Why Guitar Players Are Throwing Away Their Amps

[@ElectricalEcho]

The answer to the question at 0:20 is: No. Because in times of high energy prices my tube amp is not just there for the guitar tone, but also my main heat source. It is maximum co² efficiency bro

[@benjamin5778]

We want full guitar center story. The people have spoken Mike, can’t ignore it.

[@Robert_Charles]

Second

[@georgespencer3973]

And don’t leave anything out, Buddy :)

[@kedonYT]

By tomorrow

[@kylelowe]

🤘🏼

[@ShawnSullivan-d8x]

Third lol

[@Mike-to8hb]

I'm 68 and still playing a Fender Princeton Reverb with a Fender Telecaster and a bunch of pedals. I think I'll stick to that. It has served me well. Your videos are great though. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@lazvt8469]

I'm 62...agree. My player son went thru the digital phase including the HD500, the one that came after...both 'died'....he returned to analog and a few pedals and is a happier man for it. ...Oh, and he got a truly outstanding boutique/hand-wired amp to complement his guitar collection.

[@JA-ut8fi]

To each their own, my pod go has been such a great improvement for me! For what I want to do, I don’t think I’ll ever switch back to amps.

[@brad8710]

Humans need to embrace change, makes life more exciting 😎

[@burmy1552]

@@NickJardine I've had enough tubes fail to know that tube amps are still way more finnicky than digital. There are advantages to analog but reliability hasn't been one of them in my experience of 1000s of shows both playing and as a sound guy over the last 40 years.

[@chrishale1019]

My headrush board does far more than any single amp could do, and I’ve probably only discovered 10% of the sounds I could produce, kinda like how little of Grand Theft Auto I was able to find on my own.

[@tomfoolery342]

I'm considering "Slowly" transitioning to amp modeling/digital. I have about 175 pedals, about 7 tube amps and I've always love them. I am now divorced and living in a single apartment and the amp/pedalboard thing is not working out for me and my neighbors. I bought a little Spark Mini that I play thru and now record with and it sounds awesome. Thinking of selling some amps and pedals and diving into the digital world.

[@Koijn2K]

How much did the 175 pedals contribute to the divorce

[@BDMusic2021]

I love my amps and pedals but ever since I got a helix I haven’t been able to find a reason to use them. If I had the money for a fractal then that would be even more so.

[@AmericanNationalist852]

Sell that shit. I did and haven't looked back in almost 4 years. Do it right and get a Fractal Audio product, a good set of headphones, and a decent wedge monitor or something (I use an ElectroVoicePXM-12mp) . Either the FM9 if you want a pedal style, or the Axe-FX III if you dont mind a rack unit and the extra cost.

[@tomfoolery342]

OK, I am recently divorced, but I don't think my gear had anything to do with it. It was my awful personality.@@Koijn2K

[@MitchellSpille]

Don't sell the pedals and amps! Digital stuff is convenient in some situations, but it will never sound and feel the same, especially not the helix. Your best bets in the digital world currently are Fractal and kemper. I would keep the pedals and amps for sure though. There's just something special about amps and pedals that digital all in one units cannot recreate.

[@andyhayes9462]

After 40 years of using Marshal and Fender amps I converted to helix about three years ago. It’s easy to use, no more back aches, and people say my tone sounds better than ever. My amps are now gathering dust in my in my garage but I just can’t make myself get rid of them.

[@juanpaju8096]

I recently ordered a pod go and im extremely excited, i never really had the financial capacity to invest into really good amps or pedals, so having it all in a small pedalboard that costs around 500 bucks is crazy, the facty that it can emulate things such as amps and even pedals like the klon centaur which are extremely expensive and rare is insane to me

[@EeDJeeH]

You won’t be disappointed. I love my pod go

[@JA-ut8fi]

Yes, my pods been my trusty steed for about 2 months, I’ll never go back to amps!

[@DerFuchsJr]

​@@EeDJeeH i have a question: i use plugins like tonehub, amp hub, neural dsp just for bedroom playing and i actually think they sound really good but do you think its worth upgrading to a pod go?

[@WizardOfArc]

I can't wait until I can start playing with my Pod GO

[@EeDJeeH]

@@DerFuchsJryes definitely, not in the first place because the sounds are better but also if u have the pod go you can go out and gig with it when u are ready. And u can switch between volume pedal and wah pedal. You don’t have that on your computer. I use the pod go most of the time on my PC. And the app is to easy! It has little to nothing learning curve. Good luck with your choice

[@gregscottperry5201]

I've been using a Boss ME-80 for about two months. It's very easy to dial in a usable tone and it's much easier to travel with for a 68 year old man. Thank you for your commitment to share information.

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

I still have my GT-100. Have had it for many years now. Wonderful piece of equipment.

[@lllllllllllllllllllllIII]

Same bro I love it although the tube screamer is on there it’s not the same as the actual one but it’s still very nice soo much settings to choose from you can sound like Nirvana it’s actually awesome definitely worth if you like to travel or go on tour because it’s like 1 million pedals into one I love the fuzz option and the turbo distortion it’s truly amazing how good it performs also the chorus or rotary effect and the harmonist sounds soo beautiful I’ve never heard such a beautiful sound

[@haljalykakik2384]

@@mikaelbiilmann6826 I still have mine too. If I ever want to play out loud/practice, I run it into my JC-22 without the chorus on on the clean channel. That's usually plenty loud for most things. Now, I just have to figure out how to get rid of my "vintage" JC-120, because there's no way I'm lugging that beast around anymore (I'm in my 50s, btw)

[@amphitheatre3]

The pure versatility of modelers is unmatched. Plus most people are able to get more amp and effects options from a modeler than they could ever afford in real life. It's really amazing that people can record the sound of a cranked tube amp in their bedrooms with modeling units and a laptop.

[@aeoteroa818]

not to mention now with impulse response captures you can literally send me a model of your vintage whatever amp.

[@jeffokriya3389]

For recording yes. . you can get any sound with a computer or modeler. But we are talking for real live sound . . you still need some speakers and hardware . . we are talking real needs of a live musician

[@WoutervanderMeulen]

​@@jeffokriya3389Live musicians also use amp modeler boxes that are super compact, and they just plug straight into the venue's soundboard.

