All user reviews for the Behringer USB-GUITAR iAXE393

I started on keyboard when I was about 10 years old. Own several Hammond B3 type organs. Started on guitar about 10 years ago. Do mostly rhythm guitar (bar chords)and a little melody. I've collected quite a few guitars in the learning process and have everything from a real Fender 60th aniversary edition to an el cheapo Rogue "starter" guitar. I am more into the mechanics of the guitar as in nice low easy action rather than cosmetics.

I got the iaxe393 from Musicians Friend on sale for $99 which included free shipping.

The 393 looks like your basic 3 single coil Strat copy. This is a white guitar and looks very much like the 3 coil Fender Squier Strat which also sells for about $100. I own a Fender Bullet special which is basically the same guitar body, but only with a single humbucker pickup. As copies go, this is one of the best I've seen. It came with the action set nice and low and easy to play, and intonation was fine. It has standard volume and tone controls as well as a switch to select and mix the 3 pickups. It comes with the tremelo bar, but I took it back off as it seemed very tight. The iaxe has your standard 1/4" phone jack so you can plug it directly into any amp and play it like any other guitar. It sounds great this way. The real difference in this guitar is that it has a USB jack on the bottom rim right next to one of the strap hooks. There is also a 1/4" stereo headphone jack.
Now it gets a little complicated: The main selling feature on this item is that it connects to your computer. This is how it works: You plug your USB cable into the guitar and computer. Then you plug your stereo headphones into the guitar. This is of course after you installed the software/drivers that come on the inluded CD. Here is where the real power is. Included on the CD are 3 versions of the Native Instruments Guitar Combos software. You are given 30 days to try ALL 3. They give you a key and you can activate the one you like best. Each combo has various effects and amp simulations built in and all of them sound very nice. You will have to choose the one that best meets your taste for the style of music you play. The combo interface looks like a real guitar amp with all the controls etc. It even has a built in tuner! If you don't like the pre-sets they give you, you can edit them. A little too deep on the tremelo, no problem, back off on the control with your mouse and re-save the pre-set. The amps also have a metronome built in so you have a tick tick tick type sound to keep time with. It would have been nice if Native Instruments gave you a simple drum machine as well but you can't have everything. Behringer includes a copy of the open source shareware program Audacity which is a fairly decent WAV recorder that mimics a 2 track tape machine.

In order to hear the effects and amp simulations you have to have your headphones plugged into the guitar itself. Remember the guitar has a 1/4" jack? Most computer headphones use an 1/8" stereo plug so either you need headphones with the right plug or an adapter. Behringer should just throw in a set of walkman type phones with the 1/4" adapter so you can try it when you get it. The other thing I didn't like was the length of the USB cable they included. This is your guitar cord and its only about 5 foot long so you have to stay real close to the PC. I already ordered a 15 foot replacement. But I think USB has a limitation on length so 15' is about as long as you can go. With the five foot cord and the non humbucking pickups on the guitar, I got a little hum when near a lamp. The 15 footer is supposed to be sheilded so maybe the buzz will go away. It wasn't that bad though. They really don't give you much documentation on the Audacity so you will have to play with it a bit. It also has some effects that you can add to your recordings. Overall I'm very happy with it. For $99 the guitar alone is very well made.

As I've said, this is about the best Strat type copy in a guitar this cheap. If I were Behringer I'd add the headphones and a longer cord. And Native Instruments would do well to add a simple drum machine to them Guitar Combos. Then you would have all you need to make a decent recording.

Guitar alone well worth the money.
You may end up buying the Guitar Combo's you don't activate. Their THAT good.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Mainly an acoustic guitarist, specializing in 12-string guitars. I am a long-time performer and home recordist. About 35 years on and off the road. Yikes, I'm 51 now.

Bought the Behringer iAXE 393 several months ago for $99 from American Musical Supply. Their service was very good. Why buy it? Considering the product description (more on that below), and since I wanted to have a Strat-sort-of-thing in my recording closet, for $99 bucks it was just too tempting.

Remember, this is a $99 guitar. As cheap Strat knock-offs go, it's way better than any I've played before. The maple neck and fretboard are solid and smooth, and bolted in good alignment. The frets are nicely dressed on top, but snaggy along the sides of the fretboard. The white body is hefty (a black version is now available) with three single-pole pickups and a five-position pickup switch. The tremolo bridge is sturdy and returned to pitch nicely after wailing on it (big surprise).

