Recently started playing guitar (mostly melodic metal type stuff) regularly again after taking a break for a few years when my last band broke up. My awesome GF wanted to buy me a nice piece of gear, and since I don't have a good amp (just a POS practice amp at the moment), she ordered me one of the amps I've always wanted - a 100w 5150 III Stealth head that is currently on backorder. Thing is, I don't plan on playing in a legit band again, aside from jamming with some friends on the weekends. I'm thinking this rig will be overkill for playing at home, and a PITA to lug back and forth to friends' houses. But, it is the amp I've always wanted! Then the other day, I remembered the Axe Fx exists lol. I have been doing lots of reading about the FX3, and now I'm torn between getting the FX3, or the 5153. I feel like the FX3 will be better suited for playing at home and will be easier to travel with, as well as having almost limitless options to the sounds I can make. Am I going to miss out on anything the 5153 offers, or am I just being dumb and should grab the FX3 instead, because it really sounds like the better choice for my uses at this point in my life. Did any of you go through something similar? What persuaded you to go one way or the other? Thanks for reading my dumb post lol.
I have the axe 3 and sold every amp and pedal I had after a year of having the axe. That said: they really are different products. A modeler like the axe fx will really take some getting used to. If you are used to a normal amp that is. And that is just soundwise. Also: buying the axe will mean investing time in getting to know it and learning how to tweak it. Yes the axe is very intuitive, but still isn’t simple to get the sounds that you have in your head. If you really just want to plug and play and you can be totally happy with just the one amp and you are willing to hail it around (is it really that often?) then the 5150 will be awesome. If you like to have all the wonderful sounds and options available that a guitar can produce and you are willing to put an effort in, go for the axe.
Keep in mind that buying the axe means buying a midi footcontroller and speakers as well. Good speakers are a must. You will have to transport those to your friends too if you want to play there.
Harm