Billy Blades Claims he talked to Jose Arredondo!!

[TrueTone500]

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.

Well, I have news for you... Mesa sold a few amplifiers in the early days when they were selling them out of the back of a VW bus, that had a grounding issue. A few people were shocked, but nothing serious. We learn, we correct.

As far as Billy selling an amplifier which was as you say "a fire hazard", could you please post the source of this accusation? I've never actually read where this came from. If it is true, we learn, we correct.

You're a Cali guy, and a graphics man, so I'll assume you're a Mac user already? As far as Billy conning someone... If this is true, and I don't care if it is, do you mean the way Bill Gates conned Steve Jobs out of his "Lisa" operating system? If so, you had better shit-can your PC, and buy a Mac ASAP.

I hope you can supply the "fire hazard" source, otherwise you just bad-mouthing another builder.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I have news for you... Mesa sold a few amplifiers in the early days when they were selling them out of the back of a VW bus, that had a grounding issue. A few people were shocked, but nothing serious. We learn, we correct.

I'm sure they handled it professionally with the customers as well. Blades handled it quite poorly. You can find the evidence of that easily if you want to. I hope he's learned and corrected.

As far as Billy selling an amplifier which was as you say "a fire hazard", could you please post the source of this accusation? I've never actually read where this came from. If it is true, we learn, we correct.

The source is anyone who looks at the photos of that specific prototype build. You're knowledgeable. I'm sure you can see what I'm talking about.

You're a Cali guy, and a graphics man, so I'll assume you're a Mac user already? As far as Billy conning someone... If this is true, and I don't care if it is, do you mean the way Bill Gates conned Steve Jobs out of his "Lisa" operating system? If so, you had better shit-can your PC, and buy a Mac ASAP.

I have all Macs already and yes, exactly like that. I didn't say that treachery wasn't rampant in the history of business.

I hope you can supply the "fire hazard" source, otherwise you just bad-mouthing another builder.

Just look at the photos. If you can't see it, then I dunno what to tell you. Also, I'm not the only knowledgeable person making this statement.

I'm not bad mouthing the guy, just relating facts. I've said his marketing is clever and more power to him. People will buy his amps and others will buy mine and others will buy from the plethora of other builders and life will go on. I'm not looking to make a "killing" in the amp biz - I just enjoy what I'm doing...

Steve

 

[ejecta]

 

[TrueTone500]

If I may... What mod did Jose actually do on Ed's amp? Everything I've read says Ed's amp was stock... I was told Jose changed the transformers and caps with stock values, and that was it. So, if his '68 had stock values, where are these EVH/Jose preamp mods coming from?

 

[maddnotez]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

 

[jcmtone1]

He spelled euphoria incorrectly in the eBay listing.

 

[Mailman1971]

Word on the streets is that Billy modded the Van Halen amp that was used on the first album.
But he dont want any credit. Just glad that no scam rip off over charger got to Eddie first.

 

[paulyc]

Is an overcharger like a supercharger or an overdriver ???

 

[J-Rodger]

Legend has it that in a galaxy far, far, away, Billy and Jose were Jedi's and had to mod the death star.

After, Jose & Billy opened a burrito/taco place but fast food was not profitable.

EVH stopped by for some nachos and Jose remembered the "one wire mod" from hot wiring Xwing fighters.

Meanwhile Yoda & Billy are hanging in the swamp wile Jabba the hutt was eating frogs.

Back in LA Billy does some shrooms and has a spirtual expeience with Obiwon & Darth Vader.

And after nailing princess Lea, Billy modded VanHalens amp, Jose took the credit and the rest is History ...

 

[mooncobra]

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.

Well, I have news for you... Mesa sold a few amplifiers in the early days when they were selling them out of the back of a VW bus, that had a grounding issue. A few people were shocked, but nothing serious. We learn, we correct.

As far as Billy selling an amplifier which was as you say "a fire hazard", could you please post the source of this accusation? I've never actually read where this came from. If it is true, we learn, we correct.

