Simon McBride Ditches Amp Stacks for Modelers in Deep Purple

What Did Simon McBride Just Announce About His Guitar Rig?

Simon McBride has confirmed he is ditching amp stacks entirely and moving to digital modelers for his work with Deep Purple, one of the most influential hard rock bands in history. The announcement landed this week and immediately sent ripples through the guitar community, particularly among fans who associate Deep Purple's sound with the thunderous, saturated tone of large-format tube rigs. McBride was candid about anticipating the reaction, noting that Ritchie Blackmore fans would likely feel a sense of alarm at the news. What McBride has been equally clear about is that his motivations for the switch are not the ones most people might assume.

The guitarist has not spelled out every detail of his reasoning publicly, but the framing of his comments suggests the decision stems from something more nuanced than road fatigue or volume regulations at venues. That ambiguity has only deepened the conversation, with players and collectors across the community weighing in on what the move signals for high-profile touring rigs in 2026.

Why Is a Deep Purple Guitarist Switching to Digital Modelers?

The shift from tube stacks to modelers among major touring guitarists has been building momentum for several years, but it carries particular weight when the artist in question is representing a band with as specific and beloved a guitar identity as Deep Purple. McBride stepped into an almost impossible position when he joined the band, tasked with honoring the legacy of both Blackmore and Steve Morse while developing his own voice within the group's sound.

Modeler technology has advanced to a point where the conversation is no longer primarily about whether the tones are good enough. According to Premier Guitar's 2026 gear coverage, high-end modeler platforms are now standard equipment on arena-level tours across multiple genres, with artists citing consistency, reliability, and the ability to recall exact sounds night after night as primary drivers. The backstage and bus logistics of traveling without multiple heavy amplifier cabinets have also become a practical consideration that many touring guitarists no longer feel they need to apologize for prioritizing.

For McBride specifically, the move may also reflect a desire to carve out sonic territory that is distinctly his own rather than chasing the precise amp configurations of his predecessors. A modeler gives him the flexibility to build a rig from the ground up without the implicit comparison that comes with running, say, the same Marshall stack configuration that defined Deep Purple's earlier eras.

How Are Collectors and Gear Communities Responding to the Modeler Trend?

The response among hardcore traditionalists has been predictably mixed. Online forums and social channels have seen a familiar debate resurface: does the source of the tone matter if the audience cannot tell the difference? For many players, the answer remains rooted in feel and the tactile interaction between guitarist and amplifier, a dimension that modeler advocates acknowledge is still being refined.

What is harder to argue against is the market data. According to Reverb's 2026 mid-year market report, listings for high-end digital modeler units from manufacturers including Line 6, Neural DSP, and Kemper have increased by 34 percent compared to the same period in 2025, while vintage and boutique amplifier sales have remained relatively flat after several years of strong appreciation. The two trends are not necessarily in direct competition - many collectors continue to acquire tube amplifiers as appreciating assets while gigging guitarists migrate toward modelers for practical reasons - but the directional signal is clear.

The broader implication for the collector market is interesting. If high-profile touring artists increasingly normalize modelers on major stages, the aspirational connection between certain vintage amp models and professional use cases could gradually soften. That said, the collectible value of specific vintage amplifiers has historically been driven by rarity and historical association rather than current touring prevalence, so the practical and the collectible markets may continue to diverge.

What Does This Mean for Deep Purple's Sound Going Forward?

For listeners attending Deep Purple shows on the current tour cycle, the most important question is audible impact. McBride has consistently demonstrated that his priority is serving the songs and the live experience, and his tone work since joining the band has earned genuine praise from fans who were understandably skeptical when he first stepped in.

The modeler switch does not represent a departure from the core sonic identity of Deep Purple's catalog - McBride is working from the same fundamental palette of driven, singing lead tones and heavy rhythm work that has defined the band across decades. What it represents is a guitarist making a deliberate, informed decision about the tools that best serve that mission in 2026. The fact that he is being open about the choice, and apparently willing to address the fan reaction head-on, suggests confidence in the results.

For the wider guitar community, McBride's announcement is another data point in a trend that has been reshaping conversations about professional touring rigs for the better part of a decade. When guitarists at this level make the switch and talk about it openly, the conversation moves forward.

Track This on Fretfolio

If you collect vintage Marshall or Hiwatt stacks with a connection to Deep Purple's recorded history, the ongoing modeler conversation is worth watching as it relates to long-term valuation signals. Fretfolio's collection pages allow you to log acquisition notes and track market comparables alongside your vintage amp entries, so you can monitor how broader industry shifts in touring technology correlate with vintage amplifier pricing over time.