Why struggle

[jimmycs780]

I read all of these posts and it seems like alot of people are trying to get tone out of an amp head. Why? there are so many products from pedals to preamps and fx processors to plugins. Why is it that everyone is so intent to buy these outrageous over priced "boutique" amps?
Personally I feel that they have never made a stock head thta was good. BTW I use all rack gear. (incase anyone was wondering) Ive tried Krank, Mesa, Marshall even bogner. Id rather have the flexibility of my power-amp, pre-amp, rig.
I just was wondering why?

P.s. I know that the amp purists are goona flip over this so please i am just trying to satisfy my curiosity not start a holly war

 

[faderbug]

only a tube amp sounds like a tube amp.

 

[Codmate]

It's not just the inherent sound of the amp, it's the way it reacts to your playing and the rest of your equipment.

You say you use your own pre-amp and power-amp, are they home-made? Maybe they're good for what you do!

Gear is just gear you know. Everybody needs the right gear for them.

 

[tc4b]

Why is it that everyone is so intent to buy these outrageous over priced "boutique" amps?
Personally I feel that they have never made a stock head thta was good.

Really, EVERYONE? How many threads will you find if you use the words 'budget' or 'modeler' or 'rack' or even 'v-amp' or 'POD?' A ton, I'm sure.

People using stock heads or 'boutique' amps are looking for the same things you are: tone, power, whatever. Why do they choose to seek it in a different way than you? How about you drive down to your local latin neighborhood and start asking people "How come you eat all them rice and beans? I don't get it! Kraft dinner has always been good to ME!"

The key word in your post is 'Personally.' An artist's tools can be a highly personal matter. Some get what they're looking (listening) for out of a stock head, including me (well, stock combo, if that counts). It sounds how I want it to, records well, end of story. I promise not to look down my nose at what works for you.

 

[soundchaser59]

I have been down that rack mount road. I sold it all (and pretty darn cheap, I might add!) because I was spending more time programming sounds than I was spending playing the guitar. Rust never sleeps, not even while a guy is tweaking his rack.

Now I have all tube and all analog everything, from finger tips to Weber speakers. And I LOVE playing my guitar now. I'm getting better and being more creative because I'm spending all my time playing instead of programming.

And a huge "Hell Yeah!" because it does FEEL different. The strings react to me now, instead of me trying to react to how the rack gear wants me to play. This tube/analog rig gave me back the "touch" and the sense of finesse that goes with the passion.

That's why I do it. I cant speak for this mythical "Everyone" you mentioned....

 

[dave.....]

my sound

i agree w/ soundchaser59....... i love the sound i get from my marshall combo's w/ my les paul .... i use very few efects a. cry baby and a delay.. i play a lot of gigs and its important to keep it as simple as possible..... so i can concentrate on playing my guitar...... rather than playing w/my gear....

 

[travelin travis]

I read all of these posts and it seems like alot of people are trying to get tone out of an amp head. Why? there are so many products from pedals to preamps and fx processors to plugins. Why is it that everyone is so intent to buy these outrageous over priced "boutique" amps?
Personally I feel that they have never made a stock head thta was good. BTW I use all rack gear. (incase anyone was wondering) Ive tried Krank, Mesa, Marshall even bogner. Id rather have the flexibility of my power-amp, pre-amp, rig.
I just was wondering why?

P.s. I know that the amp purists are goona flip over this so please i am just trying to satisfy my curiosity not start a holly war

Because I just want it to sound good and I don't want to spend more time twisting knobs than I do playing.

 

[hungovermorning]

Because I just want it to sound good and I don't want to spend more time twisting knobs than I do playing.

Exactly. And live trouble shooting is a breeze if you ever need to with a guitar - cable - amp setup.

 

[TelePaul]

The people who play tube amps play them ecause they like the sound. You use rack gear because you like the sound. Use what makes you happy.

 

[Micter]

my racks are tube preamps and tube power amps. LOL Tube rack gear can sound great. They're just too heavy!

 

[ofajen]

I read all of these posts and it seems like alot of people are trying to get tone out of an amp head. Why? there are so many products from pedals to preamps and fx processors to plugins. Why is it that everyone is so intent to buy these outrageous over priced "boutique" amps?
Personally I feel that they have never made a stock head thta was good. BTW I use all rack gear. (incase anyone was wondering) Ive tried Krank, Mesa, Marshall even bogner. Id rather have the flexibility of my power-amp, pre-amp, rig.
I just was wondering why?