[@amphitheatre3]

@@jeffokriya3389 I disagree. As a guitarist who plays live regularly, I would dread lugging an amp and cab around, plus it limits your options to one amp and one cab. With modelers you have near limitless options to shape your tone. If you really wanted the feeling of speakers moving air behind you, you could turn off impulse responses and power amp emulation and run it into a tube or solid state power amp with a conventional guitar cab. That really isn't necessary though when you can just run a modeler through the pa and monitors/in-ears. Plus a pa speaker with solid state amp in it is much lighter than a guitar cab.

[@jeffokriya3389]

@@amphitheatre3 You still need to haul the PA speaker and PA head . . one heavy item for other. Besides it doesn´t sound the same.

[@PrimitiveNoiseVideos]

I typically use a four-cable method with a bunch of pedals and a tube amp. It sounds great, but whenever I had an issue during a gig, it was virtually impossible to troubleshoot quickly. I almost always had to scrap the whole thing and play the rest of the gig with one cable going from my guitar into the front of a backup amp. Then I got a Helix. I now run the line-out from the Helix into the effects return on my tube amp, and it gives me incredible tone and versatility with a super simple setup that eliminates almost 30 fail points from my previous four-cable method with pedals. If my tube amp fails, I quickly replace it. If my backup amp fails, I can run the Helix straight to FOH (and through the stage monitors or IEM). If the Helix fails, I break out a couple of pedals. I love simple, but mostly I love great tone. My setup: Helix => 6V6 tube amp => 2x12 w/ Celestion Creamback speakers.

[@jordanleroux-stewart7009]

This point is too often overlooked. There are so many spots between your pedals and cables that my explain some glitches and scratch noises. With a multi effects pedal, you avoid that. Also, so easy to program every parameter for every part of a song within your patches, instead of turning nobs during and between songs.

[@leosebastian199]

You shouldn't use the Helix with a tube amp. It's sounds sucks. It has to be a FRFR speaker. I use Line6 112 power cab. Huge difference.

[@ryanvergara3603]

I'm a HD500x user for nearly a decade now and it has served me well in countless gigs. For its price and sound quality, the ROI I got was beyond imagining. As you said, the audience will not care if you have accurately nailed Eric Johnson's tone from whatever expensive gear you have or not. As long as you get the job done and earn a decent income from your life as a musician, that is enough.

[@ryanleeoakes2015]

I’ve had the Headrush core for a little over a week and I have to say that I love it! The versatility of using a cab and speaker emulation into my interface and achieving a tone that I love is fantastic. Then on a different channel I have no cab or speaker and I run straight into my Vox AC15 and use it as an effects pedal. Best of both worlds

[@GiantSFaithfuL]

I was (and really still am) a major amp snob. I have a few vintage amps that are all absolutely phenomenal. I turned my nose up in 2016 when a good friend went Helix. I had heard the Line 6 Pod and a Johnson Millennium back in the day. Both sounds were lackluster and sounded very poor IMO. Fast forward to 2020 and I decided to pull the trigger on a Helix Floor. My mind was blown. I cannot believe that this unit is still the standard this far along. It has changed they way I create sounds because of the ease in which I can get any tone. But unlike those earlier products the reason I finally realized it was time to go this route... I COULDN'T PASS THE HEADPHONE TEST! When I was unable to tell which was a Marshall or Fender in my headphones I knew it was time. Best decision I ever made.

[@guylevanon6993]

What model do you have and recommend to buy?

[@GiantSFaithfuL]

@@guylevanon6993 I have the Helix Floor. If you can pony up for that one it's the one I would recommend.

[@GiantSFaithfuL]

I feel you dude. I love my amps too. I have a few of them. And that was the first thing I said about modelers (back in the day especially) is that the FEEL is not there. And it was true. But man, I'm telling you I have some AMAZING presets I've built that are there with the feel. Recently I used the Archon (PRS Archetype) with the Cali IV Lead (Mesa Mark IV) as a dual amp setup and it is phenomenal. Super inspiring and gives me all I need for a jam band sound. @kirkmulder1599

[@GrayCities]

Got a HeadRush Prime a few months ago and I honestly can't ever see myself using an external amp again. Ended up selling almost all of my pedals and gear that I knew I would no longer use or have a need for. Not only are the built-in tones, effects, and amp models amazing, but there's a TON of resources out there where you can download new ones (some even for free) and even artist packages that perfectly emulate the tone of different songs from different artists if you do covers, or just really like the tone of the guitar used on a certain song and want to incorporate it into your own creations. It cost a pretty penny but so far has been unbelievably worth every cent.

[@joshpratt4448]

@graycities I am saving for one. Been on the fence but i like too much variety. I bought and just returned the Blackstar HT 40 club mkii and been sick about it. But i dont want to buy all the effects to achieve versatility

[@MrTPF1]

You're right about the learning curve. I'm a Baby Boomer and I've always had amps and effects with knobs and switches. I tried a couple of my Millennial and Gen Z buddys' digital units and the learning curve was just too steep for me. They had no issues with learning how to use them, and the units sounded great though.

[@TheBasementMusician]

Oh man, I'm doing the opposite! I sold my Kemper (Which was my only "amp" for about 6 years) to go back to tube amps (Currently a Vox AC-15). The Kemper is an amazing tool, but I don't get a sense of joy out of it like I do with real amps. When I go to a music store, I'm not excited to plug into a modeler, I'm excited to plug into an amp. Excitement aside, sometimes you just need a tool like NAM or Helix, etc. to get the job done.

[@n.s.3812]

yea generally my take, except I finally relented and actually GOT my first modeler this year. And while I was pleasantly surprised, it still confirmed what I'd been saying for years: even as they get better and better, they will never match the feel of a real amp. Even as they match the *sound* more and more, they will *never* match the feel and response from a proper amp, and videos that claim otherwise ("tube amps are dead", or "we've actually been using a modeler in all our videos and you never noticed!" or "why modelers are just as good, if not better!") all just come across as serious cope. And again, I'm not against modelers at all, like I used to be) That said, they have their place. I'm selling my Axe FX III, but I'm keeping my HX Stomp, because it is still nice to have a small form-factor tool that can do so much. It's great for doing quick recordings, bringing to a friend's (who has a PA or frfr) for a jam session, or even using in my w/d/w setup with a nice tube amp that I gel with as the dry/center main amp, and using the Stomp just for the left and right wet (with FRFR cabinets), using its wet effects and cab-sim, etc. So I guess I'm somewhere in between. There's a place for them, but when it's time to get serious, it's time to use a serious amp. And every serious guitarist should have a nice tube amp and cab that they really mesh with. You'll never get that feel out of a modeler. Doesn't matter if the audience can hear a difference in the tone or not (and they probably can't). But a guitarist with enough experience with actual amps will absolutely FEEL the difference, and there's nothing quite like getting that response from a tube amp. You play it almost as much as you play the guitar.

