Come on then, talk me into it

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

If you are in a position where he would take your ultra and you could easily move up to the II it is a no brainer. Couple that with the fact that the band will be better off for it and it is a win win

Yep, that's kinda where I'm at Vail

Was looking for some additional reasoning... which others have kindly chimed in with too

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

I switched from the Ultra to the II about a year ago. At that time I think the gap between the two was measurable, but narrow. Since then the gap has grown considerably.

To me its more of a feel thing than a sound thing. The II at V10 just feels more alive.

Ta for that - I like the 'feel' thing

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

What is more important?

Money in the bank or the newest version of something you already own?

Well, both are equally important in their own right of course!

I take the point though

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

Your caving to your craving and you no longer need your savings, you... must... buy it now... Ahh ha ha ha ha ha :twisted

Hummm... it may only be the internets, but I think you know me too well...

To be fair though, having a buyer 'in-house' has certainly had an influence on the matter

 

[Admin M@]

Just to let you know Cover'd.... "power" has nothing to do with "maxxing out." It provides greater depth of realism on the II.

As I always tell fence sitters, a moment playing is all you need to recognize that the II is the right choice if you're serious about your music and enjoying it.

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

You can always have a go on mine....
See if you can hear/feel the difference

Ah, thanks for the kind offer! Oddly enough, a different rig & environment might not be *that* revealing... or rather I mean that yes, there will of course be a difference although that could be attributable to other factors

What was the biggest thing you noticed when changing up..?

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

Do it...I have an xt live and it's your responsibility to yourself and your bandmates to step away from the line 6...I'll only use mine as a portable private practice tool from now on...

Preaching to the choir with that one Paul!

I came to the Ultra from a POD too and made the change after becoming increasingly aware of feeling more and more disconnected with the enjoyment of 'playing guitar', so I share your point there for sure!

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

I'd do it in a heartbeat. Lucky you have the option.

True. As mentioned, having an effective 'pre-sale' is an important factor here

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

Play the same patch in the AFX II and you will think the Ultra sounds like a POD. Which it doesn't.. Put all three in the figure and the POD is a FM radio
Play the AFX II to the real amp blind folded and pick the real one...

O'yeah...... plus you get like 100 other new amps for the money..

Really, that big a jump forward again eh..?

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

I really liked the sounds in the Ultra.
I LOVE the sounds and more flexibility (scenes, etc) in the AXE II

k, so get one now

Thanks for those thoughts

Scenes not such a biggie for me as all my patches are sequencer driven, although I accept that I may not yet fully comprehend their magic!

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

I hated the Ultra, I love my II. 'nuff said

Possibly... I really like the Ultra though!

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

I was surprised to find this video to go with the three wise monkeys Cover'd signature. But here it is and it says it all.


If the other member of your band will buy the Ultra and its an affordable step to the II, it seems a logical step to take.

Haha, great vid!!! Not sure I am worth it, but anyway...

You're spot on though, it makes some kind of 'sense' to me too (yeah, we all know what 'sense' means when it comes to new toys / gear!)

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

Don't do it. We won't be able to make fun of you anymore.

Hee hee, well I'll miss that for sure!

(and the monkeys...)

 

[UnsungHeroGuitars]

Just to let you know Cover'd.... "power" has nothing to do with "maxxing out." It provides greater depth of realism on the II.

As I always tell fence sitters, a moment playing is all you need to recognize that the II is the right choice if you're serious about your music and enjoying it.

Thank for you input Matt, I can certainly appreciate what you're getting at there

 

[Loquenau]

You can always have a go on mine....
See if you can hear/feel the difference

This. This. This.

 

[shemihazazel]

Cover'd, the II is at least a couple of light years ahead of the Ultra in terms of sound IMO. Let those Monkeys feel ALL the evil and buy buy BUY! :devilish:

 

[Sixstring]

Hummm... it may only be the internets, but I think you know me too well...

To be fair though, having a buyer 'in-house' has certainly had an influence on the matter

:lol. On more serious note so to speak here is my attempt at swaying you, I to had a tuff time at first convincing myself if I should pony up the cash in order to buy something that in all honesty I really didn't need. The Ultra was all dialed in just the way I wanted it to be, every preset was perfect with respect to effects, tone, switching everything. Why did I trade up? Tone match was one of the major reasons... I love to sound like the guitars that I hear or have heard in the past being able to dial in sounds that would require so many different pieces of gear that I know that could never afford it. The other was knowing that Cliff had something else in his head that could bring the Axe to another level that I didn't think was possible and now with V10.xx that has come to fruition and that is feel and accurate representation of the modled amp.

