Why I'm still digging my Amplifire after 9 months

[LPV]

Happy New Year everyone. There are soooo many great modellers now that the options are as deep as your pockets. I know that other modellers are way more feature packed. I get tired just watching how to videos of the axefx2. It's an incredible piece of hardware and software. And the kemper seems really impressive too. But I find that the modeller world can be a very deep rabbit hole where the grass is always greener.

Anyway I think the reasons that I'm still really happy with my Amplifire come down to a few specific points:

1- I'm a Marshall fan. So the plexi/800 tones are what I lean towards. I find the Amplifire does the Marshall thing great.

2- Not a big effects user. A splash of delay maybe some reverb and that's about it. I do make good use of the PEQs though.

3- I still play my "real" amps regularly so I'm never lacking for a "fix".

4- I've never suffered through any of the technical problems that some other AF users have. Mine has been pretty much flawless.

 

[RLD]

I still dig my AmpliFIRE too.
However, I'm using an AX8 for my live rig at the moment.

It's all good.

 

[dmock66]

I went from the A3 when it first came out to the A12 when my # came up on the waiting list. I'm about the same - the JCM800 simply RAKWS!!!

 

[Watt McCo]

Once I changed my mindset on what the unit is to me, I've stopped hemming and hawing over whether I loved it or not. Its an amp/cab simulator for me and not much more. I don't try to get the reverb to do anything other than a very basic room sound to give it some air rather than as an "effect". I'm sure there are folks that have the patience and knowledge to tweak the effects, they're great, but if I want chorus or flanger, I just want speed, depth and mix. I'm kinda stupid that way and is why I'm not terribly tempted by anything from Fractal. Spending $600 on it, I don't feel bad about still having a bunch of standalone pedals in front and in the loop - and they sound great!. And the Amplifire through FRFR at same volume sounds better to me than any $600 amp I've played through. Running it that way the footprint for me is now about like that of a Helix, I've got all the knobs just sitting there waiting to be tweaked, and I still get to keep GAS alive trading pedals in and out. The last part is important -- for me, GAS never completely disappears and I don't think it would with a Helix, an Axe-Fx or even a closet full of awesome tube amps w/ great cabs and a space to play them at decent volume. Trading pedals in-and-out still gives me the chance to play with my tone and try to become a better player by buying different gear at a price-point that's pretty easy to fit in my family's budget, and also gives me the object-fetish thing that is half the reason I always wind up missing amps when I go to the modeler dark-side (I've been back and forth a few times). I got mine in August and while I still consider maybe grabbing an amp because gear, I'm not considering any other modeler and am not considering getting out of modeler as my main rig at this point.

 

[flcmcya]

I just started playing with the Singtall. SLO and HBE
Presets and realized my church crowd is gonna get an eye opener!

 

[Greatdane]

Just tweaked a few of my favorite MBritt presets this weekend and my AF3 sounds better than ever. Love it.