[@peaceman7321]

Love your video! I'm 50/50 on tubes vs modelers/profiles. Just gigged with a guy who the Kemper Profiler Stage & EVERY patch sounded PHENOMINAL!!

[@wpifarmer]

No one is throwing away their amps. Love the channel but your titles have turned into clickbait. Let me know when you throw out out fender tube amps and supros. I'll take them off your hands to keep them out of the landfill.

[@Chasetenny]

Yep. As the subs grow they resort to clicky baits. Anyone throwing away tube amps generally go back to tube amps later. See this a ton

[@TNTGoBoomBoom]

You guys are mad xD

[@Koijn2K]

Lmao, that's the KZbin game bro, don't take titles too seriously. This title just means "rn there are coming more and more great alternatives to physical hardware"

[@danielbell4007]

Next week we’ll cover the use and recognition of idiomatic speech.

[@BDMusic2021]

Everyone knows what he means. No one clicked on this video thinking he was saying there are people in the world literally throwing away tube amps. Hyperbole is a perfectly valid form of communication.

[@unstable.musician]

At the moment, I have a POD GO for gigging and recording stuff with my band, it may not have replaced my amp fully as I still use my Catalyst 200 for practice or as a speaker...But I cannot deny how versatile and how much of a workhorse the pedal is.

[@iamkyleclimer]

So if you have the pod go you dont need an amp?

[@juanpaju8096]

@@iamkyleclimer Yep, that’s what it does, it emulates the sound of amps so you don’t need to directly connect it to an amp, you could just connect it directly to the mix, but if you like your amp, you can just disable the emulation and only use it for effects

[@aaronkerr2481]

You don't NEED an amp, no. Running the PodGo in to one gives you the (for lack of better terminology) the "amp in the room" feel. Personally, I am just fine with running my PodGo or Helix into an FRFR monitor or even just my IEMs. @@iamkyleclimer

[@iamkyleclimer]

@@juanpaju8096 Oh wow! I am a total beginner at this stuff so I have yet to geek out on what everything does I am thinking of hopefully getting a guitar for the holidays still trying to figure what I want because I don’t wanna go the piece of crap beginner pack route I have done that before years ago and it turned me off to playing all together and I got rid of what I had which was a junk hundred dollar strat

[@juanpaju8096]

@@iamkyleclimer im kinda new too, but once you start getting into all of this guitar gear stuff you cant stop lol, its very fun

[@MarkGardner66Bonnie]

Great video and content Mike.... three or four years ago there was a great debate on the merits of a Helix vs tube amps in our church band. One guy bought the Helix and loved it the other guys in the band were giving him crap for "selling out"... long story short... everyone owns a Helix now and absolutely love them. Plugging straight into the PA is another advantage.

[@steveliberty]

I made the transition because of volume. With a small tube amp, they were never loud enough to present clean tones. With a bigger tube amp, they were always too loud get get crunch tones from. With my HX Stomp and ToneX, I amplify with a class D power amp and a guitar cabinet. This arrangement lets me be as loud or as quiet as I need to be without sacrificing my tones.

[@RadsnRems]

which power amp do you use? i went the frfr headrush route and I do not like my tones..

[@richo144]

​@@RadsnRemsgo for a Laney LFR, gamechanger

[@RyanWright]

Been using a Helix (LT) for years now, and it is (still) absolutely amazing. It has just gotten better and better as they have done updates and added new models, and the versatility is amazing. Quite honeslty, I could never see myself going back to a regular amp/cab/pedalboard type set up. I am just hooked on the ability to switch from a fender clean to a marshal stack at the press of a footswitch. I actually picked up a powercab+ and a Variax guitar a year or two ago, and that combo (Variax into Helix into Powercab+ with the "link" cables) is the ultimate in versatility IMO.

[@slavmeister73]

Hello, Mike. I've got one. I bought my HELIX a couple of years ago and I'm still scratching the surface of what its capabilities. I do have a tube amp, a really good one but the reason I got the HELIX was because of its live performance practicality and this is even before I started using it in the studio. The secret to really making the HELIX sound the way you want is to sit down with it and see what makes it work. This is where a lot of guitar players who are not used to such units don't want to go near this kind of technology, opting for the traditional amp and pedal setup. That's fine, but I personally find the unit to not only sound amazing and having endless possibilites, but also a very inspiring unit to play. Once you make the HELIX sound right, it will elevate your playing and you'll move further into the guitar.

[@billhuang6506]

I did it years ago as soon as I could get my hands on a Helix. Sold a tube amp and dozens of pedals. Now Helix only. Love it. For me, it's perfect. You didn't mention the firmware updates that give you new amps, pedals, and features with each update (about 2 a year). This is a PLATFORM for guitar tone driven by software. You're really discussing the difference between software solutions and hardware solutions. BTW, same with AxeFX and other modelers. Play what sounds good to you. For me, the convenience of changing dozens of settings with one stomp is unbeatable...ever!

[@Hbomb731]

Hey Mike, I’m 58. I’ve been playing professionally for many years now. I use both …digital and Tube. They both have their place. In a live setting I’m a tube guy! That simple! At church with a “quiet stage” it’s my Helix. Works great, sounds great but not the same to me…but good, Real good!

[@dreamscuba]

I remember trying an ElevenRack in a guitar shop for a friend and thinking, “wow, this feels like a real amp”…and I got one. I loved it. But the screen eventually died after 11 years. I have a Quad Cortex these days and love it. I live in a small apartment with wafer thin walls. Even my Marshall tube amp on 0.1w is too loud a lot of the time, so the modeller works really well. Great video.

[@rafaelconstanzovicens9094]

That's one of the best parts of multieffect processors. Since I started working and studying I pretty much have no time for anything if I don't do it past midnight so having the capacity of just connecting my earphones and play as loud as I can it's refreshing and I don't have to worry about annoying somebody.

