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**Dreamland_Rebel** · 07-23-2009, 01:22 PM

if i were you i'd get a Line6 Flextone III combo.

**Bert** · 07-23-2009, 01:28 PM

I just bought a Pod X3 Pro from Matt's Music (thanks Matt, always a pleasure). but sadly have not had the time to use it yet. I'll post a review when I do... hopefully this weekend.

I have a Behringer V-Amp pro and I hate it. If you really go for that option, you can see that I'm selling it for cheap in the classifieds.

I've already commented about the Prophesy and I'm not a fan. I wouldn't really call it a modeler either. It's mostly just a 4 mode preamp and a lot of effects. Voodu Valve is similar.

There are a lot of Axe-FX fans here.... it's probably great. But from the clips I've heard, I'm not sure I would personally like it (apparently I have strange tastes in tone).

**Grandturk** · 07-23-2009, 01:37 PM

The POD X3 is killer for me, but I've never played the more expensive stuff - so maybe they're more killer.

I have the bean, not the pro. The only problem I have with the X3 is that it is near impossible to create new presets on the bean - its a must to hook it up to a computer to create patches. I don't know what extras you get with the Pro, but the bean has a lot:
- dual amps - which is very cool (my current favorite is the 800 model and the Silver Jubilee model)
- plenty of effects
- its got bass amp and vocal preamp models
- xlr in

You might need more features that the Pro has, but I don't know.

**Spivonious** · 07-23-2009, 01:38 PM

Check out the Peavey Vypyr series. Geared towards metal, but has some good clean models too (my current favorite is the AC30 model).

The Vox Valvetronix are also good but the one I had (AD50VT) lacked a good sounding "metal" tone.

I'm not a fan of the Line 6 stuff. Just sounds too processed to me. I've played through a POD 2.0, Spider II, Spider III, Flextone III, and Vetta II. None of them did anything for me.

**MakeAJazzNoiseHere** · 07-23-2009, 01:46 PM

Thanks for the input thus far guys, but I am NOT looking for an amp with modeling, just a rack piece. Doesn't necessarily have to be a modeler so long as it makes great-sounding distortion, cabinet simulation, etc. I don't need "every amp you could ever think of" just the good ones.

If I need an amp, I have a perfectly good tube amp sitting there, it's got a great clean tone and an effects loop input. Hasn't been turned on in 10 years...

**Grandturk** · 07-23-2009, 01:56 PM

See to me, if you're just dipping your toe, I'd go cheap - get like a used POD bean for $200 to kick around - see if you like the sounds.

Then, if you really dig it - go whole hog. But again, to me, if you're going to spend 700 on the POD Pro, drop the extra couple bucks and go for the Axe FX (if its really that much better).

**MakeAJazzNoiseHere** · 07-23-2009, 03:05 PM

Yeah, Grandturk, I get what you're saying.

I think I "dipped my toe" with my little Korg Pandora's Box. I got it for something "portable" and I'm pretty impressed with the range of tones it can get, but this is just a cheesy little portable swiss-army-knife. It sounds decent, and I'd hate to buy something for $500 that's "a little better" if I could get something "really great" for $1500.

I mean, that's what I'm curious about... I'm by no means made of money but I'll probably use whatever I get until I'm dead if it's good, and if it costs an extra $700 to sound "great" vs. "good" I'm all in, in a big way.

I mean, I was seriously considering dropping $$ for a Mark III/IV/V and 2 Thiele 1-12" cabs because I know I can get the tone I want out of it. All I need to do is mic it up and crank it up about half way...

If this lasted long enough before the cops came, my neighbors shot me, or I went deaf, my wife would divorce me. And then I'd be bored and horny and out playing clubs trying to get some tail anyway, so I'd need the amp. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy I guess.

**MakeAJazzNoiseHere** · 07-23-2009, 03:09 PM

Originally posted by Bert View Post

I just bought a Pod X3 Pro from Matt's Music (thanks Matt, always a pleasure). but sadly have not had the time to use it yet. I'll post a review when I do... hopefully this weekend.

I have a Behringer V-Amp pro and I hate it. If you really go for that option, you can see that I'm selling it for cheap in the classifieds.

I've already commented about the Prophesy and I'm not a fan. I wouldn't really call it a modeler either. It's mostly just a 4 mode preamp and a lot of effects. Voodu Valve is similar.

There are a lot of Axe-FX fans here.... it's probably great. But from the clips I've heard, I'm not sure I would personally like it (apparently I have strange tastes in tone).

Thanks for the input. I hadn't heard anything good about the V-Amp, really. The Rocktron stuff I thought was pretty good tone-wise but I had some reliability concerns based on what a few owners said (some saying "it broke" and others saying the knobs are not well protected, others with concerns about "gigging without a backup").

What clips of Axe-FX are you referring to?

**thebigz** · 07-23-2009, 03:25 PM

You can't overlook the Boss GT 8/10. I haven't played an X3, but I like the GT 8 and 10 way more than the Pod XT I've used.

**T@rgetDrone** · 07-23-2009, 03:27 PM

In short, I would recommend recent Boss modelers unless you can get your hands on an Axe-FX to demo. If you end up not liking the Boss stuff, it is a fairly easy flip since they are quite popular. I am not a huge fan of the Line6 distortion models but they have awesome delays, verbs, etc. They are also popular and should be an easy flip if you decide they're not for you.

**ulijdavid** · 07-23-2009, 03:40 PM

I have not had any personal experience with the Axe-FX, but they do offer a full refund with a 14 day trial period.

**Matt_B** · 07-23-2009, 04:12 PM

Originally posted by MakeAJazzNoiseHere View Post

The Axe-FX seems to be getting raves and for $1500 it seems it will do just about anything I want, AND about 10,000 more things I don't need. I'm tempted to go for it, but, it might be overkill, but I'm concerned the cheaper units just won't sound as good.

I completely understand your perspective about the price of the Axe-FX and your concern about the quality of the less expensive units.

Some folks get turned off on modelers because they end up not liking the ones they either because they don't want to take the time to tweak them or because they don't like the sound quality due to their inherent limitations.

I've used tubes amps/preamps for about 20 yrs now and switched to modelers when the GT-8 and GT-Pro came out. I was able to get those boxes to sound pretty good but they never "felt" right so I ended up going back to tubes (ADA MP-1s in my case). I had sworn off modelers until I had a couple of ADA pieces start to fail and because there's no one local to repair them, I decided to look into modelers again. The catch was I had tried/owned basically all the available modelers and knew that none of them would fulfill my needs which is why I went to the Axe-FX.

Considering all the gear I sold to get Axe-FXs, their cost wasn't really an issue. The money I got from selling my old gear covered the cost of buying 2 of them and based upon the amount of money I had already invested in my old gear, investing that much in new gear wasn't something I had an issue with.

To me, it's not how many different amps, cabs and effects a modeler offers but rather the quality, both sound and feel, that matters. Even if the Axe-FX could only model one type of amp, I wouldn't care because it can do it better than an other modeler out there. All I know is I don't need to mess with 20 yr. gear that uses tubes, my racks have gone from a 6 space and 12 space to a 3 space and 4 space and I'm happier than ever with my sound.

**Matt_B** · 07-23-2009, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by ulijdavid View Post

I have not had any personal experience with the Axe-FX, but they do offer a full refund with a 14 day trial period.

Just to clarify that, this policy does not cover shipping back and forth so worst case, you'll lose that money which, all things considered, isn't that much.

**Hellbat** · 07-23-2009, 04:13 PM

JCF thread on the Axe-FX...

JCFonline.com

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94340

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I guess I want a "modeler"?

I guess I want a "modeler"?

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