bstaley
Inspired
I've had two evenings with the Axe-III (A3 ) so far. The main objective has been to migrate the existing patches I want to keep from my Axe-II (A2) so I can sell it. This has allowed me to do a direct comparison using an A/B box to switch between the two. I am using the same exact settings (where applicable) and cabinets and I did not A/B every single patch. I picked a couple of my main ones for comparison.
Once volumes were matched, I found I had a hard time noticing a difference between the two. I would say there is a hint more clarity on the A3, but they are very close. While the A2 has a very amp-like feel, I did notice the A3 seems to be a bit more lively. It has that "snap" that you get from a good tube amp. That is not knocking the A2 in any way. The A2 is still a fine piece of gear and very viable, even next to the A3. The best analogy I could make, is if you had a good tube amp and sent it to get modded. It WAS a great amp, but the mod just gave it that slight bit of "something" that pushes it over the top.
In addition to copying existing presets, I found that I could take these presets and make slight tweaks to them and enjoy them even more. These are presets I've dialed in over the course of years (in some cases) and I felt they were the best they could be on the A2. I was hearing and feeling things on the A3 that allowed me to alter them slightly to get just a little more out of them. No, I did not go back and make the same changes to the A2 to see how they sounded. It's just that the A3 seems to allow me to hear/feel things that I couldn't notice before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to say the A3 is "light years" beyond the A2, as I've heard some say. No, I don't think that at all. I think what the A3 has done is take something that was already great and make it just a little bit better.
My tests were not based on any of the effects. I'm talking about Input >Amp > Cab > Out. Just the raw tone. If this is what I've come up with in just a couple nights with the A3, I can only imagine what the future holds. When I get lost in a single preset and spend an hour just playing and smiling, I know I've made a good choice. So far I am really happy with my purchase.
Once volumes were matched, I found I had a hard time noticing a difference between the two. I would say there is a hint more clarity on the A3, but they are very close. While the A2 has a very amp-like feel, I did notice the A3 seems to be a bit more lively. It has that "snap" that you get from a good tube amp. That is not knocking the A2 in any way. The A2 is still a fine piece of gear and very viable, even next to the A3. The best analogy I could make, is if you had a good tube amp and sent it to get modded. It WAS a great amp, but the mod just gave it that slight bit of "something" that pushes it over the top.
In addition to copying existing presets, I found that I could take these presets and make slight tweaks to them and enjoy them even more. These are presets I've dialed in over the course of years (in some cases) and I felt they were the best they could be on the A2. I was hearing and feeling things on the A3 that allowed me to alter them slightly to get just a little more out of them. No, I did not go back and make the same changes to the A2 to see how they sounded. It's just that the A3 seems to allow me to hear/feel things that I couldn't notice before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to say the A3 is "light years" beyond the A2, as I've heard some say. No, I don't think that at all. I think what the A3 has done is take something that was already great and make it just a little bit better.
My tests were not based on any of the effects. I'm talking about Input >Amp > Cab > Out. Just the raw tone. If this is what I've come up with in just a couple nights with the A3, I can only imagine what the future holds. When I get lost in a single preset and spend an hour just playing and smiling, I know I've made a good choice. So far I am really happy with my purchase.
