Axe-Fx and Kemper are out of budget Best sub $1000

[noah76]

As Thread title says. Now I'm open to a used Axe-Fx if the price is right but what else is out thats not a POS?

 

[LagunaMan]

Boss gt-100 or better yet, a tube amp like fender pro jr. I have both and prefer my tube amp for inspirational playing. I'm realizing that the more I play the more I lean toward playing thru a tube amp. I started playing modellers, they're not bad but tube amps to me sound fuller, richer and more dynamic in the right kind of way.

 

[noah76]

Boss gt-100 or better yet, a tube amp like fender pro jr. I have both and prefer my tube amp for inspirational playing. I'm realizing that the more I play the more I lean toward playing thru a tube amp. I started playing modellers, they're not bad but tube amps to me sound fuller, richer and more dynamic in the right kind of way.

I have a Orange Dark Terror that I love. I was looking for something for late night playing. Right now I'm using the Line 6 POD Farm4. Its not to bad Just seeing what else is out that people like.

 

[forum_crawler]

I have a Orange Dark Terror that I love. I was looking for something for late night playing. Right now I'm using the Line 6 POD Farm4. Its not to bad Just seeing what else is out that people like.

If you must own something that is in rack form, look no further than a GSP1101.

You can even integrate it with your dark terror and run it using the 4CM and control the volume with the GSP. Win-win situation.

 

[Pietro]

People get great tones out of the HD 500, the RP 1000, GSP 1101 and 11R. Can you try them somewhere? None of them is horrible. All can sound great. If you like POD Farm, just get a POD.

 

[spufuz]

Actually, give the Zoom G3/G5 a chance. I got a G3 as backup for the Axe FX 2.
It costs almost nothing, but sure as hell sound quite nice if you spend some time tweaking it.

Some examples:
https://soundcloud.com/spufuz/g3-brick-test

https://soundcloud.com/spufuz/g3-numb-test

 

[Squeakys]

The best approach may be to spend some hands-on time, if possible, with a few contenders in that category. I love my 11R, and I the GSP1101 sounds great to me as well. I'm not an FX junky, so the core set of effects in the 11R do work for me. If you like to have lots of flavors/options, then one of the other units in that price might be a better choice for you.

 

[db9091]

The 11R used to make sense if you had no DAW or audio interface (may still, but it may not be supported anymore)

A used AXE would be a fine choice and have solid equity.

My advice is to check out the new NAMM devices for amp simulation tho. A lot of new stuff on the market I haven't been able to check out, but some look real promising for your budget. Check out the NAMM threads here. (i.e. products like "AmpliFire" by Atomic Amps etc)

 

[wcfields]

You should be able to find a used Ultra for around $1100 - $1200. I would go for that.

 

[burningyen]

Take your main guitar and best pair of headphones to your local store and try as many different units as you can gets your hands on. Opinions differ on what's best, and your own hands and ears and workflow preferences will tell you more than 1,000 message board posts.

 

[shasha]

I don't think that you can beat the value for a used 11R. I hated a lot of things about it and couldn't wait to ditch it, but I was also using one to hold me over until my name came up on the AxeFXII waiting list. Not exactly the most impartial perspective....plus I have decades of having to deal with AVID that has just left me in a bad place. I won't lie, I did A/B them side by side and was honest about it because I had a chance to make a killing selling the AxeFXII and money is always a great leveling factor, but it was pretty obvious in a few moments to me that there was enough difference that I wouldn't be able to stay with the 11R. But you can find them for $300-400 used and for that kind of scratch they're a frickin steal. And if you make sure that you get the update and spend some time tweaking it you can dial in some pretty good tones. I still think that the AC30 on it is one of the best sims ever made.

A used Ultra is going to be a better device (owned one so I know), but to me the value isn't the same and if you are going to go that route than just go ahead and get the AxeFXII even if it means waiting for a while.

Just my two cents.

 

[690MBCOMMANDO]

Do you have a midi foot controller already for an axe? The MFC is $600-750

HD500x is a terrific all in one and has everything you need.

 

[noah76]

Do you have a midi foot controller already for an axe? The MFC is $600-750

HD500x is a terrific all in one and has everything you need.

No midi foot controller. But I will look into the HD500x.

 

[djlynch]

You can score a Axe standard under a grand. Same sounds as the ultra unless you need alot more proccessing power.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

HD500x or Eleven Rack. Or the new Atomic Amplifire when that comes out. Don't know how that one sounds yet, but the other two get my vote in the sub $1000 market.

 

[Elric]

You can score a Axe standard under a grand. Same sounds as the ultra unless you need alot more proccessing power.

This. Absolutely worth the wait to find one, IMHO.

 

[mikah912]

For late night playing (assuming you have a PC)?

Good pair of headphones ($100)
S-Gear ($100)
Audio Interface (Focusrite iTrack Solo - $120)
Ownhammer Modern IR pack ($20)

Let's see someone else beat that for $340 in terms of tone quality.

Even if you don't have the PC, that's maybe another $400. I still think it's a better $740 spent than any hardware on the market right now.

 

[Elric]

For late night playing (assuming you have a PC)?

Good pair of headphones ($100)
S-Gear ($100)
Audio Interface (Focusrite iTrack Solo - $120)
Ownhammer Modern IR pack ($20)

Let's see someone else beat that for $340 in terms of tone quality.

Even if you don't have the PC, that's maybe another $400. I still think it's a better $740 spent than any hardware on the market right now.

If the dude is rocking a Dark Terror by day, he might want to look @ something with a little more teeth than S-Gear. IMHO.

Honestly, I've become disenchanted with VSTs of late... they feel pretty stagnant these days and just generally not worth the effort.

I've owned all of this stuff and for <$1K I would go: used Axe1, 11R, POD Pro X, VSTs. In that order. An Axe1 is a lifetime quality unit... most of this other stuff will have you still surfing gear sites, jonesing for other stuff.

 

[mikah912]

If the dude is rocking a Dark Terror by day, he might want to look @ something with a little more teeth than S-Gear. IMHO.

Honestly, I've become disenchanted with VSTs of late... they feel pretty stagnant these days and just generally not worth the effort.

I've owned all of this stuff and for <$1K I would go: used Axe1, 11R, POD Pro X, VSTs. In that order. An Axe1 is a lifetime quality unit... most of this other stuff will have you still surfing gear sites, jonesing for other stuff.

I can't speak to the Axe 1, but I've owned or own everything else you listed, and I think VSTs are easily ahead the Eleven Rack or Pod if you use the right IR with them.

Roxolder's JCM800 suite easily smokes any Marshall model I've heard in Eleven Rack or the HD Plexi Bright and Park models.

The 11R and PodHD500 don't even HAVE 5150 models, but VSTs have several superlative ones (e.g. TH2, X50, Revalver).

Amplitube makes a pretty accurate entire RANGE of Orange amps. There's not one to be found on the 11R or HD range.

Same for Amplitube's AFD100/JCM Slash. Or S-Gear's Mesa Mark IV model. Or the licensed Randall T2 in Overloud. Or the Vadim Taranov Randall Satan or Baron K1000 sims.

The PC VST market is almost infinitely expandable and always growing (coming this year alone: Thermionik from the Recabinet guy, X50 V2, Revalver 4, etc.). 11R is dead and the HD line hasn't gotten a new amp in eons.

So, basically...the opposite of what you said.

 

[noah76]

Thanks for all the help. I've got a lot of things to look into.