Unpopular opinion - high end amps aren't comparatively that expensive

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japetus said:
I would like to add to this another point which dovetails your point. I have owned a lot of amps and the rig that I have found works best for me really would not be considered an expensive rig. Going back in the day...the amount of money that I spent chasing things that DIDNT work far outweighed the final outcome of what did. At least people now can have a realistic expectation of what they are getting when they drop $3-6k on a new production amp. A whole lot less flying blind.
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Isn't this the truth 😂

Do your homework, buy it once, buy the right thing

Most people KNOW what the right thing is, instinctively, too
 
DanTravis62 said:
Isn't this the truth 😂

Do your homework, buy it once, buy the right thing

Most people KNOW what the right thing is, instinctively, too
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I don’t look at price as what drives what sounds good or even rarity for that matter.

I’ve got a Laney GH100S on the low end investment wise and my mark III+/++ Coliseum that’s the most expensive amp investment I’ve ever personally made and I absolutely love both of them equally.
 
glpg80 said:
I don’t look at price as what drives what sounds good or even rarity for that matter.

I’ve got a Laney GH100S on the low end investment wise and my mark III+/++ Coliseum that’s the most expensive amp investment I’ve ever personally made and I absolutely love both of them equally.
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Absolutely agree, my favorite amps are on both ends of the spectrum as well - Larry on the high end, and Steavens poundcakes which you can find for low 1000s all day every day, Laney AORs which are even cheaper

Price isn't really the determining factor

It's that you find something that works for you, and some are expensive, some aren't
 
Metalhex said:
It belongs to the studio we hired. And I apologize as a mic isn't an amp!
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No worries. I was looking at it from the aspect of the studio you hired making money off the mic, assuming they also provide amps as part of their studio service.

That’s cool that you hired a studio and did all the tracking there. Your band must be tight
 
glpg80 said:
I don’t look at price as what drives what sounds good or even rarity for that matter.

I’ve got a Laney GH100S on the low end investment wise and my mark III+/++ Coliseum that’s the most expensive amp investment I’ve ever personally made and I absolutely love both of them equally.
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Lol…an 80’s Laney is also my least expensive amp from what I’ve paid over the years but I wouldn’t part with it. It sounds friggin’ great. I’d rather use it with a boost than almost any high gain Marshall style boutique I’ve played.
 
mooncobra said:
If I get an amp that sounds glorious and is fun to play, to me that’s worth the cost of entry. 3.5k for a killer tone machine is fine. I’ve paid more than that. I was fired up and excited to get the amp. Was it worth it? 110% Just the sheer enjoyment and hours spent with my mind in the clouds playing is priceless to me. It’s basically an endless supply of pure enjoyment. That’s worth anything to me. Screw it all!! You only live once! I want my one go around to be encompassed in glorious tone, pure enjoyment, fun and to maximize all of it!!
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Yep this is what it's all about in the end. Most of the players I know are sane, so understand the tube amp obsession. Occasionally I'll get a remark saying a Kemper can replace them all. Sigh.

I don't buy the 'they're just tools' or the 'audience doesn't care' arguments in the slightest. Amps are more creative instrument than tool, and having fun, being inspired and enjoying the experience trumps anything else in my view.

I see it like this - I get tones out of modelers and shitty amps, I get joy out of the good stuff. Good doesn't have to be expensive, but often is. And getting years of pleasure out of a 4k amp then selling it for 3 is well worth it to me, that's a lot of value for a grand.
 
ZEN Amps said:
Yep this is what it's all about in the end. Most of the players I know are sane, so understand the tube amp obsession. Occasionally I'll get a remark saying a Kemper can replace them all. Sigh.

I don't buy the 'they're just tools' or the 'audience doesn't care' arguments in the slightest. Amps are more creative instrument than tool, and having fun, being inspired and enjoying the experience trumps anything else in my view.

I see it like this - I get tones out of modelers and shitty amps, I get joy out of the good stuff. Good doesn't have to be expensive, but often is. And getting years of pleasure out of a 4k amp then selling it for 3 is well worth it to me, that's a lot of value for a grand.
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There for a while you’d thought RT was just going to be AXFX users swapping preset files, it was hard to discuss anything tube amp related as it was always caught with modeler flack. As times progressed the cult followers went to the AFX forums and the remaining understood there’s a place for both. I’ll agree whole heartedly that amps are more than a tool, but I find modelers are indeed just tools. They can’t do anything tube amps can do once you ignore money and weight.

The whole audience doesn’t care part always perplexed me. I noticed I’m way more concerned about not fucking up a song with a loud amp cranked than I am about my tone as long as my setup lets me get the dynamics I need to cover parts correctly - cleans, delay for leads, crunch, and rhythm. In that regard the audience just wants to have a good time and listen to songs they love. If that means I need to have an amp to do what I do, then by association the audience needs it too.

Tube amps make the hairs raise up on my back when someone’s playing one correctly and feeling the amp - there’s nothing you put to words on a forum to describe that feeling. I’ve never gotten it with modelers.

