I will probably get an AxeIII, but I won't sell my amps (updated)

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  • I paid about £1900 for mine second hand in October last year. And sold it for the same amount in January. Hang about and you'll spend less than RRP from G66. Go on the Facebooks and prowl around a bit for a bit.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • CleckoClecko Frets: 295
    Oh, god - absolutely not! As said above, the modelling kit will just fall in value but re-buying the amps would potentially be costly. 

    What are you going to play the modeller through? I'm pretty much a home/hobbyist player only, so if it's helpful to know, I went through a few options on that and settled on what I think is the most pleasing route all round: I have a nice-looking 2 x12 combo valve amp in the living room. The amp is disconnected from both the mains and the speakers, with the speakers now connected to a Helix that lives under the sofa (via a small power amp). 

    So I can play the modeller through the nice-looking amp's speakers, get a huge range of sounds at any volume, enjoy that 'amp in the room' feeling and, whenever I want to, reconnect the amp and have a valve amp running again in seconds. I have never been happier with my set up. 
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    No. 

    It's like saying should I sell my horses to buy a car, or should I sell all my vinyl and just use spotify?

    If you look at it on paper a car / spotify would be so much faster and more convenient, but it's not inspiring and creative in the same way.

    By all logical reasoning your massive board with loads of delay pedals doesn't make any sense, but I bet it's way more creative than sitting at a DAW trying to set things up with plugins etc. 
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  • meltedbuzzboxmeltedbuzzbox Frets: 10337
    If you are buying for recording I would definitely do it. 
    If you are buying to replace your amps I wouldn't. 
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
    My recommendation is to buy a AxeFx3, and then gradually sell any amps that fall into disuse. That's what I did, over a few years. I can't believe you have been able to get away with playing real amps  in an apartment and a non-detached house
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
    Clecko said:
    Oh, god - absolutely not! As said above, the modelling kit will just fall in value but re-buying the amps would potentially be costly. 

    What are you going to play the modeller through? I'm pretty much a home/hobbyist player only, so if it's helpful to know, I went through a few options on that and settled on what I think is the most pleasing route all round: I have a nice-looking 2 x12 combo valve amp in the living room. The amp is disconnected from both the mains and the speakers, with the speakers now connected to a Helix that lives under the sofa (via a small power amp). 

    So I can play the modeller through the nice-looking amp's speakers, get a huge range of sounds at any volume, enjoy that 'amp in the room' feeling and, whenever I want to, reconnect the amp and have a valve amp running again in seconds. I have never been happier with my set up. 
    I've been wondering if real valve amps will get cheaper second-hand, as demand drops. AFAIK 100w models are already cheaper than they should be.


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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    AxeIII is £2,162.67 door-to-door including VAT (2542.212EUR), but not sure about import duties? Anyone have any idea how much extra I can expect on top when buying from G66?
    This year I've bought an FM3 and FC6 and a pair of Redsound MF10 via G66.
    G66 remove VAT to UK users and were also reducing price by a further 3% in order to compensate for the duties that would apply due to the fact that the Fractal Audio goods originate outside of the EU.

    UPS then invoice the UK VAT (20%) and duty prior to delivery. UPS don't breakdown the charges - they state them as being "government charges" which doesn't help to clarify what is what.
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
    exocet said:
    AxeIII is £2,162.67 door-to-door including VAT (2542.212EUR), but not sure about import duties? Anyone have any idea how much extra I can expect on top when buying from G66?
    This year I've bought an FM3 and FC6 and a pair of Redsound MF10 via G66.
    G66 remove VAT to UK users and were also reducing price by a further 3% in order to compensate for the duties that would apply due to the fact that the Fractal Audio goods originate outside of the EU.

    UPS then invoice the UK VAT (20%) and duty prior to delivery. UPS don't breakdown the charges - they state them as being "government charges" which doesn't help to clarify what is what.
    try to avoid UPS
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  • I know this is just GAS. But I really fancy one. Given I have the Helix, Kemper, and QC..... I don't need one, at all.

    Bye!

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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    exocet said:
    AxeIII is £2,162.67 door-to-door including VAT (2542.212EUR), but not sure about import duties? Anyone have any idea how much extra I can expect on top when buying from G66?
    This year I've bought an FM3 and FC6 and a pair of Redsound MF10 via G66.
    G66 remove VAT to UK users and were also reducing price by a further 3% in order to compensate for the duties that would apply due to the fact that the Fractal Audio goods originate outside of the EU.

