Why so many amps?

I wish there were more amps with mods and variants, compressors and drives, plus some more reverb types. Why contain it?
 
Some guitarists want the amps and tones that they are used to and like the most. You can get similar tones from a select number of amps by tweaking settings forever but they are never quite the same. Plus the time it takes to tweak everything... or you can use tone match but this can be frustrating. Be happy the options are there. Whether you need to use them all or not. I haven't touched a fraction of the amps in the Axe FX but I've found the ones that work for me.

One thing I've learned is that you don't need to worry about every amp, every setting in the unit... find what works for you and stick to it.
 
Why so many amps? Isn’t that the whole point of amp modelers. If I just wanted one amp, I’d just buy it. Having literally a warehouse full of amps, cabs, effects, etc. in a 3U rack space is pretty fu$&ing sweet if you ask me.
 
Casting a wide net results in more fish caught. Having such a large number and variety of amps makes the Axe III a viable solution for anyone playing any genre. As noted, most users will wind up using only one to a handful of the amp models. As long as the Axe III provides the tone(s) you are looking for, it is not a waste of its capability any way. Getting the tone we want is the goal isn't it? Then there's the ability to explore and try similar sounding amps, some out of the range of affordability for most of us, makes it easier to get that 'tone-in-your-head'.

As far as others wanting more? No clue, but I'll never look a gift horse in the mouth when they're added.
 
I find myself hanging out in one preset for a while and evolving it. Then for no reason other than fun, I'll try something else, and it IS fun for me. Did the same with my real amp settings, pedals, etc but with the III it's easier and way less expensive and no purchase angst for each one, so why not play around?
 
Because its fun and you can. Those are the only two reasons for me. I personally try to build the preset with 2 blocks of the same amp and create a clean and a dirty w/ all the FX. Next preset, new amp same deal.

If I need something specific, I create a scene.
 
Im glad there's a wide pallette to chose from. I was never a Marshall guy and would have never purchased one but the axe fx has several models and I discovered that I like the JVM. If it were a 10 amp modeller, who's to say the JVM would have made the cut? I think they're there because Cliff could do it so he did it. It adds value to the machine, and has something for everyone. I already have my favorite amp in the real world. The axe fx for me, was all the other 200. The more the merrier. Thanks for the triple crown. Another mesa in my collection of souls, I mean amps.
 
I can see why folks who gig as a cover band get a ton of flexibility in being able to cover a wide array of sounds to match the songs they play. For someone like me who doesn't gig, it's proven to be hands-down, the best musical purchase I ever made. I have zero desire to purchase any type of amp and almost no desire to pick up any pedal. It would need to be a critical sound required for a gig that the Axe cannot replicate in order for me to see a reason to buy almost any other piece of equipment. For me, non-gigging, that's not happening, for guys that play in a band, I can see where that may come up. The benefit is that for a lot of us, it reduces the costs of equipment. That can be funneled into guitars, accessories or... food? Wives?

I'm don't listen to or play anything from the really heavy side of music, but it's cool to be able to have access to the amps that shine for those music types to fart around with for an afternoon.

I could never justify the cost of purchasing something like a Ruby Rocket, Comet, Suhr, Mesa Boogie, etc. But I can spend a bunch of time playing with those amps to see what people like about them. This is especially true of the Dumble amps.

For those with the desire to do it, you can mimic your guitar hero setups. Once you have the basic guitars (les paul, strat, tele), you should be able to dial in whatever hero's sound you want because you have almost every amp of consequence.

And that's not even touching on the incredible effects section or the dizzying array of IR possibilities.

I picked up Austin Buddy's presets and have never looked back.
 
MNG said:
I am posing this question not to be controversial, but to get an understanding of how other folk use the amps in their Axe FX. It takes me a while to learn an amp and then, from there, I can usually get a wide range of tones using the standard amp controls and my guitar controls - I am pretty old school in terms of manipulating my guitar controls all the while to get tonal variety.

When you add in boost and drives and EQ‘s and compressors, let alone the plethora of effects, many more tones are available. With the advanced parameters in the Axe FX, you can manipulate an amp to get huge flexibility and I have found that I enjoy fine tuning these parameters to create my own ‘modded‘ amps.

So far, I have stuck to the few amps that I know and have not felt any need to explore all the others, so I haven’t even scratched the surface in terms of the total amps now available in the Axe III. I could happily live with only 10 amps in the Axe FX because of the enormous flexibility available beyond that. I also don’t use many patches and basically use the Axe FX in the same way as I used a traditional amp plus effects rig, just with massively more flexibility now.

So my main question is why do people want so many amps and then still ask Cliff for more - what am I missing by limiting myself in the way that I do?

There are numerous ‘modded‘ amp models, for example numerous modded Marshall’s in addition to a load of Marshall’s own amps. Why would you use several different variants instead of learning one amp in depth and tweaking it to get the same or similar tones or create your own modded version? I can get pretty much any Marshall tone I want from just 3 Marshall amps.

I don’t want to start any arguments, just curious as to how people do it and whether I should change my ways!
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Ask yourself why online music stores such as Sweetwater offer so many amps. Is it because they think one person needs hundreds upon hundreds of different ones? No. It's because they want to appeal to the widest possible range of preferences. Most Axe-Fx owners may only use 4 or 5 amp models on a regular basis, and if we all used the same ones there'd be no need for 100+ models. But we don't. Preferences vary widely. So, in order to appeal to the widest possible range of preferences, they need as wide a range of models as possible.
 
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Mo $$$ that's why, put some $0.10 filter caps in a JCM800 and widen the treble peaker Q and sell it for FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS. If it sounds good people will buy that muffin thing. And it do sound good!
 
I think Cliff at one point in time said that most of the variation in amps comes down to very few types (tweaks in EQ, etc etc.) All of which probably can be done with far less amps than we presently enjoy.

I personally only use roughly 20 amps.

Now, is it nice to dial up a new amp and tinker? Yep.

And it's also my impression that new amps are very popular (even if somewhat redundant), so FAS enjoys making us happy.
 
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Why so many cheeses? So For those of us that will spend more to get Mimolette and Wensleydale instead of string cheese and agribusiness cheddar.
Why so many amps? So I can have my Tweed Twin, Dumble and Deizel, and you can play Friedmans and Trainwrecks.
Not everyone gets their kicks on Route 66 or from a JCM 800 2203 (nasty though they are).
This way, no one is discouraged from buying because the type of amp they really like isn't included. Or, perhaps more importantly, you can try something different and don't have to buy and sell when tonal tastes change over time. There are plenty of effects I would never think to use: But then I may have to play a song that has that "nubbin weedwhacker sound" so by golly: there is a model of it I can can use for that one off gig. More is better if its not physically cluttering up the place, and as long I have the sense to just use whats appropriate.

Plus, you can modify the FAS amp models virtually if you want: A 6V6 Dumble? Done! Works for me! And all for less than a JTM45 reissue.
 
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