I think it’s safe to say we all have a different idea about what the perfect amp would entail. One knob, a billion knobs, head, combo, 8X15, 1X8, tubes, solid state, etc. etc.
As potentially misleading as the blog topic is, I MEAN to talk about a good (as close to perfect as possible) all-around amp, not the perfect amp for you or me.
Basically my thinking is this: it doesn’t exist.
Whereas with guitars your fingers help craft the tone and at the end of the day the guitar is as versatile as you are, amps seem to be a lot more… Dedicated. This is why we have pedals, after all. Your amp isn’t giving you enough of what you want so you supplement it and add on with a pedal or two. It’s not a big deal, it’s just that amps seem to have very few real tonal options. I think the amp that comes closest is the module-using Randall but it’s versatile because the entire pre-amp section can get swapped out which seems to be a disqualifying factor.
What got me thinking about this was a recent Guitar World interview with the guitarist from Shadows Fall, Jonathan Donais, where he was talking about his problem with most amps. He said most amps either excel in the classic thrash/metal tone but fail in the modern low end usage or they excel in that low end chunk but aren’t really articulate. The amp that he’s most satisfied with is a Rivera and playing it, I could see why. He was making it sound pretty great.
Is it a good goal for an amp manufacturer to attempt to make the perfect amp?
I don’t think so. Joe Carducci of Gretsch Guitars says that if you try to please everyone you become nothing. I believe it. I think with all of the classic and modern tones that people are wanting there’s just too much ground to cover and then you add the fact that some people don’t like a lot of knobs (I love the Mesa Boogie sound but the number of knobs is intimidating) and it’s difficult to think that pursuit of this goal is just a painful way to lose all sorts of money in R&D and production.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention modeling amps since this seems to be their exclusive goal. My problem with these amps is NOT that they’re solid state, is NOT that there’s a heavy circuit board in it that would be difficult/impossible to repair or replace in the future but solely because there are numerous comments (not even complaints) that these amps excel in one or two tones.
Anyway, in the end I look at amps more like specific tools with specific tonal flavors and it is a far better idea to try to make the best possible tone in that specific range. Trying to nail ONE tone is just as silly as trying to nail ALL tones. The Shanghai 64/1 is a great example of what I mean by making the best possible tone in a specific range. It’s plenty versatile as you turn up the volume, going from cleans with just a BIT of hair to the notes, to having a very satisfactory punk rock crunch, but I doubt Jonathan Donais will be ordering one to replace his Rivera for his Shadows Fall gig because a metal amp it is not.
But there are plenty of great metal amps out there.
There are plenty of clean amps out there.
There are plenty of amps that hearken back to the tones of the 60’s or 70’s.
If you’re looking to buy an amp that is as close to perfect you should look at what you like the MOST as far as music goes. What genre is the most played in your iTunes library? Perhaps that’s the kind of amp you should look at and then if the amp bug bites you (it bites hard) or you find yourself really jonesing for an amp that does something ELSE very well, then start saving for that one. Collecting amps is just as cool as collecting guitars to a guitarist because of the wealth of tones. The biggest difference between the two, however is guitars look radically different where amps are generally wooden boxes that vary slightly in looks which means it’s a lot tougher to justify. In the end though, I doubt any guitarist would say “why do you need another amp? You already have ONE!”
-Pappy
3 comments:
Learning knobs on an amp is easy--just read the words above them to figure out what they do. How hard is that?
If anyone thinks it's intimidating, they should approach an amp like learning a song--break it down into sections. You'll see that the amp usually has lines drawn to group knobs into different sections.
I've not owned many amps. I got a crappy little practice amp when I bought my 1st electric, then a Peavey Backstage that was only used for playing at home. When I started rehearsing with a band I found that it didn't cut it. I thought long and hard about what to get. Criteria were
1. Powerful enough to compete with a drum kit and other guitarist with his nice Laney valve combo
2. Portable, so I could get it to the rehearsal venue each week
3. Versatile enough to handle a range of styles
4. Not too expensive
I went for the Roland Cube 80x. It met the above criteria and I was able to get a good deal on it. It was also attracted by having some effects to play with and the looper. The latter is useful for practicing and I've been listening to various people who make use of loops.
I have to say that I haven't mastered it yet as I only used a few tones with the band and don't use it so much at home. It can certainly produce a lot of tones, but I can't say whether it can sound as good as a good valve amp. You'll find mixed opinions on sites like The Gear Page.
There's a lot of mysticism around amps with certain models spoken of in awed tones. I think the pursuit of tone can become an obsession for some. I'm trying to concentrate on my playing for now and will worry about tweaking the amp later.
I think it's a little whacky to think that it's acceptable to buy an amp that doesn't cover all the sonic ground a guitarist would normally tread. Yes, there ARE amps that are made specifically to deliver clean tones, classic tones, thrash tones, etc. But there are a wealth of amps that are made to be far more versatile. And like you said, you can always add pedals.
Bringing two amps to a gig would be fine if your've got roadies to handle the cartage and your backline. But if I'VE got to schlep them, that's a lot harder to justify. (CAVEAT: I actually DO use 2 amps in my rig. But one's for the mag pickups, and the other for Acoustic and Keys. And believe me, managing them both is a bitch!)
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