Am I missing out on anything with boutique amps?

Smashedguitarist said:
Hey. I love Dime's tone...lol
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His tone was very effective in the context of his band and at the time I’m guessing was nothing else like it, whether you love or hate the sound. I have mixed feelings about it myself. The thing is he was clearly a tone chaser/corksniffer like us. He doesn’t seem like the kinda guy that would’ve just been like yeah this tone is good enough, time to move on. I mean the Furman PQ3, blue mxr 6 band, etc. He clearly thought about mixing the ingredients to craft his sound
 
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Metalhex said:
I get the point that everyone says, if you love it, then just stick with it. But I wonder if it's one of things where you love something because you don't "know" what better is because you haven't tried it yet....kinda like only playing on a stock Squier strat for 2 years and thinking it's great because you've gotten used to it, then someone hands you an American strat and it may be like, whoa this is what a strat should feel and sound like! Where have you been all my life?

Or, getting only decent/less than stellar BJ's from your woman for 5 years, then you meet a new woman who literally blows you away with amazing technique that you didn't know existed and it's a night and day difference. Then it's very possible that you may say, I should have made the switch sooner!

But it seems the majority on here say that yeah, a boutique amp will be better, but maybe only 20% or so better. That's what I'm getting from this thread. That coupled with the fact that it's an expensive hobby to be throwing money around with diminishing returns.
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That’s exactly why I’ve always hated the ignorance is bliss approach. I prefer to be out of the matrix. Just not cheap to do sadly… Honestly 20% better would be a huge diffference, but I don’t think you can really quantify it like that. Just use your ears and let them decide

Here’s another way I look at. In my field of classical guitar, if you look at the very best players who have very successful careers, you can argue the difference between them and the next best players that didn’t make it with no real careers is less than 1% better with their playing, but clearly that 1% or so is HUGE and critical. It’s kinda similar with gear. Look how much more expensive a Klon, Dumble or iic+ is over other stuff. I think with many things life the 2nd best often is worth way less than the best even if the margins are very small
 
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JerEvil said:
Not sure where I mentioned trying to impress anyone??? FFS! Lol.

Look at life outside this forum or any forum for that matter. Dedicated FB/Social Media groups are FULL of people sharing their love for a brand. That was my point. There is a “tribal” aspect to owning a particular amp/piece of gear.

And to your point about getting the best tone…. That’s all subjective. To MANY an Ampeg VH140 is the greatest tone in the world. Shit some people think Dime had good tone.

My point was boutique amps can be a “I finally got one”. Never said it was to impress anyone.
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I like the guys who post up tons of pics, videos of them opening the box, etc. and you ask them how it is and they say they haven’t had time to play it yet. Lol
 
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braintheory said:
The social factor part implied to me looking for approval or praise from others, but maybe I misunderstood. Yes, I’m aware of those Facebook groups. I’m technically a member of a whole bunch, but don’t really participate in them for that reason. That tribal thing is beyond idiotic to me and I guess I would be considered very unfaithful there to the tribes lol

I’m well aware for those Ampeg VH140’s. In my experience trying them in person and hearing them in their recordings, they can be cool at first, but I got over them pretty fast, especially with the mark iii that was in the room, but whatever subjective like you said. I would bet money that to most who really liked those Ampegs, if we were in the same room with one and some of my other amps, very few, if any, guys would still care at all about that amp. I know it’s subjective, but I just think the amp’s tonal shortcomings would be too blatantly exposed in that context. YMMV. I am huge fan though of the HM-2. Have an original one. It’s to me one of those things that sounds so bad that it’s amazing haha
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All good man. Agree on the 140. I like the tone but tire of it quickly when playing one. I’ve got a couple preamp pedals based on the amp which are pretty convincing.

I too love an HM-2 as well. Honestly I can plug one in and just riff out for hours.
 
mhenson42 said:
I like the guys who post up tons of pics, videos of them opening to box, etc. and you ask them how it is and they say they haven’t had time to play it yet. Lol
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That’s me on everything! Lol. I JUST finally got to run through the IICP module!

Or did you mean me???
 
mhenson42 said:
I like the guys who post up tons of pics, videos of them opening the box, etc. and you ask them how it is and they say they haven’t had time to play it yet. Lol
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I have felt this way with some pieces of gear. I had played it of course. But i would be more excited about the name on the gear than the sound. That fades quickly, lol
 
JerEvil said:
Nope not yet. Soon enough though. I’m heading out to “he who shall not be named” in a few weeks to check out his Wizard and that Bogner modded SLO! Lol.

Anyway, Wizard is high on my GAS list and I’ll definitely hit you up should I be out your way.
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I was considering bringing my MCII on that road trip I just took. My thought was to drop it off with you for a few days, but then my plans changed and it turned in to too much of a whirlwind trip and I just didn't have the time to make it work. I really wanted you to take it for a spin.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
I was considering bringing my MCII on that road trip I just took. My thought was to drop it off with you for a few days, but then my plans changed and it turned in to too much of a whirlwind trip and I just didn't have the time to make it work. I really wanted you to take it for a spin.
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Oh man, that would’ve been awesome! Also, I probably would’ve shit my pants! LOL.
 
