Playing a real amp after a long break…

Dave Merrill said:
This is exactly why I'm thinking about picking up a NUX Mighty Plug Pro -- amp in my pocket.

Not an Axe of course, but something I hear isn't bad, that I could have already set up for some familiar tones, enough to try out guitars. Haven't actually got one so no comment on how that works out in reality.
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I'm not convinced it matters that much to me, honestly.

Every guitar shop that has a guitar I want to play has had at least one amp I think is decent. Not always the same...not always anything I'm even interested in setting up in my fractal. I can generally figure out whether I like a guitar or not by playing it unplugged. Plugging it in...is largely about figuring out whether I'm going to need to rewire it, making sure it actually works if it's used, maybe some indication on whether I hate the pickups, etc..

I'm not sure I remember what I played my LP through when I bought it. I'm pretty sure I played my 594 through a big box Friedman, and I had the sales guy set it up for me because it was too many knobs and switches for me to bother learning. My strat was probably through a Mesa Fillmore, IIRC. I wouldn't buy any of them.

Don't get me wrong, I've got a short list...but it's pretty much just an Imperial mk2 because I know I can get a filthy sound I like at a volume that won't piss people off.
 
marsonic said:
I'm not convinced it matters that much to me, honestly.

Every guitar shop that has a guitar I want to play has had at least one amp I think is decent. Not always the same...not always anything I'm even interested in setting up in my fractal. I can generally figure out whether I like a guitar or not by playing it unplugged. Plugging it in...is largely about figuring out whether I'm going to need to rewire it, making sure it actually works if it's used, maybe some indication on whether I hate the pickups, etc..

I'm not sure I remember what I played my LP through when I bought it. I'm pretty sure I played my 594 through a big box Friedman, and I had the sales guy set it up for me because it was too many knobs and switches for me to bother learning. My strat was probably through a Mesa Fillmore, IIRC. I wouldn't buy any of them.

Don't get me wrong, I've got a short list...but it's pretty much just an Imperial mk2 because I know I can get a filthy sound I like at a volume that won't piss people off.
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Tone King amps are incredible! They'd be an interesting addition to fractal-world.
 
Played my super crush/5150 setup as its probably my only chance for a long time.

Sounded like me. Wasnt all that loud, loud enough to have fun for an hour.

Was I sad my matrix gt800 wasnt set up to compare with my axefx? Not at all.
 
Shahar said:
Today I plugged into my old 100W Dual Rectifier with an Maxon 808 through a Mesa 2x12 cab, after a long hiatus of playing the AxeFX almost exclusively.

I found out that my playing improved tremendously. Previously I was never able to get a tone I was quite happy with, it almost seemed too fizzy (and I tried tons of OD pedals). But after playing the AxeFX models (mostly Plexi, JCM 800, Soldano, and JP2C) for a long time, which react like real tube amps, I’m getting a monster tone on my real amp! My “touch” improved and my dynamics are much better, I play cleaner too! I also forgot about the immediacy of playing through a real amp.

Has anyone experienced something similar?
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Did you play the AXE into a FRFR, or did you play the same Mesa 2x12 cab you used with the real amp..? The real Cab makes a big difference i think. If you put a mic in front of the Mesa 2x12 cab and send it to PA it will sound for shure different..
 
The one thing I noticed that improved my playing after switching to modelling was that I could play/practice with a 'cranked amp' all the time which wasn't practical with my tube amps due to volume. So I found more of my practice translated over into a live situation than might have before, or at least translated better.
 
I still use a tube combo at one jam I attend because it works better on a small stage. There’s no room to leave amps on stage, and since we’ll be up and down in 30 minutes it’s not worth my time to spend hooking up the rig and consuming the floor space needed by others on stage. At another I have room to leave the amp or modeler+FRFR up as part of the backline so I decide based on how I feel that night.

If I’m doing several sets with enough space I will definitely bring the modeler.
 
AlexGuitar said:
Tone King amps are incredible! They'd be an interesting addition to fractal-world.
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I agree. I’ve had two, and love them. I currently have an Imperial that is my primary tube amp that is requested by my friends at one of the jams I attend. It’s a little monster.

I loved the Sky King but it was a bit too big for the situations/rooms so I wasn’t using it as much and eventually decided it needed a better home. It sounded like a Marshall stack when on 10 and was sublime clean with the tremolo and reverb.

And, I just bought a Falcon for small stages and as a grab and go.

I’m convinced that Mark Bartel is one of the best amp designers of our generation. His new stuff is stunning.

I much prefer my Fractals but sometimes the tube amp is the smarter choice for the moment.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
I agree. I’ve had two, and love them. I currently have an Imperial that is my primary tube amp that is requested by my friends at one of the jams I attend. It’s a little monster.

I loved the Sky King but it was a bit too big for the situations/rooms so I wasn’t using it as much and eventually decided it needed a better home. It sounded like a Marshall stack when on 10 and was sublime clean with the tremolo and reverb.

And, I just bought a Falcon for small stages and as a grab and go.

I’m convinced that Mark Bartel is one of the best amp designers of our generation. His new stuff is stunning.

I much prefer my Fractals but sometimes the tube amp is the smarter choice for the moment.
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+1.

I'm pretty sure that if I actually needed a real amp for something, I'd buy an Imperial mk2 and not worry about it anymore.
 
marsonic said:
I'll have to try those if I see them in a shop (there are a couple that are likely to carry them if they can).
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There are some really good videos on YouTube about them…

I like Mark Hopkin's reviews of them, but there are many others out there.



He turns the amp up during the video and you can see it shaking his camera. Not bad from a 12 watt amp, and the bigger models have a lot more power.

https://bartelamps.com/
 
jaycal6 said:
There's definitely a quick uncompressed attack/immediacy I feel with a real amp that I don't get when playing my Axe through studio monitors. That's something that makes me feel very connected to the amp and speaker, that quickness, the way sound jumps out of the speaker. Maybe that's partially a volume thing? I don't generally have my Axe cranked super loud through the monitors. But I don't crank my amps, either. I'll have to use a db meter soon and compare that way.

Either way, the Axe isn't going anywhere! The convenience, tones, varied selection, etc. are amazing. Especially now with Dyna Cabs.
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Confirmed, reinstalled the FW7 fm3, as at a first approach I was too close to 2 gigs to take risks with a beta FW, and there definitely is something more in the face going on, guess a lot is due to the automatic Amp output impedance curve selection but it is there. Don't notice any latency, and never really perceived any on every FAS equipment I used BTW.
 
I've got a AX3 Turbo along with a 5150III 50wt and a Revv D20 (with pedals). I mostly play the AX3 but the Revv D20 is a close second. I don't think it's a latency thing for me, it's more that "feel" thing. Who knows, latency may be involved here! ; )
 
I visited a nice guitar store today that had a boutique tweed style amp. I just jad to buy it. Ridiculous punch and authority from a nice looking tweed combo. Gas surprise. The other amps in same style didnt do anything for me.

(Olsson amps blues fifteen.)
 
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