Re the Tonelab: Now this is a topic I could go on and on and on about...
To be honest, I don't know whether it behaves like a real amp, I don't know if that'll ever be achievable in a preamp. What I can say though is that it excites me as much as the real thing. Bought it more than a year ago and just can't take my fingers off it! It's so simple and still there's so much to discover, things that drive me to play more and more and more. And yes, there's a huge difference if you drive the ValveReactor power stage a little or a lot, so maybe that brings it more close to "real" than other modelers. And then it's just so convenient for recording...
Have changed the tube from EH to a JJ one based on harmony-central posts. But that was mainly because of my Axis had sounded a little thin and brittly with the EH one. With the Les Paul, the EH might even be the better choice.
When testing the POD against it in the shop, I didn't like the POD. But there was one sound sample I heard from a dude here with a squier that blew me away, that made me change my opinion. (
http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3090). He used a valve pedal with the POD, so these tubes seem to really make the difference.
I always like the clips recorded with JMP-1s, seems to be a very well designed preamp, then again, it's a completely different product.
The fact that in the TL you only have _one internal effect slot _before the amp is a real flaw though, because their booster/drive pedals as well as the wah models sound awesome, but you can't use em together. You can however insert an external pedal in that part of the signal chain.
Nevertheless: The Tonleab SE is THE piece of gear that I regret the least to have ever bought.
Hmmm... might be the Epiphone and the Bareknuckles take over the lead in that area
:headphones5:
