The Honeymoon is Over...

Rane

Rane

Experienced
I sold my Axe-Fx II last week. I never thought I would do that, actually. I was on the wait-list in 2011 only 2 hours after it was posted, and had the amazing privilege of hearing the modeling evolve over the years. Early on, the improvements were dramatic. These days, I can't say I am always even able to tell.

As a testament to it's amazing tone and versatility, I have not owned a single piece of guitar related gear longer than I owned my Axe-Fx II. Prior to the II, I had tube combo amp with a midi-controlled effects rack. I had tried the Line 6 modeler stuff before, but found it lacking even through a tube power amp.

The Axe-Fx II sounds incredible, and has many advantages over a tube rig. I love not having to worry about what exactly my tone is sounding like through the house, or having to turn my amp down to reduce stage volume, thus losing the ideal power tube saturation. I don't miss how directional a traditional guitar cab is either. I always hated having to stand just at the right spot to hear the amp's ideal tone.

Also, my ears. I'm pretty sure my very minor tinnitus is the fault of loud tube amps. I don't notice it mostly, but man am I careful about loud noise these days. There's just no such thing as getting an ideal tube amp tone at a reasonable volume. Another win for the Axe-Fx.

Anyway, I'm on the wait-list for the III (was on 3 hours after it posted). I really hope I'm not too far down the list, as I'm without a guitar rig at the moment. :(
 
Make that, you guessed it, III of us.

Axe Fx II XL+ and MFC Mk III are gone... shipping them to a new home tomorrow. I'll be gigging the AX8 until the III arrives. There isn't much more I can say about how my experience with Fractal Audio Systems has gone than to say I am onboard with the new unit before it can even be purchased, and sold a perfectly wailing XL+ to make it happen. They've earned my willingness to stay on their bus.
 
Wow you guys are mental! What if it takes a number of months to get the next one? I'm hanging onto mine until I have the iii in my rack.....then (because I'll take a pounding on the resale of the xl+), I'll probably forgive you for telling me I'm mental :)
Thanks
Pauly
 
pauly said:
Wow you guys are mental! What if it takes a number of months to get the next one? I'm hanging onto mine until I have the iii in my rack.....then (because I'll take a pounding on the resale of the xl+), I'll probably forgive you for telling me I'm mental :)
Thanks
Pauly
Click to expand...
I wouldn't have been able to consider it if I didn't have the AX8. I just noticed the inevitable price tumble happening, and thought I'd move before the dam broke! Now I need to save the difference in cost to be ready for March (or whenever "soon" becomes "now").
 
Just got onboard with Fractal. Got the II XL+ with the discount and the MFCs are dropping like flies on Reverb, so great deal on that one too now. It'll do all I need it to do. Of course a color display would be nice...
 
I suspected there was going to be a new version coming out since the price had stayed to the Black Friday price throughout the holidays and into the new year so I had placed my AXE FX II Mark I up for sale just to see if I could sell it at a price I could allow myself to part with it (I still sold it for way lower than I honestly wanted to sell it but once I discovered the III was coming out I knew a Mark I was going to really drop in price in a few months regardless of the condition of the unit).

I sold it last week for what I felt was a very fair price, $1350, since I had barely played on it after the first year I purchased it so it was like BRAND NEW condition and just kept in it's Fractal box with an occasional taking out to update to the latest firmware and install someone's presets (Freeman, THANK YOU!!!)

I would receive some CL replies from people trying to buy it and saying "Bro, it's old technology, the III just came out, sell it now for $1,100 to me before the bus passes you by, I am doing you a favor offering you this much, you'll never get what you are asking for it, I saw one for a lower price, I'll trade you an amp I have that is kind of broken, I can give you $300 and an amp that starts to smoke after being on for more than 10 minutes, etc.......).

Honestly, I loved the way it played/felt/sounded through my recording interface but I stopped using it for recording at home after the 1st year because I was able to do all recordings of my amp/rig with microphones and direct recording at my drummer's place (I had joined a band and we set ourselves up to do direct recording at practice).

