Maybe it's time I just sell most of my pedals and outboard..

[mirth]

gear for something like an FX8.

I like using amps, but I'm really trying to find a good switching solution to create a couple "goto" sounds particularly for live use. While looking at my options, it really seems maybe I should just go with the FX8. The only thing I wish it had were loops for some pedals, but I guess there are some midi options for that.

I don't really care about amp modeling, etc... I'm much more interested in live usage, and still haven't heard a good FR solution, in person, using an AxeFXII live. So I'm not very tempted to do a full switchover.

However, only bringing an amp and an FX8 sounds pretty tempting for most gigs. It'd be a lot easier to hone in and tweak the sounds I want. Got to reserach some more, wonder how much I could get for my pedals, but at 1000 bucks right now, it's hard to beat the price, really on the FX8.

[Infinite Ego]

It's a great time to sell guitar gear if you're okay with getting nothing for it

Seriously, the whole market is collapsing around us. The only way to make it work is to sell the stuff for pennies on the dollar, get at least $1K scrapped together and open a Roth IRA tuned to a very aggressive strategy and then ride it for 20+ years.

BTW, bad sounding AxeFx live is due to user error, I have no doubt. The Fractal forum is filled with complaints but it always comes down to somebody making serious errors.

[asb]

Yep. My last gig I cranked up that 401k as high as I could before I left and rolled it into a Roth. Now my current gig 401k is getting cranked up similarly.
Concievably if things don't go to heck my wife and I could concievably retire instead of working until we drop.

Guitars:
Yeah, selling guitars doesn't really work unless it's a really desirable piece. Lots of disposable proletariat axes out there that isn't going net a ton of cash. But, they are what they are.
There's a few I'm interested in but because I'd PLAY them not buy them as some kind of misguided investment. None of the guitars I ever bought were worth that kind of money.
And some of the ones I can afford more easily are not necessarily highly desirable. But they work as a tool to do the thing I need it to do.

The worst part is modeling gear quickly becomes obsolete and everyone wants the next new things.
Selling them can be somewhat futile.

There's been an AxeFX Ultra at the local guitar center for just over $1000 for a couple of months now.
People want the AxeFX II or whatever it is that costs double.
I haven't even asked to try it out because it won't match what the current top of the line unit does.

Right now at the same store there's a Headrush ($999), the AxeFX Ultra (Used $1058) and a Line6 Helix LT ($999). Which one do you think is selling?
Line6 is even having a clinic at the store in a week or so.

The best modeling gear acts like a real amp through FRFR speakers at stage volume. And right - with how complex these things are especially onstage with both midi and footswitch control it's super easy to make errors. And the patch you program in your music room at home played live at stage volume sometimes doesn't translate well onstage.

I've been really lucky but I've also had actual man made disasters on stage. The last 4-5 years have been smooth sailing for the most part though..

[sonicdeviant]

Agree with Mark that so many people buy these things but never take the time to get under the hood--start with a blank preset or take an existing one, copy it, and commence messing with each setting to see what it does.

Todd also makes a good point about obsolescence, but that won't matter if you're into the music and take the long view. I'm still getting great sounds out of my Pod HD500 and it's nearly 10 years old now. I'm definitely getting a Helix before too long; getting a decade out of a piece of gear that's mostly computer-based is a good enough return on investment, in my opinion.

And I'm mixing pedals with the modeler. Just got the Digitech Freqout. So I think I'm done with the external pedalboard for now.

[mirth]

I would say that the people I know that have them are the most research heavy and knowledgeable people you could imagine. Also they are professional musicians and they're lively hood relies on it. They think it sounds good...me, not so much.

I guess I just don't hear the same things they do. They aren't complaining about it, they like it. I also feel the same way about a lot of "known" pros who have used them. Guthrie Govan comes to mind...I found his axefx tone to be crappy, but his amp tone is really nice, imo.

I have heard it do very well in the metal world, but line 6 has been doing well in the metal world for 15 years.

