Modern day amps are too tight…

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bxlxaxkxe
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If you boost with a full range pedal that doesn't cut bass it often makes the sound more loose.

I have a few pedals that do it. The boost side of my Fulltone Fulldrive 3 comes to mind immediately.

Some cabs and speakers have a lot more give than others. You can make a amp looser by using them.

Speakers and cabs can also make the sound much tighter. I have some 10 inch speakers in a few cabs that make the looses amp extremely tight.

I'm sure there is other methods. That's just off the top of my head.
 
It’s really frustrating when an amp can’t respond as fast or articulate as your playing but it’s also less inspiring when there’s not a little squish or bloom. This is one of the factors when getting an amp (especially Marshall style) in “the zone” when there’s enough compression but it’s still clear and articulate.

It’s always a combination of all the factors, guitar, pickup, string gauges, pedals, amp, speakers, volume.

One way to add a little squish is with a transistor based pedal that has a bias control. As long as its not too fuzzy.
 
Does fluff understand the concept of the right tool for the right job? Or maybe he's one who tries to drive in a nail with a crescent wrench.

If your main style demands an ultra tight sound, of course you want an amp that's tight on it's own. If you like a little give and only tighten up when needed, then a more loose amp + boost is the way to go. No reason these two things can't exist at the same time; not to mention all the ones between the 2 extremes.
 

Modern day amps are too tight… HOW DARE YOU!​


Honestly I never thought I would read this statement on Rigtalk after all these years of hearing about amps and their loose ass lowends and tubbiness........:eek::eek::p:p:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Now we have again crossed the Rubicon...........................Bring back Plexi sloppy chewy low ends for 2024..............................:D:shocked::poke:
 
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It is interesting talking about the generation of players that have never played a tube amp and only sitting and playing at their computers through shitty monitors.
 
Right tool for the job is all...
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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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Subscribed
 
I look at it this way. There's tight and hyper-tight. The former getting it's footing in 80's thrash and the latter a progression to the weird electronified djent or whatever they call it. It's kinda like how baggy jeans were cool in the 90's and then people starting taking it too far wearing straight curtains. I like tight, but overdoing it is annoying or at least not my style. Mid focused crunch can be "tight" too for that matter. Anyways thats my take, and I didn't bother watching beard dude. What do y'all consider tight?
 
I can't help but wonder if the popularity of ERG's and lower tunings have been a driving force for this.

My current band plays 7 strings tuned to drop A. 10-15 years ago you'd likely have never caught me playing that low on a serious level, because it was such a task to get a sound that wasn't pure mud. Now there are so many amp & pickup options that sound great with lower tunings right out of the box. In most cases though, those sounds don't work as well for me if I'm in standard or Eb, which I still play a lot of.

I like the amount of options that are available amp & tone-wise now though, it's probably better than it's ever been; the biggest limiting factor being the prices going up so much since 2020.
 
MadAsAHatter said:
Does fluff understand the concept of the right tool for the right job? Or maybe he's one who tries to drive in a nail with a crescent wrench.

If your main style demands an ultra tight sound, of course you want an amp that's tight on it's own. If you like a little give and only tighten up when needed, then a more loose amp + boost is the way to go. No reason these two things can't exist at the same time; not to mention all the ones between the 2 extremes.
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Pretty much just this.



rsm said:
10 strings?

Pffffft! Real modern guitars have 17 strings! (and a crooked bridge pickup)

View attachment 273060


:ROFLMAO:
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That is not a 17 string guitar. That is a pain in the ass. :lol:
 
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I don't agree with him at all on this "If I buy a $3000 amp I shouldn't need a $99 boost pedal" mentality being wrong. I shouldn't have to boost an amp over that value. I never had to boost my IIC+, never had to boost my JP2C, never had to boost a Mark IV, never had to boost a VH4 or some of those Revv amps. These amps can also be dialed back to not be so tight, so it's the best of both worlds. Does he not understand you can dial a really tight amp to not be really tight?
 
This is why I like old Fender’s (Browns especially). Dump the bass, crank the treble and you have a tight riff rock machine. Then just tweaks of the treble and bass can give you anything you want, from that to bouncy ZZ Top, to swampy grease. I don’t get along with high gain amps that can’t dial in some sag if you want it. But pre BAD Soldano’s were weird in that for what was basically a hard rock/metal amp, the ass would fall out of it just as the gain starts getting interesting, around 3-4 on the lead gain with a Gibson. That amp needed a boost for to get the gain in the sweet spot but keep the low E decent for palm mutes etc.
 
ZEEGLER said:
I agree too. I like an amp to have some chewy bounce to it. If I want it tighter, I can do that, but if the amp is already super tight, how do you go the other way?
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You can use a looser pickup like a JB or something to go the other way, but it's not gonna be really drastic. Or an EQ pedal up front.
 
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