    UPS then invoice the UK VAT (20%) and duty prior to delivery. UPS don't breakdown the charges - they state them as being "government charges" which doesn't help to clarify what is what.
    try to avoid UPS
    They have improved remarkably - February order was awful took 5 weeks. A later order in March took 4 weeks. Most recent order was back to the usual 5 days door to door.
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11791
    exocet said:
    exocet said:
    AxeIII is £2,162.67 door-to-door including VAT (2542.212EUR), but not sure about import duties? Anyone have any idea how much extra I can expect on top when buying from G66?
    This year I've bought an FM3 and FC6 and a pair of Redsound MF10 via G66.
    G66 remove VAT to UK users and were also reducing price by a further 3% in order to compensate for the duties that would apply due to the fact that the Fractal Audio goods originate outside of the EU.

    UPS then invoice the UK VAT (20%) and duty prior to delivery. UPS don't breakdown the charges - they state them as being "government charges" which doesn't help to clarify what is what.
    try to avoid UPS
    They have improved remarkably - February order was awful took 5 weeks. A later order in March took 4 weeks. Most recent order was back to the usual 5 days door to door.
    delivery time is fine, just their admin and IT
    on top of taking 50 hours+ of time just to get a copy of the customs declaration for a faulty item,
    last week they sent me a threatening letter demanding late payment fees for duty and VAT on a parcel for which I refused delivery, and which has been back at the sender's premises for months
    That took me 2 hours of phone calls and emails to the contacts I fortunately now have

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  • TTony said:
    Yes, definitely.
    TTony said:
    No, never.
    TTony said:
    Maybe, perhaps.
    TTony said:
    One of the above.
    Someone needs to make their mind up!

    Bye!

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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8592
    Someone needs to make their mind up!
    Focus. If you’re back on the house moving trail then No. If you’re thinking of it as amp replacement then No. If you’re going to give it sufficient attention to configure delays and other effects, and configure patches and scenes that support your live workflow(*), then Yes.

    * Workflow is a term coined by DrewFX to explain why modellers and multiFX are so useful for live performance. 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • Roland said:
    Someone needs to make their mind up!
    Focus. If you’re back on the house moving trail then No. If you’re thinking of it as amp replacement then No. If you’re going to give it sufficient attention to configure delays and other effects, and configure patches and scenes that support your live workflow(*), then Yes.

    * Workflow is a term coined by DrewFX to explain why modellers and multiFX are so useful for live performance. 
    Hmmm discounting the fact that that guy was a total wanker, he has a point there!!

    In the back of my mind, I'm thinking portability and live use. I'm also thinking functionality.... basically the AxeIII plus a foot controller does a LOT more than the Quad Cortex and a LOT more than the Kemper (and perhaps about the same as the Helix???)

    But then, the QC and Kemper can steal the souls of my amps to a more or lesser degree.... which the Axe can't......


    But do I even need to care about that??? Ehhhhhh.... dunno.....

    Bye!

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  • hollywoodroxhollywoodrox Frets: 4085
    The sensible consensus seems to be NO , like they said  digital stuff will decline in value but boutique amps will still retain a basic price .best option seems to stay with what you have but buy an axe fx if you are able to save up /afford it and use it for a pro,o bed period before making a rash decision 
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8592
    The financial argument works both ways. I’ve been running two models of AxeFX for twelve years, and haven’t bought a valve amp for at least fifteen. Without selling either AxeFX my spend is around £3,000. How much would I have spent and not recouped on valve amps and FX in that time?
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • Jonathanthomas83Jonathanthomas83 Frets: 3466
    edited July 2021
    I think the digital decline in value thing is a bit misleading, tbh. Fact is, you don't have to upgrade the thing and @roland is a good example of a user who is happy with a piece of tech that is a generation or two older than current. Though, I know he's got a keen eye on a deal for a III.

    If a piece of equipment offers a lot and you get a lot out of it, the decline in value shouldn't be a consideration. My Mac mini M1 is the best thing I've ever bought for my creative process and I've written and recorded more since I bought it than I have in the last 20 years. Do you think it matters if it's obsolete in a year or two? Not to me it doesn't.

    Drew knows all this and has digital gear already so it's not in reference to the OP, but I just think it's a moot point.

    Amps are good for other reasons, value and worth in years to come in comparison to digital equipment is not one of them.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    The cost is irrelevant if you keep things and use them, I don’t see it as a reason to not buy something.

    In the short term digital gear is pretty sellable, especially when not easy to source a new one.

    given all the gear you do have though, surely something you already have must give you what you need? What do you expect the axe fx to improve on?
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  • I wouldn't want to get rid of my Helix I don't think.

    Semi wondering about chopping in the QC and Kemper and getting an AxeIII. Expensive mistake though!

    I know all about the AxeIII and it's feature set, and I know what would and what wouldn't piss me off.... or at least I'm informed by my AxeII experiences. Maybe I've just had a boring morning, I dunno.

    Bye!

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  • What do you expect the axe fx to improve on?
    Honestly, nothing!

    Bye!

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