Metropoulos amps are done

[Geo]

You and I will disagree on all these things. I'm old enough to remember the news from when these things actually went down. And yes I know exactly why he did those things. It's because he's a cheap blowhard POS. Lol. I remember when he decided on his Tower that he was not going to use the insulated double pane wind proof windows on his hotel and condos that the architect and engineer specified and went with weak single pane windows to save money. Then people sued because their multi million dollar penthouses were filled with the sound of rattling windows any time the wind was over 10 mph.

I am sure you know the specifics. What was the budget? Was money spent upgrading some other thing?

I am sure you never had a house built.

 

[shar-vell Dan]

Saying I disagree with you on your premise does not equate with economic ignorance.

It is just obvious that Trump intends to run our government the way he ran his businesses, with bluster and bullshit catering to the uber wealthy.

... and into bankruptcy. What has he never Fucked up ?

 

[Geo]

... and into bankruptcy. What has he never Fucked up ?

Why don't you list the successful business ventures of Briben and Kamaltoe?

 

[Rackman]

10 amps was the minimum.

No, turns out five since Labor Day was the minimum and ten a month was the fantasy.

Boutique Amplifiers are a luxury good and their sales respond as you would expect sales to a luxury good would - highly cyclical. It seems quite apparent from his own words that his operation was over-sized, under-capitalized (PCBs expensive - on what planet?), and lacked the ability to respond to changing market demand. In other words, it was mis-managed. We also know that his sales pipeline was broken.

One might also speculate that holding up a 50 year old sound as the exemplar of great tone was an inherently limiting approach as the people who agree are busy downsizing, moving into assisted living, and dying. But we can't confirm the role that played from his statements alone - it just seems likely true given demographics.

He also appears to have eschewed free revenue like offering a variety of V-Boutique or equivalent cabs for his amps. You know there's a good number of those amps sitting on non-Metropoulos branded cabs simply because the desired cab configuration wasn't offered.

I will also say I spend a good bit of time around guitar related websites, magazines, social media etc. and I've never seen a single piece of Metropoulos Amps marketing of any sort. Maybe he thinks customers will find out he exists via astral projection or something.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Better than 4 years of running like Mr Magoo.

You mean like someone born into privilege with a silverspoon in his mouth, blind to the world around him, and shouting rants about yesteryear minus all the positives Mr. Magoo had?

Sounds a lot like the current guy to me.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

... and into bankruptcy. What has he never Fucked up ?

His grift and graft.

 

[Geo]

You mean like someone born into privilege with a silverspoon in his mouth, blind to the world around him, and shouting rants about yesteryear minus all the positives Mr. Magoo had?

The guy needed note cards with pictures, got questions ahead of time, walked off the stage lost and confused.

He was totally Mr Magoo.

Your blindness is very odd.

 

[motorboy1]

The guy needed note cards with pictures, got questions ahead of time, walked off the stage lost and confused.

He was totally Mr Magoo.

Your blindness is very odd.

Like dozy Donnie falling asleep at meetings. He’s an old fuck.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

The guy needed note cards with pictures, got questions ahead of time, walked off the stage lost and confused.

He was totally Mr Magoo.

Your blindness is very odd.

Believe me, Biden would never have been my first choice, but he is a good and decent human being at his core which is much more than we can say about DT.

 

[Shask]

Demand. I've parsed my observations down to a few sentiments: first, we're building steam engines. The World doesn't really need any more of them. Second, everyone who wants a vintage Marshall, likely has 3 or more already. Anyone who wants a high end tube amp, likely has several of those, as well. Those players are likely plugging into a modeler or digital emulation more often than their beloved tube amps. It's the trend, the technology is exciting, the tone isn't as far off as it used to be and the convenience supersedes the tonal benefits of big, heavy, loud, expensive tube amps. I get it and I don't begrudge anyone!

This is the part that stands out to me. It is a sign of how things are changing. Same thing with the death of the CD and the rise of streaming. People have predicted the death of tubes for years, but is now REALLY the time?

 

[Geo]

Believe me, Biden would never have been my first choice, but he is a good and decent human being at his core which is much more than we can say about DT.

You love him so much, why don't you marry him. Do you want a president or a boyfriend?

There is nobody in D.C. that is a decent human being, it's a cesspool.

 

[Beyond Black]

No, turns out five since Labor Day was the minimum and ten a month was the fantasy.

Boutique Amplifiers are a luxury good and their sales respond as you would expect sales to a luxury good would - highly cyclical. It seems quite apparent from his own words that his operation was over-sized, under-capitalized (PCBs expensive - on what planet?), and lacked the ability to respond to changing market demand. In other words, it was mis-managed. We also know that his sales pipeline was broken.

One might also speculate that holding up a 50 year old sound as the exemplar of great tone was an inherently limiting approach as the people who agree are busy downsizing, moving into assisted living, and dying. But we can't confirm the role that played from his statements alone - it just seems likely true given demographics.

