Firstly, Tom and John are both sublime musicians with an excellent ear for tone and musicality, Namaste to you both. In my humble opinion, modeling wins in our modern world. I worked. as a demo guitar player for a boutique amp company. In the booth we had a tube amp and cab, a cable and a telecaster. A hundred guys played through that rig and they all sounded different. So to say, an amp sounds like a Fender Blackface to me is ridiculous, because it'll sound different depending on who's playing through it. Anyone who travels for gigs, sessions, trade shows and clinics etc. and is on a budget isn't flying with a tube amp. so if you have your modeler with your settings, it's much better than risking what a rental amp might sound like. Plus you have your rig in your hotel, for rehearsal, and anywhere else you may go. I've been using the Line 6 Helix for 7 years and it sounds amazing for everything ... providing you know how to program a signal chain, and integrate your favorite pedals (for me a compressor). I don't want to lift amps, or mic them up ... and I like how a true stereo rig sounds in a mix... and I don't think anyone can tell if it's a tube amp or modeling in a dense mix these days. I've demo'd guitars at NAMM for Yamaha 10 or so times, and the videographers, magazines and KZbinrs love it when you hand them two XLRs for their camera audio. Most people are listening to mastered music that's been reduced to 8 bit and played through phone audio or headphones...or their computer. So, if the amp inspires, I say go for it. But I don't think digital these days lacks the feel of a tube amp...in fact I think it sounds better for what I use it for.

Three goal is to make it sound like the original amp. It is not to match some arbitrary number in a spreadsheet that is based on how deep a hole is. Technically, we can store approximately 6 1/2 lbs of raw wheat grain in our lower intestine by stuffing it in from the backside, or we can eat bread like a normal person.

does it HAVE to sound exact like a vintage amp? no it doesnt

olde dickheads will always go on and say moddling is crap - just like EV cars even though oil is finite sick of hearing it. just fwits

The volume lowers significantly when I switch it on :((( what am I doing wrong?

I use a Fulltone Fuzz Bender that I use in some of the more 60s /70s numbers. That particular pedal cleans up with the volume so does some pretty cool drive tones. I never find I need the fuzz anywhere near full for a big sound. In fact, backing off the fuzz gives way more headroom on a lot of fuzz circuits.

In my limited experience…. When I play through the digital stuff, the feeling that I’m getting from the guitar response is a little different. Not the sound.

The whole thing boils down to the Amp in the room vs. a miced amp in another room coming out the monitors. Having the Amp with you physically, so the guitar and the Amp could react to each other and the player is something digital modeling sorely lacks. It is exceptionally convenient and convincingly accurate with the proper source.

Well, if it’s electric in the first place, what is the real thing?

I really enjoyed the Fender Pelt Fuzz. Didn’t think I’d like it but found it to be very versatile with a wide range of sounds in it!

Macari’s sola sound tonebender mk ii. You need a Marshall to make a fuzz work.

Fulltone 69 the red one sings like yours

The Pro Reverb has better note attack (transient) to my ears. But, none of them sound bad. For me, Pro Reverb is no.1. the UA Dream is no. 2, nd the Nano Cortex is no. 3. YMMV.

Jeez, Cordy! 'Just can't shake that grip KZbin has on you. It's the holidays - Spend some time with your family!

I was fortunate to have owned a mint 84 Boogie MkIIC+ head, and later an early 90s Rev F Dual Rec. Two highly prized examples from the brand. I've also gigged with a huge pedalboard with lots of top tier effects. The cost of it all could buy you a nice sedan. And now, recording tracks with a Fractal I guarantee you that you couldn't tell the difference. This argument is so old. Be like the Time Pierces and Pete Thorns of the world and use the right tool for the job at the time and don't worry about if it's 'real' or not. There's no such thing as fake tone. Either it's good, or it's not - no matter how you achieve it. I think for some of these guys its also about maintaining a rep and perceived 'authenticity' even though they could sound great playing anything. They don't want to be seen using gear that isn't 'real' because it goes against their brand. Love my Plexi, but its gotta be loud enough to kill small animals before it's in the best tone zone. Attenuators dull the magic, and I can't gig with it because the venues and sound guys can't deal with the volume. And if I use a baffle or turn the cab backwards, I don't get that real tube amp and speaker thump that makes it oh so real. And to top it all off, the venue was up two flights of stairs from load in on the street. But lugging that Marshall 4x12 cab and Plexi head was worth it because of all the real tone experts complimenting me after the show.

