i need to hear it to believe it...

T

tcvans

Inspired
hey guys. i found out about the axe-fx on complete accident while searching for new irs and have been snooping around this forum for months since then.

please forgive my skepticism , but i have wasted a ton of money over the years on an assortment of "tube amp modelers/emulators" (digitech, line 6, guitar rig, amplitube, ect). while most of the hardware/software types work ok for recording, not one of them really held their own in a live situation. they always sounded "thin" or "fizzy" in contrast to the tube amps that shared the stage.

i live in plymouth, wisconsin and would love see an axe user using this incredible box live. closer the better, but i would "road trip" a considerable distance to check this thing out.

as far as the hype? i have heard some great playing and superior tones from this forum (ie. MARSHA!!! :D ), but i don't need another box to record with as much as great live rig.

if someone here could me help out, i'd really appreciate it.

THX,
~T~
 
Look at the artists page of the web site. Look at the reviews. They are filled with skeptics just like you who gave it a try and quickly followed up by selling all their prized tube rigs. It's not hype. It shines in a live setting. It is a no risk situation. There's a 15 day return policy & also holds it's resale value well. Just buy it, try it out, if it is not for you send it back...no need for the hassle of a "considerable road trip".
 
Dude, seriously, just buy it. You will like it... I've been through many modelers myself including a pod pro, pod xt. vetta II just to mention a few... I have also owned a few classic tube amps including an original 1973 plexi, a mesa boogie rack system, peaveys etc... I've sold everything since I bought the axe... It simply destroys everything else, in some cases even the original amps that is emulating! It sounds crazy but it is true... If you're serious about your tone and you are willing to spend some time with a unit until you know what it's all about, then just go for it!
Btw, I use it myself with a ss PA (SLA-2) and 2 guitar cabs... Even though my guitar cabs kinda suck, the sound is phenomenal... Not only does the axe sound right, but most importantly (for me), it feels right - Like a tube amp...
 
i know my skepticism is silly, but usually if something "sounds" ;) to good to be true, it usually is.

anyway, after reading 100's of posts on this forum, i have to say i think you guys ROCK!!!! not just from this post, but for all the help and in some cases "hand-holding" that is so freely given here. it is nothing short of spectacular. and i's thanks you!!!! :cool:

it looks like i'm going to hook up with "the_kid" and play around with thing for a while. it seems our paths have crossed before, so it'll be a lot of fun.

and then i'll buy one and you guys wont be able to get rid of me!!!! HAHAHAHA :twisted:
 
I respect you for being fair; I think everyone (especially early on) had the same questions as you.

You are 100% correct, YOU need to use it in your rig to know for sure.

It is refreshing to see someone actually voice their opinion and skepticism without all the normal vitriol from them first.

I hope you get your chance to check it out and I hope you enjoy the journey. It's a great piece of gear; but you need to learn that for yourself.

Thumbs up, and no sarcasm from me at all.
 
tcvans said:
i know my skepticism is silly, but usually if something "sounds" ;) to good to be true, it usually is.
Click to expand...

I was once where you are right now. I owned just about every brand and model of amp modeler out there. All were good at some things. None were good at all things. And none were great at anything.

Then I bought the Axe. I use it almost exclusively live, in both clubs and church settings. Everything you heard above is true.

Last night at rehearsal, a fellow guitarist stopped by and helped us out with some of our PA equipment, and I let him pick up my guitar and play through my rig. It was dialed in on a JCM800. He could not get over how good it sounded and swore it had to have an actual tube preamp component in it. He's probably the third guy so far to say that to me. He couldn't believe how well it responded to the guitar volume knob. No other modeler I've tried does this.

This is that one rare case where it sounds too good to be true, but it's actually true.
 
tcvans said:
i know my skepticism is silly, but usually if something "sounds" ;) to good to be true, it usually is.
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more, and when I tried to find negative reports on the Axe, there were very few. That alone set my alarm bells going !! The negative stuff I found consisted mainly of things like - no headphone output, no USB interface for the $$, yada, yada, yada.
Like others, I've owned tons of modelers, and many tube amps over the years I've been playing. Some I liked, some I didn't.
After almost 18 months of lurking here (finally signed up in Feb) reading, listening, and reading other forums, I took the plunge and bought an Ultra.

I now have all my other gear sitting idle - except the GT10 which I carry as a backup (can't afford 2 Ultra's).
Best piece of equipment I've ever played. Period !!!
And I doubt anyone hear is saying that 'cus we bought one and need to justify the expense - LOL ! :mrgreen:
It really is a wonderful device.
 
man... i really appreciate all your testimonies. based on the positive feedback here, i'm almost ready to buy it today!!!
(but i was almost ready to buy when i started the thread. :lol: :lol: :lol: )

i just need to get my head around what i'm after. the reviews are sooooo positive, the artist list very impressive, a user group who really believe in the product and it's inventor. all of this is why i'm a little apprehensive. my expectations are so high, i'm afraid i'll be slightly disappointed. just like the the first time i touched a boobie. :D

i think what puts me off just a little, is no-one says anything bad about it. i've read the wish list and thats cool, but when reading posts before v. 9.0, there "this was the ultimate tool" type statements. then like v. 9.03, and a lot of the same. at v.10.01, people were again impressed that it was made so much better.

