Like most, I mainly play at home. I do the odd jam session (with drummer), and I am considering getting a band back together again. So I do need volume. But also something that still sounds decent, without upsetting the neighbours. I live in a terraced house, with single glazing...
I'm looking at something that can do modern high gain well...
Do I want a real amp? Mesa Boogie Mark series, Rectifier / Peavey Invective, 6505, 5150 / Engl Fireball etc. Something with a decent master volume / headphone out?
Or should I head down the Helix / Kemper / QC route, with a power cab? They can do high gain + a lot of other stuff, at any volume, or via headphones.
I’ve only used tube amps before. No experience with modelers.
I know a tube amp can still sound great at low volume. My first proper amp was a JCM900 4100 head with a 4x12". It sounded great (to my ears) even at really low volumes.
I assume a modeler through an FRFR cab will sound the same at pretty much any volume?
As a rule I've always been a simple soul. I don't really use effects other than a touch of reverb, maybe some delay, and a wah.
Seeing as I don't use much in the way of effects, is a modeler overkill for what I need? I could put together a modest pedal board + combo / head + cab for cheaper than the cost of a modeler + power cab. Or is the modeler all in one solution actually easier and simpler in the long run?
Thoughts?
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
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Just depends whether the high gain sounds are your bag I suppose.
You can pick up a use Pod Go for £250 on a good day ... that's basically got the same amps and cabs as the Helix, and a lot of the same effects.
Then get a cheap combo like a DSL and use the Pod Go in the loop for delays, reverbs, tuner and everything else.
You will get both of the above for less than a Helix
Out of all the digital stuff I've tried, Axe FX III is far and away the best imo, expensive but it feels and sounds just like the real thing to me. Currently trying to decide if I should get an FM3. I like real amps but for playing at home it's digital all the way for me.
3 years ago I bought a Kemper and its the best thing I've ever spent my money on. High gain amps sound great at sensible volumes, I always found with my 6505+ head you had to turn the volume up to about 3 to get tubes cooking. I've stopped using a speaker cabinet too, just run it out of active speaker monitors now. I like how I can have different amps for my clean and dirty sounds and the built-in effects are great. I play direct in now and honestly can't go back to a tube amp anymore. Recording is easier and less noisy to others (I use in-ears). It took years of saving but totally worth it for me.
But you can easily have patches for home use and then tweaked patches for live volumes.
If you end up gigging in regular places you can even have a set of patches per venue. Saves loads of time for soundcheck.
Fancy a laugh: the unofficial King of Tone waiting list calculator:
https://kottracker.com/
I usually pair it with a IR pedal into the PA as I also sing and just use my monitor to hear myself, but it can also run into any old amp FX return at rehearsal rooms or if venue backline was to be used.
For home practice I can use headphones or run it into my monitors, or my now largely redundant amp.
Essentially take a HX Stomp, arrange it in a different layout with the full list of pre-amp, power-amp, and (bypassable) cabinet models & IRs, perhaps with room for 1-2 FX slots for inbuilt reverb, and that's it. Load it with an fx loop, channel switching (2ch? 4ch? 999?), a robust Class D power amp that's got controllable range for home use too, and... BAM, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Just ensure that all the key controls are accessible at any time for the current patch (i.e. gain, TMB, vol, master, FX lvl) and you would have the best of both worlds in my opinion.
The HX amp tones are more than good enough for my needs, but I love having the flexibility (and GAS-outlet) of individual stompboxes. The DT25 was a pretty great attempt at this, but it uses the older HD/pre-HX firmware and was limited to just four amp models. It also had valve-tech, but otherwise ticked most of the boxes. I'm guessing sales numbers for the DT line have killed off any chance of seeing a HX amp materialise though.
*i.e. Yes, I know I could just go and buy a HX something and a power amp/cab/FRFR setup... but I've done that before, twice!
@DrCornelius @BigDipper never heard of the BluGuitar Amp1 before. I'll check it out. Seems to get a lot of love here and online. Looks pretty simple to use as well.
@Danny1969 hadn't considered a POD, but will check it out as well.
Hadn't looked at Marshall which is a bit silly seeing as I loved my JCM900. Will check out the DSL40 and the JVM205C. Will let you know if I'm interested @noisepolluter
I think my head says modeler, while my heart still prefers the idea of a real amp.
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
I’ll add that it’s well behaved in terms of circuit noise at higher gain settings too, which is a definite bonus if you’re playing at home.
A class D power amp will be nice and light. Or go stupid and get a Marshall 9200 and a back brace!
You can still use all your pedals then.
Fancy a laugh: the unofficial King of Tone waiting list calculator:
https://kottracker.com/
Money burning a hole in my pocket? - I'd go out and get a very fine humbucking guitar.
Jam session with a drummer occassionally ? Rent a room with backline supplied.
If the drummer is playing real drums you want a real amp
Amps and it does sound much better.