Here’s my opinion…”opinion” being the key word. Any live application, tube is always better, especially when overdrive or distortion is used. I’m not saying solid state or digital doesn’t work, but from a listener’s perspective I have heard guitarists use solid state, digital, and tube. Tube always sounds and cuts better. However, I can definitely see how the solid state and digital is much more convenient, and it gets you in the ballpark. Also, I think digital is best for practice. Easier to use a headphone amp with Bluetooth capabilities and practice in silence

Merry Christmas, John! Would love you to make a video describing how you set up your guitars, what kinda action you like, and just how you generally look at/deal with the setup process. If this has already been covered - please point me to it.

I’ve gone through phases with fuzz. Sometimes I love them other times I hate them. What I have learned is that eq is really important and single coils have more options of fuzzes that sound good. I like Fuzz faces and mk1.5 tonebenders on strats especially germanium due to the clean up on the volume pot. I have an amazing expresso fx fuzz face clone (UK builder using NOS parts) which sounds great but really heavy in the bass, which I need to eq out and you need to add some top to make it cut in a mix. With humbuckers it sounds too much but with the volume guitar knob down it becomes a lovely warm distortion but again eq is important. So I always have something like an eq pedal after the fuzz. For humbuckers I prefer tone bender mk2s but clones of those are bloody expensive. To be honest if I want a fuzz type tone now I tend to use the Hudson Broadcast.

Gotta love the various MUFF variants, the Keeley Octa Psi being an amazing example. The way I most prefer using it is starving the circuit for volume, the way it distorts brings out boatloads of harmonic content, if you used a volume pedal as well and just bring it right on down then elongate the sound through delays you get something really beautiful and not at all like a jar full of angry wasps, but creamy, silky sustain.

What the repeats of the same note essentially kinda do is mimic the effect of a "cut" in traditional music ornamentation.

There’s a hell of a lot of cope going on in this comments section-much of it no doubt from bedroom players and wedding/cabaret guitarists. When Tom started his Corona Lesson/Homeskoolin Series in 2020 he essentially pushed the reset button on KZbin guitarists and kicked the table over. He raised the bar a thousand percent for guitarists surfing KZbin on tone, instruments, setup, intonation, technique and tasteful/creative/roots rock guitar playing. He made all the shredders, jazzers and neo-soul purveyors look lame and generic. His opinion matters because he’s basically Nashville’s number 1 and he’s on the top of Mount Olympus with Derek Trucks, Michael Landau, Eric Johnson and Robben Ford et al. His friends are Dan Huff, Guthrie Trapp, Vince Gill and Joe Walsh amongst others. He hands out guitar wisdom for free-ignore it at your peril.

Jet JS450 or Aria Pro II 714-MK2? 🤔

Merry Christmas...best Input from your Channel..Love it.. Output?😅

I stayed away from buying the Fender FR12. Don't want the hassle of sending it back. There are several videos out there about a hiss issue that this Fender FRFR has. What is your experience? Videos like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2W0kmuJeq6Dja8

devi ever hyperion one of my favorite fuzz pedals

TRy The Boss FZ-1W it is great does all the right tones and is not too coarse in the Vintage setting !!

Merry Christmas, thanks for all your awesome videos.

