Mark Skid
Well-known member
Why do new model anythings never sound as good as the original? If the original sounds great, why change it?
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rlord1974
Active member
So that folks convince themselves they need to “upgrade” to the new model. Marketing 201: “How to drive sales to existing customers.” ?
* velcro-fly *
Well-known member
I’m not at all convinced my newer version MC25 sounds “better” than my 1st run version I just sold...for sure the 1st run is a bit more aggressive, more teeth so to speak. Flip side is the rhythm channel is for sure improved on the new one with the Black Cat gain mod on the push/pull volume knob. Best scenario I think would be that mod alone on a first run with no other circuit updates...it would be beneficial to know exactly what’s done on that mod to the rhythm channel. Amp still sounds incredible.
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
I haven't found this to be a consistent trend over any product.
Some new products sounds 'better' than the old stuff, some don't, and it's all highly personal and subjective.
John4021
Well-known member
I heard there was a incident at the Canadian/USA Border.
Some wild eye'd dude that smelled like solder was smuggling 2.267 Kilos of fatback.
Hockey sticks honed razor sharp and A case of Labatts Blue looking for some Hippy that works on guitar amps.
Anyone know of such a person?
LOL
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
It's standard practice for lot of amp builders including Marshall and Hiwatt back in the day. Each solder joint would be checked and then marked as part of the QC process. Of course it can also double as an originality check but in the past that's not why it was implemented - Rick may do it for either or both reasons.
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braintheory
Well-known member
I respectfully disagree, although of course the subjectivity goes without saying. With guitar gear sadly, most of the older versions IME have a more organic, lively, rich tone that just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for newer stuff that usually comes off comparatively flat or stale like with Marshall’s (old vs new), Vox’s, Mesa/Boogie’s (Rectifier’s, JP2C vs IIC+), Fenders, Celestions, Fanes, Gibsons, “PAF” pickups, etc.
The only thing I can think of where I liked more recent stuff better would be my 2016 Wizard MTL vs the 1996 MCI I had (much better amp imo). And I guess also like my 2017 Naylor equally well to my 1995, so not better or worse there. YMMV, just my experience
Just to be clear, I also love plenty of very modern gear, but there’s no vintage equivalent to them such as my Schroeder amp (phenomenal) or my ccv or all aluminum EGC guitars (one of my top 5 favorites)
ZEN Amps
Well-known member
Yep they're all good examples of great old gear for sure.
Don't get me wrong, I own and love quite a bit of vintage gear. I just don't subscribe to the older is always better theory that's popped up in this thread and many many others around the place. Sentimentality and bias sure do play with the mind.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Older is not always better, plenty of old gear I dislike, but it always will have IME an older flavor to the sound, which tends to mean more warm and natural, raw sounding. My gear collection (which is vast) is roughly equal in modern and vintage stuff. Both can be equally great, just different. No sentimentality or bias from me. I’m actually much younger than everyone I know on here and wasn’t even born when my favorite vintage gear came out
Just my experience that the vast majority of newer gear is very underwhelming when directly compared to my favorite older gear. I had to go through SO many modern pieces of gear before finding the keeper worthy stuff. With vintage there’s imo a lot more good ones out there and sleepers. A lot of those great vintage amps stood the test of time quite well (iic+, Plexis, vox’s, etc.). For most high gain applications (other than modern metal) I still find it hard to beat a good late ‘70’s JMP2203 boosted with my Klon. An amp that came out over 40 years ago now and similar time with a iic+
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