Hey everyone !
I been to the shop with Yamaha DXR10 of my friend and tried the HeadRush 108 than Ingolf recommended.
I bought the HeadRush 108
This is why :
1) I'm fulltime session guitarist based in London. I play live 90% of time, mainly with IEM's, so i don't need something than can be very very loud as a Yamaha DXR10 (trust me, the HeadRush is freakin loud, i mean, enough for live as YOUR MAIN monitor). For the gig without in-ears, the HeadRush will be perfect as well as my main monitor if needed.
2) I bought a kemper for stop carrying loads of stuff. I use to play with big pedlatrain pro with flycase and wheels (all strymons, boss es-8,...), Marshall JCM800 head + 2x12 guitar cab etc. The HeadRush is small/light easy to carry.
3) THE SOUND : right! the most important part. I don't want to start a fight between Yamaha and HeadRush, i do think as said Ingolf, than is subjective. It sound very amazing for how it looks lol! When the guy bring it to the room, i was like "i will not buy that for sure".. Dude, this thing is very awesome, it's very clear.. you can definitely tell than there is a bit more bass, (46 instead of 56 in the Yamaha) but is not "boomy" IMO. The DXR10, sound really good too and i knew it.. just read forums and you will see than loads of people use it , some people like the "in your face" and some like me don't like it.
I play mainly rock music, i was very impress how sound the HeadRush with high gain tones. I played with my 2x12 guitar cab all the time because i wanted the "amp in the room" feel. I don't miss that with the HeadRush. It don't give you the amp in the room, but it's strange because is sound so good than you dont miss it at all, and he give you this little thing who reassure you and than you trust.
And trust me, when you come from a JCM800 and a 2x12, you need a lot for convince you to don't have a guitar cab on stage.
Again, i tried low/med/high volume to 11 (yes you read right, fucking 11 lol) . I just play, stop playing, watch the seller and we just laugh... like, how this thing small like that, can stay clear at 11 ? The frequencies stay there, i'm happy than he got more bass than the Yamaha, the Yamaha have a lot of mid when you play it loud volume, some people like it again, it cut the mix and i thing is good when you use it as MAIN FOH. For just monitoring, i don't like to have something who give me too much mid frequencies, but again is my opinion and personal taste.
I tried some profiles with clean tones... Sound really great again, 62 Princetone patch from ToneJunkie sounded great with it.. and it sounded not good with guitar cab before.
I do think than both are great, that's why is better to try it, i spent night and day on forums... you can read everything but nothing can beat your own ears and taste. Thing than i forgot, thats why i wrote a threads...
4) I can now use 100% of the Kemper. When you play with a guitar cab, you miss a lot of things than the Kemper can do. The profiles seems to sound the same (because your guitar cab colour everything). I tried some profiles, different tones, amps.. And now i can hear the difference between patches. I know some great musicians playing with a guitar cab and miced the cab for play live.. but i think you miss the magic of the Kemper.
5) DIALING TONES :
Again, when you use a guitar cab, stage volume for programming the Kemper, you create an amazing tones for the stage, the band said "wow, amazing tone tonight" and you go in the audience and realize than you sounded shit.. and my best friend who is guitarist too said to me "dude you sounded very bad"... that's why i wanted to have an FRFR, for be more accurate with FOH. When i will dialing tones at home using stage volume with the HeadRush (please go check Fletcher-Munson theory/curve if you dont know it), i will be more comfortable and i will know exactly what i'm sending to FOH.. even if ok, venues depends so you may need to tweak just a little bit sometimes, thanks Kemper for creating separate EQ. But i mean, the patches will not sound crap or totally different at all. Hopefully i just played 3 smalls gigs with the Kemper so i realize it quick enough than an FRFR is the solution against this bad experience.
6) THE PRICE:
Just paid 230£ (UK) for the HeadRush, the Yamaha version 1 was something like 400£. So it's a great great great deal for what you get! I didn't want to spend too much. I know than the Yamaha got 7 years warranty... which is amazing. But i was more about the tone than i was looking for and not just the warranty stuff.
TO CONCLUDE :
For 230£, i got the HeadRush 108, which sound awesome to MY EARS. Enough volume for gigging if dont use IEM's, and the sound is very great, trust me. Small/light. I'm verry happy than i bought it !
But the Yamaha sounded great as well, really depend what you are looking for and your personnal taste (AGAIN!!!).
I will play 2 rock shows in theatre this week end + a gig in a med size venue with an artist which i need loads of tones and effects. So i can write my LIVE EXPERIENCE with the HeadRush next week. But i'm sure it will be awesome!
PS: may buy another one later for the stereo heaven !!!
Thanks guys for sharing your experience,setup etc. Sorry again about the "newbie thread" it was a new world for me (and it still) !
Cheers
Q
