Why do I like so many amps and more???

[jgcable]

Why is it that so many players are totally picky regarding their amps and their guitars and I'm not?
As long as a guitar has a decent set up I have no problem with it. Number of strings, scale length, neck profile, fret size, etc.. don't seem to bother me at all.
Regarding amps, I tend to like many of the amps I have owned or heard. I like Marshall tone, Mesa tone, Fender tone, Bogner tone, Carvin tone etc...
Unless the amp is total canned ass, I generally like it.
Modelers, SS, hybrid, all tube, rack systems etc.. I am into all of them. There have been exceptions but not that many.
Regarding pedals.. they are my favorite. I like just about every Boss,Ibanez,Digitech and DOD pedal ever made. Even the el-cheapo DS-1 sounds great under the right conditions.
I have always been this way. Most of my player friends are 100% opposite. They like specific guitars, amps and tones. If everything isn't perfect and too their liking, they can't and won't play. Me, on the other hand will pick up just about anything and play through just about anything.
My thoughts have always been if the guitar is over $300.00 and the amp is over $300.00 its almost gauranteed that I will like them. Go figure. Is anybody else here like me?

[GWARGHOUL]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

You like Krank?
The Amps, that is.

I'm like you to a degree...
I had a Crate Blue voodoo.. liked it...
Had a Line 6 Spider II or III (dunno, was new last year before I had to sell it in the move), loved it...

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

[ QUOTE ]
Is anybody else here like me?

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm, no. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Is anybody else here like me?

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm, no. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

You are one of those 100% opposite from me players.
I have friends who have been basically playing the same guitars through the same amps for the last 25 years. They have no idea of what new guitars and amps are out, nor do they care at all. To me, thats like driving the same car you drove in 1980. I guess I am just a really progressive cutting edge type player! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

Well, I know I gave you a little razzin' about this recently, but if you look at the big picture, I guess you are very lucky.
I can't do it. Guitar-wise, I'm pretty much OK on anything quality (although I own the only guitar I care to play, THAT search is over), but amp-wise, I need a certain feel, and I need to be able to "play the amp". The amp has to respond to subtle nuances of muting and pick attack. I cannot do this with anything but tube amps.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

maybe you are tone deaf and everything sounds good to your ears or what are left of them ???? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

*snort*!! Oh jeez...that was disgusting...

[MBreinin]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

Everything can be fixed with a little reverb and delay!!

Mike

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

Well, I hope you didn't take that as anything more than a silly remark.

If you knew what I go through to improve my sound and in my never-ending search for my tone, you certainly wouldn't think that I'm not "cutting edge" haha. I tear apart $1800 preamps to mod them! If that isn't seeking the "cutting edge", I don't know what is. I just don't buy the newest digital gadgetry.

I'm very particular and have owned and played a tremendous amount of stuff and have a pretty high end rig.

I'm VERY aware of what is out there and have laid hands on much of it, if it is available for me to do so. Sadly, I am at the point now where I can't possibly find the stuff I'm into locally and have to buy it on a leap of faith and hope it's something cool.

I guesss that I just don't care to sit and write about every piece of equipment I touch on the board anymore. Wow, if I did, I'd have to be here even much more than I am now, if that's even possible, haha. I do try to have time and interest to share if asked about a particular thing at least...

Sucks being a tone junkie... Wish I was as easily pleased as some people. Life would be easier for sure, hehe...

[toejam]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my Mesa F-30 combo (though, I would probably prefer the head version now). It's got dual reverb, contour boost on the gain channel, bright boost on the clean channel... it just sounds more grainy and fuzzy like a typical Mesa and not quite as smooth like I prefer out of a Marshall. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Though, I'm also pretty happy with the Boss GT-8 I've got now and can get just about any tone from any amp and be totally complacent.

[axeman81]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

John, please don't take this the wrong way [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] but (I'm trying to understand here) do you have a particular playing style? do you write music in one preferred style? Or are you all over the place [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I think these two points are very important in the regard of "feel" and "tone" that you described.

