Gone Ampless

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by davidd

I'm not talking about what the audience experiences. I'm talking about what I experience. My '69 Princeton Reverb and my '72 Deluxe Reverb sound infinitely better than any amp sim and IR I have experienced.

Here we are on a forum where players argue about the thickness of a finish and its effect on tone, types of fret boards, sitka versus adi, and then happily process it through a gobbledygook of digital effects, cab sims and preamps.

As opposed to the purity of the Fender tone stack, dried out caps, crappy Chinese tubes, and a Jensen of questionable integrity?

I kid, I kid - I get it, some folks love tube amps until their last breath and they do have their charms. btdt.

Which modeling solutions have you tried, and through what cabs?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

I stay on the Brown setting on the Katana with a bit of reverb and delay - that's about it. I wouldn't need or want anything elaborate; I find that all that stuff distracts and detracts from actually playing music. I just want a good sound to jam on riffs with. I have some pretty good headphones too.

I'm in total agreement with that. I'd also add chorus to the list of wants, but that's me.

How about something as simple as the Zoom AC-3?

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I'm in total agreement with that. I'd also add chorus to the list of wants, but that's me.

How about something as simple as the Zoom AC-3?

Seems nice but it looks to be made for acoustic guitar. Also a bit expensive for my needs.

[fpuhan]

I'm surprised that no one in this thread has mentioned the Fender Mustang Micro. Or have I mis-read the original intent? Perhaps I'm focused in that direction because I've considered buying one for myself. But since I live alone, it doesn't really fit a need.

Still, the Mustang Micro gets rave reviews. Plug it in to your guitar, plug in a pair of earphones (1/8" or 3.5mm) and off you go. Here is a list of features straight from Fender:

• All-in-one personal headphone amplifier with onboard DSP
• 12 amp models for a wide range of clean and dirty tones
• 12 effect combinations with parameter modify control
• Adjustable EQ
• Convenient volume control
• Bluetooth audio streaming with audio/video sync for playing along in real time
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery (charged via USB)
• 4 hours of continuous play time
• Rotating input plug for compatibility with most guitars and basses
• USB interface for recording output and firmware updates

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

Seems nice but it looks to be made for acoustic guitar. Also a bit expensive for my needs.

I thought you were asking about acoustic guitar use. Most folks here at "Acoustic Guitar Forum" are relating to that, unless a topic specifically targets electric guitar specific information.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I thought you were asking about acoustic guitar use. Most folks here at "Acoustic Guitar Forum" are relating to that, unless a topic specifically targets electric guitar specific information.

This is the electric guitar section of the forum.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

This is the electric guitar section of the forum.

Ah, yes! I forget where I'm at at any given moment...

[CASD57]

I think a lot of us play both..maybe even gig both like I'm going to do,
In fact acoustic's, I just really started playing 5-6 years ago, In the past, I mainly gigged Electric in a band setting..
The funny thing is that playing acoustic gives me all the dynamics...string-sound feel(harmonics).. that a good tube amp gives you and has almost stopped my search for the perfect tube amp.
Oh, I get the bug once in a while but after two recent fails I'm going to go IR's for my Electric and maybe my acoustic...We will see.
Got a pre-order in for the IK Tonex.......

[redir]

I'm not sure I buy the, the audience doesn't care, argument. I mean I agree the audience doesn't care, but I do. And If I am playing through a rig that I think sounds great then it makes me play better and the audience gets that part of it for sure. But if a modeler makes you happy then that's great. If you like your tone then the audience will even if they are not aware of it.

[6L6]

I played in an Oldies R&R band for 27 years and went through just about every classic Fender tube amp other than those covered in tweed.

They've all been sold and replaced with this:



My ZT Lunchbox Reverb amp weighs under 10lbs, has bulletproof construction, and incredible TONE! With 100 watts RMS power, it's all you need for most playing situations.

If you haven't tried one of these, you are missing out!

