Fender Twin Reverb or Hot Rod good match with Axe-Fx?

L

lusoaxe

Member
Hello all,

I'm planning to buy a new amp to pair with my Axe-Fx, I love music and playing guitar but unfortunately I also work very long hours chronically so have little time to experiment and peruse gear. Therefore I kindly ask more knowledgable souls to help me out!

I would like a flexible set-up because I like to play (and listen to) a lot of different musical styles, but narrowing it it would be most Jazz and "Indie" Rock style. An excelllent clean sound is a must but of course, the hability to cranck out some good distortion tones, rock based, metal is not my thing. I own an Yamaha AES 1500 hollow body and also plan to buy an American Standard Stratocaster (shopping binge!) to scratch my longtime Fender hitch.

Do you think something like a Hot Rod (deluxe or Deville) or Twin Reverb (more expensive) would be a great combo? Or for that money there's other better options?
 
lusoaxe said:
Hello all,

I'm planning to buy a new amp to pair with my Axe-Fx, I love music and playing guitar but unfortunately I also work very long hours chronically so have little time to experiment and peruse gear. Therefore I kindly ask more knowledgable souls to help me out!

I would like a flexible set-up because I like to play (and listen to) a lot of different musical styles, but narrowing it it would be most Jazz and "Indie" Rock style. An excelllent clean sound is a must but of course, the hability to cranck out some good distortion tones, rock based, metal is not my thing. I own an Yamaha AES 1500 hollow body and also plan to buy an American Standard Stratocaster (shopping binge!) to scratch my longtime Fender hitch.

Do you think something like a Hot Rod (deluxe or Deville) or Twin Reverb (more expensive) would be a great combo? Or for that money there's other better options?
Click to expand...

So do you mean you only want to use the axe as an FX unit in the FX loop of an amp? Have you tried the pramps, power amps and cabs in the Axe? They are incredible. I wouldn't waste my $$ on a regular amp when I have the axe. But that's me. Wish I could be of more help, but like I said I only record direct and play thru my studio monitors (which sound incredible with my Ultra alone.
Check out this post by Jay Mitchell- Very informative and he knows the axe really well
Title is "What is FRFR and why do I care?" by Jay Mitchell.
 
I would like a flexible set-up because I like to play (and listen to) a lot of different musical styles, but narrowing it it would be most Jazz and "Indie" Rock style.
Click to expand...


It would really benefit you to read some of posts here about FRFR speakers. I use an EV SXa 360 and FBT Verve 8ma. I like the Verve the best, but that's just me. The Axe-FX should be able do everything you want

Jim
 
It might be worth mentioning too that the Axe-FX models a Blackface Fender Twin Reverb really well. I had a play with it last night and am quite convinced.

For a Hot Rod Deluxe Tone, (fun amp for the money - my lead singer has one), I tried using the Blackface sim, with a Fender Blues Jr tonestack set at the same tonestack centre frequency as the Blues Jr (801hz) along with the 1x12 Black cab sim, and I got pretty close (based on my memory) to the tone of the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe overdrive channel and the clean channel too. This is all going into a QSC HPR122i (I really wish I had an FBT Verve 12ma!!)

So while I don't want to discourage you from using the Axe the way it suits you best (if that way happens to be just as an effects unit with a real tube amp), it might still be worth considering FRFR as these amps you are looking at, are quite easily copied inside the Axe-FX.

TimmyM
 
If you really would want to go for a combo than i would recommend you a used roland jc120 more than a Twin.
The Rolands are so much more neutral on there own and react better on the distortion ampsims from the axe than the fenders do.
Plus they are cheaper so you can buy 2 to go in stereo. (and weigh less !!!)

I agree with Stratman that the amp sims from the fenders are good (i really dig the clean from the eggy btw) So maybe FRFR would be a better solution if you are not into a 4/12 behind your back.

Anyway imho the Fenders amps colours your sound way to much.
 