Now with that said modelers are great for direct recording - it’s a staples easy button if you know how to tweak one but I have no care to bother learning since I already stare at a monitor all day long at work.
 
JackBootedThug said:
that's why I strip now. start up costs are negligible. pleather chaps and cowboy boots and hat from wish. Pure profit for buying gear.
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You mean you don't have to pay to play? Most strippers I know have to pay a pole fee.

Most of what others have already said is the truth. It is situational. It is all about supply and demand. And context. And propels you to play and sound your best. Examples are abundant in tons of hobbies: guns, fishing gear, bicycles, cars, antiques, shoes, purses, and on and on. Some of my friends question why I 'need' the rods and reels I have so I have to explain it to them.

But for fun, you can flip the argument on its head. For the guy that has $20K - $30K worth of gear and can't play for shit. And then there is that super talented guy who has tone and talent for days but doesn't realize he could really benefit from a much better amp or much better guitar.
 
Faded Abyss said:
No worries. I was looking at it from the aspect of the studio you hired making money off the mic, assuming they also provide amps as part of their studio service.

That’s cool that you hired a studio and did all the tracking there. Your band must be tight
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Nick Bellemore's studio. (Toxic Holocaust drummer, Jasta, Dee Snider, Howard Jones...). He has alot of great gear there but i ended up using Axfx 5150 model for the guitars. We hardly get together to practice anymore we may as well not even be a band.
 
japetus said:
I would like to add to this another point which dovetails your point. I have owned a lot of amps and the rig that I have found works best for me really would not be considered an expensive rig. Going back in the day...the amount of money that I spent chasing things that DIDNT work far outweighed the final outcome of what did. At least people now can have a realistic expectation of what they are getting when they drop $3-6k on a new production amp. A whole lot less flying blind.
Click to expand...
This! I have wasted so much money settling for gear I wasn't in love with. Sell it for a loss then buy another one that still isn't what I wanted originally. I finally have better control over the need for instant gratification. So I wait and buy what I really want the first time. It's actually saved me money.

Honestly I spent a ton of money drinking heavily in my teens and early 20's then way more money during my opiate days. Even when I'm not playing in a band this is an investment in giving me something positive to do that makes me happy. I have a few mental health issues and I would self medicate over the years.

These days I'm happy to be in my man cave jamming songs, practicing or writing. I may have half a beer once every year or two, I no longer have to take meds for depression, and haven't thought of killing myself in years(not coincidentally when I started playing again). I can't put a price on it considering it's literally saving my life.
 
PLX said:
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That made a lot more sense when JCM800's weren't $3500+ new but I get the point lol
 
ZEN Amps said:
Yep this is what it's all about in the end. Most of the players I know are sane, so understand the tube amp obsession. Occasionally I'll get a remark saying a Kemper can replace them all. Sigh.

I don't buy the 'they're just tools' or the 'audience doesn't care' arguments in the slightest. Amps are more creative instrument than tool, and having fun, being inspired and enjoying the experience trumps anything else in my view.

I see it like this - I get tones out of modelers and shitty amps, I get joy out of the good stuff. Good doesn't have to be expensive, but often is. And getting years of pleasure out of a 4k amp then selling it for 3 is well worth it to me, that's a lot of value for a grand.
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I couldn’t stand the kemper. I decided to give it a try after numerous guys told me it would send my tube amps packing.

Update: tube amps still here and that damned kemper is long gone.
 
Guitar gear is certainly not the most out of control bobby price wise. In fact, I'd agree it is definitely on the cheapish side. The absolute best in class primo stuff (not counting weird, collector only vintage value like rare LPs, etc) is highly affordable to most people earning a decent wage; which, of course, excludes most actual professional musicians.

Compare to some things like boating, cameras, hi-fi, watch collecting, cars/vehicles, etc.
 
Elric said:
Guitar gear is certainly not the most out of control bobby price wise. In fact, I'd agree it is definitely on the cheapish side. The absolute best in class primo stuff (not counting weird, collector only vintage value like rare LPs, etc) is highly affordable to most people earning a decent wage; which, of course, excludes most actual professional musicians.

Compare to some things like boating, cameras, hi-fi, watch collecting, cars/vehicles, etc.
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It gets out of hand for some people.
 
Compared to guitars I don’t think amps are as bad currently. A made in USA bogner Uber ultra just ran me as much as MIJ Jackson’s or production e-ii ESPs. Custom guitars are getting just obnoxious.
 
Bram576 said:
Compared to guitars I don’t think amps are as bad currently. A made in USA bogner Uber ultra just ran me as much as MIJ Jackson’s or production e-ii ESPs. Custom guitars are getting just obnoxious.
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Yep compared to high-end guitars, and other stuff, I reckon we're doing ok for amps. A friend is a keen golfer - he recently spent 8k on a set of clubs. I mocked him and he said you can spend up to 50k. I thought he was joking....Beres Honma Set - and that's just irons.

All relative in the end, 100k for a Burst seems reasonable to me - I guess we're all quite blinded by our passion.
 
Amplifiers are outstanding values considering what all is involved.
 
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