It’s 2026… Are you using a guitar amp or a modeler on stage?

[mystixboi]

I’ve been using my Suhr PT exclusively for the last few months. Out of laziness, I decided to bring my HX stomp to a gig this last weekend.

After messing around a bit during soundcheck, the sound person got my front house sound dialed in, and it sounded absolutely amazing. As we played, it sat perfectly in the mix, and my leads cut through.

They came up to me during the break and confirmed that all of my tone was coming from the line 6. They were blown away when I told him I wasn’t using any other pedals. I actually only used two patches for the entire night. The only difference is one brought my Guitar down to half step.

That was pretty much it.

I’m definitely going to still bring my amp for larger shows but for smaller music venues and occasional bar gigs I think the line 6 works just fine. What are you using?

 

[67mike]

 

[Rayneman]

Quad Cortex

 

[BeZo]

Full stacks.

 

[rsm]

yes.

minus the stage.



That said, I'd like to "believe" if I was still playing live, if it was mostly hard rock, I'd use my DSL40CR + VP4 in 4CM; if it was mostly prog / metal, I'd use my JP-2C + VP4 in 4CM, with 1-2 Mesa 2x12 cabs. If it was a silent stage, I'd use my computer plugin rig. Hypothetically, that is.

edit: even if it was a bigger club; there's no way I'm schlepping a full stack, unless I have full road crew and a tech (i.e., never happening)

 

[Fusionbear]

Yes, pretty much done with amps live...

FM9T and a QSC CP12 for stage volume...

 

[Racerxrated]

The few gigs I play this yr I will use one of my tube amps(Marshall, Mesa) with one of my 8 cabs. Might even run my old 72 Twin with an ABY.
Go big or go home.

 

[70 Mach 1]

i put my 1-12 tube combo on a milk crate and just play.
the milk crate subs as a gig bag as well. easy and done

 

[heath]

It's a mixed bag for me, but most of the time over the past 6-10 years its been direct solutions, but it really depends on the context of the gig. 9 out of 10 are direct to FOH though with in ears. I am the guitar player and the singer, so it makes a lot of sense for direct to FOH. It's consistant, I can hear myself, I can set the tones for exactly what I need, and the soundperson is not breathing down my neck about stage volume.

Whether I am using my Tech 21 RK5 flyrig, Helix Floor, HX stomp and Tonex Ones, or my incoming Quad Cortex Mini, there is a lot of freedom in being able to walk in, plug my guitar into my board, and the board into the system and be on my way. I do miss the feeling of singing in front of a roaring amp, so I occasionally bring out the amps, but they still end up miced and in my in ears monitors, and honestly sound less ideal than my direct solutions most times. My tonex profiles are captures of my own amps through my cabs into nice mics and pres, so it doesn't sound or feel that different, other than floor coupling of the cab and feedback.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

I'll have to try one of the new generation modelers one of these days. My buddies band opened for Slaughter and Great White earlier this year and his Splawn Quickrod full stack killed. Slaughter followed up with JCM2k DSL full stacks which also killed it but slightly more modern sounding than the Splawn although both sounded fantastic. Great White was using a Kemper and it just sounded flat and lacking cut and clarity. Could be the settings used but micing the amps took less time than the guitarist took dialing in to the PA. I still want to try out a top tier modeler though I expect to be disappointed.

 

[heath]

Great White was using a Kemper and it just sounded flat and lacking cut and clarity.

When I tried a Kemper, I felt the same. Could not for the life of me get the built in captures to sound, or feel like an amp. The 3rd party stuff like the Matt Figg captures were better. Even profilling my amp with my cabs, mics and pres, I felt the KPA captures were still lacking. This is why I went with the Helix in 2020. The tonex and nam captures felt much closer and more three dimensional sounding to me. I am hoping the new KPA 2 is better.

 

[VonBonfire]

Translation: "have you ruined everything that made guitar cool and awesome by bringing low production cost high profit margin computerized dogshit to your gigs?"

 

[Hamer95USA]

I use a 1-12 combo amp as a clean pedal platform with an effects processor running 4 cable method and a Palmer PDI-09 direct box to P.A. for my cover band gigs. It's not an amp/effects/cab modeling/ IR type of rig, but has a good reliable sound that is easy to dial in & work with for me.

 

[mystixboi]

Translation: "have you ruined everything that made guitar cool and awesome by bringing low production cost high profit margin computerized dogshit to your gigs?"

Soooo line 6 helix?

 

[NorCal_Val]

This year, it’s an AxeFx 3 turbo for me, on stage.
We’ll see how it goes.

 

[SgtThump]

I gig a fair amount and use amps. Sometimes 1x12" combo, sometimes head and 2x12" cabs.

A few people I know have made the switch to modelers live, but I'm not there (yet?)

 

[LP Freak]

I tried modelers, went back to tube amps and never looked back

 

[VonBonfire]

I tried modelers, went back to tube amps and never looked back

Totally respect and understand this. The gay/bi/curious stuff doesn't work for most people.

 

[cobrahead1030]

Amps or I’ll stay home.

 

[SFW]

Have been using either a Kemper Stage or a Quad Cortex for the past few years. For a new project I am working on, it will be back to my EVH 5150 IIIS and a 412. I have missed pushing air on stage. Rock shows should be loud and sweaty.

I have found great tones with the KPA and QC, but I just want to get back to tubes glowing and the stage being loud again.