Sell it all. Go modeler. Don’t look back.
You're just trying to goad him into selling so you can buy his amps, lol.
I've been around the block a few times with modelers and power amps, and I've been fortunate to a play many different tube amps. Modelers are a great tool, especially for FX and/or live rigs when you're touring all over the country or the world. They can be fun to tinker with and tweak. But they still are not at the point where they sound better than tube amps.
I've done tons of comparisons with the AxeFX models vs my amps running through my Suhr RL. Every time the real amps won out in feel and quality of sound. And I'm not talking about slight EQ tweaks, I'm talking about a night/day difference:
- Citrus RV50 model vs my Rockerverb MkIII 50W: The model sounded good by itself; a little less scooped because it's based on the MkII version of the amp. The real amp had a thick low end, grinding distortion, and plenty of harmonics on the top that just didn't exist in the model.
- Dizzy Silver VH4 vs 2022 VH4: For a long time this AxeFx model didn't sound anything like the real amp. It had some kind of treble peaker going on that Cliff mentioned was a mistake and was later fixed. The model of the amp now is of a 2000s-era VH4, which honestly doesn't sound as good as the newer versions EQ-wise. On top of that, the real amp again had more girth, harmonic complexity and extra crunch that was just fun to play.
- Any AxeFX model of a Plexi vs a Suhr SL68: No contest. None of the plexis in the Axe sound close to as good as the sound I get from my SL68. I realize Marshall made a ton of slightly different versions of the circuit back in the day, but the real amp has a solidity to it. More low end, more harmonics, an attack to the notes.
Those are just a few examples, but they should give you an idea. Almost everything in the Axe sounds good until you put it up against the real thing. That being said, there were a few examples that were bang on to me, like the Boss DS-1 model in the Axe. Some of the models are more accurate than others.
In regards to using the AxeFx/modelers with power amps: it can sound great, but it still won't be 100% the same as the real amp. The most success I had with the Axe 3 was using it with a Fryette LXII. That's just an excellent power amp. In a live band mix at volume, it would be hard to tell that a real amp wasn't being used if you're plugged into a good cabinet. When I was doing A/B comparisons at home however, it was easy to tell that the Axe/ Fryette LXII setup didn't sound like the real amps. Can it sound good? Yes. Will it sound as good as the real amps? Not in my opinion. There will always be compromises when trying to take digital amps and put the sound out into the real world.
Also, don't even bother trying to use a solid state amp with a modeler. You won't get anywhere close to the feel of a tube amp with one (even the Matrix GT series).
And don't misunderstand: I want modelers to succeed and sound/feel as good as tube amps, but they aren't there yet.