It has a standard Strat-style jack on top. So you can play this directly into any amp. On the butt end of the body are a USB port to connect to your PC, and a stereo jack for headphones or for use as a monitor line out.

The kit comes bundled with a software subset of Native Instruments' Guitar Rig product: three virtual combo amps called GUITAR COMBOS. You have 30 days after install to get a free license for one of the virtual classic combo amps. I chose the Fender Twin-ware called "Twang", since it had the nicest span of rock to jazz sounds.

This leads to the computer stuff. Let me say what is fun about this guitar and software kit before I get crabby.

The accompanying software includes a simple USB driver install routine that makes the iAXE's USB port available to your PC. After installing the NI Guitar Combos you'll find instructions in the package about how to hook up your iAXE, via USB, to your PC. Then you'll learn how to play the iAXE through the software Combo Amps and listen to the results through the headphone jack at the bottom of the iAXE.

Confused? The point is that you can use the USB cable to hook up your iAXE to any PC (laptop or desktop), slap on your headphones, and play all kinds of hot guitar sounds.

There's more. Each virtual Guitar Combo includes a recording module and a metronome that allows you to record a vamp, or solo, or whatever, and then play along for practice.

The accompanying Native Instruments software manual is misleading. It implies there is a way to use the Native Instruments' bundled software as a real-time effect, as in a VST plug-in, for your recording software. There have been many complaints about this to NI, but NI just says it is Behringer's error.

Also, the USB cable supplied is very sensitive to radio frequency (RF) noise. I'll try a USB cable with a ferrite cylinder and see if that helps.

For a cheap guitar, the iAXE is very well made. RF noise shielding is not good.

Fun product. NI Virtual Combo Amps sound great, and are great fun to play with.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Friend (s) Guitarists hello

Fender Guitar Shape USB white type (very pretty)

UTILIZATION

Easy guitar played in normal mode outside the USB mode

SOUNDS

Really depends on the software used

OVERALL OPINION

Well first, I was surprised because I figured a USB guitar that could functioned as a MIDI guitar (I certainly misread the explanations and characteristics). The price seemed very low (119 € chez Thomann) to a MIDI guitar that can do all kinds of sounds.
However, we must imagine a USB sound card built into a guitar and it true that the latency is very low and the operation is related as related software.
The bundled software (it will still need to choose one among the three delivered after a month) can use a friendly but not transcendent guitar sounds.
Everything becomes very interesting with Guitar Ring 2 brings such a variety and amazing quality but it will not forgot to put the noise reduction on the soft not to be invaded by a huge noise.
So I deduced that we can do the same (see more) with his own guitar combined with its sound card already installed in his home studio environment. For those of traditional computer and want to play guitar then there is good and cheap but will be more expensive by buying the right software that go far to exploit this guitar.
I am always amazed by Behringer products because of their price and quality and how can we imagine a guitar over a sound card for € 119 knowing that the sound card can be used very successfully for other soft or already own VST .
I think behringer is expected to release a box that would take their electronics this guitar for a cheap interface and allow guitarists already equipped to use their own instrument.

Final results: Congratulations to Behringer for a great guitar with a very correct that the interface is decent as well, and dab the soft drinks that go well and fully operational.

Made in China I think
22 frets, 3 single pickups
fixed bridge
3 slecteurs, micro positions 5

UTILIZATION

Channel enjoyable trs
Access in acute trs correct, a similar strato
trs good ergonomics
its more than adequate with the combos available

SOUNDS

Fits everything to the quick check ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since yesterday .... what I like is the simplicity of installation and price.
It is easier to install a printer and is cheaper than a sound card ...

What is dplorer is that you can hear what you recorded ... but alternative solutions exist ...

(Originally written by renaud91240/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

Good, ergonomic and well-balanced Strat-type guitar (with a slightly thicker body) considering its incredible price!

UTILIZATION

The neck is a bit too thick but it is still pleasant to play with, for a Strat copy.
The machine heads don't seem to be very durable but for the price you can buy one every couple of years!
The sound is huge in USB mode, as if you had three different amps. I tested it with Cubase and the sound isn't quite professional but good enough for an amateur. Hardware limitations belong to the past with such a guitar (tons of effects and amps )!

SOUNDS

As I said before, the guitar is very versatile thanks to the three different amps included!

OVERALL OPINION

I haven't found anyone with a negative opinion about this guitar. It is not a famous brand guitar but its value for money is great.