steve_k
New member
I saw Elvis last week and had a chat.
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MrDowntown
Well-known member
Mailman1971
Moderator
Fat elvis or skinny elvis?steve_k":1cm0scih said:
R Weaver FX
Member
Pilled up,toilet Elvis?
R Weaver FX
Member
Nifkin pendulum!TrueTone500":1ys4q9oa said:
T
TrueTone500
Banned
New member
I think Billy has it worked out quite well actually. I agree that he is not the most cosmopolitan individual in the world... Who cares? He wants to supply players with amplifiers they will enjoy playing, but not empty their wallets in the process... If that is his business model - God bless him!glip22":1mown3go said:
I don't know Billy, but I have spoken with him on the phone a couple of times. He's a Gemini, so he has quite the individual personality...
He is mindful, and seems to have a firm knowledge of what it is he is doing. As I stated before, I'm not a fan of the cup holder on top of a high-current device, but that's me.I've gone through many high gain amp clips over the last several years, and so far, the Blades amplifier (to my ears) has a sound that is more organic than any of the Cameron, Friedman, and whatever other amplifiers that have influenced his builds. I have not had a chance to inspect a Blade's build up-close, but if there were anything questionable, I would most certainly call attention to it.
crankyrayhanky
Well-known member
Great news for Blades fans...the THE COLLECTION KILLER is now available. Just a bit out of my price range...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blades-Firebolt ... 2a46f6a5d7
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Blades-Firebolt ... 2a46f6a5d7
anomaly
Well-known member
Tone is serious business!
MIchbiking
New member
crankyrayhanky":1ei24agh said:
that listing is an insult to everyone's intelligence
mooncobra
Well-known member
crankyrayhanky":df4f2cfm said:
Holy shit, that is Blades real ebay account, and he is really asking 13 grand for an amp and cab. Yup, he has gone too far yet again. What I don't understand after reading his description of the amp is this: is he trying to make a joke about prices, or does he really think this "one of a kind" amp is worth 13 grand??
T
TrueTone500
Banned
New member
The listing is a joke perpetrated by Billy Blade's himself.crankyrayhanky":2z759wk0 said:
From the listing description...
"THIS LISTING IS FOR THE "PRICE TAG SNOBS" WHO BELIEVE THAT ANY PRICE ATTACHED TO AN ITEM DICTATES THE QUALITY WITHIN. They fail to realize most "boutique-brands" use kits and overcharge to the Extreme, so we included this listing to satisfy that Market AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING ORIGINAL ! They believe a price tag is more important than the guts of the amp which in this case , Blades competes, and in some cases SURPASSES !
With that said,,, here is the Most expensive amp we ever created! Price equals mojo right ? lol"
Idiots...
B
Bob Savage
Well-known member
crankyrayhanky":11obfnso said:
It comes with free shipping. Someone is going to be all over that.
Maybe this is in your budget?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/THD-BiValve-30- ... 5863&rt=nc
GOHOINC
Well-known member
Guys that thing is "Legend Approved"! You know you want to want to join the legends in "Euforia"...
maddnotez
Banned
Well-known member
TrueTone500":2t5e2xkx said:I think Billy has it worked out quite well actually. I agree that he is not the most cosmopolitan individual in the world... Who cares? He wants to supply players with amplifiers they will enjoy playing, but not empty their wallets in the process... If that is his business model - God bless him!glip22":2t5e2xkx said:
I don't know Billy, but I have spoken with him on the phone a couple of times. He's a Gemini, so he has quite the individual personality...
I've gone through many high gain amp clips over the last several years, and so far, the Blades amplifier (to my ears) has a sound that is more organic than any of the Cameron, Friedman, and whatever other amplifiers that have influenced his builds. I have not had a chance to inspect a Blade's build up-close, but if there were anything questionable, I would most certainly call attention to it.
TrueTone500":2t5e2xkx said:The listing is a joke perpetrated by Billy Blade's himself.crankyrayhanky":2t5e2xkx said:
From the listing description...
"THIS LISTING IS FOR THE "PRICE TAG SNOBS" WHO BELIEVE THAT ANY PRICE ATTACHED TO AN ITEM DICTATES THE QUALITY WITHIN. They fail to realize most "boutique-brands" use kits and overcharge to the Extreme, so we included this listing to satisfy that Market AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING ORIGINAL ! They believe a price tag is more important than the guts of the amp which in this case , Blades competes, and in some cases SURPASSES !