My experience has worked the other way. I find even my old Traynor amp heads that I got for around $200 each give me great sounds and respond wonderfully when I play them. So, I'm neither struggling, nor buying high price boutique amps. If I'm looking for a straight ahead, solid tone, I can quickly and easily get it from one of the Traynors. No need to do anything else.

OTOH, in the studio, I have no qualms about hooking anything into anything, so, for instance, my guitar right now just happens to be running through a Korg PME-40X, into he external input on my Roland SH-09 mono synth for LFO and envelope controlled filtering and tremolo, then into my old MXR delay, and I run the dry out into one Traynor and the delay out into the other Traynor. Pretty crazy sounds! What fun!

Cheers,

Otto

 

[MCI2424]

I love twisting knobs and going through *endless* menus...........

Someday, when I get "that" sound, I will learn how to play a guitar.


My potentiol is limitless as long as I never try.

 

[dave.....]

twisting knobs ?

you cant be twisting knobs and going through menu's at a gig .....

 

[mikemorgan]

I usually just sketch a request into my laptop with my palm pilot, which is mounted on my headstock. My wireless laptop then dials in the recommended settings based on an algorythmn I wrote which entails the nuance timbre and tone of every great guitarist who ever lived. It's a small program really, only 372kb. My program then decides where to route my signal for the desired results, utilizing my pedalboard, rack effects, various modelers, tube and SS power amps, direct boxes, switchers, and plug-in applications. Pretty simple really.......................

 

[dave.....]

simple ??

wow that is simple ......... huh now why didnt i think of that ?? .....

 

[MCI2424]

you cant be twisting knobs and going through menu's at a gig .....

My dear boy, twisting knobs and going through endless menus IS my gig.
I do it live everynight. The audience loves it.

Really entertaining......................


They rarely ever come back for whatever reason.

 

[Codmate]

My dear boy, twisting knobs and going through endless menus IS my gig.
I do it live everynight. The audience loves it.

Really entertaining......................


They rarely ever come back for whatever reason.

Maybe if you had the knobs and menus displayed on a giant video screen?..

 

[jimmycs780]

well after hearing so many opinions I feel its my turn to reply.
First let me clarify myself. I've read all of the interviews in guitar mags for years and even after the artist states "only my guitar cable is between me and my amp" you find that a tech is working a noise gate or the moded boss DS1 pedal kept off stage. Everyone thinks that Slash's tone wass Marshall and a Les Paul. And people are trying to get that tone and some discover that what they heard on disc or live isnt really that tone.

2. Somebody made a comment about easily trouble shooting a rack. well a littlee thought before hand and matience takes care of that. Ive seen numerous amp heads crap out on stage. I alwasy keep spare tubes and cables in a rack drawer along with detailed schematics I drew out for my rig. I have a backup pre and processor in my rig that is ready to go in a moments notice.
3. As far as programing goes isnt the tones part of the creative process? I like my rigs flexability I can do clean lush chordal stuff to ultra thrash/death metal grind! all this at a touch of a toe.
4. My rig is a MP-1 Mpx1 tube works power amp, Klark Teknik eq and comp

thanks for all your input

 

[CoolCat]

My dear boy, twisting knobs and going through endless menus IS my gig.
I do it live everynight. The audience loves it.

Really entertaining......................


They rarely ever come back for whatever reason.

just a play on words? thats funny....

I remember one cold night in a bar in Iowa and only two people came in to hear us. and they played pool and then left, it was quite a snow storm too.
In those days, the band drank for free too.
but by the second set the bartender said "look guys, your bar tab is more than the door!!"

As for amps...
There's no guarentee on anything, tubes have pro's and cons, POD's can sound great too, solidstates can be really a good road worthy tool and mirror like & very consistent as the chips don't degrade, like a tube, overtime...

but all the simulators are trying to simulate Tube amp sounds....not vice versus...i think.

hell, I spend more time reading than playing anymore?

 

[travelin travis]

but all the simulators are trying to simulate Tube amp sounds....not vice versus...i think.

hell, I spend more time reading than playing anymore?

good points