You're a Cali guy, and a graphics man, so I'll assume you're a Mac user already? As far as Billy conning someone... If this is true, and I don't care if it is, do you mean the way Bill Gates conned Steve Jobs out of his "Lisa" operating system? If so, you had better shit-can your PC, and buy a Mac ASAP.

I hope you can supply the "fire hazard" source, otherwise you just bad-mouthing another builder.

Everyone saw the pics of the fire hazard amp that was supposedly "triple soldered" and it was clearly dangerous and atrociously built. You are coming to the aid of the Blades yet again. Was it you who pm'd me after the last Blades thread was posted and asked me to take down stuff you posted?

 

[Aristocat]

Hot damn is this going places.

 

[Bob Savage]

We really need Billy here to set things straight.

 

[Mailman1971]

Black Betty had a child.....Bam a Lam.....Damn thing gone wild....

 

[mooncobra]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

 

[mooncobra]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

Blades has ripped every builder/modder by name except for Jose. It is in many, many threads. Personally I think the BE100 and Cherry Bomb blow the Blades Firebolt out of the park. The insane thing is that he rips those guys for the same exact thing he is doing. Big time hypocrite. Steve is far from being an elitist, I have seen many people ask questions on here, some novice, some not, and quite often Steve is the first one to respond and to give someone a helping hand. You might think 3600 for an amp is insane, but a lot of guys don't. You say it is 1600 more than the Firebolt, but I think the Be100 is a million times better than the Blades. So, in reality, 1600 more than the Blades is a bargain. Friedman has years of experience and trial and error. Blades has like 2. The biggest names in guitar go to Friedman. I want the guy with all that experience, who has got to take a look inside the greatest amps recorded, who for 25 years modded amps that sound killer, and who's experience and talent build amazing amps to build an amp for me!! Definitely not Blades. The way I see it, paying the extra 1600 for a Friedman, Henning, Cameron, Bray, or Gower is a bargain! You get all their experience, their ear for tone, their experiences as guitarists, their high quality builds, a classic look, and killer tone!! Blades has none of those. he did not put the time in like he says, he poached the schematics for some mods and tried to start selling them right away, and had the audacity to use the names of the "other" amp builders/modders to sell his amps like his "Cameron jose mod," or his Cameron Aldrich mod," and there are vids on youtube to prove it unless he took them down.

 

[Bob Savage]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

Blades has ripped every builder/modder by name except for Jose. It is in many, many threads. Personally I think the BE100 and Cherry Bomb blow the Blades Firebolt out of the park. The insane thing is that he rips those guys for the same exact thing he is doing. Big time hypocrite. Steve is far from being an elitist, I have seen many people ask questions on here, some novice, some not, and quite often Steve is the first one to respond and to give someone a helping hand. You might think 3600 for an amp is insane, but a lot of guys don't. You say it is 1600 more than the Firebolt, but I think the Be100 is a million times better than the Blades. So, in reality, 1600 more than the Blades is a bargain. Friedman has years of experience and trial and error. Blades has like 2. The biggest names in guitar go to Friedman. I want the guy with all that experience, who has got to take a look inside the greatest amps recorded, who for 25 years modded amps that sound killer, and who's experience and talent build amazing amps to build an amp for me!! Definitely not Blades. The way I see it, paying the extra 1600 for a Friedman, Henning, Cameron, Bray, or Gower is a bargain! You get all their experience, their ear for tone, their experiences as guitarists, their high quality builds, a classic look, and killer tone!! Blades has none of those. he did not put the time in like he says, he poached the schematics for some mods and tried to start selling them right away, and had the audacity to use the names of the "other" amp builders/modders to sell his amps like his "Cameron jose mod," or his Cameron Aldrich mod," and there are vids on youtube to prove it unless he took them down.

Quoted only to have the biggest quote in the history of the internetz. Submitted to Guinness.

 

[J-Rodger]

Yes, agreed.

If i want something special i go to a "specialist", not a 2 bit hustler.

