Does your age influence your amp "looks/design" decisions

[jlbaxe]

I really like the older looks of amps, like the Marshall Plexi up to the '81 JMP100 or Bogner XTC amps. Really like the older look of the Mesa Mk series,Mk I to the Mk III or even the Mk IV.

I see the Marshall 410 and newish to new models with a shit ton of knobs and can't bring my self to even try them. Im sure they are great amps but I feel the older amps have more Mojo and tone

Not just Marshall, Fender amps also. Im talking tube amps. They don't have to be old, I like the Uber Rev Blue, Soldano SLO has that old design look and tone. Even the Friedman amps are cool and sound great. Just like that look. New Marshalls and other amps of the 410 design do not interest me. Well the Vintage Modern a little bit but...

My Mesa Mk V is a great amp and I like the features but it is pushing it for me.

I am only running on 3 hrs sleep…..new woman but have thought about this alot over the past 5-8 years

Anyone else have this issue?

 

[chrisrocksusa]

Mesas have a lot of knobs, they are complex amps. I like rectos more than pretty much any amp but I hate the diamond plate look. I like the ones w the cloth or leather faces

 

[Aristocat]

I'm 22 and I had the chance to work in a store that received a high volume of vintage gear (Hiwatt, Marshall etc.) and I think it's a preferential thing more so.

My favorite look is an old Plexi style amp; 100 watts with huge iron and without a back cover! Better to see those glowing tubes once in a while.

Although Mesa amps are great, I hate the smaller style headshells. The Mark series comes to mind.

There's some mojo to older amps but I think that could be chalked up to getting a hold of a 'good one'. Not every amp made from 1966 to 1980 was wonderful and loaded with harmonics/tone. Why do you think have of them were modded to hell?

 

[Deleted member 16554]

The looks definitely play a part for me (guitars especially). With amps there are certain brands I won't try on my own (not naming names or all hell will descend upon me ). I will admit i have been proven wrong in the past because i judged solely on looks and then after trying it by some weird stroke of chance, i ended up owning one or at least admitting it wasnt half bad.

As I've gotten older I've definitely wandered away from the 4 channel/bajillion options amps to single/dual channel amps but that's entirely because I know what "my tone" is and how I can get it.

 

[rocknrolla]

I don't really give a shit what an amp looks like. Just how it's built, the sound, and useable (to me at least) features.

 

[chrisrocksusa]

The looks definitely play a part for me (guitars especially). With amps there are certain brands I won't try on my own (not naming names or all hell will descend upon me ). I will admit i have been proven wrong in the past because i judged solely on looks and then after trying it by some weird stroke of chance, i ended up owning one or at least admitting it wasnt half bad.

As I've gotten older I've definitely wandered away from the 4 channel/bajillion options amps to single/dual channel amps but that's entirely because I know what "my tone" is and how I can get it.

guitars annoy me to no end.

I immediately dismiss anything with a BC rich in it or a razor back or something lol

 

[Ventura]

Looks do play a role, even though they really shouldn't. That said, I've got a pretty broad scope of acceptance, so for an amp to fall under the "not" category would mean it would really have to be ugly as sin.
Fortunately I've gone the path of hearing a tone, following that tone, and understanding the rig to get me to what I own as far as amps are concerned today. Do they all look nice? Hell yeah. That 20thA XTC in Anniversary Antique White is sick. But it sounds even better than it looks

It is what it is. For the record - any amps with LED internal disco lighting get immediately discounted as "true amps" in my book. Truth.

 

[5150clone]

Huge for me. I dont think ive interested in a amp if it didnt at least catch my eye on some level. A lot like women really..

 

[Ventura]

Huge for me. I dont think ive interested in a amp if it didnt at least catch my eye on some level. A lot like women really..

In my experience, some of the finest looking women would have been much better off without a voice.

 

[John4021]

Huge for me. I dont think ive interested in a amp if it didnt at least catch my eye on some level. A lot like women really..

In my experience, some of the finest looking women would have been much better off without a voice.

Amen brutha...amen

And,since the OP has a new women that doesnt let him get a lot of sleep,maybe we can pray that
Soldano Surf box out of his hands (trade for shiny trinkets for the lady)

 

[thegame]

Most pro players don't care what an amp looks like because they are facing an audience, so they can't see the amp most of the time.

Many basement warriors with expensive gear play to an audience of one (nothing wrong with that) and usually face their gear because it beats looking at unfinished drywall.

 

[5150clone]

Huge for me. I dont think ive interested in a amp if it didnt at least catch my eye on some level. A lot like women really..

In my experience, some of the finest looking women would have been much better off without a voice.

Hehe..very true

 

[Heritage Softail]

With age and a few bucks, I like some nicer gear. I don't think I would have turned away a AAA flamed maple top LP back then, I can just afford it now.

As far as the tone, in a funny way it has came back full circle in many ways. The old tube amps used on the early albums are back in now. Lemmy mentioned that he will always go back to the first rock and roll he liked as a kid. Me too. I was playing a genuine 68 Princeton reverb this weekend. Perfect tone, just a sweet amp.

That said, I am looking forward to my Rhodes Gemini gain monster. My age has made the number of things I like get wider, not more narrow.

 

[jsp]

Looks do matter to me, but I'm not that picky about what I think looks good enough. As long as it doesn't look cheesy or cheap, I will consider it if it sounds good.

I used to hate the look of the Roadster's half treadplate/half leather front, but it's grown on me and now it's actually one of my favorite metal-looking amps...

 

[VH4_BigRig]

Once in a while I'll see an amp that is so ugly that I wouldn't touch it if it sounded like god himself, but for the most part it doesn't really matter to me as long as it's reliable and sounds good! I do however dislike that classic yellowish colour that some amps have, like the Peavey Classics or Fender Hot Rods. Ick.

I think my favorite amp design-wise I've seen so far is the H&K amps- a glowing blue faceplate with glowing red tubes in the back looks pretty badass to me

 

[VH4_BigRig]

Huge for me. I dont think ive interested in a amp if it didnt at least catch my eye on some level. A lot like women really..

In my experience, most women would have been much better off without a voice.

Fixed

 

[JerEvil]

I find it's not my age so much. I personally just like a more stylish looking amp. I like interesting tolex options, cool unique knobs. Panel layout is a big deal as well. I hate a small panel with a bunch of shit crammed into it, even if it is all functional. Maybe this is more due to being a graphic designer. I appreciate something more creatively aesthetic.

 

[Gadzz]

I'm going on 40 and I'm getting a SS-100 Ray Gun and all!! ;-)

 

[racerevlon]

I don't really give a shit what an amp looks like. Just how it's built, the sound, and useable (to me at least) features.

^^^^^This...

 

[Badronald]

No. I've always like traditional stuff....Plexi, Twin Reverb, Mesa Mark, Les Paul, Strat, Tele.

I like stuff to look cool based on my perceptions and why shouldn't I?