I don't think I've ever heard even a youtube video or whatever do good smaller amp sounds to my ears. Just something is off. But they're at least close, the FR systems just sound like an amp being mic'd by a PA to me. Not like an amp itself. So when you're doing smaller shows, with no PA, they sound really weird. Even when there is a PA they sound weird though, almost like a PA micing a PA.

[mirth]

Having an elevenrack, the headrush is a curiosity to to me. I'm on the 11Rack forums and it has basically been decided by people that have them that the headrush is literally the same as the 11rack, except that it got rid of one of the best features (true - z input, that makes it feel like an amp) and it added the ability to have 2 amps at the same time. But the sounds themselves are identical. They didn't improve them at all.

This is where I have a problem with the Helix, I don't see a huge improvement on the sound of POD HD500, the layout is a huge improvement, but at this point I mostly only care about the quality of the effects, etc...

This is where the FX8 seems intriguing, from what I can gather it's delays, reverbs, etc... are far and away the best in the business, and the other effects are also hard to differentiate from the pedals they mimic. Seems intriguing at least, and Fractal products don't seem to lose any appreciable value.

[asb]

Supposedly they migrated the models to a newer triple core DSP so it's technically the same code with but not running on the same type of CPU so there's more headroom for accurate modeling so some subtle changes there.

But my guitarist friend Roger who used a series of superstrats into Digitech GSP1101s (for verbs and delays) into a 5150 with a 4x12 found the new headrush problematic and "digital" sounding.

Even direct to studio monitors. He did a ton of programming to get around it just couldn't EQ out - it was part and parcel of the fundamental sound and finally returned it to the store and went with the Helix (the $1400 model) and found that sounded much more like he'd hoped the headrush would have. Your mileage may vary.

FX8 seems nice but I need to try one before I'd consider it.

[mirth]

Yeah, I would imagine the Helix would be better probably than the headrush, though I found the podHD and 11rack to be fairly comparable amp modeling (some better on the POD some better on the 11rack). THe 11 Rack does the plexi thing as well as any of the modellers I've heard actually, which is not a bad thing at all.

Anyways...I've heard the AxeFX effects and they're great, if the FX8 is the same, I think it's likely a major improvement on my M13, GT8 and Intellifex.

Saying all that, I don't necessarily dislike any of my effects, but I like a little of this and a little of that, meaning I have to bring out like 8 pedals, the M13, the GT8 and the Intellifex....it's just too much crap to carry and hook up. Too many gain issues etc...

Another option I'm considering is a switcher, so I can hone in like 4 sounds I like to use then add a few stray pedals (like a fuzz and wah) to be used when I want them.

[mirth]

Somewhat related:

I've had a few evenings home alone so I've been cranking up my Mesa amp....god that thing has so much treble. I can turn the treble down on the 5 band eq and the treble knob and I can't seem to rid myself of it. It's still more shrilly than any of my other amps with their treble cranked. I'm not sure if it's bad tubes or something, but it otherwise isn't too terrible. It was amusing to have the King of tone and Box of Rock in front with basically the tone all the way rolled back and still getting some treble.

Anyone dealt with that on tube amps? Or is that just the Mesa sound?

[mirth]

Had some 12AX7 around so I swapped V1, V2 and V4 (reverb wasn't working well) and it made a decent difference. The JJ in V1 definitely ditched some of the piercing high notes.

It still had the original preamp tubes from 1991. I'll have to see about changing the rest.

Then I read about mesa' s weird EQ strategy and that helped me tackle it a bit more. Then dropped everything but the king of tone overdrive but rolled the tone back and cranked the volume. Got easily the best sound I've got out of the amp. Also notice that the mid gain tone was fairly useable now. The reverb isn't great at all though...pretty subtle and kind if "meh".

I'd like to try and make the gear I have work for me. Some combo of the mesa and my fender could be pretty nice I think. I do like the more Marshall sound though too...hmm...but it's a lot to carry.

I would probably be better off with a 2x12, instead of a massive 4x12. I tried it with V30s but really didn't like it, my cabinet is now full of EVs, and they're okay, I would like to try the head with a few more cabinets though.

One last thing....they really made those preamp tubes super damn hard to change...awkward position to them in...annoying to say the least.

More to come.