 

[Mailman1971]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

Blades has ripped every builder/modder by name except for Jose. It is in many, many threads. Personally I think the BE100 and Cherry Bomb blow the Blades Firebolt out of the park. The insane thing is that he rips those guys for the same exact thing he is doing. Big time hypocrite. Steve is far from being an elitist, I have seen many people ask questions on here, some novice, some not, and quite often Steve is the first one to respond and to give someone a helping hand. You might think 3600 for an amp is insane, but a lot of guys don't. You say it is 1600 more than the Firebolt, but I think the Be100 is a million times better than the Blades. So, in reality, 1600 more than the Blades is a bargain. Friedman has years of experience and trial and error. Blades has like 2. The biggest names in guitar go to Friedman. I want the guy with all that experience, who has got to take a look inside the greatest amps recorded, who for 25 years modded amps that sound killer, and who's experience and talent build amazing amps to build an amp for me!! Definitely not Blades. The way I see it, paying the extra 1600 for a Friedman, Henning, Cameron, Bray, or Gower is a bargain! You get all their experience, their ear for tone, their experiences as guitarists, their high quality builds, a classic look, and killer tone!! Blades has none of those. he did not put the time in like he says, he poached the schematics for some mods and tried to start selling them right away, and had the audacity to use the names of the "other" amp builders/modders to sell his amps like his "Cameron jose mod," or his Cameron Aldrich mod," and there are vids on youtube to prove it unless he took them down.

Quoted only to have the biggest quote in the history of the internetz. Submitted to Guinness.

Quoted just to quote.

 

[Bob Savage]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

Blades has ripped every builder/modder by name except for Jose. It is in many, many threads. Personally I think the BE100 and Cherry Bomb blow the Blades Firebolt out of the park. The insane thing is that he rips those guys for the same exact thing he is doing. Big time hypocrite. Steve is far from being an elitist, I have seen many people ask questions on here, some novice, some not, and quite often Steve is the first one to respond and to give someone a helping hand. You might think 3600 for an amp is insane, but a lot of guys don't. You say it is 1600 more than the Firebolt, but I think the Be100 is a million times better than the Blades. So, in reality, 1600 more than the Blades is a bargain. Friedman has years of experience and trial and error. Blades has like 2. The biggest names in guitar go to Friedman. I want the guy with all that experience, who has got to take a look inside the greatest amps recorded, who for 25 years modded amps that sound killer, and who's experience and talent build amazing amps to build an amp for me!! Definitely not Blades. The way I see it, paying the extra 1600 for a Friedman, Henning, Cameron, Bray, or Gower is a bargain! You get all their experience, their ear for tone, their experiences as guitarists, their high quality builds, a classic look, and killer tone!! Blades has none of those. he did not put the time in like he says, he poached the schematics for some mods and tried to start selling them right away, and had the audacity to use the names of the "other" amp builders/modders to sell his amps like his "Cameron jose mod," or his Cameron Aldrich mod," and there are vids on youtube to prove it unless he took them down.

Quoted only to have the biggest quote in the history of the internetz. Submitted to Guinness.

Quoted just to quote.

Oh no you di'int!

 

[mooncobra]

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.

Cool - his approach and marketing are appealing to you.

And yours is definitely not.

The truth is.....None of you guys know...That is the truth...

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.

I am aware of the prototype. He obviously had no business selling it without full disclosure but my guess is he still had alot to learn at that point. This was beaten to death in the other 48 page thread.

I am unaware of conning any forum guys. Did he Con you? If not it is hearsay.

I am also unaware of him bad mouthing competitors and if he did (which no I do not care to take the time to look as you very well may recommend) Then I would assume he had a reason to bad mouth them?

Who knows he could just be a douchebag. Oh well his amp sounds good on You tube.

Maybe everything Blades says is a lie, maybe he is pathological.

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.

Correct, It doesn't matter. I couldn't care less.

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.

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?

I am not going to debate on this topic. Idk how much it costs to make an amp but I do feel $3,600 is completely insane to ask of someone unless you are doing something revolutionary.

And yes no one is forced to buy anything. I guess that is why people like Blades stepped up to the plate and obviously it's pissing all of the amp builders off.

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

Well... I've clearly pointed out indisputable facts that can easily be researched if you want to.

