http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/guitar/guitar-rig-kontrol/" rel="nofollow - http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/guitar/guitar-rig-kontrol/

Another solution: The newly released Line6 POD HD series:

< ="-" ="text/; =utf-8"> http://line6.com/podhd/index.html" rel="nofollow - http://line6.com/podhd/index.html

These will give you a *lot* of variety - and you don't need a computer. You'll still need an amp, but it can be your hi-fi, your computer, headphones etc..

 

My amplifier goes up to 11.

 

OP, have you considered http://www.orangeamps.com/" rel="nofollow - Orange Amps? The smaller wattage tube amps are pretty retro sounding, if you are into that.

 

True, but hey, they are quality.

 

Also, I came to within a few minutes of getting that Genz Benz today, had to restrain myself seeing as I'm still homeless.

I don't know. Isn't everything made in China?

Isn't it odd how people were saying these things about modelling amps when they came out more than 10 years ago, and even back then there were people who liked them and thought they sounded great? Since then every 1-2 years the modelling techniques were improved, and even those who didn't like them admitted that, but today they still say the sound sucks.

Guitar Rig 4 sound nothing short of amazing. And particularly if you plan to record songs, you will have to spend a lot more money and time to match the result using a real amp.

Modelling amps are based on real world amps - and many real world amps are based on other, more expensive real world amps. I don't see why you couldn't develop a signature sound using amp modelling. I have a signature sound which I gravitate towards no matter which software amp I'm using.

What if someone wants to play all sorts of styles? That's definitely the case for me - at the very least I want to have a modern shred sound, an ultra-clean sound, and a retro-sound. That's why I wouldn't be comfortable with a real amp, unless maybe for a pricey ultra-high end four channel amp.

If you're a metal head they'll probably satisfy you, but the warm tones are non existent.  All the gain channels have that incredibly artificial crunch to them.  I'd rather buy a small tube amp that can't be loud enough to gig than a garbage sounding amp that can be loud enough.  There's always PA's that can mic the smaller amp.  I can't believe people want these amps that are going to give them all these tones, get an amp and make your own damn tone.  If you want a "modern shred sound" almost any distortion pedal will give you that.  I've had the same amp for six years and have never been playing music it didn't work for.  There aren't amps geared towards everything.

If you get a smaller tube amp it'd have the clean tone, turning it up a lot will give you natural overdrive (the retro tone, unless you are thinking fuzz in which case, get a pedal later in time), and "modern shred"-if it has a gain channel turn the gain way up, otherwise distortion pedal.  This way at least you won't progress past your low end amp and just need to buy another one in a few years.  The generic shred tone is usually just boat loads of distortion with the bass and highs up and the mids cut.

EDIT:  I realise this got out of hand, I simply despise that digital tone.  It's obviously subjective, but one thing that is not is that you ARE NOT getting that good tube amp sound with one of those things.  Theres a reason why companies and musicians have kept up with tube amps despite how inconvenient and expensive they are compared to solid state/modeling amps.  It's not that a majority of the world is nostalgic.  Really guys, it's stuff like these pre set tones that are making everybody sound the exact same anymore.  Look at our prog heroes of this site, Fripps tone to Zappas, then look at a side by side comparison of many modern tones....its embarrassing...they have less originality than all those 60's pop groups.

I'm currently using Guitar Rig 4 by Native Instruments, and it sounds great - that's all I can say. And I've been using real amps for a long time. 

BTW: I'm not  a professional musician, and I agree that many will still use real amps. Some, however, are not, and since digital technology keeps getting better and better, that number will increase.

Here's an old demo that I recorded years ago - not even with Guitar Rig 4, but with Line 6 POD Farm:

http://freedownloads.last.fm/download/247177224/Earth%2Band%2BSky%2B%2528Mix%2B8%2529.mp3" rel="nofollow - http://freedownloads.last.fm/download/247177224/Earth%2Band%2BSky%2B%2528Mix%2B8%2529.mp3

Well, at least I could if I wanted to. But I do have an accordion, a piano and the fascinating MorphWiz. 

I don't care for the specific choice of the Marshall, but I have a feeling this could be any amp...  So really the point people are making is that on that amp you can dial in the tones and be much more specific.  Whereas the Marshall patches on these modeling amps just seem to have a generalized Marshall overdriven tone where you can not tweek the sound very much.  Basically it's the same thing as a stomp box with many effects versus individual pedals, you're sacrificing quality for quantity.  People end up with much more PERSONAL and individual tones when they're trying to get their favorite tone out of their amp much more so than when they cycle through a bunch of settings.

It was late....one of those ranting "moods". 

That's nonsense and IMO only goes to show that you've never seriously tried out modelling amps - if anything, they're about tweaking the sound *much* more than you could with any physical amp.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/guitar/guitar-rig-4-pro/?content=928" rel="nofollow - http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/guitar/guitar-rig-4-pro/?content=928

Listen to the samples and check out the amps and their controls. 

 

Line 6 amps allow people to play their favorite songs the way they sound on CD and thats what alot of people want.

 

I don't even use my electric guitar because it makes me lazy I stick with my acoustic, it forces me to be truely creative and not just plug in a different petal or crank a distortion knob. That sayed, when I want to learn another Yes song im going to plug in to my Line 6 and hit Yes because its fun to sound like your heroes.

Sure, effects overkill can be a bad thing - but not using effects at all out of fear that it might affect your creativity might be as bad.

He starts with a very dry sound (just the amp) and then works towards the end result - which is interesting, because Eric Johnson is known as both a purist and perfectionist when it comes to his guitar sound. Newbies might be surprised as to how much tweaking is necessary to produce his tone.

I did not mean to say that it is not creative to use an electric guitar, just that personally I find that MY playing is more creative when I use an acoustic than an electric.

 

Also I was making the point that any guitarist can be equally good and the equipment is not important. If one chooses digital then great if one does not then great as well. Obviously you are verry happy with your digital amp and it seems like a great tool that suits your style. Why would anyone say this makes you worse?

My position is that today modelling amps are pretty much equal in terms of sound quality, and clearly superior when it comes to how much you can tweak the tone. Sure, there may be some real amps out there which - for a really hefty price tag - may offer a particular tone that seems even better, but good luck getting that on tape, or to the PA when you're performing live. Those are additional points in favor of modelling - you get persistent and readily reproducable results. Plus you don't have to carry heavy equipment around when you want to practice with a band or perform live. Plus the technology is quite affordable - for the price of a really good tube amp (the kind that keeps getting compared to modelling amps) you could buy 8-10 POD HDs. The obvious advice for any performing artist is to get two and set one of them up at home (next to your computer, which you can then also easily use to record) and the other where your band is practicing. Now if you also have a laptop you could use it to transfer sounds.

None of that is convenient (or, with the two amps scenario, affordable) with a "regular" amp, and for the suggested price tag ($300) it wouldn't even sound as good as a modelling solution (e.g. POD HD).

 

Personally I think that the idea of one amp being better is hogwash. The sound you make is what matters not how you achieve it. I like to run my guitar through a "portable" belt clip amp and then through a bass amp and finally through a Line 6 set to "Fuzzy" wich makes a crazy sound all together ....It dosent matter. Buy an amp digital, regular or whatever what matters is if YOU like it. Theres nothing wrong with choosing diffrent equipment. It just depends what suits your personall needs. In this case I think the poster should get a nice digital amp, but that isn't always the case.