Favourite Guitar Board BS

[AndyR]

Carrots are organic but I don't hear them.

Those folks that can hear which direction their lead is plugged in can probably actually hear organic carrots rotting :D

And MDV/Dmoney - good stuff on that "room makes a difference". In my flat I have some guitar/amp combinations that sound utterly @rse in one room but splendiferous in another. Take the same amp with the other guitars, and it's the other way round... :roll:

And don't talk to me about positioning in the room. There isn't a single "good" room position where the missus doesn't stub her toe or bang her knee on the damn thing. Put the amp in the obvious "it'll look nice and you can still hear it over there", and I guarantee you boxy-sh1te tone... (at least she lets me populate the living room permanently with all this gear - loads of partners wouldn't).

Sorry what was this thread about again?

[Matt77]

On reflection, I'm changing mine to 'upper mids'

[Philly Q]

'it sounds so organic'

How? how does something actually sound organic?

Carrots are organic but I don't hear them.

The Nailbomb has been described as "organic sounding" so often in this forum that it's been certified by the Soil Association.

[MDV]

On reflection, I'm changing mine to 'upper mids'

What on earth is BS about ~2 through 5khz?

Or 2 through 6k as this chart represents it (I have to quibble with this; 200 through 400 is low mids in anyones book, but it'll do)

[Dmoney]

MDV, I'm glad is was at least partially interesting.

I think what I disagreed with really was a comparison between amps and other specialised gear. I would expect pretty high standards of build practice in certain things using PCB's as opposed to amplifiers. I thought it was a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

If you think ahead when buying a product (how might it fail, what might happen when it fails, how can i repair it) then there are probably some construction techniques you might want to avoid. Ribbon cable would be a NIGHTMARE if it was soldered in place. PCB doesn't lend itself to easy repair either. Good design doesn't really stop that later issue and as good as the design is the weak link will be the valves usually, which are probably prone to fail in a more spectacular way than most modern electrical components. PCB mounted Octal sockets have the potential to go out with a smelly wiff of smoke whatever the design.

I was looking for amps with ribbon cable. The herbet is a good example of a nice build using a combination of techniques including ribbon cable.

cost cutting in a perilous way is always bad.


I've read things about...
high frequencies being able to survive better in solid core rather than stranded hook up wire.
The capacitance between two sides of (dual sided) PCB affecting tone.
tonal properties of steel vs aluminum chassis'

[MDV]

I thought it was an amusing piece of interwebs rhetoric, but still, the point remains; though you have raised valid objections, the proponderance of amps that use PCB and ribbon wire, sound great to lots of people and rarely break, rarer still in an irreprable manner far outweighs the few cases where it does happen.

Plus theres the unspoken benefit thats the flipside of the coin; it is cheaper, and can get an amp to production thats sonically very usable and doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Do you think, say, a JVM or Invader would be as (relatively) affordable as they are without cheaper production? They sound good too (to me at least). Youre likely still in profit in the unlikely circumstance that you have to get it fixed (more than once even), compared to something with the same capabilities that was handmade (like a herbert, but then, thats £2500 and still has ribbon wire!).

[Dmoney]

I think if you're the kind of person to be anal about such things then it makes a difference. I dont think THAT many do use ribbon wire.

If you get overly paranoid about things breaking, then you might want to look for something put together in a particular way that suits you. Thats how I felt when I was buying an amp a few years back. I'd also wager most amps don't see the harshest conditions they could see. (getting liquids thrown over them, getting dropped out of vans, getting pulled out in minus 42 degrees so the condensation in them freezes).

I think most damage like you say, if any, is repairable. But for me it came down to how much it costs to get those things repaired. I've had people refuse to even look at my amp based on it being high gain. I've had people want me to pay them just for giving me a quote on fixing an amp. I still got a PCB amp though... haha. Just one that I thought would be reliable... much like the Invader i guess, but I don't like the ENGL sound. I also don't trust Marshall build quality.

I don't have a problem with mass production or keeping costs down. again, as long as its not done to level that impacts safety or whatever.

I mentioned the Herbert because I don't think the ribbon wire carries a large voltage but rather FX Loop signal.

Another cool design... the Peavey Classis 30 PCB... simply unfold to fix! by the way, the metal jumpers across the gaps that you bend when opening that are actually in circuit. It's things like this that lead to materials and methods getting a bad rep.

[ToneMonkey]

"Food colouring is fine to dye quilted maple tops"  PDT_038

[Dmoney]

"Food colouring is fine to dye quilted maple tops"  PDT_038

wow?! thats almost like 'spider are scared or conkers'!

I don't understand this.
http://www.laboga.pl/cables/english/way_of_sound.html#jak

[Ian Price]

"This one's a keeper" or similar wording. I've said this many times and each time proved myself wrong.

[dave_mc]

anything which is posted as info for a specific question which then gets turned into black-and-white advice for every situation... that annoys me.

I'm with mark on the powerball- depending on what you're playing, a high gain tube amp turned down will probably sound better than most other options... bar maybe an axe fx or something (which I haven't tried, and which is like two grand anyway). Granted my bedroom volume is probably a bit louder than some people's, I'd never really suggest one if bedroom volume means whisper... but yeah. Again it depends on the specific scenario in question, there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

Also when people are selling something and they wax lyrical about how awesome it is. If it's that awesome, why are you selling it? :lol:

EDIT: oh, now that I think, the opposite of philly's pet peeve- when someone says they play modern metal, and they need a bedroom amp, and someone suggests something like a valve junior. o_O

[FELINEGUITARS]

Some of the "I'm GAS free forever" statements  remind me of my favourite retort to beggars/panhandlers on the street

Beggar: " Have you got any SPARE change"
Me: " I don't know - I haven't finished living yet"

You simply don't kno if you'll have a change of heart further down the line , although everybody gets the gist that you are immensely pleased with your most recent purchases enough to make the statement

[MDV]

EDIT: oh, now that I think, the opposite of philly's pet peeve- when someone says they play modern metal, and they need a bedroom amp, and someone suggests something like a valve junior. o_O

Good one!

Doubly so when they say to put an overdrive infront of the low gain crunch amp. Because thats going to turn it into a 5150.

I can see selling things you think are awesome though. Sometimes something else you want is more awesome to you or you need the money for whatever reason. But you did ask why ;)

[_tom_]

People who say they hear a difference between cables. I think it's BS, I've never noticed any difference in sound between cable brands. This includes pedal board patch leads. The only difference is the ones I bought with Neutrik jacks have lasted a lot longer than the others! If there was any slight dulling of the tone with a massive lead, this could be put back in with the amps eq anyway.

On the point of being GAS free, I've said it and sort of gone back on it! Whilst I don't really have any guitar gas, I have been after a bass + amp recently. But if I look at guitars I always end up thinking "yes it looks nice but it won't do anything better than what I have now".

[MDV]

I can hear differences between cables. Some at least. Some, theres none, or its negligable, some its a big difference.

I know for a fact that I'm not alone in this.

Cables the other way round or cable lengths (up to 20ft, never had need to use longer), no, but brands (and therefore materials and design) very much so.

I think I'm reasonably GAS free now. I dont lust after anything specific and havent in a while, but realise that theres a chance that I'll stumble accross something that demands to be bought that wasnt on my radar before, or develop some particular requirement that prompts me to look for something new. But in the mean time, between my powerball and pittbull CL as main amps (especially the CL; I'd been after that amp for years and didnt realise it), my old bandit, vypyr and advt30xl as practice and scratch track Di modellers, and my legras and jacksons I'm very happy with my gear.

I have some serious mic GAS though.