Any bedroom only players using an Axe-Fx 3?

rich2k4

Inspired
I recently sold my Xl+ specifically to offset the cost and purchase a 3. Haven't done it yet because I've been second guessing it. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it as a bedroom only player?

When I had the XL+ I would dial up pretty basic patches. Mostly Amp-Cab and some type of reverb or delay. I also got to the point where I felt most of the amp models that were in the same category, sounded similar.

I sometimes feel I'm not deserving of it, as I only noodle around, play a few licks here or there, some riffs. Maybe a total of 30 min - 1 hour couple nights a week.

At the same time, I want to start recording more. I've recently got into electronic music and I feel that maybe I can use the axe fx to come up with weird guitar tones.

I've thought about maybe waiting for a FM3, but I think knowing me I would always be thinking in the back of my mind that I didn't go for the flagship.

How do you bedroom players justify this piece of equipment?
 
I've done the gigging thing, the studio jam spot thing with friends, etc. These days I am just a "bedroom" player as I am old and have much different priorities than I did when I was 20.

There's no point in my owning a 100 watt Dual Rectifier and two 4X12's anymore as I have nowhere to use it. Nevermind the space that takes up. I also tried going to the opposite end of the spectrum and purchased a super cheap Line 6 Spider for playing at home since it was compact and I am just "playing in my bedroom". Sounded like total ass and was not inspiring to play through at all.

So why the AxeFx3? It's the best there is at what it does. For my current needs, it sits nicely on top of my desk, sounds absolutely great through my monitors, I can get virtually any sound I can think up out of it, and I can record with it. For potential future needs, if I join a band again it will easily be the centerpiece of my rig.

Honestly, I find it hard to justify owning anything else these days.
 
Home studio only player here - not bedroom :D. The Axe FX3 helped me to quit GAS. I seriously went through that many amps, speakers and cabs it was crazy. Always chasing the tone and wanting to experiment. Like you, I sold my XL2+ to help fund the 3. Best gear move I ever made (after buying the XL2+). The 3 allows for more extensive preset builds with more amps and more cabs which makes it easier to compare and enjoy (plus more effects). I don't think there is a better "tone teaching" tool on the planet. Want to know what a certain amp sounds like? Speaker? Cab? It's all there and regardless of whether the result is identical to the real amp, I know they are damn close and totally meet my needs. Time is valuable to all of us so if I only have an hour a week to play, I want to use it on the best gear possible for maximum enjoyment. As a guitar builder I also need to test guitars through a variety of amps and I love knowing I have them all on tap with the 3.
 
HI Rich,

I am the worst guitarist in the world, but when I plug into the Axe FX 3, I enjoy it heaps, and it helps me keep playing. Worth every penny regardless of your professionalism or level.
Thanks
Pauly

I recently sold my Xl+ specifically to offset the cost and purchase a 3. Haven't done it yet because I've been second guessing it. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it as a bedroom only player?

When I had the XL+ I would dial up pretty basic patches. Mostly Amp-Cab and some type of reverb or delay. I also got to the point where I felt most of the amp models that were in the same category, sounded similar.

I sometimes feel I'm not deserving of it, as I only noodle around, play a few licks here or there, some riffs. Maybe a total of 30 min - 1 hour couple nights a week.

At the same time, I want to start recording more. I've recently got into electronic music and I feel that maybe I can use the axe fx to come up with weird guitar tones.

I've thought about maybe waiting for a FM3, but I think knowing me I would always be thinking in the back of my mind that I didn't go for the flagship.

How do you bedroom players justify this piece of equipment?
 
How do you bedroom players justify this piece of equipment?

I play few live dates a year, and a reharsal every two weeks or so. I always bring my Axe-FX III, because I have the same tone I have at home.

But to me, is at home where the Axe-Fx shines: I have all I want (amps, cabs, effects) in a 3U space. Plus, there are virtually limitless routing options. This alone justifies the piece of equipment.

However, if you feel like the Axe-Fx is still too much, you can buy a tube head and a reactive load like the Fractal X-Load and use IRs on your DAW to play in a bedroom environment without sacrificing the tone. You would need some pedals, though.
And unless you buy some shitty amp and cheap pedals, you would end up paying the same money as the Axe-Fx ;)
 
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I play a bit more than you, maybe around 8 hours a week, 12 if my lady goes away with friends, and have lots of gear: amps, guitars, fx pedals, plugins.... and the Axe Fx III. I justify myself because I work hard every day and this is my main hobby besides lifting stuff, so I put in the money I think I can afford to achieve the greatest enjoyment possible. For me one of the best moments of the day is to get into my home studio and jam over backing tracks, create my own presets, read and watch reviews ... I am not a professional so I don't think as a professional, focusing perhaps on what I need and what it makes sense to have: I just love guitar world from playing to using and understanding gear, and from that particular point of view the Axe Fx III has no real match IMHO. Life is to short to have second thoughts!
 
