Modern day amps are too tight…

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bxlxaxkxe
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Bxlxaxkxe

Bxlxaxkxe

Amp ho
Gotta say, I’m on board with this. Not sure about the amp sims argument as being the reason, but I agree nonetheless. I feel like the life of the tone gets sucked out. Amp co’s, keep the feel bouncy and juicy…way more fun that way IMO


 
Agree. It is always about compromise between tightness and chewiness. The best amps has almost ideal balance between these two factors. IIC+, Naylor, Bogner, SLO, boosted Marshall...
Amps sims...well, it is whole different how they feel under fingers, and every tube amp feels miles better but ymmv.
 
It's kind of funny. Modelers and sims have been chasing real amp tones for years. But the super-staccato style players get their sound easier on modelers. And as that style gets more popular, it seems like some amp builders are following that lead. Is that like a dog chasing its tail? And which end is which?
 
From a designers perspective I’ll give a different reason why tube amps are going that way.

It’s easier to make a high gain amp that is stable by forcing it to be tight than it is to make a super high gain amp that stable but is also very loose. The former is easier, the latter is harder. Not impossible, just harder. It means you have to do more work to the design that isn’t something you can copy from prior years anymore.
 
The tight, compressed feel/tone is what defines modern amps vs classic amps I thought?

Many modern players use high gain with hard fast noise gates to get that staccato.

Then there are all the drop tune players, with 7+ strings that need low end tightness.

Plugins are completely different; I have a computer based guitar rig using plugins from PolyChrome DSP (my fav), several Neural DSP archetypes and the Mark IIC+/++ suite, Softube Marshall Amp Room and Helix Native...

One of many things that sold me on the Mesa JP-2C was a demo by JP demonstrating how he can get sustain without a compressor and the tight staccato without a noise gate, and he added a feature (shred) for drop tunings / 7 & 8 strings.

Here's the vid, where JP goes through his JP-2C, and how he uses it:

Thankfully, gear focused on classic 70s hard rock and 80s hair metal aren't popular, I'm finding great deals!
 
This point is void because all the gain is never enough for most people when they put their stomp box in front of it for more gain...
Fight me..
 
How about “amp companies shouldn’t cater to YouTube shills for their online plugging. You know why, full stop”

The title of that video is really rich considering all the plugs he gives to manufactures via his services. And the companies in turn continue their unabashed willingness for plugging into bent over Fluffy boy.
 
glpg80 said:
From a designers perspective I’ll give a different reason why tube amps are going that way.

It’s easier to make a high gain amp that is stable by forcing it to be tight than it is to make a super high gain amp that stable but is also very loose. The former is easier, the latter is harder. Not impossible, just harder. It means you have to do more work to the design that isn’t something you can copy from prior years anymore.
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Crystal lettuce bro…it’s all in the freshness…
 
thegame said:
How about “amp companies shouldn’t cater to YouTube shills for their online plugging. You know why, full stop”

The title of that video is really rich considering all the plugs he gives to manufactures via his services. And the companies in turn continue their unabashed willingness for plugging into bent over Fluffy boy.
Click to expand...
I had a great idea for my YouTube guitar topic channel….titties…. I will select a topic to discuss with my infinite experience and knowledge…and for the clickbait thumbnail it will be my handsome rugged face right between a big ole set of tata’s…. And of course I’ll look serious with steepled fingers on pursed lips as in deep thought….ahhhh yes….deep thoughts by jack handy…but me…with amps and titties…shit will be bussin…
 
It is interesting to equate people getting used to the feeling of modelers, and the direction of tube amp design. I could see this making sense though. It seems like as more and more people grow up learning on digital, the less they are wanting, or understand, the reason for the big tube amps.

On digital, like the Fractal units, I always have a hard time balancing between having that bouncy feel and turning to mush. It is hard to find that balance of not being too sterile tight, and not getting so much sag everything smears together. I recently got a Synergy system for this reason, because it has that nice bouncy feel to it.
 
I think there are always gonna be trade offs for when amps are really tight (Hermansson’s as one example), but for some styles it’s necessary. Fluff doesn’t really play stuff that requires a really tight sound, so his opinion makes sense. I don’t think it’s because of modelers/plug-ins. I think it’s more the demands of some of the more technical, modern music requiring a tighter sound to work for those styles
 
JackBootedThug said:
I had a great idea for my YouTube guitar topic channel….titties…. I will select a topic to discuss with my infinite experience and knowledge…and for the clickbait thumbnail it will be my handsome rugged face right between a big ole set of tata’s…. And of course I’ll look serious with steepled fingers on pursed lips as in deep thought….ahhhh yes….deep thoughts by jack handy…but me…with amps and titties…shit will be bussin…
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You and the geargasms guy could do cameos on each other videos! But who will be the bravest and do a video expose on Glen Fricker’s bitch tits? You know, inclusion and all…
 
Tight is fine till you want to chug. Then the bounce must be controlled to get the right feel and sound.

If you squeal like pig as suggested in Deliverance (the movie. Not the amp) you get a idea if how tight it could be. It's better to relax when entering a Big Muff or Hairy Brown Eye. Maybe slow down the tempo so no one gets a a cramp.

With the Fryette Sig X it is possible to control how tight or loose the sound is with the switches. Some other amps do similar. Like the pull deep on the Mesa Mark amps.
 
JSutter said:
Turn on a distortion or octave pedal.
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Shask said:
It is interesting to equate people getting used to the feeling of modelers, and the direction of tube amp design. I could see this making sense though. It seems like as more and more people grow up learning on digital, the less they are wanting, or understand, the reason for the big tube amps.

On digital, like the Fractal units, I always have a hard time balancing between having that bouncy feel and turning to mush. It is hard to find that balance of not being too sterile tight, and not getting so much sag everything smears together. I recently got a Synergy system for this reason, because it has that nice bouncy feel to it.
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i been saying forever i cant imagine a 15yr old who grew up with a phone in his hand being too excited about about a big old tube amp, to me its like rolling into the Subaru and import hangout with my 60s muscle cars trying to convince them to give up all their modern amenities and get a real car like mine, they may know in the end im still cooler but they dont give a shit, its not their thing
 
I see tight as a passing phase with a certain small group of players.

Most people like a certain amount of give in the feel and sound.

Besides it just sounds bigger when not as tight. True with a band or amp. Preference is subjective.
 
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