What Are Your Favorite Amp Sims? (Post-FW11 Version)

paultanderberg

Inspired
So, I know we've had threads exactly like this in the past but I just want to see, now that the dust has really settled from the Firmware 11 update, now that we've all dialed in our amps and tried amps we've never tried before, what everyones favorite amps are. I figure things have changed enough and so many people are using amps they've never tried, it'd be worth it to do another of these. Make sure to include cabs as well!

Personally, I started using the TopBoost model (w/ stock 2x12 Brit cab, no mic) almost exclusively and every once in a while, branch out to a Plexi 1 (stock 4x12 30w, no mic) or a Brownface (I forget what cab. Probably the stock tweed). Had never used a TopBoost in a live setting until FW11 where it really started to shine.

-Paul
 
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I guess it depends on the job. For me I am mostly using fenders, but in the last few months I have also made a few setups with the Vox and the Buttery amps, somehow
that started to feel and sound really good to me, so Class A amps have gotten a place in my amp collection (if you can call it that). The way I play most gigs I set it up
so that it is like bringing one amp to the gig (mostly twins and bassman amps).

Since I play with a FRFR rig that is in place of a combo (or 2) I only use Jay's far-field IRs. For the twin patches I am using
his eminence 2x12 open back cab IR. For the other ones it varies.

I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a Dumble Steel string singer patch, but I need to check the amp out a bit more before I can give that a go.

Jens
 
The switch to FW11 really didn't affect me that much as far as amp choice. For me it depends on the style of music. But I would say that the Dr. Z is my main amp due to it's versatility followed by the Trainwreck and Cornford. I'm pretty quick to switch or combine cabs depending on what I want at that time. Generally it'll be 2x12s for the Z and 4x12s for the Wreck and Corn.
 
Brownface and Top Boost for clean tones. Shiva lead, marsha BE and HBE for crunch and lead.

I love Scott's RW Ubercab V 30 mix. As stock Cabs i like to use 4x12 25w and the 2x12 Black.
 
For what I do, definately the Dr Z, is the most versatile and sits so well in the mix. XTC red is probably next, however I have recently discovered the Corford to be a great sim, provided you dial down the bass. Most importantly. all my cabs are Ownhammer. To me, this is what made the difference between liking the Axe to loving it!

I know there is a lotta love for the Fender and Plexi amps but for the life of me, I just cant dial up anything thats useable in a live context.
 
Right now? Butter and Brownface for cleans. Brown for modded Marshall sounds (most important category for me). Uber or one of the Mesas for modern metal.

I know I should be loving the HBE based on other people's clips, my tastes, etc, but I just can't get it dialed in as easily for my tastes as the Brown model. It's probably a cab thing or something.
 
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Really depends on what I'm doing, but FW 11 didn't really change my choice of amps.

USA Lead 2 is still my main high gain sound, and that's about 95% of what I use in the band. Using the pickup selector, coil splits, and volume control (vol pot or an exp pedal for input gain), I get most of what I need. Occasionally I'll kick in a BB Pre boost, to irritate the others I'll employ the looper (never actually use it in a song, it's set up for the sole purpose of being annoying), silly pitch effects here 'n' there, etc. There's also a piezo chain running in that patch if I want to bring that in. It used to also have a synth chain in there, again pretty much only to annoy my band mates, but the CPU was getting too close to maxed for my liking and I needed the power for other things.

But outside of band stuff, I like pissing about with the Shiva stuff, HBE, various clean amps pushed into grittiness, etc. I can pretty much just set it on any random amp, spend a lil time tweaking (or sometimes I don't even do that) and happily noodle about for ages.
 
tough question,so many.at the moment
D60"M" w/4x12 german,4x12 75 para. eq. blocking120hz,5000hz.even the high notes have thump.:)
Shiva lead & clean
Das Metal
euro uber
Dr. Z
my god this is pointless,i could go on and on.I'm convinced that if you spend enough time and match the right IR,any Amp sim. in the AFX is useable.
maybe the real question should be which amp sim. gets the least love?
 
Slo100 for me. trying to get good new recto tones and I need to spend more time with the BE/HBE amps as well
 
depends on the guitar i play.

my 1995 ibanez ghostrider loaded with duncan jb and jazz pickups really digs the BE/HBE with ownhammer h75 and m75 mix 7. This is a great guitar mine is sunburst. if you every find one buy it they are rare and play great! i installed custom switching(series, parallel, coiltap, phase switch, tone pot cap switches and independent volume and tone controls per pickup) so it sounds great with every amp. but it always leads me back to the marsha sims.

my strat loaded with vintage pickups digs the maz, budda, dumble, and trainwreck. also with the ownhamer h75 or m75 mix 7.

my 1992 ibanez rg570 loaded with a steves special and a fred(also has custom switch options) rocks with the USA Lead sims or the IIc+ sim again using ownhammer V30 cabs

i really dig the ownhammer cabs. they sound more real with less tweaking than the redwire IMO.

that covers about 12 presets and does everything i will ever need to do, however i still love to try new amps and cabs but always seem to come back to these few presets.

The axe fx is my GAS killer of choice. it leaves me only wanting to buy new guitars and some beer.
 
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clean: Brownface + 1x12black
crunch: 1987x + 4x12 25W
lead: SLO100 + 4x12 30W G12H


sometimes (ok ... 70%) i use the crunch channel for everything: 1987x + 4x12 25W for everything: clean up with guitar volume, solo: kick an Full OD (Gain=0, Level= 8-10).

This patch let me wish to have the real thing ;)
 
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I use the JCM800 with Redwirez EVM12 IRs for playing live (classic rock, mainly) – it sounds great, cuts through beautifully and sits in the band mix well.

When practising at home it's a choice from the Trainwreck, Dr Maz or the CarolAnn (the latter using Don Petersen's excellent Two-Rock 'clone' settings, which is my current fave). These will have some reverb, which I don't use live and are dialled in with a lot more bass than my band patches to compensate for at-home volumes.
 
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