Joe Bonamassa takes digital amp on tour; Paul Gilbert switches to digital amp...

I just don't really understand what type of player the amp is aimed at. $1700 out the door after tax...there are so many digital options out there these days. The traditional Fender guy who suddenly wants a digital amp? Do those exist?
 
I hate to say this but he plays so loud live that most people have ear plugs in and the sound swims around the venue anyway. Live is a whole different ballgame vs the studio so I think in many instances the modelers are a great option.

Still haven't heard a modeler beat a tube amp at its best though
 
I just don't really understand what type of player the amp is aimed at. $1700 out the door after tax...there are so many digital options out there these days. The traditional Fender guy who suddenly wants a digital amp? Do those exist?
Vintage '70 SF Twin=$1200

Tech Fee+BF mod+routine maintenance=$500

Not being a digital douchebag=priceless
 
Vintage '70 SF Twin=$1200

Tech Fee+BF mod+routine maintenance=$500

Not being a digital douchebag=priceless
If I played high gain metal, I would probably go digital just because I feel as though I could recreate those tones digitally easier. I haven't used many profilers, so I could be wrong...but rarely have I played digital Fender type tones (clean or breakup) that are as warm as a nice healthy tube Fender. I am a "brainwashed Fender dude" apparently but it's just my feeling.
 
If I played high gain metal, I would probably go digital just because I feel as though I could recreate those tones digitally easier. I haven't used many profilers, so I could be wrong...but rarely have I played digital Fender type tones (clean or breakup) that are as warm as a nice healthy tube Fender. I am a "brainwashed Fender dude" apparently but it's just my feeling.

Not really. I am pretty much all high gain, and things like pick attack, and proper chug bloom are really hard to get right in the digital stuff.
 
Not really. I am pretty much all high gain, and things like pick attack, and proper chug bloom are really hard to get right in the digital stuff.
That was a test from the SS Posse, and you failed! Well, SS isn't digital, so you didn't fail. Please accept my apologies
 
I totally get the migration to digital modelers for grinding out the tour. SO much can go SO wrong with valuable - if not arguably irreplaceable - tube amps (at least pretty damned hard to replace regardless of budget).

If I played for a living - and I don't - and if I could get 90+% there with any of the modelers, I would go that route for simplicity and consistency: exact same signal to front of house night after night after night.

A couple of my friends play regularly in local bands and they each use Fractal and I am amazed at how good these guys sound in any venue I have seen them. (And both guys will tell you that they prefer the feel of their favorite tube amp)
 
That was a test from the SS Posse, and you failed! Well, SS isn't digital, so you didn't fail. Please accept my apologies

Tube, SS, or Digital, it has to CHUG!!

I was actually making some NAM captures tonight. I think NAM and ToneX are the best digital tones at the moment.
 
Not being a digital douchebag=priceless

Not related to the topic of the thread, but I wonder when the first time some guy called another guy a douchebag was? What went down to the point of where the term douchebag popped into someone's head as an insult?
 
I mean these are two people whos tone I think fucking sucks, so that's not a big endorsement for digital

But digital definitely has its place if you're playing big enough gigs to where you have excellent monitoring and a killer sound system
 
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As I've recently started gigging again and have dipped my dong in the digital realm, my main beef with it is that you really need an FRFR Speaker for it to sound its best along with good IR's of course. If you try to bypass IR, run into a power amp into a cab, it still sounds thin and harsh and you have to put in a lot of effort with post EQ to get it to sound remotely good. I understand that setup defeats the purpose of a digital modeler but still is a bummer.
 
I just don't really understand what type of player the amp is aimed at. $1700 out the door after tax...there are so many digital options out there these days. The traditional Fender guy who suddenly wants a digital amp? Do those exist?
Someone who wants a vaguely Fender sound and doesn't want to or can't lift a twin or vibrolux or whatever.

I'm not defending it, but I get it.
 
If you are touring, it is much cheaper to haul a toaster around than a trailer full of vintage tube amps.

That being said, I'd rather carry a real amp.
 
Not if I have my say. Wonder how much $ Fender paid him for that? I'm still waiting to find out what the backline is in September and you just gave me a damn good idea of what I'm probably gonna be dealing with. Yuck. :LOL:

I'm gonna add that both Paul Gilbert and the Bonermaster have absolutely terrible tone, too, so this isn't exactly the digital flex the article seems to think it is :hys:

They are both monster players, especially PG, but his tone has always been horrifying

Bonermaster has better tone, but is a much worse player than PG, so it kind of evens out
 
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