Winthorpe
New Member
Hi all,
I don't normally buy in to these types of threads but I've had a gruelling and long journey sourcing an Axe-FX XL / MFC-101 here in the UK and then a Helix LT. Spoiler alert, the Helix was returned quite quickly.
The consensus on the web appears to be that you can dial in the Axe-FX and Helix to be almost the same, with the Axe-FX having a very subtle edge. IMHO this is complete and utter BS, from experience the Helix doesn't even come remotely close to the Axe-FX. I only concluded two positives to the Helix, the ability to very easily program from the unit itself and the chugginess when playing rhythm on the Cali and Archon high gain amps, though this quickly falls apart when dropping down to lead breaks.
In the short time I've had the Axe-FX it's become a truly inspiring unit. The tone, the playability, the response and feel, as well as the fluidity of individual notes during solos has to felt to be believed. I don't have an array of expensive guitars (Peavey Wolfgang, Ibanez FR, Epi LP etc) and for the first time I can get these guitars to sing with syrupy tones that sound like John Sykes from 1987. Something I've never been able to achieve with a high gain Marshall and TubeScreamer even when cranked to 11. By contrast when I drop down to solo on Helix it just feels a bit staccato and the fluidity is none existent, very evident if you can ever AB the two.
The other big plus to someone like me who favours high gain is that we normally struggle with clean tones, it's long been the compromise. The array of clean tones on the Axe-FX are awesome and the FX are exceptional, the 2290 delay is to die for! In contrast on Helix I struggled with the cleans and the ones I could get were not my liking and left me truly wanting more and the Fx were OK!
So to conclude, if you're tossing up between the Axe-FX and the Helix the biggest factor is probably going to be money, especially outside the US. Take my advice, save for longer and push up to the Fractal, you will never regret it.
The Helix is not a pimple on the ass of the Axe-FX!
Just my two pence, YMMV.
I don't normally buy in to these types of threads but I've had a gruelling and long journey sourcing an Axe-FX XL / MFC-101 here in the UK and then a Helix LT. Spoiler alert, the Helix was returned quite quickly.
The consensus on the web appears to be that you can dial in the Axe-FX and Helix to be almost the same, with the Axe-FX having a very subtle edge. IMHO this is complete and utter BS, from experience the Helix doesn't even come remotely close to the Axe-FX. I only concluded two positives to the Helix, the ability to very easily program from the unit itself and the chugginess when playing rhythm on the Cali and Archon high gain amps, though this quickly falls apart when dropping down to lead breaks.
In the short time I've had the Axe-FX it's become a truly inspiring unit. The tone, the playability, the response and feel, as well as the fluidity of individual notes during solos has to felt to be believed. I don't have an array of expensive guitars (Peavey Wolfgang, Ibanez FR, Epi LP etc) and for the first time I can get these guitars to sing with syrupy tones that sound like John Sykes from 1987. Something I've never been able to achieve with a high gain Marshall and TubeScreamer even when cranked to 11. By contrast when I drop down to solo on Helix it just feels a bit staccato and the fluidity is none existent, very evident if you can ever AB the two.
The other big plus to someone like me who favours high gain is that we normally struggle with clean tones, it's long been the compromise. The array of clean tones on the Axe-FX are awesome and the FX are exceptional, the 2290 delay is to die for! In contrast on Helix I struggled with the cleans and the ones I could get were not my liking and left me truly wanting more and the Fx were OK!
So to conclude, if you're tossing up between the Axe-FX and the Helix the biggest factor is probably going to be money, especially outside the US. Take my advice, save for longer and push up to the Fractal, you will never regret it.
The Helix is not a pimple on the ass of the Axe-FX!
Just my two pence, YMMV.