Anybody else getting sick of modellers?

[Jarick]

Wildcard bitches!

Ordered a Roland JC-40 because stereo chorus. It’s like the ultimate solid state amp.

It has some interesting features like stereo inputs and a stereo effects loop. I could try running a modeler into the stereo return or stereo front end.

Or run it with an AB box with the Orange for the ultimate shoegaze craziness.

 

[Frodebro]

If you pick up the guitar and your first thought is “what amp am I going to play?” every time, modelers are exhausting.

I have to deal with that asshole every time I go grocery shopping. Cart blocking the aisle, staring vacantly at all the choices on the shelf while a puddle of drool expands around them on the floor.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Okay I am going to take your guys advice and stick to one for a while. It’s either going to be the US princess or the Deluxe reverb normal channel.

 

[Frodebro]

Okay I am going to take your guys advice and stick to one for a while. It’s either going to be the US princess or the Deluxe reverb normal channel.

You might want to set aside a little time once in a while for exploration, you may invariably stumble across something unexpectedly that really appeals to you. But don’t let that overwhelm your time.

 

[sashimi]

Wildcard bitches!

Ordered a Roland JC-40 because stereo chorus. It’s like the ultimate solid state amp.

It has some interesting features like stereo inputs and a stereo effects loop. I could try running a modeler into the stereo return or stereo front end.

Or run it with an AB box with the Orange for the ultimate shoegaze craziness.

I have been thinking about trying one of these, maybe to use with my helix. Let us know how it goes with a modeler.

 

[the swede]

DR and creamback are. Wonderful combo imo…

true, my favourite combination with the Stomp was Deluxe and Litigator with the YA M65. Glorious.

Does anybody here use the Helix as a set-and-forget amp?

I tried to because i wanted to and that’s how i prefer guitar playing. Having one amp sound to commit to, and everything else is pedals/effects that changes the sound. But I couldn’t handle all the options in the end.

Or is it normal to pick and set up another amp almost every other day?

I would say no, but the options are there for you to be creative with, like a room full of iconic amps. I would say nothing is normal or not normal. The options are there for you no matter how you deal with it.

I think the common sense thing is to find a few amps and save them as base templates/presets and then choose among them for the thing they do to whatever you need, be it for fun or for something serious.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

true, my favourite combination with the Stomp was Deluxe and Litigator with the YA M65. Glorious.

I tried to because i wanted to and that’s how i prefer guitar playing. Having one amp sound to commit to, and everything else is pedals/effects that changes the sound. But I couldn’t handle all the options in the end.

I would say no, but the options are there for you to be creative with, like a room full of iconic amps. I would say nothing is normal or not normal. The options are there for you no matter how you deal with it.

I think the common sense thing is to find a few amps and save them as base templates/presets and then choose among them for the thing they do to whatever you need, be it for fun or for something serious.

“Having one amp sound to commit to, and everything else is pedals/effects that changes the sound.”

A sort of romantic approach that I really digg. A lot of guitarists that I like seem to do the same.

 

[the swede]

“Having one amp sound to commit to, and everything else is pedals/effects that changes the sound.”

A sort of romantic approach that I really digg. A lot of guitarists that I like seem to do the same.

Hmm… that’s notably thoughtful and I didn’t really reflect about it like that. But I guess being shaped by certain genres of music indeed does have an impact on how I prefer things to be.

It’s the same with real or virtual effects chains. If i do “real” it’s everything in mono into an amp and that’s recorded in mono. No effects comes after (and no fx loops) if it isn’t something that absolutely is necessary for the mix in a recording situation.

And this was also a problem for me with modelers because they push the user to place stuff after the amp and cab source. I tried a few times, but always ended up moving everything to before the amp block. Only thing I used was a light room stereo reverb for headphone use.

I guess what you could say is a “romantic” approach is purely old school (in my book) but romantic is fine by me and it makes me happy to hear that some people view it like that instead of telling me I’m doing it wrong when I know im doing it right

 

[Jarick]

I have been thinking about trying one of these, maybe to use with my helix. Let us know how it goes with a modeler.

Well the JC-40 may not last long.

It sounds really damn good for cleans, the chorus is amazing, and the reverb is just perfectly dialed in.

But there's a really loud and annoying hiss at all volumes, just like the cheap studio monitors I've tried in the past. It doesn't scale up or down with the preamp volume, or guitar, or by running directly into the effects loop. It's just always a hiss.

From what I can see on the internets, there's not really a fix. There's some bad design somewhere in the power amp circuitry and smart people have gotten around it, but IMO not worth messing around.

I'll probably play around with it for a day or two then run it back. May swap out for that Fender Deluxe TM, or may just look for a different cab. I'm kind of intrigued by the Mesa 2x10 with Creambacks:

 

[paisleywookiee]

I'm kind of intrigued by the Mesa 2x10 with Creambacks:

Better get one soon.

 

[paisleywookiee]

“Having one amp sound to commit to, and everything else is pedals/effects that changes the sound.”

I’ve thought about staying with a modeler+"FRFR", but then having a clean platform amp like a Bella or Pearl, and messing with pedals again. Trouble is finding a great gain pedal.

