Are the Line 6 HX Stomp and Pod Go “Budget” Devices?

Let’s jump right in.  Modeling is changing the world of guitar amplification.  From the super popular Boss Katana amp series to the high end Kemper stuff to the in between Helix stuff, modeling has never been more popular.  Obviously you’ve been able to get modeling in hundred dollar amps for quite a while, but sounding great at loud volumes for no money has always been a tough nut to crack.

I’m a big fan of the HX Stomp/Pod Go products because they give you the ability to get great sounds when recording or going direct into a decent PA.  But even more than that, they give you a huge landscape of tonal options to explore.

However… my definition of “budget” has always been $500 or less.  The Pod Go is a budget device.  The HX Stomp, at $649 (when not on sale,) is not.  But the day is approaching when you’ll be able to buy a used HX Stomp for $500.  Might be the case by the time you read this.  And that IS budget.

Can you still gig with a Pod 2?  Hell yes you can.  When it comes to modeling, the PA speakers you’re running into are super important.  Junk PA = junk sound.  I’m going to do a video on the budgetguitarist.com YouTube channel about making modelers sound good in a PA.

I’m always aware that the word “budget” means different things to everyone.  Some would consider a $200 digital amp “budget” and would gig with it.  But I’ve always lived by the 80/20 rule, which says you can find a price point where you get 80% of the results from 20% of the price. Obviously this is a generalized statement, but the concept is sound.  The HX Stomp/Pod Go will give you 80% of the Kemper for 20% of the price.  Some might argue it’s higher than 80%.

And the $200 modeling amp is not going to sound 80% as good as an $800 tube amp, at least not when cranked to playing with a drummer level.  On the other hand, it’s great for around the house.

Fun times.  Eventually this level of modeling will come out in a hundred dollar box.  That’ll be awesome.  But hell, the Pod 2 was on tons of hit records.  90% of the population can’t tell a Pod 2 from a Helix in a mix.  Could you?  Could I?  Depends.

I love my HX Stomp.  But when this whole health crisis is over, and I’m actually able to do gigs again, I’ll be putting my old Floor Pod Plus in the trunk as a backup.  And if I ever have to use it, it’ll be fine.

It’s funny – I love tube amps and I own two.  But the biggest reason I love the HX Stomp is that it has models of a ton of other tube amps that I can’t afford.