[@brighterhealthshop]

I wanted that rack. I had the previous 2 of 3 racks at that time, the 2101 and the 2120 Rack. I never got the 2112 Rack.

[@ICee712]

I'm 68 years old and still using a 2x4 stud with fishing line (4 lb test up to 16 lb test mono - light gauge monofilament of course. tinkered with fluorocarbon but that's too new age for me). It's served me well. Thanks for the knowledge.

[@prs22gt10]

I've been using the Helix for six years now. I'm mainly a church player. Before that I used Boss and other Line 6 modelers since about 2006. During this time I also used amps and cabs in other settings playing with bands, it'll always be a favorite that way. But improvement updates to the Helix and preset creators have made it a serious tool. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if I had gone the route of Kempers, Ax-Fx or others. The Helix is consistent every week and has never let me down. To be honest I did buy a new Helix last year but the five year old unit was just fine, it sold quickly too. Good luck with your Helix and amps, find your voice and rock on!

[@aepoc66]

Why'd you buy the new Helix?

[@A_A_ron-Phillips]

I can't figure out how to program one of those crazy things. The Line 6 hx effects was way too complicated for me. Lulz

[@prs22gt10]

@@aepoc66 Well, at the time I thought I was having issues with the tap tempo button but in the long run I'm not sure. I had been using it at least two times weekly for five years and was probably unduly concerned about the unit altogether. Resale was so easy I figured what the heck. I totally got my money's worth out of the first one.

[@prs22gt10]

@@A_A_ron-Phillips I get it, but it's what you put into it. I have bought presets and learned from them. I probably only use 10% of what it can actually do, but I'm really happy with that!

[@A_A_ron-Phillips]

@@prs22gt10 - I did too. I purchased some presets for a PodGo from a person who does popular KZbin channel, and in "snapshots" mode, I couldn't turn on or off or even save certain parameters, and never could figure out how to fix it, even after scouring forums for hours. I finally just gave up and sold it on Reverb. It's like the people who make these have the mind of a programmer or engineer, but not the mind of a musician. I would just like the UI to be musician user friendly, but maybe I'm just crazy.

[@MikeSheasheaDtree]

I'm a beginner electric guitar player (played acoustic for 40 years. I just bought Bias FX 2 for my iPhone, and am amazed. I mostly got it for dirty blues sounds for my harmonicas, but the shear number of amp and pedal options for the guitar is staggering to me. Just found this channel and I'm diggin it

[@khunstr]

I love my valeton gp-100, since im not using it in a "professional" use case it holds up pretty well but I would also love to have some of the functions a larger helix amp modeler / pedalboard has. I've watched some professional bands use a full helix setup with the line 6 mixers for lead, bass and rhythm guitars and it really surprises me how good the sound is without any need for amps or cabs. Really holds up to expectations even though its such a small device really worth the money I paid for it.

[@theinfinity2994]

Same got mine for around $115. Still learning how to use it since it’s only been about 2 weeks but it’s a lot of fun.

[@khunstr]

@@theinfinity2994yeah same here i’m still experimenting with it but so far it’s doing the job

[@EricBlackmonGuitar]

I get this. I have a couple of cool hardware and software modelers myself. However I have a set of cool amps including a Fender Twin with JBL orange back speakers and a Fender Vibrolux Reverb with built in tremolo that is unmatched by any model I have ever heard. The reverb in these amps is more natural than any modeling reverb I have ever heard. My amps are not going anywhere.

[@Andrew_O]

Started on a DOD FX7, then wen through the Boss VF-1, GT8, GT10, GT100, POD HD500, Helix LT, and settled on the Headrush Pedalboard. For me the Helix was great, but the UI for editing and live control on the HR won me over. Helix probably has some better sound, but the immediate workflow spoke more to me. Still have the HD500 as my gigging "spare" in case of a tragic failure.

[@Quimmoo]

I was sceptical of modeling and was a tube snob for all my life, until I've started doing professional sound engineering. The convenience of not being forced to ACTUALLY re-record (reamp) DIs of a band is a killer feature. So I was using different VST amps, decided to try a Fender Deluxe Reverb and just jam with it. The feel, the sound - everything was BETTER than my VOX MV50 tube amp. Then I've bought a UADFX Dream, and it was amazing. Then I've tried a Line6 DL4 mkII in the store and liked it more than my Strymon Timeline. Decided to try a HX Stomp, boom. The thing I love the most, is the ability to build a channel strip for your guitar - add compression, preamps, EQ - so my patch is sound good and I don't need to do a lot of post in DAW. I love to work with audio and record with effects on (like you would do on a console) and HX Stomp is a godsend unit. Compact, easy to use (if you have mixing experience and built a couple boards), full of awesome sounds. I'm using Stomp + Dream + BOSS BD-2/EQD Plumes instead of board with 8 different pedals. Much cleaner and simpler, much better results

[@chadromney]

11:00 Please tell us more about the analog modeling pedal!

[@matthewrhelf4559]

Been using the fender mustang with loop peddles. But I’ve got a brand new Telecaster coming (on Halloween!), and I practice in my apartment. This seems like an interesting investment. Thanks and keep on rocking everyone!

[@DaleBoyce2012]

At our church we originally ditched the tube amp, along with wedge monitors, to try to tame stage volume. (Mesh head drums are probably next) To our great surprise, the Helix pedal sounded better through the PA than our amp/mic rig and all that wonderful hum disappeared as well. As you mentioned, the versatility is another huge benefit.

[@burmy1552]

This is the real benefit of digital rigs. I've been running live sound for 35 years and the ability to tailor the room is incredibly underrated. The room is an instrument. If an amp is overpowering the room then it's extremely hard to get the overall sound under control. In small venues I always try to get louder amps turned towards the guitarist so that not only will they turn down a bit but I can control FOH mix alot better and I get alot of the warm mid and bass tones out of the back of the cabinet out to the audience that's close to the stage. It gives me way more control of the mix and allows me to put vocals where they need to be.

[@ezquimal]

If you want to compare q tube amp you have to try a fractal. A lot of guitar use fractal to use in live performance because you have to program even the valve that you can use in the power amp. And because weight less than a tube amp and don't need a speaker too.

[@cybermexi-8100]

So can I have your Orange?

