[Closed] Electric guitar folks - modelling Amps

Dont see any issue with them, and lots of sounds for very cheap.
They dont sound or react like a proper valve amp, but for practice you can get pretty close and you don't have to crank it up to 11 to achive similar results.

Lots of good digital effects/sounds also to experiment with.

Ive got a digital effects pre amp, which also has two tubes in it, best of both worlds!

For practice I've been using amplitube on my PC with an audio interface. Lots of useable sounds.

Even rocksmith 2014 for PC has some good built in simulated amps and effects.

Plug in via supplied guitar Jack to USB converter cable and off you go.
Although there is a noticeable delay so you have to fettle the PC audio settings a bit so there's no, or as little as possible audio processing going on, on the PC/sound card.

aye I've got the full bhoona amplitube, tis class. download the free copy and try it. need to get yourself an audio interface first. mind.

I've bought Fender's Mustang 2, 3, 4and 5. Yes, I like modeling amps because I like going from an overdriven Marshal stack with a compressor to a 57 Delux with delay and reverb at the click of a footswitch - a whatever volume. My current practice amp is a Mustang 3 with a Celestion Creamback. Junior uses a 5 head with Celestion Vintage 30s in the cab on stage.

I've also got a Vox Mini5-RM which runs off batteries. Highly portable and loud enough to annoy people. The models are more variations in overdrive and EQ than realistic models but it's fine at home with headphones.

If you spend valve amp money you can get a Line 6 Helix which when plugged into a decent PA sounds very good indeed. The models are remarkable, the overdrive responds to how hard you hit the strings, spend a few hours with one and you'll create models that sound more like the original amp than the original amp. It goes in a rucksack and when you arrive at a venue you just hand them a cable to plug in. No problems miking up your amp (and no 40kg lump to carry around) and you control everything, you just need to brief the sound man to leave your volume alone as you have everything programmed and he won't need to turn you up for the solos as all the volume changes are in your presets.

I also tired the CUBE/Roland amps but didn't like the clean sounds as much as the Fenders, and a 30W Vox which sounded really tinny for the money. There's a new line 6 practice amp at 300e I tried recently which has great electronics but a really nasty toppy sound which is probably just the cheap loudspeaker - change the speaker for a Celestion and it could be good.

I bought a new Fender Mustang modelling amp and hated it. Way too many settings and most of them gimmicky and horrible sounding. If I did set it up to sound good, then it was difficult to reproduce accurately the next time it was turned on. If you like to spend time experimenting with sounds rather than constructively playing then they might be for you.
I now own a Vox pathfinder 10 practice amp which is fantastic. You have a clean crisp amplified sound and an overdrive button for a crunchy rock sound. Gain , bass and treble knobs to adjust then away you go. They're fantastic value for money and always get great reviews. Easily loud enough for home use as well.

If I did set it up to sound good, then it was difficult to reproduce accurately the next time it was turned on

Press the "save" button before you change preset or turn it off.

Which Mustang?

The 1 is cheap and sounds it.

The 2 I really like especially the 57 Deluxe setting. The origninal speaker sounds pretty good with plenty of bass.

The 3 I was disappointed with until I changed the speaker for a Creamback.

The 4 is pretty god as it comes unless you want a warm blues sound. It rocks!

The 5 is a 4 with a cab. Put some good speakers to suit your taste in the cab and there's enough power deafen a lot of people.

You can't experiment with sounds without playing, as on a bike, no such thing as junk miles.

Modelling amps are really rather good these days. I've got a 5w valve amp and it sounds really good but is probably to loud for practicing. If I was buying again I would go for a valve amp with an attenuator to drop the power down to 1 amp when practicing! Roland blues cube sounds nice. The mustangs are good amps. If I had the cash a new fender bass breaker would be on the cards https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/2260006000/combo-amps/fender-bassbreaker-007-1x10-guitar-amp-combo
I am restoring at the moment a Watkins Westminster 1962 valve amp with a valve driven tremolo with foot pedal. One of these https://soundgas.com/products/watkins-westminster-1?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=18532782021&gclid=COzRr8HR9s8CFUlsGwodUhYANA

I have a Vox AD60VT- it's a museum piece as modelling goes tbh but it's nifty. It's not got as powerful modelling features as the line 6s that were the competition at the time but it sounded better and the FX and modes were easier to use. (helped by me getting the enomrmous floorboard). Still really like it.

Mine was the Mustang V2 I think. I realise others might enjoy the variety and tinkering aspect of modelling amps but for me the simplicity and sound of the Vox was a revelation. I imagine the Vox valve amps must be fantastic if your budget can stretch.

V2 means it's the more recent evolution with the addition of more "amps". V2 is available on all of the range from 1 to 5. Among the ones they've added, the British Watts(hi-watt) can be made to sound like Slade and Metal 2000 has a really good palm-mute honk.

Ive tried a Vox AC15 and found it a one-trick pony. Obviously you can add pedals but on its own it disappointed (and only started to sound good at the point I was rummaging in my pocket for ear plugs). I tried it with a Tele with single coils and felt it would have started to sound good at slightly lower volume with humbuckers.

Edit: which reminds me, many of the high gain amp models on my Mustangs are useless with Humbuckers (Fender Black Top Tele), the sound is just too muddy. However, with single coils or N3 "noiseless", the British 80s (Marshal), American 90s and Metal 2000 (probably Pevey and Mesa) settings have lots of grain without being turbid.

Line6 Spider here. Had it for 10+ years. Lovely amp and never fail to get good sound out it at any volume

Kemper:

Yamaha THR10

the best practice amp solution

Thanks all, time to surf the net I think

If your budget can stretch to it, Kemper with a couple of FRFR monitors.

I'm using a Kemper at the mo. It's Awesome (TM)

I have a Yamaha THR - as above.
Very compact, sounds good through its own speakers.
Looks quite nice for in the living room and works as an MP3 dock too.
Has a few amps and effects. Not loads but they do sound nice.

Also works through USB for recording or as an audio interface. The models sound incredible through the computer. I did our band's EP on it.

Can also run on batteries.

One to consider anyway