Pulled trigger on the Kemper...

[Will Chen]

Curiosity got the best of me. I found the best discount I could find at a retailer and got a price match (actually beat the price) so scored it for $1,571. I feel both excited and very nervous as its the most I've spent on a piece of gear and will require liquidating some other stuff to keep it, but given the discount I got versus the current new price I feel confident I could probably recover pretty much all that money in the short term (beyond any return period) if I needed to.

So the adventure begins. If you own a Kemper, I'd love some advice regarding some good profiles to check out. Also, I'd love to hear from Kemper owners where your most disappointed with the unit. Why would I ask for negatives? No piece of gear is perfect and I find it most insightful to hear the areas ripe for improvement rather gushing over its strengths. Thanks fellas.

 

[Brick_top]

Don´t have any advice as I don't have a kemper, just to wish you to enjoy it and share your opinions because I like your gear reviews

 

[zentman]

Great price man. Dang! I'll bet you love it. I don't read many complaints anywhere.

 

[Guitar Vilain]

Cool, looking forward to reading your opinion about it

 

[Willowdale]

My best advice to you is to do your best to forget about the cost of the gear. You sound like the type of person that will talk themselves out of keeping something they really like just because it freaks you out to spend more than a certain amount.

As it gets closer to the end of the return policy date, just take a deep breath and relax. lol

 

[ibanez270]

Congrats Will, Do you gig or use it at home? What kind of music do you play and what guitar (sc or hb) I think all this matters on what profiles you use.

Good luck with your new adventure.

 

[Gasp100]

Will, just curious - how will you be monitoring the KPA for home use / live use?

 

[stratchamp57]

Can't wait to see how much better you like it than the HD500 and the g3.

 

[Will Chen]

My best advice to you is to do your best to forget about the cost of the gear. You sound like the type of person that will talk themselves out of keeping something they really like just because it freaks you out to spend more than a certain amount.

As it gets closer to the end of the return policy date, just take a deep breath and relax. lol

At the deal I got it for, I'm not too worried about the return period. Like I said, I feel positive I could recoup pretty much all that on the used market if I so decide (there are no Kempers on eBay at the moment, so bidding competition would likely be high).

If its all folks are claiming it to be, I'll have no issues selling a bunch of stuff.

Congrats Will, Do you gig or use it at home? What kind of music do you play and what guitar (sc or hb) I think all this matters on what profiles you use.

Good luck with your new adventure.

I plan to use it for everything. If it doesn't work in all scenarios for me, it is not worth the investment. I play honestly everything south of metal and have multiple guitars with various pickup configs.

Will, just curious - how will you be monitoring the KPA for home use / live use?

At home via headphones. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD280s and an Audio Technica set (forgot the model but I actually like them better). Live through my Alto TS112a or via EHX Magnum to 1X12.

 

[birdie_in_texas]

Awesome bro! I am looking forward to clips!

 

[Scott Peterson]

Congrats and frugal no more.

Looking forward to you pushing bleeding edge gear and having fun doing it.

 

[birdie_in_texas]

Congrats and frugal no more.

Looking forward to you pushing bleeding edge gear and having fun doing it.

He is still frugal..now if he had bought the Axe II, then he wouldn't be frugal! hahahah

 

[zentman]

I dunno man, $1500 bucks is still a lot of coin. I really think good ol' Will is gonna be stoked when he gets it. PS...I will expect some clips Will.

 

[Scott Peterson]

He is still frugal..now if he had bought the Axe II, then he wouldn't be frugal! hahahah

In my book, anything over $500 is a major purchase. Something 3X that $500 mark is anything but frugal. He's been the champion for the affordable gear... now he's going big time into the cutting edge. Ain't nothing frugal about a $1500+ processor!

 

[jrockbridge]

Congrats! This is an unprecedented gear purchase for you. Hopefully, it meets your expectations.

 

[burningyen]

Cool, looking forward to reading your opinion about it

Me too! And I'm proud of myself for holding out longer than Will.

 

[Chas]

Congrats!!! Post some sounds when you get a handle on how it works!!!

 

[Audioholic]

What type of sounds do you like? Make sure to update to latest os right away.

 

[suckamc]

So the adventure begins. If you own a Kemper, I'd love some advice regarding some good profiles to check out. Also, I'd love to hear from Kemper owners where your most disappointed with the unit. Why would I ask for negatives? No piece of gear is perfect and I find it most insightful to hear the areas ripe for improvement rather gushing over its strengths. Thanks fellas.

RMNPacheco's Morgan 20w profile is my favorite. I use it more than every other profile combined. But there are tons of great ones.

 

[Will Chen]

In my book, anything over $500 is a major purchase. Something 3X that $500 mark is anything but frugal. He's been the champion for the affordable gear... now he's going big time into the cutting edge. Ain't nothing frugal about a $1500+ processor!

I'm a total schizo. While I've always championed modestly priced gear, I'm also a tech geek of the highest order when it comes to guitar gear. Fortunately Up until recently, there really hasn't been much of a high end in that arena that was even remotely within reach. I had previously put my high end around $700, so this is over double that. But please note the decision isn't final yet. If I don't see it as really leaps and bounds better than the gear I currently have available, I won't keep it. If it won't work via headphones and in multiple live contexts, I won't keep it. If its significantly glitchy, I won't keep it. At the premium I'm paying, I'm expecting near perfection. Ultimately, this is a decision which would potentially end FrugalGuitarist.com if I do keep it. So you see, its not only money which is in play here. But I'm willing to close that chapter of my life if the unit truly deserves the praises heaped upon it.

Me too! And I'm proud of myself for holding out longer than Will.

Argh!!!!!! Oh well, at least I've got like 400 pages of content out there to encourage the folks who truly can only dream of this type of gear due to financial constraints. To be 100% honest, if I could play without headphones I probably would never have considered the unit. that's the area I get most frustrated in. Not entirely sure this is going to improve that experience that much...