Modelers have ruined amps for me...

[Gasp100]

I tried, I really did. But I no longer can (or want) to use a real amp.
Having to deal with anything "outside the box" (ie. pedals, additional cables), matching cabs/speakers, trying to get incredible amp sounds at below bedroom levels (even if the amps have power scaling, great MV's)... it's just not working.
The pro's for modelers outweigh the cons so heavily for me that it's a no brainer. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have a plethora of great options for amp/FX modeling.
Who's with me!
If I had the time to just rent rehearsal space and open up a great amp I'm sure my mind would be changed, but for now modelers just work.

[Will Chen]

After having a modeler hiatus and returning, I see where your coming from. I laid down some tracks the other night around midnight while the wife and kid were sleeping. The flexibility is very liberating...

[TheJudge]

That is certainly one perspective. I would suggest that amps and modelers are just different tools that might be used to accomplish the same/similar or different jobs. When I was gigging in the 80s and early 90s, I had heads and cabinets, rack gear, large rehearsal spaces, indoor gigs and outdoor gigs, and had to deal with a wide variety of FOH sound people. I heard "you are too loud" and "you are not loud enough." It simply depended upon where I was playing. Fast forward...

I got married, bought a home, and I needed a neighborhood and family-friendly solution for my home studio. I tried using my heads and 4x12 cabinets with attenuators, and it worked fine. It was far from an ideal situation though with one room in the house looking like a club stage! Long story short, today I have a couple of low watt tube amps and various modeling solutions. I rarely play the tube amps, and I don't miss my Marshall or Hiwatt heads.

Modelers did not "ruin" amps for me because I can get great tones out of either. Tube amps simply don't fit for my current, at-home studio situation. I love playing through a great tube amp, and I love playing through either my 11r or AxeFx. I agree with you that we should focus on the positives of the great modeling solutions we have today. I am happy that I can have a screaming wall of Marshall stacks in my headphones without having somebody yelling at me to "turn it down!"

:-))

[BSHARP]

I have my one halfstack Marshall with all my favorite pedals and a digital delay in the loop. Sometimes I just want to plug into the basic amp with not much more than a cord. Other than that, it is all modelers for me.

[Scott Peterson]

I am squarely in the "tools for the job" camp.

Big loud amps are one of the most satisfying and primal things you do with your pants on. Very few things are as fun as running a big loud tube amp full bore wide open.

There is no way to 'ruin' that for me, except to go deaf (for real) or accidentally kill a small animal with the sound pressure.

But everything has a place, and everything has a purpose. To me, use what you got and make music.

[grateful.ed]

Originally Posted by Gasp100

Who's with me!

I'm hoping your right. I'm ready to put my DRRI/AC30CC/Sunn Beta Lead/modded Crate V15 up for sale to get started. I was gonna dump my pedals too, but I think I'm holding off on that for now.

[aizenx]

Originally Posted by Scott Peterson

I am squarely in the "tools for the job" camp.

Big loud amps are one of the most satisfying and primal things you do with your pants on. Very few things are as fun as running a big loud tube amp full bore wide open.

There is no way to 'ruin' that for me, except to go deaf (for real) or accidentally kill a small animal with the sound pressure.

But everything has a place, and everything has a purpose. To me, use what you got and make music.

+1 Well said. Both have their place and are great fun in their own right. I love modelers for their convenience and access to many expensive amps that I cannot afford. But I also love opening up the tube amps that I do have...it's just a different level of satisfaction. Why not just have both?

[Jay Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Scott Peterson

There is no way to 'ruin' that for me, except to go deaf (for real) or accidentally kill a small animal with the sound pressure.

The latter would make Ted Nugent's day.

[Ben R]

[stratzrus]

Originally Posted by Gasp100

Who's with me?

I'm not there yet.

I love my Axe FX for recording and don't even consider micing up amps to record anymore, but my 100 watt channel switchers sound great at concert volume and as Scott said, there's something satisfying about playing live through a great tube head, particularly if there's no FOH.

I've never gigged just using the Axe FX and if I did I might never look back, but for now I'm happy having my feet planted firmly in both camps.

I'd never enjoy the process of having to match wattage and speakers to a room in order for the tube amp to be right in the sweet spot at the appropriate volume for a given sized room...that would drive me nuts, but since I'm mostly a clean player these days it's not really an issue.

For the moment I'm using my Sig:X or Prosonic combo live (just using delay in the effects loop of the Sig:X or a Zendrive with the Prosonic...no other pedals with either) and I use the Axe FX in my studio. For me, at least for the moment, those are the right tools for the right job.

[DGTCrazy]

I think a Modeler is a great tool for the home musician and in the studio. But for live application, unless you're a really dedicated player, going deep into the Modeler's capabilities....they seem to sound a tad sterile for my tastes.

My experience (myself included) is that I've seen the majority of guys with modelers depending on just the "pre-sets", because they don't have the patience to "tweak". It's kind of a bummer too, as the few guys I've seen with modeling systems, that really sunk their teeth into device, were able to create some outstanding patches/tones.

[Selsaral]

I've been having a bit of a tone crisis lately between my modeller and my amp, but even when I am leaning towards amps, I really miss the versatility of the modeller.

I love having a ton of different levels of gain, and on an amp where you have to tweak two volume knobs to get that, I never get the volume level I want right on the start of the song. But my modeller has it all set up and is ready to go.

A 4-channel amp might get me that, but there aren't many of them out there and they're usually very expensive.

[Bobby D]

i like BOTH.....but for my club gigging work, the modelers WIN.

if i was touring on a higher level, and had the cash and help to set it all up, yes i would rather have a big amp rig, effects rack, and bradshaw or cornish system

but my HD-500 and DT-50 get me 95% of the way there, and it's easy to set up and tear down

[Snap]

Most of my paying gigs for the past few years have involved using in-ear monitors and being mindful of stage volume. I've used the POD instead of my amp enough so that I actually really like the sounds I can get from my POD (and it's always consistent).

I definitely see where you're coming from.
I think playing with a cranked stack or even 2x12 combo can be very self-indulgent as a guitarist. A good PA and good sound engineer can make or break your show. I don't mind using a modeler if it helps out the sound engineer and helps ensure the audience has an enjoyable, comfortable experience.

[Selsaral]

Originally Posted by Bobby D

but my HD-500 and DT-50 get me 95% of the way there, and it's easy to set up and tear down

Yes, my god the ease of a modeller cannot be denied. So incredibly easy.

If I went back to using an amp I'd want to skip a pedalboard for simplicity and ease. Except I am addicted to having a wah, a compressor (I love feedback), a phaser, and some other effects. So I can't go back to simple even if I want to.