[@axonathan]

Both of our usual rehearsal studios do not allow guitars to be played through the PA systems in the rooms. Also after over 20 years of playing live i'm so used to having the amp behind me. Whenever i do plug the headrush directly into front of house, I finding it hard to get used to relying on the foldbacks for 100% for monitoring, especially smaller gigs that have shitty foldbacks...that's my experience anyway.

[@DylanODonnell]

100% Team Modeler. The biggest selling point for me was the clarity of any tone. I hate electrical buzz and interference with high gain stuff and using noise gates, modelled amps and active pickups produced the best tones I've ever heard for a fraction of the effort / price. Convenience is amazing, but imho digital just sounds better and has for a while.

[@florisvanlingen]

I can definitely see where you're coming from, and it's true that modelers have made significant strides in recent years, offering unparalleled convenience that's hard to match. The convenience factor alone is a game-changer for many musicians. However, there's a timeless quality to the warmth and richness of a tube amp that's hard to replicate. It's not just a matter of personal preference; there's a scientific basis to the unique characteristics of tubes that many guitarists find appealing. The way tubes naturally shape and color the sound can be a big part of the magic that happens when you plug into a vintage amp. That said, it's worth noting that some of the most exciting innovations in guitar amplification come from the blending of technologies, like using a tube preamp with a class D power amp and Impulse Responses. This hybrid approach allows you to combine the best of both worlds - the classic tube sound and the convenience of digital processing. It's an excellent compromise for those who appreciate the authenticity of tube amps but also crave the flexibility and ease of use that modelers provide. Ultimately, the choice between tube amps and modelers, or a hybrid setup, comes down to personal taste and the specific needs of each player. It's great to have such a variety of options available today to suit different playing styles and preferences.

[@DylanODonnell]

@@florisvanlingenfair enough. There is also some scientific basis that the tones are indistinguishable, especially once they’re committed to a recording. If not already now, then soon. The same thing happened with film cameras. Yeh it’s a vibe, and you can throw around words like “warm” but pixel for pixel - bit for bit. You can’t tell the difference eventually, and the better technology can replicate the former.

[@florisvanlingen]

@@DylanODonnell The primary difference between the distortion from a tube amp and modeling is even-order versus odd-order harmonic distortion. This is why a tube amp often sounds warmer, transistors just work different from tubes. Profiling does get closer since it does not model every single component of an amp but looks at a whole signal chain. It may sound very close and good, but the feel is always slightly off due to the delay these units have. Also the profile does not interact with pedals the way it would like a tube amp. A capture of a fuzzface into a plexi won't sound the same as a capture of a fuzzface ran into the capture of a plexi. Since I've spent a lot of time playing both tube amps and modeling amp and plugins it's not that hard to know which is which in a blind test that uses isolated signals. Especially if it's a higher gain tone. Modelers will get there eventually but they are not there yet.

[@j-gatzguitaristproducerson8569]

Rock on my man!! If you feel the tone in your fingers and you’re loving the sounds then trust your instincts and run with it. I’ve had my Helix for about 4 years now and I still have my Mesa triple rectifier! I use them both, sometimes together sometimes separately. It really comes down to what feeling you as the guitarist gets for that particular moment you’re using it for. I’ve been a tone seeker since I can remember and the results I get are more than I ever thought. Like you said how in 5/6 years from now can they sound any better when you dial in your tones in and not only the clarity and preciseness that you hear, but when I feel it in my fingers, it blows my mind!! Love your videos, love your playing, you’ve come a long way and just keep rocking my man! God bless!!

[@angusorvid8840]

Digital has arrived and it will only get better. I'm a GenXer who grew up with tube amps, but I've also had great experiences with solid state going back to the mid 80s. Besides the Marshalls, Boogies, Peaveys, Laneys and Fenders I've gigged with, I've also used Randalls and Gallien Kruegers and they worked great. I also used some Crates and they worked fine for the heavy rock/metal I was playing in the mid 80s to early 90s.

[@bengordon7635]

digital and solid state suck ,, the tone comes from your fingers and tubes express that ,,, ,,, especially up loud solid state falls apart ,,, The old Marshall TSL JCM 2000 is the best amp ever made for live .. and the old school analog pedals

[@metramaks]

I own Fender Mustang LT25, it's a great amp for beginners and I don't see any reasons for buying anything but digital for anybody starting playing electric guitar. It sounds really good and you have almost every sound you can imagine within one amp without spending thousands on different pedals.

[@txtele]

These amps and these models sound incredible but one thing that's hard to describe or for me to put into words is the feel of the amp how it reacts to my playing it's hard to quantify for me but it's a real thing at least in my world and that's where tube amps come in I like the way that they react the push pull I can't really describe it anymore then that

[@burmy1552]

I pretty much just wrote the same thing a few lines above you. There's an almost indescribable 3d breathing to it. That's the best way I can describe it. Pushing air through a real cabinet is hard to replicate.

[@brentd106]

I remember watching a rig run down and the guitarist from nonpoint said the reason they use helix is bc it saves on weight which saves on gas which is more money in your pocket, and that they are reliable and easy to use at any volume

[@tomblankinship4750]

I’m 62 and transitioned from tube amp to Helix. One of the main things that people miss in going to a modeler from a mic’d amp is consistency of tone. Instead of a tube amp aimed at my legs that sounds great to me, but different to my band mates, different to the from row, and different to the FOH, I have one consistent tone dialed in. I use a Headrush floor monitor and what I hear sounds pretty much exactly like what is coming out of the mains. Stage volume is down and my bandmates can get as much of me in their monitors as they want. My volume is set to control only my monitor and my output to FOH is at mic level. Sound guys love me.

[@BluesCat1980]

I like the fact that I can play and not have to go through menus and press a million buttons to get my tone. Give me a tube amp any day of the week.

[@marc_leblanc]

I've been using a Kemper since late 2019 due to back issues and I have no regrets as far as tone. I get that players miss the air movement from an actual cab but for me, I play with in-ears anyway so it doesn't matter.

[@Jackson1_416]

I DEMAND the full guitar center lore

[@adamgh0]

I use an HX Stomp directly to the FOH using stage monitors to hear what I'm doing. Our lead guitar player uses an Axe FX and our bass player uses a Quad Cortex. Totally ampless. Everything is clear and there's no excessive "stage volume" drowning out the mix or flooding the room with noise.