With that said,,, here is the Most expensive amp we ever created! Price equals mojo right ? lol"
Idiots...
I am really starting to like this guy Billy Blades. I emailed him a few times about his amps a while back and he seemed pretty awesome to me. Yeah maybe a little out there but I probably am as well.
The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...
Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.
But maybe he did talk to Jose, Maybe he did get screwed over by a builder, maybe he did see an unfair monopoly in "botique" amplifiers.
At the end of the day no one will know for sure except those involved so if you are going to base your judgement on Politics. Than I think you are an idiot too
If an amp sounds good it sounds good. Blades may have had a few hiccups along the way. He may not be "cool with the in crowd" but he's got an amp that sounds pretty damn good to me.
I like and respect the EVH thing or the "plexis" whatever they are called but I do not play that style so I would never own one but if you really think about it.
Let's break it down. Friedman Brown Eye is $3,600, Bray 100 is about $3k fully loaded, Bogner Helios is $2,850 and the Blades 100W are about $2k.
So it is in fact cheaper than all of the competition. I am sure there are many other amps out there that I am not mentioning but if he can sell an all american made amp at $2k and we all know he is surely making a profit....That maybe he is right. Maybe the big guys are really bending people over?
There are going to be differences in tone I know and I know tone is subjective. I have never played any of these amps and they all sound good in their respective ways.
All I have are you tube videos to judge but I am with True Tone. The Firebolt sounds pretty fucking amazing for this kind of an amp. I actually liked it better than the clips I have heard of the Brown Eye which is about $1,600 more. Maybe I was listening to the wrong clips but until I can play one I can't judge and I have learned to not buy something for the name or for the politics.
Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.
#Billyblades for Governor.
R Weaver FX
Member
Bottom line is neither of you will put your money where your mouth is. I would respect what both of you say if you would just step up,actually buy one and then praise it after the honeymoon was over.Pete Thorn can make clips with the worst piece of dog shit amp on the planet and still sound great.That doesn't hold true for everyone even if they were playing an amp made by Jesus Van Halen himself. Folks come here and bash industry people all the time for their attitudes and business practices but Blades is the guy we should look the other way about and buy his goods? He won't stop talking shit about all the other builders and modders so why shouldn't he receive the same? No way that cat sees my money. He may be a great guy in other aspects of life but he should probably drop the "I got fucked by Cameron" business model now. Its old.maddnotez":28z5yhg6 said:TrueTone500":28z5yhg6 said:I think Billy has it worked out quite well actually. I agree that he is not the most cosmopolitan individual in the world... Who cares? He wants to supply players with amplifiers they will enjoy playing, but not empty their wallets in the process... If that is his business model - God bless him!glip22":28z5yhg6 said:
I don't know Billy, but I have spoken with him on the phone a couple of times. He's a Gemini, so he has quite the individual personality...
I've gone through many high gain amp clips over the last several years, and so far, the Blades amplifier (to my ears) has a sound that is more organic than any of the Cameron, Friedman, and whatever other amplifiers that have influenced his builds. I have not had a chance to inspect a Blade's build up-close, but if there were anything questionable, I would most certainly call attention to it.
TrueTone500":28z5yhg6 said:The listing is a joke perpetrated by Billy Blade's himself.crankyrayhanky":28z5yhg6 said:
From the listing description...
"THIS LISTING IS FOR THE "PRICE TAG SNOBS" WHO BELIEVE THAT ANY PRICE ATTACHED TO AN ITEM DICTATES THE QUALITY WITHIN. They fail to realize most "boutique-brands" use kits and overcharge to the Extreme, so we included this listing to satisfy that Market AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING ORIGINAL ! They believe a price tag is more important than the guts of the amp which in this case , Blades competes, and in some cases SURPASSES !
With that said,,, here is the Most expensive amp we ever created! Price equals mojo right ? lol"
Idiots...
I am really starting to like this guy Billy Blades. I emailed him a few times about his amps a while back and he seemed pretty awesome to me. Yeah maybe a little out there but I probably am as well.
The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...
Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.
But maybe he did talk to Jose, Maybe he did get screwed over by a builder, maybe he did see an unfair monopoly in "botique" amplifiers.
