I can't stress enough how much the Axe II NAILS the JCM 800

sarge

sarge

Power User
Playing the Axe FX was what got me into the JCM 800. Was not a fan of it before then. I loved the sim so much I went out and picked up a real 2204.

Well today I finally got a power amp so I can run my Axe II through my 1960A cab. (Mesa 20/20 (I know, it will color my tone, etc...) it sounds great and is unbelievably loud).

Anyway, I have cab sims off and a patch of nothing more then the Brit 800, and I am telling you I don't think I could tell the difference in a blind sound test.

Typically, when I am playing guitar through amps, the difference in tone is far more obvious then when I am listening to someone else play (or even a recording of myself).

I am sitting here playing through the real thing, then through the Axe FX Brit 800. Both going through the same cab. And they sound and feel the same to me.

I was literrally thinking of going wet/dry rig. Using the real 800 as my main tone, using the line out from my hotplate into the Axe FX, adding delay and reverb, then going into the 20/20 then into the other side of the stereo cab.

It would be a waste of connections. This thing truly nails the 800. Exactly!!!! Down to the little bouncy feel you get with A string palm mutes

I have to believe they spent a lot of time on the Brit 800 sim.
 
sarge said:
Playing the Axe FX was what got me into the JCM 800. Was not a fan of it before then. I loved the sim so much I went out and picked up a real 2204.

Well today I finally got a power amp so I can run my Axe II through my 1960A cab. (Mesa 20/20 (I know, it will color my tone, etc...) it sounds great and is unbelievably loud).

Anyway, I have cab sims off and a patch of nothing more then the Brit 800, and I am telling you I don't think I could tell the difference in a blind sound test.

Typically, when I am playing guitar through amps, the difference in tone is far more obvious then when I am listening to someone else play (or even a recording of myself).

I am sitting here playing through the real thing, then through the Axe FX Brit 800. Both going through the same cab. And they sound and feel the same to me.

I was literrally thinking of going wet/dry rig. Using the real 800 as my main tone, using the line out from my hotplate into the Axe FX, adding delay and reverb, then going into the 20/20 then into the other side of the stereo cab.

It would be a waste of connections. This thing truly nails the 800. Exactly!!!! Down to the little bouncy feel you get with A string palm mutes

I have to believe they spent a lot of time on the Brit 800 sim.
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If you have an A/B/Y switch, you could have a friend handle the switch, you with your back to the units. Actually a/b blind test it.

Might be a fun test.
 
Funny how so many folks out there say it doesn't or that they hear weird digital artifacts and yet here you actually have them side by side and hear almost zero difference.
 
Code Red!

Scott Peterson said:
Those folks don't want it to sound good; and how good it sounds and feels in reality is irreverent to them. It hurts their sensibilities. ;) :D
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Hey Scott,

That reminds me of the famous courtroom scene from "A Few Good Men" when Jack Nicholson says (and I'm intentionally paraphrasing/substituting the word "they" in place of the word "you"):

"They can't handle the truth!" - LOL!

Bill
 
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Scott Peterson said:
Those folks don't want it to sound good; and how good it sounds and feels in reality is irreverent to them. It hurts their sensibilities. ;) :D
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Even one valve amp doesn't sound like another valve amp of the same type. And changing the valves usually it wont even sound like itself. Which is exactly why a device such as the AXE FX 2 is something I think is successful as once the tone is dialled in that is how it is, the valves don't wear out and need replacing and then it doesn't sound the same.

Hopefully I wasn't too irreverent in saying that 8)
 
I have only spent a little time with the JCM800 (just gettting back into the II) using the built in preset. It does feel and sound good, I don't know exactly how to tame the brightness though? Is there some tweak to the "virtual" bright cap that smooths thing out a little bit? There are so many hot rodded style Marshall options in the II I didn't even consider actually using the JCM800, but I like what I have tested so far!
 
Gasp100 said:
I have only spent a little time with the JCM800 (just gettting back into the II) using the built in preset. It does feel and sound good, I don't know exactly how to tame the brightness though? Is there some tweak to the "virtual" bright cap that smooths thing out a little bit? There are so many hot rodded style Marshall options in the II I didn't even consider actually using the JCM800, but I like what I have tested so far!
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You can change the cap value in the advanced parameters page. Or: you can wait for 6.0 to drop. :)
 
Gasp100 said:
I have only spent a little time with the JCM800 (just gettting back into the II) using the built in preset. It does feel and sound good, I don't know exactly how to tame the brightness though? Is there some tweak to the "virtual" bright cap that smooths thing out a little bit? There are so many hot rodded style Marshall options in the II I didn't even consider actually using the JCM800, but I like what I have tested so far!
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5.07?