He also appears to have eschewed free revenue like offering a variety of V-Boutique or equivalent cabs for his amps. You know there's a good number of those amps sitting on non-Metropoulos branded cabs simply because the desired cab configuration wasn't offered.

I will also say I spend a good bit of time around guitar related websites, magazines, social media etc. and I've never seen a single piece of Metropoulos Amps marketing of any sort. Maybe he thinks customers will find out he exists via astral projection or something.

“We need to sell about 10 amps per month to cover our payroll and overhead. Since Labor Day, we've taken 5 amp orders. That's unsustainable.”
10 amps was the MINIMUM to cover payroll and overhead.
5 amps since Labor Day is the unfortunate result of a nosediving economy crippled by tariffs, inflation and uncertainty…

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

You love him so much, why don't you marry him. Do you want a president or a boyfriend?

There is nobody in D.C. that is a decent human being, it's a cesspool.

Once again we aren't gonna agree on that. There are people from both sides of the aisle that are decent people. The problem is when you're surrounded by a lot of shit, and have to get your hands in it everyday even if you're trying to clean it up the stench clings to you. It reminds me of the guy that lived across the street from me who worked at the dump. He always had that smell on him.

The rolling in some homophobia (maybe a little projection) along with the idea that appreciating decency in a president is something worthy of derision was a nice touch though. Well played.

Talking of boyfriends are we ever gonna find out who this Bubba dude is? Maybe I should start a food truck called T-Rump's, and sell Bubba's Burgers with "presidentially approved" beef that's "mouth wateringly good".

 

[Geo]

Once again we aren't gonna agree on that. There are people from both sides of the aisle that are decent people. The problem is when your surrounded by a lot of shit, and have to get your hands in it everyday even if you're trying to clean it up the stench clings to you. It reminds me of the guy that lived across the street from me who worked at the dump. He always had that smell on him.

The rolling in some homophobia (maybe a little projection) along with the idea that appreciating decency in a president is something worthy of derision was a nice touch though. Well played.

Nothing is going to change as long as we can continue to print money.

Hopefully, that's coming to an end soon.

 

[BABMusic]

There's a lot I want to say in this thread, but don't want to piss anyone off.

So... I'm just amazed that these companies like BAD can even survive, given that their stuff is assembled in Los Angeles. Think about that -- LA is (now) one of the most expensive places to rent. California taxes are also no joke. So that means, cost to produce these amps is way higher than just about anywhere else in the world. That's why these amps cost 3k or 4K. Sure, the parts good, but it's the labor that is what adds up. Right now, 18-year old musicians are not the customer for this kind of amp. I was broke at that age and saved all summer to buy a Marshall. Most of these kids can't save 3K for an amp. So that means, it's people like me in their 40s who have some cushion, those are the only people who can afford these American assembled amps. How much longer can this go on? I don't think it will for long. BTW, this economy problem goes back to the 1990s and you could even argue it all started wit the Federal Reserve in 1913.

Anyway, carry on...

 

[Geo]

There's a lot I want to say in this thread, but don't want to piss anyone off.

So... I'm just amazed that these companies like BAD can even survive, given that their stuff is assembled in Los Angeles. Think about that -- LA is (now) one of the most expensive places to rent. California taxes are also no joke. So that means, cost to produce these amps is way higher than just about anywhere else in the world. That's why these amps cost 3k or 4K. Sure, the parts good, but it's the labor that is what adds up. Right now, 18-year old musicians are not the customer for this kind of amp. I was broke at that age and saved all summer to buy a Marshall. Most of these kids can't save 3K for an amp. So that means, it's people like me in their 40s who have some cushion, those are the only people who can afford these American assembled amps. How much longer can this go on? I don't think it will for long. BTW, this economy problem goes back to the 1990s and you could even argue it all started wit the Federal Reserve in 1913.

Anyway, carry on...

On that point, have you tried an EVH 5150lll 50 or 100 watt?

Just as good as the big boys, 1/4 the price.

 

[Rackman]

BAD and Mesa have tons of new shit coming out and seem to be able to sell everything they can make.

It's almost as if business is Darwinian...

 

[Beyond Black]

You love him so much, why don't you marry him. Do you want a president or a boyfriend?

That was ridiculously dumb, even for you!

 

[Geo]

That was ridiculously dumb, even for you!

I guess you are looking for a boyfriend.

 

[Fusionbear]

So much truth here. Part of the reason that business is so tough—your market is the same relatively small group of yumyums that already have a ton of stuff they keep using less and less the older they get. Put the new tech stuff on top of that it is pretty bleak—I just picked up an AM4 and it is badass. 57yrs old with 8 amps, 12 cabs and a couple modelers. And I gig maybe 15 times a year now. And I’m the target demographic. Eeek

I'm two years older than you. My FM9T has blown my mind. I quit building and repairs about four years ago. I started playing out again...

I'm much more fulfilled...

It's sad, because I loved building... but I saw the trend...