I had been offered my original asking price of $1500 many times but I kept turning down their offers and I would help find them a lower priced one out there since I felt bad about not selling it to them (I really did love my Mark I with my modified Freeman presets).

A few things I discovered over the weekend right before I sold it (I almost didn't go through with it again, lol):

1) The latest firmware made it feel/play/sound even better than I remembered it

2) I discovered it improved the sound by connecting the outputs from the Mark I to the front "preamp" inputs instead of the normal inputs on my MOTU 828 MK II, and I was able to stop using the decibel boost to increase the recording/input volume

3) Usually outside IR's seemed to ALWAYS make it sound better

4) Resetting the amp block seemed to improve the sound as well

The FX's on the AXE have always been the most impressive feature for me since I still feel I would like an AXE FX with preamp tubes more for live playing (let us just end this one here before I start a rash of replies like "You don't need preamp tubes!!! Learn how to set it up properly!!! Go join another forum!!! Are you secretly a KEMPER closet player? Connecting it through a preamp fx loop doesn't really change the feel/tone of your AXE because ..... !!! Are you from the KEMPER forum?")

:)

Anyways, I did place myself on the list for an AXE FX III around 3PM on the 1st day it was mentioned (thank you rude CL guy for letting me know it came out that morning, lol).

I finally took my Two Notes Torpedo Studio out of it's box this week and I am finally using it for playing and recording at home.

I am finding it is a GREAT piece of gear so I am not missing my AXE FX as much right now BUT I am looking forward to receiving that email from Fractal saying your number in line, place #18,209, has just been approved, so we are ready to ship your new AXE FX III to you so that all your dreams can finally come true .........

Well, it might happen, just saying :)
 
Axehole said:
Is that a Rockman Rockmodule down in the lower right?
Click to expand...
It's a Rockman MIDI Octopus used in conjunction with a relay box I built to bring stomp boxes in and out of the effects loop. Leftover from my old, pre-Axe-Fx rig where it was also used for channel switching on my Mesa Mark IIC.
 
When I had my last Ultra, I thought the sound just couldn't get any better. I was one of the first to get the Axe II back when it came out and was stunned at the tone difference. Just stunned. Then when I bought the XL+ was again, totally impressed with how the improvements continued on in such a dramatic fashion.
The instant I got the email notification about the III, there was zero hesitation and I jumped on the list. I didn't even think it over.
But with the current fire sale on the remaining XL+ stock, selling my XL+ right now is out of the question, so like previous posters have said, I'm going to wait on selling it till Fractal blows out their remaining XL+ inventory. When I can get $1900ish for my unit I'll put it up for sale.
In the meantime, I'm selling some other gear on eBay to fund the III, like my 2014 black LP custom.
Funny how things work out. LoL I've always been a Gibson & Fender kinda guy, but after buying my Suhr Modern Pro a couple years ago, I rarely touch anything else! So I think the LP Custom is only the FIRST of my guitars that will be going to new homes.
I had no reason to sell them before, and the AFX III announcement was the catalyst for this new change.
Anyone else taking a similar route?

-Chris
 

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ChrisYoung said:
When I had my last Ultra, I thought the sound just couldn't get any better. I was one of the first to get the Axe II back when it came out and was stunned at the tone difference. Just stunned. Then when I bought the XL+ was again, totally impressed with how the improvements continued on in such a dramatic fashion.
The instant I got the email notification about the III, there was zero hesitation and I jumped on the list. I didn't even think it over.
But with the current fire sale on the remaining XL+ stock, selling my XL+ right now is out of the question, so like previous posters have said, I'm going to wait on selling it till Fractal blows out their remaining XL+ inventory. When I can get $1900ish for my unit I'll put it up for sale.
In the meantime, I'm selling some other gear on eBay to fund the III, like my 2014 black LP custom.
Funny how things work out. LoL I've always been a Gibson & Fender kinda guy, but after buying my Suhr Modern Pro a couple years ago, I rarely touch anything else! So I think the LP Custom is only the FIRST of my guitars that will be going to new homes.
I had no reason to sell them before, and the AFX III announcement was the catalyst for this new change.
Anyone else taking a similar route?

-Chris
Click to expand...
My story is pretty much identical.
 
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