[T.Lime]

Originally Posted by redir

I'm not sure I buy the, the audience doesn't care, argument. I mean I agree the audience doesn't care, but I do. And If I am playing through a rig that I think sounds great then it makes me play better and the audience gets that part of it for sure. But if a modeler makes you happy then that's great. If you like your tone then the audience will even if they are not aware of it.

Fully agree with this.... The current tech has improved so much that listening back to our sound there is no discernable difference live. Recording is another matter entirely,, but I suspect within a year even that will change, if it has not already. Having a fairly quiet stage means we are better able to communicate with each other.....and that delivers a better performance.

[redir]

Originally Posted by 6L6

I played in an Oldies R&R band for 27 years and went through just about every classic Fender tube amp other than those covered in tweed.

They've all been sold and replaced with this:



My ZT Lunchbox Reverb amp weighs under 10lbs, has bulletproof construction, and incredible TONE! With 100 watts RMS power, it's all you need for most playing situations.

If you haven't tried one of these, you are missing out!

Wow neat little amp there.

You gonna have to change your username now though?

[ghostnote]

I don’t question any of the technology, the tech is great. I’ve been on board with modelers since the original POD, and they just get better all the time. I use amp sims for recording all the time at home. But I do question the human factor. Are you running your own PA? If yes, and you can carry a PA, you can carry an amp. If you’re using the house PA, well, the house PA is always the problem, because you’re trusting the sound guy to make you sound good. Doesn’t matter what you’re putting into it if there’s crap coming out of it. The venue is also a big factor: if you’re playing a place that’s polite, like a wine bar, the patrons are going to hear some of your nuances and you need to sound good. If you’re playing in a noisy sports bar, most of that room is going to sound like just what it is: a noisy bar with some music in the background. All your careful tweaking and pristine IRs won’t mean much in that scenario. There’s no doubt that carrying your whole rig in one trip is a beautiful thing, but it’s not the answer to everything. If I don’t have control of the PA, I’d much rather have my own amp, so I can control that, at least.

[T.Lime]

Originally Posted by ghostnote

I don’t question any of the technology, the tech is great. I’ve been on board with modelers since the original POD, and they just get better all the time. I use amp sims for recording all the time at home. But I do question the human factor. Are you running your own PA? If yes, and you can carry a PA, you can carry an amp. If you’re using the house PA, well, the house PA is always the problem, because you’re trusting the sound guy to make you sound good. Doesn’t matter what you’re putting into it if there’s crap coming out of it. The venue is also a big factor: if you’re playing a place that’s polite, like a wine bar, the patrons are going to hear some of your nuances and you need to sound good. If you’re playing in a noisy sports bar, most of that room is going to sound like just what it is: a noisy bar with some music in the background. All your careful tweaking and pristine IRs won’t mean much in that scenario. There’s no doubt that carrying your whole rig in one trip is a beautiful thing, but it’s not the answer to everything. If I don’t have control of the PA, I’d much rather have my own amp, so I can control that, at least.

Yup.... (but you are using the house PA for vocals anyway?)...... for small quieter bars and wine bars etc some folks might prefer an amp..... luckily we are playing larger venues that have decent sound systems, but are also much noisier overall I also think if I was solo I would use a small micd amp... but in a 5 sometimes 6 piece rock band modellers work just fine... horses for courses

[davidd]

Originally Posted by 6L6

I played in an Oldies R&R band for 27 years and went through just about every classic Fender tube amp other than those covered in tweed.

They've all been sold and replaced with this:



My ZT Lunchbox Reverb amp weighs under 10lbs, has bulletproof construction, and incredible TONE! With 100 watts RMS power, it's all you need for most playing situations.

If you haven't tried one of these, you are missing out!

Sorry but I'm not buying this. I had one of those ZT Lunchbox amps and they are a no replacement for any nice tube amp. I gave mine away it was so lame. By the way my 12 watt Princeton Reverb was many times louder than a 100 watt SS amp w/ a 6.5" speaker and it sounded plain awful. 100 watts...? that's a joke IMO.