Quote from Chris Duncan

I think we're long past the days of having to qualify a statement on guitars being good / bad. If it plays good and it sounds good, it is good (not to mention good looking!).

Back in the 80s when the Squires first came out, a friend of mine wanted an electric. She had tiny hands, so Strats came to mind. We went to the local big music store and there, side by side, were new American and Squire (Japan) Strats. The price difference was hundreds of dollars.

She had the money to buy either. I played both, handed her the Squire and told her it was superior in a number of ways. Back then Squires and other guitars had the stigma of being "student" (aka cheap crap) guitars. If it wasn't a first line Fender or Gibson, it was junk, regardless of the actual quality of a given guitar. And heaven help you if you showed up to an audition with one - it was over before you even plugged in because you didn't have "pro gear."

And that was in the 80s. These days with all the computer tech and advances in production techniques I'm continually astounded at how many great guitars are out there. Some of them are even Fenders or Gibsons. While I still have first line Fenders and Gibsons and PRSs (oh, my!), it's as much force of habit as anything else. Truly a great era to buy guitars. At any price.

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My most played and (ab)used guitar is a Squier Deluxe Strat. I have the frets dressed 2 times already, but I don't want to let her go. So at the moment I do a re-fret with stainless steel frets and have the plan to further upgrade a few things.

I have 22 guitars, but this cheopo Squier has a special place in my heart, for some obvious reasons (best comfort neck ever) and some I can't really explain

Pssst...Before the Monkeyman notices the mistake... there is a logic error: How many do we get, when we buy 4?

Perfect Mix Profiles

Quote from fourstrk

This is the slight difference between a company you would like to work for and a company you don't.

I was just joking. And besides that, the engineers are already on vacation. I guess somewhere near the sea, testing if the Kemper stage is water and beer proof and playing around with the new editor, new overdrives and stuff... they should have read the fine print of the contract. But still not a bad job

So the Kemper Stage is delivered without an editor right from the start Really? New customers would have to learn how to work with Rig Manager and later (5-8 weeks?) switch to the new RM Editor?

It's not the end of the world. But it would be a tiny bit embarrassing that way...

Deadlines missed, holidays cancelled my dear engineers!!

Nah, just joking After years of waiting we will somehow survive the next few weeks without an editor

But still, newbies of the floor board will be quite surprised, when an editor is missing...

Quote from deadpan

Anyone curious how this amp will sound with a Universal Audio OX Box?

No!

Quote from Monkey_Man

Interesting, Tobi.

The baked-in version is definitely smoother as a stand-alone sound; easier on the ear, but the real-pedal version just might cut through a mix more-easily.

It's just exactly as you say. But a bit tricky to tell why!

I think the profile with baked in pedal sounds very tube-like. Not like a pedal boosted amp, but very natural, smooth - almost as if the Kemper did make it "even more tube" But I can hear some Kemper trademark mids here ...

In the second example I hear more of what I did expect from the Archer boosting an amp. It sounds good to me, but the characteristics of the pedal are a bit "exaggerated". Just like what you get when using a transistor amp as a pedal platform, but more "tube-like sounding" here.

And one must bear in mind, the Archer here is boosting a profile - a snapshot of the real amp. So the profile will probable not react in the same way as the real amp would do when pushed. It's more like turning up gain on the Kemper - you are adding Kemper gain characteristic (more gain not altering the overall sound of the profile). Plus the characteristic of the pedal. It seems to change some of the "Kemper Trademark mids".

Only deadpan can say, how the real amp sounded with the real pedal

Short and quick comparison:

First you hear the Kemper profile "LRS Fuego AlCr 02" which has the Archer Ikon pedal baked in then my own Archer Ikon pedal with same settings (all knobs at noon) into Kemper and boosting the profile "LRS Fuego AlCr 01".

A 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio with bridge pu (498T) was used. Rusty old strings and bad playing as always - sorry

Quote from BB2019

My new guitar a friend did for me. Wanted a mahogany hot rod that popped and played like a monster. It does!

Can you post a few more pics please...and maybe give us more details about bridge, pu....

I always wanted a hardtail strat with one pickup - that is something still missing in my collection

Mago In the new Earforce pack I noticed that the "high shift" setting in the cab block is lowered from <0.0> to -0.0. A little goes a long way here and it sounds a bit different - almost like a tiny, tiny mic move.

I just wanna know, if it was lowered by accident or if it was set intentionally. I think it sounds better at <0.0>

And yes, the difference is not night and day

Guidorist Why are the profiles of the "Milk Twenty" tagged with CH1 and CH2? Isn't this a single channel amp?

Or do the inputs 1 and 2 give different results (low and high)? Can not find clear information about that.

Thanks! These are some useful and interesting informations. And also something to have in mind, when comparing sounds! For example when I play (your) profiles for myself, I can't expect them to sound exactly the same.

But your videos proof, that the Kemper is able to react very much the same to your picking as the original gear chain did- at least that is what I can hear.

Foxglovestudios Watching the u-tube videos I noticed, that you have a rather unusual playing technique. It seems you hit the strings with a LOT of energy and strength. But at the same time it sounds very fluid and emotive!!

Isnt't that more exhausting to play with so much "energy"? Have you setup your guitar with high or lower string height? Sorry for all the questions

If the direct profiles were captured from the line out of the amps (and not from a di box between speaker out and cab), aren't they missing the poweramp coloration? Or did I get it wrong?

I have a V-Type (16 ohm) in a closed 1x12 cab and it works really good with the Kemper, because of its balanced voicing. So I can basically use any type of amps and clean to metal with very convincing results.

I have a closed cab and the lows sound big, but very tight. The V-Type articulates very clear but never "harsh" here. If I want a smoother, warmer tone I use my Lynchback speaker or greenbacks.

Thanks! Will try it out.

Because I buy almost every pack from every seller (except 2 or 3 sellers I don't like the attitude), a few packs get overlooked some time.

Lateley I (re-)discovered the "Big Hairy Profiles" packs. Also the preamp / rack gear stuff is excellent. For example the Groove Tubes Trio pack is fantastic and I use it a lot. Some of the best warm clean tones in here too!

Bought the Engl yesterday and now I really wanna know, how the Milkman (blackface style amp?) will sound through a 4x12 Marshall cab - so I guess I'll buy that one too

I watched the "Kemper comparison ... -Part2 " video on utube. First time listening I totally forgot to "watch out for any differences" - the playing and the melodies had my full attention.

So I gave it a second try - same thing Just got carried away by the awesome song and playing!! So for today I don't care if there are any differences I had a long day - for now I just listen to some Hanmer stuff on youtube and enjoy it... with another cold beer in my hand and a big salute to that great guitar player... (and just because I am in the mood: Cheers to ashtweth another day you are missed here... the next bottle(s) for you)

Nice, shiny, expensive and heavy like a bar of GOLD

But comes from the factory with no pads on the bottom side, right?

But the missing pads that's the only complaint for me - pretty sure you'll like it too