 

[Jarick]

I’ve thought about staying with a modeler+""FRFR"", but then having a clean platform amp like a Bella or Pearl, and messing with pedals again. Trouble is finding a great gain pedal.

That’s what I’m intrigued by with the Fender TM Deluxe. I just don’t like tubes!

Also I ended up putting the Orange cab on top of the Roland and it opened up the sound nicely I should have realized I need to get the amp up off the floor.

So maybe just return the thing and roll with the Blackstar and Orange cab on a little stand or something.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

That’s what I’m intrigued by with the Fender TM Deluxe. I just don’t like tubes!

Also I ended up putting the Orange cab on top of the Roland and it opened up the sound nicely I should have realized I need to get the amp up off the floor.

So maybe just return the thing and roll with the Blackstar and Orange cab on a little stand or something.

I am so curious how the TM deluxe sounds at low volumes.

 

[Southpaw-DD]

I recently bought and returned that Fillmore 2x10 Creamback cab with Sweetwater - I actually hated it right away. It sounded hollow and dark and I could only anticipate using it for jazz cleans, tweed, and EOB; not good at all for driven rock tones IMO. I don't think this is too far off course for 2x10s as I tend to not like those as IRs either unless I want a tweed sound. The 2x10 was the only Fillmore cab I could find in stock in the wide format at the time so I gave it a try.

But, good news, SW recently got stock and I just received the 1x12 Black Shadow 23" wide version of that cab. It is immediately much better (for me).

Also, I LOVED the TMDR for cleans and it sounds huge at low volumes. I did not like drive pedals into it even with the bright cap firmware update so I moved it quickly. Too much high end fizz and I think tube power sections tend to filter that out. I swapped the Jensen for a Creamback and still didn't get along with it.

My advice - try out a Revv D20 if you want cleans and a pedal platform. They go used for $650-ish. With a 5751 in V1, I can use it in a quiet house without an external attenuator. It mimics a Fender but includes a master volume and you can get some low gain out of it easily. (edit: I just read that you don't like tubes though @Jarick)

 

[Southpaw-DD]

I am so curious how the TM deluxe sounds at low volumes.

Sounds great, but I didn't like how it worked with higher gain pedals. The other downside is that I needed more control over the volume than just the "attenuator" on the back. In practice, it is more like a stepped master volume since a real DR doesn't have a master volume.

 

[James Freeman]

I'm getting sick of being sick of modelers, so I use them.

 

[Diary Of An Axeman]

I prefer tube preamp and digital effects, then going into tube buffer (w/12ax7 tubes) before going into a solid state power amp = 100% tube feel and articulation.

 

[Jarick]

@Southpaw-DD that is fantastic feedback, thanks!

So messing with the JC off and on, if I have something else in the background or get further away it's not so bad. But in a quiet room it's noticeably loud. Apparently there's a fix for the older JC's but not the newer digital ones. Really a shame because if they had fixed it they would be KILLER amps.

Anyways, running the guitar into DM-2 into the JC is phenomenal. I mean classic 80's tone. Tons of fun.

I didn't have much luck running the QC into the Roland but I hooked my Axe 3 into the effects return in stereo and that's pretty cool. I found a recipe to make a fake JC chorus with the dual chorus block and dialed it in REALLY close to the real thing. That's super cool! And the Jazz 120 model is pretty close to the real thing.

It gets less convincing with more gain. Deluxe Reverb sounds cool, AC30 sounds splatty, JCM 800 is really lacking balls, and don't bother for anything higher gain. It all lacks low end and is shrill in the top end.

I think what this is all telling me is I should keep building out a stereo power amp and cab rig. If I was starting over from scratch, I'd probably get an FM9 running into something like a Duncan Power Stage Stereo into either a 2x12 cab wired in stereo or a pair of 1x12's. So smart play would be to keep moving down that path.

 

[Southpaw-DD]

One thing that bugs me with Fractal is trying to get the impedance curve matched up perfectly (or just within margin of the feel to make it believable) with a real cab and tube or SS power amp. I mean, it sounds good and is really close to an amp, but just not 100% there for me. That is a rabbit hole I've decided to back out of altogether even though it is costing me more for the rig(s). I'm separating worlds now - Axe-FX III or plug-ins only for "FRFR" or studio monitors and anything else is traditional pedals, amps or tube preamps and power amps. I'm wiring up the Axe FX for effects loop as an option with the traditional rig.

I have to remind myself that the cab is equally important as the amp. There isn't a shortcut for that.

@Jarick you may want to consider the ISP Stealth Class A/B as an alternative to the Duncan. I'm old school in that way and a believer in Class A/B over Class D.

 

[DrewJD82]

This seems a good way to go about it. You wouldn't buy a Fender amp in store, and after a week replace it with another Fender amp. Give it some time to get used too. Find the nuances. Know her skill set. Don't try to make a Marshall into a Fender. Etc.

A bit like choosing your wife.

2 years ago I bought a Hot Rod Deluxe, kept it for a few weeks then returned it and got a Deluxe Reverb.