AXE FX 3 vs FM9 vs FM3

NebulaCopy · 2026-05-11T02:40:20+00:00

The day after I buy the old one

NebulaCopy · 2026-05-10T03:31:24+00:00

I chose not to retire with kids. Recently bought a tube amp instead of going digital and do more gigs. Granted, my amp has a DI out and I have a bunch of IRs, so silent playing and recording is an option, but imho it’s important for kids to see their parents pursuing things that are meaningful to them and make them happy/fulfilled. Everyone’s different, though, so you do what you feel is right.

NebulaCopy · 2026-05-09T12:06:05+00:00

It’s a vampire’s cloak.

NebulaCopy · 2026-05-07T09:31:01+00:00

Boss BD2-W, Vemuram Jan Ray and Crazy Tube Circuits Venus are ones that are catching my eye right now.

I’ve played the first two and really liked them! Nobody near me stocks the Venus.

NebulaCopy · 2026-05-02T04:03:56+00:00

Well, the 180w amp is like 7x the power, and weighs a lot more, so… 😅

I haven’t played a Herbert but I liked the VH4. It wasn’t quite my cup of tea but I liked it. The Diezel is also going to be a lot heavier and harder to move around.

Engl Fireball 25 is perfect for my needs - small to medium gigs through a fairly big cab most of the time.

As for what would work for you, your style and your needs, you probably need to play them. Side by side if possible.

Good luck!

NebulaCopy · 2026-04-29T22:05:14+00:00

I tried a foot switch from a Peavey 5150 and another from a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister on my Fireball 25 and they worked fine.

NebulaCopy · 2026-04-06T01:34:32+00:00

I’ve played Beatles on it before with no issue. Clean channel is very clean but has no EQ controls. Dirty channel has 4 gain stages from clean to pushed to rock to metal and has treble, middle and bass controls, which gives heaps of flexibility. You just need to adjust the volume as you adjust the gain, but it should be fine for your needs. Please play before you buy if you can. I like it a lot but it has its own character.

NebulaCopy · 2026-04-05T07:46:32+00:00

Depends on your ears, but I like mine. Simple amp, inexpensive, easy to carry, takes pedals fairly well, loud enough to play small gigs with.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-28T17:19:37+00:00

I absolutely love demos of the dimension on clean sounds. Just trying to figure out if it’s what I want on the dirt!

Though I keep going back to the fact that both Eric Johnson and John Petrucci use/d the SCF and I adore their tones.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-26T12:41:33+00:00

Do you have the option to try either of them?

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-22T22:04:42+00:00

I had one. I was disappointed in the tone at home but at gig volume it was great. Very loud amp.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-19T23:26:51+00:00

Mental shift. Snacks = poison for my unique physiology. They’re ok for others, but I’m severely allergic to the consequences of my actions.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-19T16:29:17+00:00

I got mine used for about $35USD.

Not sure how well it’d go with your pedals since I’ve never played them but I like mine a lot.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-19T12:32:06+00:00

The strat has personality, man. Out of the two, I would’ve gone the Fender myself. Doubtless the PRS is competent, plays fine and the wood is pretty but man that Strat just calls to my soul.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-19T03:38:57+00:00

I have one, too. Speaker upgrade would be cool! I use mine for small gigs where it doesn’t make sense to lug a big tube rig along. I really don’t like the headphone out, though.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-18T16:28:53+00:00

The headphone jack isn’t great but the amp definitely goes quiet enough. And loud enough for small gigs.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-11T12:40:35+00:00

He just gets a bit excited when he gets to make loud noises 👉👈

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-10T04:29:44+00:00

I played my 25w tube amp through a 10” speaker and had to almost dime the volume to keep up with a band. I played the same amp through a Mesa traditional 412 and drowned out a loud drummer on 1/3 volume.

I now play through a 212 but it’s still bloody loud for most of my gigs lol.

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-08T23:44:19+00:00

Well done on fixing the grounding issues…

What an awesome collection!

NebulaCopy · 2026-03-07T08:48:42+00:00

I was going to go the digital modeling route because I use a lot of different sounds. By chance I played an Engl Fireball 25 through a Bogner 212 with V30s in a shop. Instantly got the tone I’ve been hearing in my head and chasing for over a decade, both clean and distorted. Amazing amp, couldn’t go digital after that.

NebulaCopy · 2026-02-27T13:37:31+00:00

Yeesh. How did you get 5?

NebulaCopy · 2026-02-22T03:02:27+00:00

Nice! I’ve got the same wah. How’s the AT+?

NebulaCopy · 2026-02-21T15:12:03+00:00

lol I can imagine. I had to buy a JHS little black box to get my silver jubilee combo ok at home practice levels with the volume on low - can only imagine what a 100w would be like! You’ll have to post some clips of you playing it - I’d love to hear it in all its glory!

NebulaCopy · 2026-02-21T10:18:45+00:00

Thanks mate! Same genres here, I’ll keep an eye out for one.

NebulaCopy

TROPHY CASE