Modelling Amps - Which are the good ones?

[Matt77]

OK this isn't for me.
I'm meeting up with an old friend in March to go shopping for stuff.

He has spent the last 6 years focusing on wife, child, work and house.
As a result he put his guitar down and now wants to start playing again.

bands he likes:  Pavement, The Pixies, Television, Creedance, Skynyrd, Smashing Pumpkins, Queen

He's never going to have time to play in a band so he will be wanting something that sounds great at low volume in the house.

Budget isn't really a problem.
He is going to get something like a custom shop tele.
He wants a combo to go with it.
I'm not interested in modelling amps and hence know bugger all about them.
What modelling amps are there that have good mid gain sounds?

[Elliot]

Personally, I'd try the Fender SuperChamp XD

[sgmypod]

The vox ones are good, not bad sound..whats his budget..and how big does he want to go

[Matt77]

He gets paid a wack so budget isn't really an issue.
Up to £1,000 for a combo I'd guess. He will choose with his ears though so if the best one for him is cheaper, he will go for it
Size doesn't matter  :) as long as it has sound quality at low volume and a reasonable amount of built in effects with decent control over their parameters.

Is there something to rival Axe FX in a combo?

[sgmypod]

Axe fx are very good as you can tell by Hunters clips.....not sure if any of the top end line 6 which are really the only ones up in that kinda price range (got to say not taken with the line 6 sound myself)

I was going to say if he wanted s/h I knew of a ad60vt the blue one (not the metal faced) with a 12" celestion....also has bit on back that goes from 1w to 60w so can use at home

[maverickf1jockey]

AXE-FX would be a reasonable solution but he'd need to get himself a small valve power amp and a cab really (I don't really trust cabinet sims and the part of the amp that modellers generally fail to recreate would be the power section IMO) and it all adds up.

[JDC]

played on the newish vox valvetronix VT the other day, better than the peavey vypyr, not tried the fender though

personally I'd save some more and get an axe-fx

software modelling an option for him? ie revalver/amplitube/guitar rig

[sgmypod]

new studio devil pro is good in that line as well..not pretty but not too bad sounding

[Afghan Dave]

Whatever he gets I think he could buy the new Fender G-Dec as well...

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/namm-2010-fender-g-dec-3-video-demo-232777

It will help him get back up to speed with timing and chord changes that he wont be able to do without a band.

The deep editing and SD-card would alllow him to enjoy it with his computer & possibly get inspired by a larger playing community online.

[Philly Q]

It will help him get back up to speed with timing and chord changes that he wont be able to do without a band.

The deep editing and SD-card would alllow him to enjoy it with his computer & possibly get inspired by a larger playing community online.

Wow, that was just like reading a Fender press release! 

[Afghan Dave]

It will help him get back up to speed with timing and chord changes that he wont be able to do without a band.

The deep editing and SD-card would alllow him to enjoy it with his computer & possibly get inspired by a larger playing community online.

Wow, that was just like reading a Fender press release! 

God you're right.  :oops: Can you tell I used to work in Global Marketing...  :?  I was being sincere though..

[Alex]

Hughes & Kettner Switchblade

Marshall JVM

Both have combo versions and do a really lot of different tones.

[tomjackson]

Personally, I'd try the Fender SuperChamp XD

+1.  Great for Fender cleans and bluesy breakup tones.

wife, child, work and house is not an excuse for not playing guitar BTW!!!

[Matt77]

Personally, I'd try the Fender SuperChamp XD

+1.  Great for Fender cleans and bluesy breakup tones.

wife, child, work and house is not an excuse for not playing guitar BTW!!!

I keep telling him that. Will try a Superchamp XD for him next time I'm near one.

[BigK]

Hughes & Kettner Switchblade

Marshall JVM

Both have combo versions and do a really lot of different tones.

+1 on the JVM combo very versatile and sound pretty good at low volumes.