Axe-FX III JP2C model Vs. Real JP2C

B

brettllingle

Inspired
Well tonight I compared the Axe-FX III JP2C model through a Mesa 2:90 and traditional Mesa cab to the real JP2C and I cannot tell the difference which is kind of good and bad. Good that I don’t need the real amp bad because I just dropped a lot of cash on it lmao. I also compared the Mark IV there as well same thing I can’t tell the difference.
 

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Did the same thing over the past year or so with all of my tube heads. Using the 4CM and a real tube head, you can easily toggle between using the real tube head for the amp tones and just using the AXE 3 for pre and post effects. Then with a quick patch or scene change you can now use the AXE 3 amp sims and just use the tube head for it's power section. Quick and easy way to compare the real vs the amp sim tones. Quickly found that the AXE 3 was spot on tone-wise and feel to my real Friedman's, Bogner's, EVH's and modded JCM800's. With that said, all tube amps have been sold and then the next step was to figure out a good FRFR platform and some good IR's to utilize and once I picked up 2 Atomic CLR's, all of my real 412 cabinets and poweramps were sold off as well and I have never been happier with my tone in the last 40+ years as I am now.
 
Alainarose said:
Did the same thing over the past year or so with all of my tube heads. Using the 4CM and a real tube head, you can easily toggle between using the real tube head for the amp tones and just using the AXE 3 for pre and post effects. Then with a quick patch or scene change you can now use the AXE 3 amp sims and just use the tube head for it's power section. Quick and easy way to compare the real vs the amp sim tones. Quickly found that the AXE 3 was spot on tone-wise and feel to my real Friedman's, Bogner's, EVH's and modded JCM800's. With that said, all tube amps have been sold and then the next step was to figure out a good FRFR platform and some good IR's to utilize and once I picked up 2 Atomic CLR's, all of my real 412 cabinets and poweramps were sold off as well and I have never been happier with my tone in the last 40+ years as I am now.
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+1

basically same story with me.
 
brettllingle said:
Well tonight I compared the Axe-FX III JP2C model through a Mesa 2:90 and traditional Mesa cab to the real JP2C and I cannot tell the difference which is kind of good and bad. Good that I don’t need the real amp bad because I just dropped a lot of cash on it lmao. I also compared the Mark IV there as well same thing I can’t tell the difference.
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Exact same story with me, couldn't be happier with the Axe model. I literally dialed in the same settings and it literally sounds the same.
Sold my JP2C and never looked back - I loved the amp but couldn't justify keeping it around with the Axe model being so good.
 
Buying a FM3 in 2020 (and later an Axe Fx III in 2021) ended up making me a lot of money. That one $999 purchase freed up about $4500 in "real" amps that I had acquired over almost 20 years. I had no qualms about selling all of them after I learned to dial in Fractal gear. My Mesa Mark V, my Fenders, my Ceriatone...everything, gone. I never thought that day would be come, but I couldn't have been happier when it did.

All I have now is the Axe Fx III and a Katana for some around-the-house portability. I'll likely never buy an actual amplifier again.
 
The Axe-3, FM9, and FM3 are dialed in and sound tops, going to FOH and also patched over to an amp-correct guitar cab. That said, my adult kids want the vintage amps someday, so here they won’t be sold. Plus they come in handy, in the event of EMP.
 
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I own the limited version of the head (the one at 325 ex) since 2016 and still don’t want to sell it.
Not that the axe version isn’t good. Just that I like to have a full analog system and a full axe fx system. I like to play with the head and cab in my room, different feel than playing with the axe in studio monitor or PA. I have tried the axe with my cab but don’t know it don’t give me the same feeling. Maybe that’s just mental.

Having the real deal is not just about the tone really, if you give me 2 rectangle of wood that sound 99% like a Stratocaster, I will still use the original because it prettier 😅
the « collection » side, and then having the original is « a dream ». the same for guitars, records..
 
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Giulio said:
Out of curiosity, did you try to compare them using a solid state power amp?
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I know the question wasn't targeted at me but I can explain my method of comparison as it might be useful information.
I wanted a fair fight so I put the JP2C through a Suhr RL into the Mikko 2 cab sim plugin while putting the Axe model through the same cab sim. I took care to be really precise with all the amp settings which I took from a JP video. With the same settings plugged in the difference to my ears was a few percent at most and we're talking isolated here, not in a full song context. The thing that really sold me on the quality and precision of the model was the distortion texture which was 100% spot on. The slight differences in tone (BMT) could also be chalked up to the fact that even between the same physical amps there is a part tolerance for pots and other components which can contribute much more. But, comparing my own JP2C to JP's own JP2C (which the Axe model is based on) it was literally splitting hairs.
To get to the point, since in this comparison both the physical and modeled amp's power amp section is utilized I highly doubt that comparing through an SS PA would yield any difference. I didn't have the chance to compare other amps to their modeled counterparts but the JP2C model is certainly as close as it gets and if the same is true for other models then the Axe III is simply the first modeler to achieve singularity :D
 
axes said:
I know the question wasn't targeted at me but I can explain my method of comparison as it might be useful information.
I wanted a fair fight so I put the JP2C through a Suhr RL into the Mikko 2 cab sim plugin while putting the Axe model through the same cab sim. I took care to be really precise with all the amp settings which I took from a JP video. With the same settings plugged in the difference to my ears was a few percent at most and we're talking isolated here, not in a full song context. The thing that really sold me on the quality and precision of the model was the distortion texture which was 100% spot on. The slight differences in tone (BMT) could also be chalked up to the fact that even between the same physical amps there is a part tolerance for pots and other components which can contribute much more. But, comparing my own JP2C to JP's own JP2C (which the Axe model is based on) it was literally splitting hairs.
To get to the point, since in this comparison both the physical and modeled amp's power amp section is utilized I highly doubt that comparing through an SS PA would yield any difference. I didn't have the chance to compare other amps to their modeled counterparts but the JP2C model is certainly as close as it gets and if the same is true for other models then the Axe III is simply the first modeler to achieve singularity :D
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Awesome work - great to see the detailed methodical approch.
 
Which pedal in your opinion could replicate the shred mode for example in the 2c+ mode of a mark v? A simple ts9/sd1 overdrive? Thanks
 
just my opinion/speculation….

but it’s gotten so good that I think we’re at a point of high diminishing returns in guitar modelling in terms of sound accuracy but hey!!

I’m sure we’d love to be proven wrong to that thought
 
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