now i understand that i have never played through an axe and i'm not judging the epiphanies a lot of you have had. it fact, it will probably save me a lot of time tweaking. but performance wise, is thing lacking anywhere? i mean, aside from tone and effects, can it get better?
 
tcvans said:
now i understand that i have never played through an axe and i'm not judging the epiphanies a lot of you have had. it fact, it will probably save me a lot of time tweaking. but performance wise, is thing lacking anywhere? i mean, aside from tone and effects, can it get better?
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There's always room for improvement. :)
 
The question is, has there been anyone who's expressed initial skepticism who's NOT been impressed? I'm sure there are, but I've never heard of one. The primary complaints are 'I just like tube amps', or 'I don't need that much', or 'Too complicated', even 'it just has no MOJO like a tube amp' (sigh).

To answer your question about versions. At 2.0 it blew away everything out there. At 10.0, there is just no contest. It gets better as Cliff turns his baleful eye on something he doesn't consider *perfect*, that, and he responds to 'wish list' requests for new features and amps.

This DOES NOT MEAN that other units do not sound good (or great, if it's your thing), but that IMO the Axe is just that much better. Other folks have stepped up their game (11R, etc), so the effect is being felt.

As a live tool, think of a backline of over 30 amps to carve your sound. Couple those with all the stomp and FX that you could possibly need.

If you have the means, just get it. You have 15 days to return it if we've overhyped it.

But you won't.

Ron
 
I'm in the same boat as you, tcvans. I've tried every modeler I can get my hands on and been completely and utterly underwhelmed, and more importantly, uninspired. The fact that I can't find any negative reviews and that the used market is pretty much non-existent for the AxeFX speaks well of it, though. Tell us how your demo turns out. I haven't been able to find anyone in central KY to let me try one, I'm still a little cold in the feet with nothing but internet reviews and clips to rely on, so I may just have to go for broke and buy... we'll see.
 
To jak83 and tcvans:

Why don't you guys just buy one? You have a 15 day return policy. You can bring it home and try it with YOUR guitars and through/with YOUR rigs. If it doesn't do it for you in 15 days, send it back. If it doesn't do it for you after that amount of time, sell it on e-bay or craigslist. It will go quickly. You have nothing to lose.
 
Well, I havent tried tons of modelers, but I have played, repaired, modified, and built tube amps for over 20 years. I have owned all the classic great tube amps. Still have a few. I play the axe instead - it really does sound that good. It inspires me to play and be creative. Best guitar purchase I have ever made, period.
 
tcvans said:
my expectations are so high, i'm afraid i'll be slightly disappointed. just like the the first time i touched a boobie. :D

i think what puts me off just a little, is no-one says anything bad about it. i've read the wish list and thats cool, but when reading posts before v. 9.0, there "this was the ultimate tool" type statements. then like v. 9.03, and a lot of the same. at v.10.01, people were again impressed that it was made so much better.

now i understand that i have never played through an axe and i'm not judging the epiphanies a lot of you have had. it fact, it will probably save me a lot of time tweaking. but performance wise, is thing lacking anywhere? i mean, aside from tone and effects, can it get better?
Click to expand...
Surprising, isn't it? This thing was unbelievable and got better. Every time I think it hit the point of diminishing returns, but every time it gets better. I will say that the differences aren't as huge as some of the raves exclaim. Sometimes it's not even the tone itself, but only the ease at which you can reach the desired result. Which is important too! Still, it keeps getting better!

Perfect? Nothing is perfect and as good as the Axe is, some still can't get along with it. It may not be, sound or feel "the same" as your previous rig. It may not yield the desired tone straight out of the box. There is a learning curve in several stages. Heaps and heaps of choices to make! I'd say that unless you have a lot of free time, 15 days is not nearly enough to get deep into the box and neither is going to hear it for an afternoon. The guy hosting that hearing session has it tweaked to his taste and that may not be yours. We had a shootout over here and the one traditional setup, VHT 2502 with 2x12 that some rave about, was clearly not the winner at the time. Over-tweaked I guess, I do believe it could be much better. Point is that going to hear it may or may not be convincing either.

All you can hope for is getting a sense of the possibilities of the Axe.

Still disappointed in those boobies? Or have you learned how to tweak them just right? Just hang in there!
 
tcvans said:
i'm afraid i'll be slightly disappointed. just like the the first time i touched a boobie. :D
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My advice: some things are better kept to yourself. :mrgreen:

About the Axe: my bet is that you will be disappointed. At first. A lot of users are, at first. Because it takes some time to get used to the tone, and to learn to use the tools. After that it pays off, big time. You'll be happy with your tones and the possibilities, and you'll be happy with the money you'll be saving (no GAS).
 
yek said:
tcvans said:
i'm afraid i'll be slightly disappointed. just like the the first time i touched a boobie. :D
Click to expand...

My advice: some things are better kept to yourself. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
I doubt the owner of said boobie peruses this forum. Probably he's quite safe.


I think there couldn't be more than a couple of women that were ever on this forum and even they hid their gender well. Guitaring is still a frighteningly male endavour.
 
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