At the end of the day no one will know for sure except those involved so if you are going to base your judgement on Politics. Than I think you are an idiot too
If an amp sounds good it sounds good. Blades may have had a few hiccups along the way. He may not be "cool with the in crowd" but he's got an amp that sounds pretty damn good to me.
I like and respect the EVH thing or the "plexis" whatever they are called but I do not play that style so I would never own one but if you really think about it.
Let's break it down. Friedman Brown Eye is $3,600, Bray 100 is about $3k fully loaded, Bogner Helios is $2,850 and the Blades 100W are about $2k.
So it is in fact cheaper than all of the competition. I am sure there are many other amps out there that I am not mentioning but if he can sell an all american made amp at $2k and we all know he is surely making a profit....That maybe he is right. Maybe the big guys are really bending people over?
There are going to be differences in tone I know and I know tone is subjective. I have never played any of these amps and they all sound good in their respective ways.
All I have are you tube videos to judge but I am with True Tone. The Firebolt sounds pretty fucking amazing for this kind of an amp. I actually liked it better than the clips I have heard of the Brown Eye which is about $1,600 more. Maybe I was listening to the wrong clips but until I can play one I can't judge and I have learned to not buy something for the name or for the politics.
Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.
#Billyblades for Governor.
T
TrueTone500
Banned
New member
Somebody needs a hug...Padre Bonic":5pr92j7a said:
R Weaver FX
Member
I get plenty of them from my kids but thanks!TrueTone500":1hk88942 said:Somebody needs a hug...Padre Bonic":1hk88942 said:
Mailman1971
Moderator
Whoooaaaa black betty......bam a lam....
A
Anonymous
Guest
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
No, that is not true. There are three things that are indisputable. He sold someone a prototype that was a fire and electrocution risk (I say this as someone who builds amps who could clearly see this in the pictures) and secondly, he conned some knowledgable guys on a forum to provide him with schematics and guidance based explicitly on the idea that he was building one for himself because he had been ripped off and that he would not use the info to start a business, which he clearly did. Finally, he bad mouths his competitors without any real facts online by name, which is just ridiculous. He also uses their product names to market his own products, implying you get the same thing for less, which is really bad form.
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
Could be, but it really doesn't matter. Folks who buy into his martyr/savior marketing and can ignore the indisputable facts mentioned will do business with him. More power to him, as I said.
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
It is theoretically possible he talked with Jose as I said, and perhaps a builder did screw him over. This whole unfair monopoly in "boutique" amplifiers is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. The information, schematics, everything that Billy used to build his amps is in MANY people's heads and no one is telling them they can't start an amp business. In addition, no one is being forced to buy anyone's amps, so where is the monopoly?
Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:At the end of the day no one will know for sure except those involved so if you are going to base your judgement on Politics. Than I think you are an idiot too
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
If his amps appeal to you, you believe them to be high quality and you can ignore the indisputable facts, then grab one, by all means. The guy is here to meet your needs.
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
Once again, if you think his amps can equal the tone and high quality work of these other builders grab one! Others have a different opinion and will buy from the other folks
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
You say you are sure he is making a profit. How can you be sure? He might just be an idiot who isn't accounting for his personal labor costs, R&D, ongoing support, advertising, etc and is actually losing money because he is assuming his profit is the difference between what he's paying for the parts and third party labor costs and what he's charging for the completed amps. Maybe the big boys are actually running P&Ls and are charging what they have to to make a profit taking all this (and more) into account in their pricing and they have been and will continue to be around for that reason. Maybe when you need warranty work, they will be around and he won't. Ever think of that?
Or not, who knows...
One thing I'll say is that my amp is a two channel amp with much higher quality parts, cosmetics, chassis, transformers, etc and it is priced accordingly. My new 50W single channel will be priced in the ball park of Blades amps and it will be built with the same high quality components, cosmetics, transformers, etc. as my flagship 2 channel amp. So, it would be good to at least compare apples to apples when talking price. Some of the amps you mentioned the prices of are two channel amps as well...
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
As you said, tone is subjective and maybe there is a reason for the price difference when you are running a real P&L and not running by the seat of your pants...
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?
maddnotez":27p4uxw7 said:
Ok, I guess.
Steve
ejecta
Active member
I like the direction of this thread.
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