It seems to me that maybe you're happy playing just any sort of music...which means you'll probably be enjoying all kinds of gear. Some of us are more on the one-track train of perfection [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Guitar wise, I'm pretty comfortable with anything too, but I prefer my Jackson SL2H as it just feels right in my hands. I haven't played anything which suited me better (not even close, not yet anyway.)
I also dig some Fender strats, some LP's and I have an Ibanez that I like.
But for my main style of playing...metal..the Jackson is best suited by far. It's a lot of fun playing the blues on a strat, or just rockin' on a Les Paul...but..well..y'know [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Same with amps...Marshalls will do classic rock, Mesa will do down-tuned metal, Fender will do twangin' blues tones to sweet cleans...Each instrument and amp shine in their own field (most of the time)
if you ever tried palm muted riffing on a vintage bridge...it just doesn't cut it! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

when it comes to amps, I'm extremely picky. Like you noticed in my "shootout" thread where I just didn't get any instant liking out of the Mesa DR. (which is an even bigger testament to the Herbert and how I can praise it so much [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

[jgcable]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

[ QUOTE ]
John, please don't take this the wrong way [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] but (I'm trying to understand here) do you have a particular playing style? do you write music in one preferred style? Or are you all over the place [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I think these two points are very important in the regard of "feel" and "tone" that you described.

It seems to me that maybe you're happy playing just any sort of music...which means you'll probably be enjoying all kinds of gear. Some of us are more on the one-track train of perfection [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Guitar wise, I'm pretty comfortable with anything too, but I prefer my Jackson SL2H as it just feels right in my hands. I haven't played anything which suited me better (not even close, not yet anyway.)
I also dig some Fender strats, some LP's and I have an Ibanez that I like.
But for my main style of playing...metal..the Jackson is best suited by far. It's a lot of fun playing the blues on a strat, or just rockin' on a Les Paul...but..well..y'know [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Same with amps...Marshalls will do classic rock, Mesa will do down-tuned metal, Fender will do twangin' blues tones to sweet cleans...Each instrument and amp shine in their own field (most of the time)
if you ever tried palm muted riffing on a vintage bridge...it just doesn't cut it! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

when it comes to amps, I'm extremely picky. Like you noticed in my "shootout" thread where I just didn't get any instant liking out of the Mesa DR. (which is an even bigger testament to the Herbert and how I can praise it so much [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img])

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, I am all over the place in regards to writing, playing and listening. I seem to like every style of music. Celtec is my favorite. Metal is a close second. I like Abba and Lamb of God with a little Greenday and The Beatles mixed in. My favorite guitarists are Malmsteen and Macalpine although I was inspired to play by the guy in the band Chicago who blew his brains out playing russian roulette. 25 or 6 to 4 changed my life forever. Good points by everybody and it confirms... I am one messed up dude.

[Inearthed]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

I think of it like this... Some guys stick with one type of women (redheads or blondes) others appreciate all different types. Some in the latter half have a set of specific qualities need to be in place (tube, solidstate, modern, vintage, etc etc).

People might hassle you but as far as I'm concerned you only live once and you might as well try out all sorts of gear and enjoy playing through all different types of rigs.

[eaeolian]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

I'll bet that no matter what you use, it always ends up sounding like you, right?

In that case, I don't think you have any issues.

[Inazone]

Re: Why do I like so many amps and more???

I like just about anything, as long as it's simple!

Well...hmmm...

OK, maybe not entirely, but complexity is wasted on me. For example, I recently won an eBay auction for an ART DST-4 preamp, and it came with an X-11 MIDI board. Too much hassle for me, so I bought a generic two-button footswitch to bypass the preamp and effects processor sections. No channel switching, no selecting patches...just on and off. At shows, I play a single-channel Peavey 212 Classic combo built in the `70s, with an ART Xtreme pedal for distortion. Add an EQ, gate and delay pedal, and that's my rig. I own other amps, and the only real requirement is that it plays nice with the Xtreme. For guitars, I just want a bridge pickup that can do the death metal crunch and a neck pickup that cleans up nicely.

The beauty of it is that I can afford a main rig, spare and maybe a modded version, all for less than the price of a new rig. It's not vintage, it's just old!