The shit we worried about in 2006

[Reeltarded]

Rememeber back when amps wouldn't sound good with carbon resistors that virtually every worthwhile amplifier had previously been built with? Then there was magic metal in maybe two brands of transformers that were a guarantee of otherwise unpossible mojo. We fretted over wire orientation.. is it placed directionally on axis with the naturally least resistant electron path!!?

OMG

I have built amps out of pure junk now. Meh. Like, if you can build perfection within a coupke percent.. the little things still hardly matter. You could spend 300% of the money and 500% of the time and maybe eeek out 1-3% snonic benefit that gets wasted as soon as the drummer hits hit snare or you put a mic on a cabinet in a space..

This isn't to stop you from being ridiculous. I'm actually celebrating how insane we are and the spirit of absurdity in exploration.

Cheers!

(ps: electricity moves through copper wire at almost the speed of light, but did you know electrons only go about 2.3m per second?)

[kanderson70]

Hell 2006? What about now?

I've never once had a guy (or gal) come up after a show and say, " Hey, is that a NOS mullard in your V1? Because... that sounds fantastic" or "Dude your tone is killer... are those mustard caps in there?". Sometimes you forget over half the people in the audience at the venue are either
1. Tone deaf and don't know a dog fart from a musical note
2. Too busy talking to their buddies about the hot waitress with the tramp stamp
3. Or too drunk to appreciate good tone.

Having said all that though... I still can't help myself. If I'm not happy with my tone, I have a hard time having a good time playing. It's crazy how those little changes can make such minuscule improvements and yet make you so happy (even though maybe nobody else hears a difference).
You are absolutely correct though, once the drummer kicks in... those minor tone tweaks usually get buried in the mix. When I do get the compliments on tone or playing from random people in the crowd, it does tend to help me validate the obsession.

Here's to us! Crazy tone chaser guitar guys with the $2000 rig and $100 payout (well maybe I should speak for myself... you guys are probably all professional studio musicians making bank and doing what you love for a living.)

[Gibsonman63]

You guys speak the truth. Half the places I play have mirrors behind and/beside or the band. There is more than one kind of ugly reflection going on.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I've never once had a guy (or gal) come up after a show and say, " Hey, is that a NOS mullard in your V1? Because... that sounds fantastic" or "Dude your tone is killer... are those mustard caps in there?". Sometimes you forget over half the people in the audience at the venue are either
1. Tone deaf and don't know a dog fart from a musical note
2. Too busy talking to their buddies about the hot waitress with the tramp stamp
3. Or too drunk to appreciate good tone.

Having said all that though... I still can't help myself. If I'm not happy with my tone, I have a hard time having a good time playing. It's crazy how those little changes can make such minuscule improvements and yet make you so happy (even though maybe nobody else hears a difference).
You are absolutely correct though, once the drummer kicks in... those minor tone tweaks usually get buried in the mix. When I do get the compliments on tone or playing from random people in the crowd, it does tend to help me validate the obsession.

Here's to us! Crazy tone chaser guitar guys with the $2000 rig and $100 payout (well maybe I should speak for myself... you guys are probably all professional studio musicians making bank and doing what you love for a living.)

True 'nuff & yes I do... remind how many guitarists "maybe that one nerd in a thousand audience members might care about your fancy/vintage axe, effects, amp. Most folks just wanna groove!"

To which I invariably get the answer "that may be true, BUT I CARE! So make it work fantastic, OK?" Don't quibble, because that is what keeps us in business. ka-CHING!

[Reeltarded]

You guys speak the truth. Half the places I play have mirrors behind and/beside or the band. There is more than one kind of ugly reflection going on.

haha I'd get drunk and talk about those ugly twins.

[ER]

I only heard a difference with parts I had a personal stash of. If I had to buy them from someone else's stash for an inflated price, I worried less. My cheap-skatery always managed to overpower my tone-snobbery.

Bang for the buck, building in reliability (amps always sound best right before they blow up, should we build them that way for the ultimate "tone"?). Knowing where parts and values make the difference and working the tweaks is where I spend my worry. Except for speakers, hard to find a good cheap speaker.

Most magic amps are due to happy accidents from a parts mismatch or making due with supply availability changes anyways, so how would anyone find those happy accidents if they go to the ends of the earth to do it "right" every time or fear replacing the expert recommended part with what they have on hand and trust their ears? We have the luxury of being free from the constraints of the production line, why not color outside the lines a little?
Speaking of Mirrors, the price of Dumbles over time tracks inversely with the demise of Radio Shack.

[kanderson70]

Speaking of Mirrors, the price of Dumbles over time tracks inversely with the demise of Radio Shack.

Coincidence?.... hmmmmmm. It's a conspiracy.

You guys speak the truth. Half the places I play have mirrors behind and/beside or the band. There is more than one kind of ugly reflection going on.

This made me spew my coffee!