JerEvil said:
Oh man, that would’ve been awesome! Also, I probably would’ve shit my pants! LOL.
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Well I didn't want to be the one to bring up your shitting yourself, but since you mentioned it first...that was another reason I didn't bring it along...didn't want any splatter on my amp. You get shit on power tubes and it just stinks for weeks until it burns off...LOL!

I know we like similar amps/tones, & really wanted to see what you thought of it. Don't know where I would have fit it in the car on the drive back though because between my gear and the head and 412 I picked up in Cali, I was packed to the gills on the way home. Phucking marathon trip too...more less two days driving, two nights in Cali, two nights rush home. I'll be going out again at some point...maybe I'll still get it to ya to hammer on.
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Well I didn't want to be the one to bring up your shitting yourself, but since you mentioned it first...that was another reason I didn't bring it along...didn't want any splatter on my amp. You get shit on power tubes and it just stinks for weeks until it burns off...LOL!

I know we like similar amps/tones, & really wanted to see what you thought of it. Don't know where I would have fit it in the car on the drive back though because between my gear and the head and 412 I picked up in Cali, I was packed to the gills on the way home. Phucking marathon trip too...more less two days driving, two nights in Cali, two nights rush home. I'll be going out again at some point...maybe I'll still get it to ya to hammer on.
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This was another thing I was thinking. I know trhat Jer Evil was a fan of the fryette stuff. I think those amps seem to translate to liking wizards. Most of the people that have problems with those amps are because they aren't super compressed and easy to play. I like compressed amps also, but Raw and Open are much more aligned with what i want out of an amp these days.
 
Smashedguitarist said:
This was another thing I was thinking. I know trhat Jer Evil was a fan of the fryette stuff. I think those amps seem to translate to liking wizards. Most of the people that have problems with those amps are because they aren't super compressed and easy to play. I like compressed amps also, but Raw and Open are much more aligned with what i want out of an amp these days.
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I have problems with wizards because they sound like hollowed pieces of wood lacking anything mid character with a shrill diode clipping top end and a depth circuit not tuned correctly that emphasizes only frequencies below 80Hz. It has nothing to do with playability and every bit of the fact they record awful and are either a you love it tone or you don’t tone. I’ve tried to see what people love in them and I just don’t get it.
 
Smashedguitarist said:
This was another thing I was thinking. I know trhat Jer Evil was a fan of the fryette stuff. I think those amps seem to translate to liking wizards. Most of the people that have problems with those amps are because they aren't super compressed and easy to play. I like compressed amps also, but Raw and Open are much more aligned with what i want out of an amp these days.
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Yep. I love the Fryette amps for the same reasons I love Wizards. Unforgiving, fast attack, articulation, balls. I just brought home a VHT era D60 and recently acquired a 100 CLX and I feel like they're both capable of more saturation then the Wizards, but somehow are more revealing than Wizards. Maybe not the CLX, but the D60 is. You just have to really be spot on or D60 says....you suck dude.
 
glpg80 said:
I have problems with wizards because they sound like hollowed pieces of wood lacking anything mid character with a shrill diode clipping top end and a depth circuit not tuned correctly that emphasizes only frequencies below 80Hz. It has nothing to do with playability and every bit of the fact they record awful and are either a you love it tone or you don’t tone. I’ve tried to see what people love in them and I just don’t get it.
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Did you own the MTL and MC/MCII?

I couldn't jive with the MTL and honestly sold it within two weeks. Great feel and quality of the tone, but as you mention, the eq was just off. Was missing certain mid frequencies IMO. I tried various eqs in the loop, overdrives, guitars, pickups, cabs and speakers. Just always had this hollow spot to my ears.
 
glpg80 said:
I have problems with wizards because they sound like hollowed pieces of wood lacking anything mid character with a shrill diode clipping top end and a depth circuit not tuned correctly that emphasizes only frequencies below 80Hz. It has nothing to do with playability and every bit of the fact they record awful and are either a you love it tone or you don’t tone. I’ve tried to see what people love in them and I just don’t get it.
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I laughed so hard at that take. But fair enough.
 
I don't care if people like Wizards or not. I especially like people who bitch about the price tag. I like mine and don't give a fuck. I'm not trying to convince anyone to buy one or not. I do find that most people who like Fryette amps love Wizards.
 
JerEvil said:
Nope not yet. Soon enough though. I’m heading out to “he who shall not be named” in a few weeks to check out his Wizard and that Bogner modded SLO! Lol.

Anyway, Wizard is high on my GAS list and I’ll definitely hit you up should I be out your way.
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Holy fuck man, don't tell him that you can get great tones for less than $4,000 or he will have a meltdown!
 
JerEvil said:
To MANY an Ampeg VH140 is the greatest tone in the world.
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And I’m one of them still even after 20 years and however many great amps I have now. I tired many amps with my last band thinking I gotta try something else just because and they just don’t do what the ampeg does for me, properly run in full stereo power into a 1960 is as good as it gets for me playing the brutal metal I do.
 
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