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10 Guitar Plugins That Ditch the Tubes

10 Guitar Plugins That Ditch the Tubes

From low-gain American tones to high-powered gain machines, this collection of plugins can cover nearly any tone you can dream of.

Thanks to modern technology, you can chase the sounds in your head with a rather minimal setup. Each of the 10 guitar plugins listed below offer unique features, a wealth of options, and—maybe most importantly—less chiro visits.

Neural DSP Archetype: Petrucci

As one of the company’s most comprehensive plugins, it features four amplifiers, a pre-effects section with a wah, compressor, and four stompboxes, and a post-effects section with rack-design stereo chorus, delay, and reverb.

$169 street

neuraldsp.com

Universal Audio Friedman Buxom Betty

This plugin aims for an exact representation of the original EL34-powered amp. It includes 100 recording chains, a host-syncable vintage delay unit, and preamp and power amp bypass.

$149 street

uaudio.com

STL Tones Tonality: Andy James

Developed from Andy James' signature guitar sounds, this plugin suite uses advanced modeling algorithms to provide real-time simulations of his amps. You can also employ an 808 emulation and James’ signature preamp pedal.

$119 street

stltones.com

Softube Amp Room

Softube's professional audio guitar and bass platform offers a wide range of precisely modeled amplifiers, cabs, pedals, studio effects, and more, as well as several IR Producer Packs.

$149 street

softube.com

Blue Cat Axiom

A fully customizable amp simulation based on Blue Cat's Destructor, this software has a flexible routing system with two parallel amp simulation channels, input and master sections, and more than 70 built-in effects.

$199 street

bluecataudio.com

Waves GTR3

This collection of amps comes with Fender, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, and Vox plugin models, in addition to over 30 different cab simulations and 25 stompboxes, including distortion, delays, and modulation.

$129 street

waves.com

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 6 Pro

Here’s a setup that offers a range of classic vintage tones and modern high-gain sounds, and artist presets from Yvette Young, Vernon Reid, Pete Thorn, Zola Jesus, and Eric Krasno.

$199 street

native-instruments.com

IK Multimedia TONEX

TONEX is a standalone application that allows users to create, play, and share 400 of their own Tone Models of amps, cabinets, combos, and pedals. It comes with 40 amps and 20 pedals.

$149 street

ikmultimedia.com

Line 6 Metallurgy Collection

Using this collection of Metallurgy’s Modern, Thrash, and Doom plugins, you can select a variety of high-gain tones drawn from the company's HX line of amps and cabs.

$199 street

line6.com

Overloud TH-U Eric Gales Expansion Pack

One of the most astounding blues guitarists of his generation, Eric Gales, has collaborated with Overloud on this plugin that emulates his live rig. It includes three amps, three cabs, and 15 effects.

$59 street

overloud.com

Stevie Van Zandt with “Number One,” the ’80s reissue Stratocaster—with custom paisley pickguard from luthier Dave Petillo—that he’s been playing for the last quarter century or so.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen

With the E Street Band, he’s served as musical consigliere to Bruce Springsteen for most of his musical life. And although he stands next to the Boss onstage, guitar in hand, he’s remained mostly quiet about his work as a player—until now.

I’m stuck in Stevie Van Zandt’s elevator, and the New York City Fire Department has been summoned. It’s early March, and I am trapped on the top floor of a six-story office building in Greenwich Village. On the other side of this intransigent door is Van Zandt’s recording studio, his guitars, amps, and other instruments, his Wicked Cool Records offices, and his man cave. The latter is filled with so much day-glo baby boomer memorabilia that it’s like being dropped into a Milton Glaser-themed fantasy land—a bright, candy-colored chandelier swings into the room from the skylight.


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Enhance your Ratio Machine Heads with Graph Tech's new Barrel Knobs. Designed for comfort and style, these barrel-shaped tuning buttons offer a fresh look and feel to your instrument. Available in chrome and black finishes, these knobs are the perfect way to personalize your guitar.

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Neural DSP introduces Archetype: Rabea X, a revamped plugin featuring updated effects, amps, and the Overlord Synth. With a redesigned UI, additional speaker option, and optimized performance, this plugin offers a wide range of tonal options for guitarists.

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Lloyd Baggs has reemerged from the shadows of guitar design, for the first time since the late ’80s, with his innovative AEG-1 instrument.

Following the release of the AEG-1, the multi-dimensional creative and intuitive engine behind acoustic-guitar pickup manufacturer L.R. Baggs shares the fascinating story of how he’s always been a builder, too.

In Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed, the German filmmaker, opera director, actor, and author tells his colleague Paul Cronin, “Walk on foot, learn languages and a craft or trade that has nothing to do with cinema. Filmmaking—like great literature—must have experience of life as its foundation.” When applied to the story of Lloyd Baggs, founder and owner of the L.R. Baggs Corporation, who’s been a cellist, car mechanic, aspiring racecar driver, fine-art printmaker, photographer, and self-taught guitar builder and acoustic pickup engineer, Herzog’s sentiment grows legs.

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