Guilty as charged. I am a bedroom player after several years playing in local clubs. The Axe III is the best sounding equipment out there. Let's face it, a Mesa Dual Rectifier or Marshall only sound good when you crank them and that will get you arrested unless you live on top of a mountain by yourself. I've tried Line 6 amps, lunchbox amps, a Kemper, and the Axe III is what keeps me interested. If it does not sound good to you, you will quickly lose the inspiration to play. That alone makes it worth the price to me.
 
I don’t sleep in what I call my home-studio.
I don’t qualify myself as a good guitarist. I just like to create my own music and record it. For myself.
And if my children are caught singing my melodies, that’s enough for my Hall of Fame reward :)

I do not justify buying my AF3. I want it. I can afford it. I buy it !

It’s the same for my car.
 
I'm presently a home-only player, but I do the band thing from time to time. I use the Axe-FX III because it covers everything I can possibly throw at it, and it sounds the best to me. I've owned all the big name tube amps after the last couple decades-both mass produced and boutique-due to either GAS or the elusive tone search that many of us experience. With the Axe-FX III I feel like I'm nailing the tones I've been searching for with much more ease. Bedroom or not, it sounds like I want it to sound, and if I do get back into the band thing again I'll be happy not to be hauling around a half stack and a rack.

You also mentioned recording. To me as a guitarist, I can't imagine a better studio amp than the Axe-FX III.
 
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Another bedroom player here. Too old for gigs, and even worst since I am in Bangkok (traffic jams, hot weather, late night shows, etc)

Fractal Audio user since the Axe-FX standard. Now upgraded to the III, and I don't regret it at all. I would never downsize to the FM3, except for portability issues, if I had to gig again - but keeping the Axe-FX III

I have arrived to a point where I find more pleasure recreating guitar tones rather than with the music itself or improving my poor playing skills.
 
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How do you bedroom players justify this piece of equipment?

I played semi-professionally for over 30 years ( usually between 100 and 150 nights a year at dive bars, weddings, dance halls, etc; ) .... During that time I went through a 'crap'-ton of different gear ( Fenders, MESAs, Marshalls, etc; ) .... I had a decent sized rack, Yamaha SPX-90, Korg SDD-3000, Lexicon PCM-70 & 80, dbx 160a ( I think ? ) ....

Anyway, I"m a product of the 80's & 90's ( with all the excesses ) .... I was really into Steve Lukather, Steve Ferris, Mike Landau and others who used a lot of effects on their tone ....

When I originally bought my first Fractal product ( Axe-Fx Ultra ), I had a couple of friends that were trying to get a recording project going, but that never really materialized ( other than a song or two, here and there ) ....

Fast forward to today ..., I'm now in my late 50's and even though I'm not in a gigging band any longer ( and have NO plans to do so ), I've developed a strong sense of what I want for my guitar tone ! And I'm not willing to compromise even though I'm usually only jamming along to others recordings, or an occasional backing track.

I have never been happier with my tone than I have been since I started using Fractal products !
 
Home only player, I get an enormous amount of pleasure from playing and collecting guitars - in recent years when I've had other bad things going on it's been a life saver in many ways.

And the III is a key part of that, the variety of sounds and tinkering gives me pleasure on the days I'm not really in a playing mood - and the quality and flexibility is inspirational.

I felt the same about the AX8 (my first Fractal) but the III is on another level - completely happy and not a moments thoughts on 'am I worthy'.

It makes me happy and I can still eat.

The looper and playing along via USB audio is worth it alone (49 and still trying to learn sweep picking!)
 
When I had the XL+ I would dial up pretty basic patches. Mostly Amp-Cab and some type of reverb or delay.

Do your wallet a favor and wait for an FM3. I know the feeling about wanting the best - I have an XL+ that I should never have purchased because the AX8 was more than enough; the FM3 will be even more so. If down the line you decide you need crazy effects that are missing in the FM3, you can always loop in an external pedal.
 
“Bedroom” is kind of a loaded term....with perhaps some negative connotations around it...

I was once a teenage bedroom guitarist living in my parents home, using the money from my part time after school job to buy a metal zone pedal...

I still technically play in a bedroom, but it’s actually a spare room in my own home, and could be referred to as my studio, with my day job supporting both my family and my musical hobby....

Some folks have attitudes that if your not playing on stages, then your kind of second class, your gear needs aren’t valid etc. you don’t “need” fancy gear for being a hobbyist some think...

At the same time, if one is a home studio player, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for the highest quality, assuming budget allows for it. These days you can create total pro level work at home, so it’s not like the days of home recording being a tascsm 4 track demo.
 
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