[@peterwilson8039]

The thing with me is that I get really lost when I have too many options. I tend to like to reduce my options. I’m thinking of getting one of those Tone Master amps that do one tone and do it really well.

[@LIGHTintheHALLS]

Great points. It helps me record and write more. I’m having a great time playing live with the Universal Audio Woodrow. It sounds amazing in the monitors too. I got tired of guys not micing my very heavy Hiwatt amp properly and then scolding me for being too loud.

[@blakealdridge1747]

I bought a Helix in 2021 and have been loving it ever since. The convenience was the major selling point for me and I’ve been super pleased with it. At the same time, my analog pedalboard was collecting dust and I ended up selling off my analog pedals to make room for new gear and now I’m regretting selling my pedals. There is definitely room for, and a reason to have, both analog and digital solutions for most gigging players. Everyone should be able to sit at the table!

[@Guitarpreacher]

I love modelers for church stuff. I just don’t have the space for a ton of gear. Have an Orange TH30 at home to make some noise but love the control of the modeling amp. I have an old Fender Mustang Floor and a Zoom G3xn both were super cheap and do the job. I agree that you gotta work with them to get what you want but it’s worth it.

[@WanderingPilgrim]

The simpler my outboard gear setup, the more I can focus on my actual performance on my instrument. This is the real reason I've gone digital: it helps me be a better musician.

[@WanderingPilgrim]

@kirkmulder1599 Good point. Often I go straight into an amp for the same reasons. For me, a lot of the value of modeling is in simplifying away my pedal board so I literally don't need to carry one.

[@scottmartin6411]

I got a Helix LT about 6 months ago and my favorite thing about it is being able to download patches created by other people. I don't have a good ear for guitar tones, so I can spend a few dollars to download the exact sound I want without having to figure out how to create it myself. I also appreciate the portability - I can fit everything I need in a guitar bag and backpack. No need to lug around a 40 pound amp.

[@rickeguitar9086]

I agree about the learning curve on these digital models. Until I came across the HeadRush. That was VERY familiar to me because not only could I see the stomps, amps, etc visually. But, the knobs were very familiar to me and thus I knew how much I needed to adjust the default settings to my particular taste. Plus, many of the default settings in the Headrush were very realistic for me requiring very little tweaking to reach my desired tone. Whereas, the other products were not. They required me to endure the learning curve from the bottom of the mountain. Whereas the Headrush placed me at mid-level of the mountain learning curve. Just my experience. Cheers to all the players out there!

[@mdhj67]

Played in a church band using a Fender Mustang II placed on a stand to lean the amp back. Turned the amp toward me to use it as a monitor. Sennheiser e609 mic was hung over the speaker and plugged into the house. It worked fine. This was not a little church band. We had acoustic drums, percussion, three (and sometimes four) vocalist, acoustic piano, keyboard, alto sax, bass and occasional violin and/or harmonica. But I could hear myself fine through the on stage cacophony and didn't need a stage monitor. During rehearsal I would sometimes go into the seating area and be amazed at how well it sounded through the mix vs how it sounded on stage.

[@lrsnfx]

Yes to the Guitar Center story.

[@redbarchetta8782]

I have a Helix now and it got rid of my pedalboard, but not my amp. I run it 4CM and love it.

[@g.graves8939]

No one's giving up their amps!

[@-Pol-]

As a hobbyist there's no reason you can't follow both paths. As a beginner I used a cheap zoom modeller through a portable (Microcube & DA-5) to learn I about and explore different amp style tones and effects. As an intermediate player I got a bigger practice amp, a tubey sounding solid state 15 watt Vox pathfinder that doesn't pretend to be anything other than itself. I also gathered a small collection of simple "classic" effect pedals: an overdrive (BD-2), a distortion (Rat), a fuzz (FZ-1w) Dynacomp compresser and such like. My decade old zoom still fills in the gaps. I've come to the conclusion that, at my amateur level collecting more pedals and amps beyond these basics would be an indulgence and just result in more clutter. A Helix/Kemper/Fractal type modeller would take everything to the next level but for me personally, I think I'm better off without the distraction of so many options. I'd probably get more fulfilment from spending the money on guitar workshops and music festivals. Just as I don't presently see myself needing a DAW any more sophisticated than GarageBand, I suspect I could probably fulfil my amp modelling curiosity with the free but well regarded open source NAM Neural Amp Modeller app/plugin.

[@wangjalock]

I threw away my amp cause I suck

[@Mark_B585]

Keep practicing homie

[@JonathanDiNamesMusic]

I don't known if I could ever make the total transition to amp sims/modeling. Convenience is great, but I just adore pedals & amps to much; not just the sound, which is getting to the point where it's pretty indistinguishable- but the anesthetics

[@bmg696]

LOL…..No One is throwing away their amps.

[@Mark_B585]

LOL glad you're dumb enough to think you speak for everyone

[@BlueTeamer_]

I bought a helix a few years back. I took my fender tube back and traded in for studio monitors. Helix is awesome. Edit: Plus line 6 has done several updates over the years.

[@punkrockwino164]

The interface of digital equipment has always turned me off from using it for guitar. I bought a Plethora X5 because of it's interface being similar to analog gear. I ended up borrowing a Vox silk drive, put it in preamp mode, put the plethora X5 on a cab sim, and all of a sudden it sounds like my Fender tube amp in the monitors! However, when I tried it at a jam, it was very washy in the room... I would NOT use that set up live. But it's great for the house and all my pedals are in that setup too, which is great for practicing.

[@waltjames407]

I still prefer a tube amp, but I have a Fender Mustang modeler as my home unit and demo recording amp. I only ever use 2 models and pretend that it's a 2-channel clean/dirty amp with built in effects...otherwise I suffer from option paralysis. Option paralysis is probably the biggest reason I've shied away from modelers. I always was able to get pretty much any sound I wanted from one amp with a minimal array of pedals and channel switching before I touched a modeler...and modelers give you access to almost anything, it's almost too much.

[@NickJardine]

That’s how I feel man! I have limited playing time with little kids, so I have to spend it wisely. Knowing me, I will sit there scrolling through menus for a half an hour.

