2007-2017: 10 Years with the Axe-Fx

solo-act

Fractal Fanatic
Time flies when you're having fun. It just occurred to me that yesterday was 10 years to the day a used Axe-Fx standard arrived at my door. It was sent by GuitarDojo, a forum member who is still active here. We've heard the stories from nearly every user imaginable. So I'm not adding new content with my 10-year tale, but I can tell it from the perspective of a full-time solo act musician.

Where it started
  • I stopped gigging in full time touring bands in 1992, after grunge hit, the big DUI crackdown began, and the 6-night venues started to disappear.
  • I stopped gigging in bands altogether in 1994 and slogged through a corporate day job.
  • In 1996, I left the corporate politics of ass-kissers and hitlers behind and started building a solo act, inspired by a vivid dream that had haunted me for days (in a good way).
I started full time solo act work about this time 20 years ago in 1997. So it turns out 2017 is doubly significant, both as an Axe-Fx user and a solo act.

In the beginning, my act was just acoustic/voice. One of my first regular gigs was a rowdy dive bar, where I'd watch guys smash each other's faces every Tuesday as I played "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens.

Enter the Axe-Fx
In '98 I started producing backing tracks, and in 2003 I added electric and started down the rabbit hole: Egnater, Fuchs, Suhr Badger, G-force, BJF, Eternity, Tim, Les Paul, a hybrid tele and 2 Suhr strats. I got off easy compared to some. Still, finding the right gear for variety covers was a bitch.

After 3.5 years of tonal compromise (we've all been there LOL) I found a Tyler classic SSH and played through a friend's Axe-Fx standard. Even then, it was more versatile and smaller/lighter than my rig so I committed to it. A few weeks later I told Scott Peterson he needed to get one, but he better buy a helmet to go with it because his brain would explode.

Exploding brains & the Axe Expedition
One by one the brains exploded, as players made the technical, intellectual and conceptual leap from analog to digital. Like other early adopters, I embraced firmware updates with the spirit of an Everest mountaineer -- we were willing to endure the tonal equivalent of freezing our balls off for days or weeks if it took us to the next summit. Dial, re-dial, throw it all way, dial, re-dial, re-dial, re-dial throw it all away, repeat.

And Cliff was our grumpy guide - fearless, driven, nay obsessed with conquering the legendary peaks of Marshall, Fender and Vox and the boutiques they inspired. Cliff didn't suffer fools on expedition, and each of us at one point or another has been one. I pissed him off in 2013, and he may still hold that against me. Regardless, Cliff continues to bring his customers on expedition. And his trailblazing code has forged a passage like no other, something that lets each of us explore and establish our own tonal footprint in these vast musical highlands.

What the Axe-Fx did for me
Back to the solo act perspective: Ironically, the guitar rig needs of a variety-covers solo act are surprisingly demanding. For my gig, a rig has to be very compact, light and consistently sound and feel great across a wide range of tones and styles. It has to match rig for rig, effect for effect, around 50 unique artists (not including acoustic) across 60+ years of material and do it at any volume, which is a dialing nightmare. Why? in the working musician cover-tune gig, audiences want the song the way they remember it, not some compromised/butchered interpretation. Gear-wise, that's a very tall order if you're doing a wide variety of artists. And last of all, like the big boys, the rig needs to be remote controllable, no distractions. I'm singing, playing, performing, taking requests, choosing next song at random, and taking any opportunity to interact with the audience, even mid-song. Well...it took nearly 10 years to fill my "gig order" but Fractal filled it spring of 2017. I rarely do full show redials now, and the tone/feel is solid on every preset.

Reflections and Thanks
Thanks to the relentless work of Cliff and his team, the risky, steep and narrow footpath started 10 years ago has become one of the most popular player's roads in history: Legends new and old (and their techs) have taken the world by storm via the Fractal superhighway; working musicians' worlds have been transformed by gear that delivers game-changing value; and the everyday frustrated guitar player has access to tones of the gods.

Fractal Audio has brought unobtainium to working musicians and the everyday novice.
Thank you Cliff. I've enjoyed the journey, and I sound better than ever...
until the next firmware arrives!!
 
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Nice post... I hit 4 years recently shortly after upgrading from an Axe Fx II MkII to an XL+.

After so many years of traditional tone chasing I totally understand the "exploding brain" comment. I've learned more about tube amps and effects in the last 4 years than I did in the rest of my 30+ years of playing.
 
Oh the irony of playing "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens while patrons bash each others heads in. :p

Great review.
No exaggeration. Tuesday was fight night nearly every week. Bigger fights on weekends, and the girl fights were exceptional. Wish I could say the same for the wet t-shirt contest. Still get bad flashbacks from that LOL.
 
Great read. Your story made be go look up my own dates as I still have the original emails. I first heard about the Axe-FX from the huge Scott Peterson threads on TGP so I guess you indirectly influenced me on my journey. I got on the waiting list for an Ultra on January 24, 2008. I got my invite on May 19th, purchased on the 21st and received it about a week later. I have since upgraded to a Mark 1 when that first came out. It's been an awesome ride.
 
Very Cool..., 2009 for me with the Ultra. was using a Magic Stomp and heard about the Ultra and decided to give it a try...used it with two JBL Eon G2 10's.
 
bought my first AFXII after a personal session with @Admin M@ at my second Dweezilla camp in 2012 (BTW, this year it returns, with a promise of more FRANK oriented music jams and workshops....!

..the gift that keeps on giving...!
 
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Hi Brad!!! Are you going to Dweezilla 2017? I just got the official invitation to do some Fractal product demos! I'm planning both introductory and advanced sessions.

https://www.dweezilzappa.com/posts/1982554-dweezilla-2017
Hoping to, pending some medical results..but our mutual buddy (and superior player) Joe Guzzo,who bought his axfxII, at the same session with you that I attended will be there, .....curious if @austinbuddy is attending....Anyone else here?
https://www.dweezilzappa.com/pages/dweezilla-camp
 
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