

[bdrepko]

We do You Should Be Dancin' and rock it up. I won't lie. It sounds a lot like Lick It Up before the vocals start

I actually don't mind Lick it Up that much. My band used to play it.

 

[FractalAudio]

I have a glorious JCM800. Canada export 50W model with EL34s. You have to crank the master but it sounds really good. Even though it's *only* 50W it's insanely loud. I have a US JCM800 that doesn't sound nearly as good.

A lot of people would snip the bright cap on the JCM800 as they're very bright at lower volumes. But that trademark sound is the bright cap in with the MV cranked.

 

[Rain]

I had the 100 Watt JCM800 with EL34’s....
My lord....that was the loudest amp ever... with absolutely no distortion....
The Laney I exchanged it for was amazing....

 

[jakel]

I had a 200W version in the JCM800 family - eight 6550 tubes! I could make it sound decent with a Boss EQ pedal in the effects loop, at least decent to my 20 something ears.

One time I thought I would push the clean channel until it distorted. Hah! No doing. All I got was a blown speaker (the cab was set up with four 80W EV Force). What can I say... I didn't know what I was doing.

 

[Randy4Guitars]

I'm so glad I don't have to play loud anymore. If I have a headache it's most likely from beer or the wife.

 

[peteri]

I had an original 25/50 Jubilee full stack, bought with my first credit card in 1987, the loudest thing I've ever heard - and a sound I'm still after today.

Just the air moving - good grief!

And why my ears have the high frequency response of a bass drum now!

 

[brianv4]

I have a glorious JCM800. Canada export 50W model with EL34s. You have to crank the master but it sounds really good. Even though it's *only* 50W it's insanely loud. I have a US JCM800 that doesn't sound nearly as good.

A lot of people would snip the bright cap on the JCM800 as they're very bright at lower volumes. But that trademark sound is the bright cap in with the MV cranked.

@FractalAudio so the Brit 800 in the AxeFx, is it modeled after that glorious 50W Canadien export?

 

[lqdsnddist]

In high school I had a JCM2204, sounded awful in my bedroom, but when my parents were out of town I'd drag the rig to the living room and actually crank it up. Sounded amazing and was painfully loud. Actually would get cracks in the drywall from playing it, to which I always answered " I don't know" when asked about if I knew how they happened lol

Crank a JCM up, hit it with some EMG81's, and it will certainly sound distorted and heavy as hell. I'm sure the neighborhood enjoy my Slayer covers....