[@RodVonLongrod]

I have eight tube amps, three SS amps, and a Headrush Prime. I love my HRP the more I play with it and the more I experiment as I dial in my tones. It can give me any sound I’m looking for. It’s a great studio tool allowing me to record great sounding amp tones without having to use a mic on my real amps. Hooked up to the Power Amp Ins on my two Katanas I get that real amp feel in stereo. All that being said, I’m still not ditching my real amps. There’s just something to plugging in to a real tube amp and cranking it up. I don’t get the opportunity very often, but when I get the chance to crank up my tube amps and let ‘er rip I don’t pass it up. There’s still nothing quite like it.

[@markdakel9253]

Excellent video I have a Fender valve amp and a Line6 POD- and I much prefer the line 6 digital modeling, the fender amp about 75 pounds, and it’s not the easiest thing in the world to find tubes. When I need to swap them, I’ve never had the first problem with the line6

[@joshuasaylor3783]

Church player too. I'll never get rid of my victory sheriff tube amp. It inspires me which makes me play better. I prefer that to my leaders helix and my friends tonemaster

[@isaiahj117]

Love the Line 6 HX stomp XL, it has everything I need, variety of amps and effects to choose. Load some IR into it which make the tone and sound more close to a real amp. Now it’s easier for me, not to bring some many things to gigs, a guitar with Line 6 HX stomp XL. Perfect.

[@richardjones2811]

I bought a HX Effects and sold it. I've gone back to tube amps and practiced more instead of thinking buying more will make me a better player.

[@wurm90125]

I recently bought an FM9. I use it as a MIDI controller and FX unit for my tube amp. I can then take it off that duty and use it to record or gig. I'm in a fortunate position where I can have both and will probably keep it as such for now.

[@NickJardine]

I think I just don’t fully jive the digital stuff because I hate buying expensive stuff knowing it will be eclipsed/become obsolete. An AC15 or Deluxe Reverb is timeless. I definitely do see the convenience of digital though.

[@voodootattoo9057]

I've spent the last month or so comparing my Helix with various amps using various FRFR's and though I will never sell my Helix, I will not sell my tube amps either. Helix certainly "can" be a reasonable facsimile of a tube amp but it ( nor Fractal or any other) will ever replace the visceral experience of even a moderately loud tube amp. So I had a conundrum. How I resolved that conundrum was to combine the two, and the magic that happened was instant and far more consistent than just using a tube amp. I simply run one side to PA and one to the return of my favorite tube amp and the experience is heavenly.

[@AmericanNationalist852]

Fractal FM9 and an ElectroVoice PXM-12mp is my current setup and it's friggin' awesome. I dont see myself going back to "real amps" any time soon... if ever again.

[@InGovWeMistrust]

I’ve been playing piano and guitar for my worship team for a while now and I’ve noticed a lot of people in a worship setting are switching to Helixes, HX stomps, and Pod Go’s. I bought a used Line 6 HD500X from a local store a few months back and it just wasn’t it. I ended up going for a Pod Go and I haven’t regretted a second of it. It’s absolutely fantastic to play though and super easy to use.

[@JonniVanPlatoni]

Great tone at 6:00 that was just awesome🤘 A great illustration of what you were saying. I so need to update my gear. :)

[@fearlesscreator1961]

My Mesa Boogie Blue Angel sits idle these days as I default to the LINE 6 POD GO. It has everything I could ever want and I gig live with it all the time! Great video here!

[@AdamF-f7u]

I am a bass player and went down the helix road due to Billy Sheehan and Richie Castelano(BOC) anyway it works very well for bass. The updates with new features like the tuning changes available and the way that any bass I use will sound close to each other. It makes it easy and has alot of versitility.

[@DrSpeener]

How does the helix handle drop tuning on bass?

[@mongarcia9151]

First of all, all the options mentioned re great. In my opinion if anyone still says that modelled/digital effects can't replicate the legendary sound of a good cranked amp, advancements in technology will soon catch up to it, if it hasn't already. Again all the options are great and have their own charm and way of making people (player or listener) happy, and that's what's important.

[@renmusical]

Happy owner of a Line 6 Pod Go. I was a guy who was looking to get a great sound with practicality. I guess I was willing to spend to tweak and create patches. Once I nailed it down my favorites. I haven’t thought much about amps or upgrading to a Helix.

[@bruceniblett959]

I remember running a POD 3 thru a duel rectifier power amp, and an excellent cabinett. Sounded perfect. Thats old too. The tone in your hands, technique, ear, mind.

[@markjones2349]

I'm 44 years old and I started out playing guitar at 21 years old. I bought a used Digitech RP7 effects unit that had a 12AX7 tube and it introduced me to effects and banks/patches and got my feet wet. Got tired of it really fast and then moved on to a Boss GT-3, then the GT-5, then the GT-8. I eventually realized that I love pretty much all digital effects as much as analog except for distortion. Every amp model on all of those units were basically bumble bees in a box. So that was when Bugera started making their clone tube amps and after watching many reviews and learning about tube amps and maintenance and all that good stuff I bought a Bugera 333 XL Infinium with a matching Bugera 4x12 cabinet. I fell in love with tubes big time. I'm just a bedroom player so I wanted to get pedals but not spend hundreds on single pedals so I started getting Behringer stomp boxes that were clones of some really good pedals and they sounded great and were affordable. But then I found out about noise and needing isolated power supplies and that nobody made one to power all 12 pedals on my Behringer PB 1000 pedalboard. Fast forward to this past Christmas and I got a Line 6 Pod HD Pro X rack model used on ebay in great condition and I liked the amp models so much that I actually spent the $100 for the fully loaded HD model pack. I can't believe how far modeling has finally come. I've been playing the Treadplate model which I think is a dual rectifier model for weeks now going through the power amp section of my 333 head using the four cable method. The models feel alive and have dynamics and analog sparkle and they have feel and modelers have finally arrived. But the reason I got this modeler is because it was before the super expensive Helix that I would love to have and could put one on my empty Guitar Center credit card but like I said, I am a bedroom player so I took a chance on this last gen modeler and its like nearly 10 years old but it sound AMAZING. So when the Helix winds up on the used market I will pick one up but until then I am just appreciating that modeling is finally amazing. I never thought we would get to this point. Pod HD Pro X is highly affordable on ebay and I highly recommend it to anyone that doesn't want to go into debt for the Helix or simply cant afford one. The HD fully loaded model pack is a must and is worth the $100 upgrade or you can probably buy one pre loaded I'm guessing. But yeah modeling is amazing in 2024. It will only continue to get better.