I have a Hotrod Deville, but I am 99 % of my time using the Axe-Fx on a Roland KC350. It is just more flexible. With the Deville you have only a limited variance of sound, because amp and speakers colour the sound too much.

I have never been able to compare the KC350 to a FBT 12 or a QSC, and these seem to be the best FRFR#s you can buy. I am quite happy with my Roland so far.

The Deville would be nice if you plan to play sometimes without the axefx, sometimes just carrying an amp, plug in and you're done is nice. Plus if you like the sound of them: I have not yet come close to their sound with the Axe. But I didn't try very hard. I would need some IR's.

But if you like the sound of clean amps, don't forget to try the Mr. Z. If I put my Deville next to my KC350 with the Axe, the Mr. Z comes closest to the dynamics of the Deville (not to the sound).

And another bit of information, the Deville is so difficult to control, 1mm on the volume pot more and your ears fall off, because the stupid Fender guys put in a linear pot, not a log one. I have to use a foot volume pedal between preamp and power amp to be able to set it to the volume I want. And finally, if you get a Deville, try out the modification in the unofficial Hotrod guide, http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/ which is called "TONE CONTROL MODIFICATION TO BETTER CONTROL BASS RESPONSE". It is very easy to do and the tone stack is much more responsive than before.
 
hhjh.de said:
IThe Deville would be nice if you plan to play sometimes without the axefx, sometimes just carrying an amp, plug in and you're done is nice. Plus if you like the sound of them: I have not yet come close to their sound with the Axe. But I didn't try very hard. I would need some IR's.
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I think the biggest issue to get a good sparkling clean are not the sims indeed but the IR,s, Now i have a stunning sparkling clean based on a eggy with cabs OFF.
If i put cabs on it feels like some sort of compression or it flattens the sound quite a bit. Tryed several IR,s with no luck so far, a good IR of 2,12 open cabs would do the trick i think, the 1,12 in the axe makes it to thin imho.
 
Thanks a lot for all the feedback! I must confess I bought the AXE-FX mainly for the quality of the effects but then again I need to explore it a lot more. I was always very sceptic about amp sims but I read so many good things about the Axe, and so many rave reviews from "converted tube souls", that it also influenced my purchasing decision.

Your general advise makes sense, I already have a Henriksen Jazz Amp (anyone know about it?) but was looking for something more powerful for when I start playing with a band. I guess I've got a fetiche for clean tones hence the Fender amps. Also it's nice to have an amp that I can plug my guitar into without the Axe from time to time. Maybe something like a Roland Cube 80 would be perfect (the JC120 is almost the price of a Twin Reverb)?

Edit: strike that, the Roland would be quite redundant with my Jazzamp!
 
lusoaxe said:
Thanks a lot for all the feedback! I must confess I bought the AXE-FX mainly for the quality of the effects but then again I need to explore it a lot more. I was always very sceptic about amp sims but I read so many good things about the Axe, and so many rave reviews from "converted tube souls", that it also influenced my purchasing decision.

Your general advise makes sense, I already have a Henriksen Jazz Amp (anyone know about it?) but was looking for something more powerful for when I start playing with a band. I guess I've got a fetiche for clean tones hence the Fender amps. Also it's nice to have an amp that I can plug my guitar into without the Axe from time to time. Maybe something like a Roland Cube 80 would be perfect (the JC120 is almost the price of a Twin Reverb)?

Edit: strike that, the Roland would be quite redundant with my Jazzamp!
Click to expand...

I bought my rolands used (20 years old) for 450 euro,s each, again i don,t think they are the right choise also ... at home i like them and in my band i much more prefer the loop of my marshall 6100 and a marshall v30 cab, it gives more punch and a fuller sound.

FRFR would maybe a good choice but i only tested that in a musicstore so i am not the one for advice on that.
 
I'd get an amp with an effects loop, that way you can run some effects to the Input of the amp and others in the Loop of the amp. You'll have better variety and quality, esp if you have a 2 or 3 channel amp. I'd recommend Mesa... stay with the Lonestar or the new Mark 5 if you like Fender cleans. JMHO
 
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