Bright off, bass at 0, M/T/P at 10. MV @ 9.00 and Drive to Taste (around 3-4).
 
Gasp100 said:
I have only spent a little time with the JCM800 (just gettting back into the II) using the built in preset. It does feel and sound good, I don't know exactly how to tame the brightness though? Is there some tweak to the "virtual" bright cap that smooths thing out a little bit? There are so many hot rodded style Marshall options in the II I didn't even consider actually using the JCM800, but I like what I have tested so far!
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The real thing is very bright. On my amp I sometimes have the treble around 9 o'clock.
I think years of loud volume have killed my sensitivity to the higher frequencies though
 
Marshalls get a rounder and fatter sound with master at 80-100%... Thats why Marshall users allways plays loud. Sounds better. Not just F/M effect. Try a Marshall YJM with attunator at the lowest volum, and crank the master. From 8-10 it fattens up a lot. Same with my old JCM800..... The only real amp i would have now is the Mesa RA-100. Just to still have 1 simple and pure amp...
 
stratamania said:
Even one valve amp doesn't sound like another valve amp of the same type. And changing the valves usually it wont even sound like itself. Which is exactly why a device such as the AXE FX 2 is something I think is successful as once the tone is dialled in that is how it is, the valves don't wear out and need replacing and then it doesn't sound the same.

Hopefully I wasn't too irreverent in saying that 8)
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I went to a self-professed 'tube freak' amp guy in Poughkeepsie NY to try different tubes in my Princeton a few years back. he tried 6 different sets in all. I had NO IDEA how much the tubes affect the sound! Some were bright and thin, some very, very compressed. I finally settled on a vintage German set (Webers?) that had that 'open, uncompressed' sound I've always loved with a single coil guitar hooked into a Fender amp.

Truly, no two amps are the same, and the same amp aint the same if you change the tubes!
 
+1 the AxeII nails my real 2204 in spades.

I went from a real plexi to the real 2204 in amp GAS mode a while back... I thought the 2204 was broken at first because it was insanely bright lol. Only when played in a band context did the light bulb go off :) That brightness cuts a dense mix with ease and lets the bass guitar and kick drum also be heard.

Richard
 
barhrecords said:
+1 the AxeII nails my real 2204 in spades.

I went from a real plexi to the real 2204 in amp GAS mode a while back... I thought the 2204 was broken at first because it was insanely bright lol. Only when played in a band context did the light bulb go off :) That brightness cuts a dense mix with ease and lets the bass guitar and kick drum also be heard.

Richard
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This is interesting. I've never had the pleasure of playing a real Plexi amp. I really love the chewy tones of the Plexi on the AxeFX and whenever I go to the JCM800 it's night and day on the treble content but I do have my JCM800 patch dialed with bright on and treble and presence around 5. It works well to not be too bright but cuts. It's just very different from the Plexi in terms of treble content. Do you think the Plexi Treble on the Axe II is accurate in that respect since you had a real deal? The beauty of the Axe is that I do adjust up the upper mids on the graphic EQ page of the amp...just slightly...and that helps the transition of those amp tones stay away from being too stark a contrast.
 
mtmartin71 said:
This is interesting. I've never had the pleasure of playing a real Plexi amp. I really love the chewy tones of the Plexi on the AxeFX and whenever I go to the JCM800 it's night and day on the treble content but I do have my JCM800 patch dialed with bright on and treble and presence around 5. It works well to not be too bright but cuts. It's just very different from the Plexi in terms of treble content. Do you think the Plexi Treble on the Axe II is accurate in that respect since you had a real deal? The beauty of the Axe is that I do adjust up the upper mids on the graphic EQ page of the amp...just slightly...and that helps the transition of those amp tones stay away from being too stark a contrast.
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I sold my Plexi before I got the Axe (Ultra and then II owner) so I didn't A/B the Plexi with the Axe.

I am a big fan of the AxeFx II Plexi though. It has the ping of a real Plexi if that makes any sense.

Richard
 
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