[@fuglbird]

I've played guitar for 10 years and never bought an amplifier. I use the Line 6 Pod HD for everything. At home I use it with headphones for rehearsal or with my computer for recording. For live performances I just plug it into our PA system. All the time I've looked for a tube amp and pedals, but never found anything comparable to what I've got in the pod (USD 144).

[@jeffstarr4748]

Well for tonal quality- amps win and analog pedals win but for versatility guitar processor units win however, in the end carting heavy amps plus pedals plus guitars plus assorted cables around the globe or around the country to tour with, customs duty wins.

[@johnvonachen1672]

The difference is latency vs immediacy. With tube or solid state there’s a visceral immediacy. Multi-effects pedals process your sound through a DSP, a digital signal processor, which is a kind of computer processor specifically designed to convert analogue signals to digital, and then do something with it. That takes some time, a real small amount of time, but still noticeable. The faster computers get the less noticeable it is. So the real question is are bothered more by shlepping big heavy amps around and the lack of versatility, or bothered more by the slightly reduced visceral immediacy?

[@jesse7852]

I’ll say it, I sold my fender tube amp for a tone master deluxe blonde and have never looked back. You are a great storyteller man. I’d love to hear the guitar story

[@Bixll09]

I was just wondering where they were throwing them away at ???

[@wickedglassbears]

For anyone saying they can’t use a tube amp because of volume issues. The attenuation technology nowadays is top notch. I have 2 tone kings with built in attenuators and they’re phenomenal. I also have a helix and have gigged with it. Both digital and analog are great options. Like always you need to figure out what works for you, but I don’t think tune amps are going anywhere.

[@IanSwope]

When I was in a serious band 10 years ago I would have laughed if you'd told me I'd give up my '69 baseman head for a digital unit. Fast forward 10 years and my main sound comes from an HX Stomp XL going into the power amp section of a Boss Katana. The only additional pedals used are an Ernie Ball Volume pedal, Mini Crybaby and a boutique handmade fuzz pedal. My entire rig fits in a shoulder bag and I couldn't be happier because now I have room for more guitars when gigging.

[@miquelmarti6537]

yes, you are right in the context of a bedroom. But going live is quite another story. I'm not saying they can't be worked out, but a real amp is so much more versatile when going loud. Most sounds will only need an OD pedal and minor guitar volume tweaks. Don't get me wrong, I also use a modeler to play at home.

[@StephenRybacki]

I'm 65, but I am an IT pro (Data Engineer/Admin) so tech isn't hard for me to grasp at all. However....it's the sheer onslaught of choices that can literally overwhelm a lot of folks (like me at times). I have had (in no particular order) PodxT, HD500, Vox Tonelab, and a few digital amps over the years and I end up the same way after the honeymoon is over. Strat/Tele -> Cable -> Princeton Reverb or my '73 Silverface Vibrochamp. So all the outboard digital gear is gone at this point and I maybe use a few pedals here or there and my mind is happier this way -- mostly. I do however have a LOT of VST plugins that let me play with choices galore when the mood strikes, namely Overloud TH-U, Amplitube 5 Max and several Neural DSP sims (Archtype Petrucci, Mesa Mark IIc and the Toneking Imperial MK II) which are my go-tos. I cannot argue with you about the convenience however and I can see why you don't want to tote heavy amps and cabs around -- not to mention the costs of upkeep and repairs -- if you gig a lot.

[@RonnyGuittarDuo]

Great vid. But: after having tested a lot of modern sound equipment, I bought me an old tube amp, a slapback and a tremolo pedal. Never ever I would give up the real thing.

[@S.W.Best-writer]

Been playing over 35 years, did various tours, even was signed for a while and released various albums. Serious tip here. Protect your hands. Got golfers elbow from the gym from lifting too heavy. Had to rest for MONTHS. Was seriously depressed. Returned to playing but was terrified about hurting myself again. So, protect your hands, get sleep. :)

[@becominghuman3561]

Got my Line 6 Helix back in 2017 and I never looked back. I barely bring my amp/cab with me unless there are unique circumstances that call for it. And people always compliment my guitar tone always!

[@davisgk4334]

I don't have experience with Helix, but I have played on "digital modelers" like Bias FX for most of my Uni years, mostly out of convenience. There are some great tones out there to pick from. That said, for me, nothing beats standing in front of a marshall and a decent cab, and not only hearing the most awesome tones out of the box, but the feel and responsiveness of the amp, which always leaves me with a big smile when I pick it up after a while of playing only on the modeller.

[@MikeSheasheaDtree]

Did you see Back to The Future, Marty McFly trying out the ATOMIC amp...

[@mikesteele3666]

I used a headrush prime and a frfr 112 on stage this morning everyone said they want me to play more I was using a firebird and made it sound like an acoustic thanks to the prime worked great

[@johncolaluca2231]

I have been using Guitar Effects Processors for 15 years. Used the Boss GT6, Boss GT10 and for the past 7 years ISP Theta Pro DSP. Prior to using Guitar Effects Processors I used Fender, Peavey, Genz Benz and Marshall amps. Once I introduced the modeller to the band they were impressed with the Tone quality and versatility. We play Pop, Rock, Funk and Ballads and there is no Tone I cannot achieve. I have tried many Guitar Effects Processors but the ISP Theta Pro tone engine IMO to my ears have the best sound. I run this unit stereo to a high end front end sound system, digital mixer, 2 mission eng'g pedals. I am totally wireless with my guitar and mic with an inear monitor. I will never go back to an amp on stage.

[@BrewerShettles]

Like your guitar playing. That said, Modeler amps are harsh and fizzy. Maybe for live it doesn't matter with bad room acoustics. My Vox AC10 / Fender Blackface 1965 Champ amps - both with Telefunken NOS tubes rock. When I plug a guitar into either tube amp connected to a Weber Mini Mass set to Zero Volume / Direct out (inst cable) to a PC Daw - ie Lancaster Pulse with a good IR Sim from York Audio: Amazing sound. Tubes amps are very $$$$$: 300.00 won't cut it. That's Life. Save serious cash : get a good tube amp and buy NOS tubes.

[@hector8927]

Man, I switched from my 6505 to a bias FX app on my Ipad and never coming back. The tones I get are incredible, just plug in a midi controller and all the sounds you get are amazing.