Both sides are right. If it sounds good and it’s inspiring to you, it IS good. Tom is right, John is right. There is only one Tom Bukovac. He has nothing to prove to anyone. He has guitars and amps we could only dream of. He gets gigs we could only dream of. He makes (what I hope is) a nice living being an in-demand session guy and sideman. And while I doubt he gets hired because of his gear, if I’m hiring him to play on something I don’t want him doing it through equipment he finds uninspiring. Tom has found a niche as a content creator by being himself. He’s a strong personality with strong opinions, and people like me dig that. Nothing beats amps for me. Never will. But 99% of the time I’m playing a pedalboard into a Tonex with headphones or IEMs. That’s just the reality of my playing situation - I’m playing after everyone has gone to bed, and I don’t have someone playing my cartage when I’m out somewhere. It’s just practicality for me.

Even if my ears agreed that a tube amp still sounded the tiniest smidge better (and actually they don't, really) when I made the decision what to bring to a gig they would be overruled by back.

The real amp is far and away better. The Cortex wasn't bad, it sounded quite good...but...the amp is just what it is through and through.

It doesn’t sound the same. It doesn’t sound bad, it’s just different. But if you’re searching for that tone the only way to get it is by dropping a lot of 💰

With fuzz you have to be careful, just dial fuzz knob to max😄

stone age de Thermion

What folder this presets ? cover or general?

I love Tom, and this was a pretty fun vid! Nice!

Merry Chrimbo John. Howabout you persuade the band to play Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones or Sunshine of your love by Cream or play some Hendrix in the middle of Superstition. Then you will have to gig a fuzz. It's another tone to your sound

Holy cow, you finally have a new tone. I’ve been convinced you have one sound and all the gear is wasted if you tune it to the same sound. This finally sounds different. Kudos.

I dont care where a guitar is made and most people probably dont care either as long as the build quality meets their satisfaction and the guitar feels good. Japanese made guitars are more often higher build quality than say fenders or Gibsons and the Japanese guitars are about half the price or even less.

Merry Christmas JC and gang. Keep up the good work in 2025. Love the channel.

A few of my favorite fuzzes are the Psionic Audio 3.14 and the Earthquaker Hizumitas.

If you want these gated fuzz tones for less, check out JHS cheese ball

I've been playing since the '70s and this always seems like a "look at me, I'm cool" kind of thing. I've played through a lot of vintage amps, went into a Guitar Center once and played through everything they had, and was not happy with any of it. I got good sounds TO ME through the years, but the last 7 years or so have burned through thousands of dollars with pedals, a vintage Bassman, a vintage Peavey, now sporting 3 hernias, I've decided digital for me. I heard someone say the minute you put a pedal in front of an amp, you're digital. All this being said the best overdrives I've ever heard were a Sears Silvertone and an old Vox, both dimed, but both difficult to climb over a band with. I have no interest, and not enough money, to own a room full of old amps to continually lug around. I'm picky with sound but confident I can get everything I want out of the FM3 I bought recently with a lot less expense and wear on me.

Merry Xmas, John and family!

I found one that was a return, but the guy bought it and returned it next day it still had tags on it for $900. I absolutely love it. Love ya channel.

EQD Hoof reaper is A Fantastic fuzz pedal!

no one cares what tb thinks

“Are pedal companies ripping us off?” “Check out this 600 dollar fuzz pedal” Sounds great! Hope you have a wonderful holiday ☺️

Hi John, I'm kinda like you, not really acquired the taste for fuzz pedals, but you opened my eyes to the JHS Crimson. Its pretty good to my ears. I've also experimented with some of the fuzzes in the HX One and the Fender Tonemaster Pro. A company that makes some really great pedals but doesn't get much press here is Poison Noises. Their line is very creative and all sound great. Hope you and your family had a great Xmas. Cheers

Merry Christmas JC! Fuzz is Gods Gift to Guitar players! I run my EJ Fuzz ( .0033 in parallel w/input resistor) 0into a Mojotone Rook Royale, n its UN blvble........ALL my latest recordings are done w/this setup into TC HOF2 Halo TC SCF... n of course ONE awsm amplifier also a gift from God.. :) n a $300 Gold label 50s vibe strat..

0:00 and all... that