I did not see you point out any facts of any political adgenda's or Facts of Blades not talking to Jose, only hearsay and a comment about 1 prototype.

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.

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.

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.

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

I actually said his tone was....are you ready... BETTER than the Brown EYE I know I can't beleive I said it.

Again, based off you tube clips which I understand may differ but I would actually assume that ANY Friedman amp has much better build quality, parts and years more knowledge and experience than any Blades amp.

But lucky for me I prefer good tone above anything else.

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?

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?

Very good points, if he is losing money and thinks he is making money than he is a complete idiot and would go OOB and people would not get a warranty service. Very good point. Normally I would say that is hearsay as well but you build amps so I assume you know how much cost goes into building an amp regardless of the quality of the parts used.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...

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.

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...

Ban me now and I will accept it proudly.

Why would anyone ban you for having an opinion?

#Billyblades for Governor.

Ok, I guess.

I will put all of the rest of these into one because the cut paste/sectional thing is hurting my head.

It is obvious you are taking quite a bit of offense for someone thinking a Blades amp sounds better than a Brown Eye. Maybe even taking some personal offense because you build amps as well and feel Blades is a Con and you are more noble than he is but IMO I did not compare apples to apples.

I compared a few guitar amps. I am that guy who does not give 1 short and curly how many channels your 18 Channel Randall with 35 transformers has. If I had that amp I would probably use 1 channel for the stuff I play and roll my volume down for some cleans.

I do understand the cost of having more channels and having "superior" parts but if the end result is a better tone. I do not care if a gang of child molestors made the amp. I do not care if 7 year old slaves in cambodia are building and dying from building that amp and as I once told you Steve I do not care if you punch babies and shit on my car. If you got good tone you got good tone and to ME...that is all that matters.


Also the Billy Blades for Gov. was clearly a joke, the fact that left the "ok, I guess" comment shows me that you are the type of person I do not like. A snooty prick.

You are the Elitist and try to be in with the "cool crowd" That is why I think you are so offended here. Don't let Mr. Friedman see you hanging out with those Bugera kids.

Or maybe you are offended because Blades knocked it out of the park and you didn't?

Hmm idk, it is getting a bit personal now isn't it?Steve

All in good fun man. I like a good debate and I do like your amps but I usually buy used anyway and am looking for a Rev. 2.

I don't do Van Halen so I would never buy a Brown Eye or a Firebolt ever.

I also would never pay $3k for an amp, that is just not me and I do not have that kind of money to throw around.

If you can get me good tone, close to equal tone or even a little different but awesome tone for half the cost.

Blades has ripped every builder/modder by name except for Jose. It is in many, many threads. Personally I think the BE100 and Cherry Bomb blow the Blades Firebolt out of the park. The insane thing is that he rips those guys for the same exact thing he is doing. Big time hypocrite. Steve is far from being an elitist, I have seen many people ask questions on here, some novice, some not, and quite often Steve is the first one to respond and to give someone a helping hand. You might think 3600 for an amp is insane, but a lot of guys don't. You say it is 1600 more than the Firebolt, but I think the Be100 is a million times better than the Blades. So, in reality, 1600 more than the Blades is a bargain. Friedman has years of experience and trial and error. Blades has like 2. The biggest names in guitar go to Friedman. I want the guy with all that experience, who has got to take a look inside the greatest amps recorded, who for 25 years modded amps that sound killer, and who's experience and talent build amazing amps to build an amp for me!! Definitely not Blades. The way I see it, paying the extra 1600 for a Friedman, Henning, Cameron, Bray, or Gower is a bargain! You get all their experience, their ear for tone, their experiences as guitarists, their high quality builds, a classic look, and killer tone!! Blades has none of those. he did not put the time in like he says, he poached the schematics for some mods and tried to start selling them right away, and had the audacity to use the names of the "other" amp builders/modders to sell his amps like his "Cameron jose mod," or his Cameron Aldrich mod," and there are vids on youtube to prove it unless he took them down.

Quoted only to have the biggest quote in the history of the internetz. Submitted to Guinness.

Quoted just to quote.

Oh no you di'int!

Oh yes he dee'id!!