The Axe FX is the one product that I have stayed with from the get go. Even though I was hesitant at first, sold and then re-bought, after that I never went back to a tube amp and that was back in late 07. Aside from cab I/R's I don't know if anymore can be done to improve the amp sims at this point and the effects I believe can be made a little easer to dial in to specific types so from that view point it can only get better. The number of amps for me is more that enough and some I have never heard so I have no real reference as to how that actually sound. I don't really care as this device is the last guitar based pice of gear I will ever need.

So let's sum up, to step up to an Axe II which cost me out of pocket after I sold my Ultra was $700... a no brainer considering what I got for that $700 investment. A chance to enjoy more amp sims, better algorithms, Tone match, scen select, double the I/R resolution, USB, Headphone jack, quick controles, MIMIC... just to name a few and we all know I could go on and on. Even if it stopped there it would be well worth the money. In the end you have to convince your self wether or not you need it, if it's worth it and if you'll be happy with your decision.

Good luck mate you will know what to do .

 

[ventura]

I'm a former hater.

Former being the operative word.

Nuff said.

 

[Ben Randolph]

Well, I had the very same question. When the II was announced in 2011, we were in a bit of a financial bind paying on 2 mortgages. We had moved into our new house and were prepping our old one for sale. So, springing for a new AxeFX wasn't on the table, especially since I was fine with my Ultra.

Fast forward two years. I'm still very happy with my Ultra, but I took the plunge and bought a II. To be honest, I had not heard any sound clips on the Internet where I felt the II totally blew away the Gen 1 AxeFX. However, features such as USB, headphone output, tone matching and Scenes seemed enough that I was willing to try a II out.

I have to say that after the first couple of chords I strummed on the II, I knew that it was a completely different animal. More tonal complexity in general. Definitely something more there as far as amp modeling. It's really something that you notice most when you're actually playing in the room with an AxeFX 2. Don't go strictly by sound clips on the Internet, when you're in the room with an AxeFX 2 the added "organicness" of the models really is noticeable.

I love Fender cleans and while the AxeFX Ultra did a good job, it wasn't quite "there", but it was "close enough". I did an A/B with my Blues Jr. and the AxeFX II's model, and the AxeFX II was pretty much dead on.

Another thing I noticed was the much improved workflow. Things like the quick control knobs are a huge productivity boost. And little things, like the improved tactile response of the front panel buttons and the snappiness of the front panel screens were noticeable.

The first 80 or so presents are simply the amp, a well-paired cab and a bit of reverb. That's it. That's such a smart way to organize presets. You can get a feel for the amp models in a clean, uncluttered by effects, setting. That really gives you a chance to get in, tweak a particular model the way you want and make it your own.

So, I'm still in my honeymoon phase, but so far color me highly impressed. The Axe II has exceeded my expectations in every way and I wish I'd made the jump earlier.

I figure with the sale of my Ultra, which should net $1200-1500, the Axe II is a bargain.

I want to do a comprehensive review, but honestly I'm spending too much time playing and enjoying my Axe II. I'd say do it. You have a return period, so nothing to lose by trying it out!

 

[maxdown]

It sounds like you've become totally proficient on the Ultra - which usually means you've squeezed every last cpu % you can out of it and learned a lot of tweaking technique.

You're also using midi via a sequencer to change presets etc. .... so do you ever get a little gap during quick changes?

The 2 will allow you to get more - by doing less - and with a sequencer, Scenes/XY expand your options so much ... seamlessly.

I'm sure there are still Ultra users out there who are making better noises than many Axe2 users - but thats down to the ear and user proficiency. If you believe you have a good ear and know the parameter areas where a good sound can be turned into a great sound then you'll benefit greatly with the Axe2 - and get there quicker.

The architecture of the Axe2 is allowing the firmware updates to seriously enter the world of the 'cork sniffers' now .... but if you want some of your Ultra sounds back then that's acheivable too.

The Axe2 is a genuine 'step up' without any doubt in my mind. Some will have of course upgraded just because it was the latest thing without even thinking about it - but there are many who are very serious about their tones who are utilising the full power of it and getting the results they wanted all along.

It's of course basically down to you to decide if you feel there's any benefit moving up to the Axe2 - if you're totally happy with your sound and have no operating issues with the Ultra then it's going to be a tough decision.

You need to remove the 'peer pressure' from the argument and look at your current rig and ask yourself what's missing or annoys you and see if the Axe2 has something that makes that better I reckon.