Same here! Owned a Boss Katana Mkii 100 but couldn't find my sound and style in it. Yesterday I bought a second hands Blackstar HT40 Studio and took it to rehearsel today, me and my bandmates were mind blowing!!! When I play over the tube amp, it feels better and more self confident. So, I feel you brother!🤛🏽🤛🏽🤛🏽
I never played for an audience but sometimes the sound isn’t about what the audience hears. They can tell when the artist is inspired by the sound because you have that feel like you said that makes you play better
The issue is digital to analogue converters, I'm pretty convinced. As guitar signals are analogue, being able to maintain that as purely as possible is the key to getting as authentic 'feel' as possible. As you know, I'm a big advocate of using digital gear at home to create demos and to practice with. If I'm playing live, I will almost always be using a tube amp pushed with some choice pedals. It makes me sound better to my ear and it feels better to me, which in turn makes me play better than if I were to be distracted by the tone. Considering, I picked up my tube amp for a similar price that I'd be picking up a digital amp, I didn't even have to compromise in that respect either so it's a no brainer.
@@BudgetPedalChap that's the other consideration. You look at the new Laney and Blackstar solid state options, they are pro amps at crazy budget prices. Katana has jumped the shark a little now, far too complex.
@@yaguitar if they are true solid state also, they'll probably sound much better too as they are not forcing the signal through the filter of a converter first. Some players still swear by the early solid state amps, I mean look at the jazz chorus.
I own both amps. Where the Bassbreaker 30r shines over a Katana or DI solutions is chords. With single note stuff the difference is less obvious, but strum a chord and digital is always going to sound digital
@@yaguitar true. I use my Katana way more, even for gigs. I hate having to wait for the tubes to cool down for like 15 minutes before I move my amp. Carrying around a 20kg amplifier is not my favourite thing either, but I can sacrifice my back for TONE 😂
This video highlights an interesting thing. There is a subset of guitar/gear based RUclipsrs who have pretty much made it their content creator identity to deliver click-bait hyperbole about how anything beyond entry level or the lower end of the mid-tier level gear is some horrible scam and that anyone who buys anything past an arbitrary price point must be stupid and easily tricked by marketing. Sadly, this has pretty much poisoned any potential conversation. If you say you like your $1000+ guitar or your tube amp, you must be some kind of "cork sniffing blues lawyer" because "every real guitarist knows that tone is in the fingers and you can sound amazing through everything!" That kind of hyperbole entirely misses the point but it certainly does generate clicks and audience engagement. What you talk about in this video is the reality of the matter. A tube amp is going to feel and even sound different from a digital modeler and a solid state amplifier. It isn't about what sounds "better" but more about why each of them are different and what they each provide to the player. There are amazing solid state amplifiers and there are fantastic digital modeling solutions. Heck. I use a mix of tube amps and software based amp/effects modeling in my overall setup and both bring some really compelling things to the table. There is simply no reason to get ideologically tied to one type or another. Likewise. There is no reason to get ideologically tied to one particular price point or quality tier of music gear. Doing so is just dumb. Each price category exists for a reason and each have their upsides and downsides. There should be no shame in honestly evaluating and acknowledging those differences. One last thing. In the video, you often speak about how "the audience can't tell the difference". You offer it almost as if you are apologizing for expanding your viewpoint. A sort of disclaimer so that you don't get harassed in the comments or something. Here is my question. Does it matter if they know the difference or not? They are the audience. They are there to have a good time, drink, and dance. Some of them might notice if they are somewhat aware of guitar equipment but for the most part, they are just going to listen to whatever you play. Here is the thing. At the end of the gig, you have to go home with the gear. You have to practice with it alone. You have to bring it to rehearsal. You have to plug it into your recording rig to lay down tracks. You have to live with this stuff so why put the audience (who doesn't care either way) above your own preferences and needs? You have to enjoy playing through your stuff. You are the one that wants to be inspired by the sounds it makes. If you know that the audience doesn't really care, why factor them into your gear decision process? Why offer their tastes and knowledge as a disclaimer when stating how your feelings and opinions have evolved as you have gained more experience?
Interestingly I was doing a podcast with Hello Sailor the other week and he has a philosophy. If you like it, it makes you play better. Be it look of a cool pedal, sound of a great amp etc. if you play better, the audience hears that. So gear you love makes the audience happier. You're right though, I do sound apologetic because I'm so used to people going "you're so dumb, no one knows the difference"
Same here! Owned a Boss Katana Mkii 100 but couldn't find my sound and style in it. Yesterday I bought a second hands Blackstar HT40 Studio and took it to rehearsel today, me and my bandmates were mind blowing!!! When I play over the tube amp, it feels better and more self confident. So, I feel you brother!🤛🏽🤛🏽🤛🏽
@@antonioracioppa9523 Blackstar are such a great sounding amp
I never played for an audience but sometimes the sound isn’t about what the audience hears. They can tell when the artist is inspired by the sound because you have that feel like you said that makes you play better
I once played a Katana and did not like it at all. Switched inmediately to a Fender Frontman that sounded way better
The issue is digital to analogue converters, I'm pretty convinced. As guitar signals are analogue, being able to maintain that as purely as possible is the key to getting as authentic 'feel' as possible.
As you know, I'm a big advocate of using digital gear at home to create demos and to practice with. If I'm playing live, I will almost always be using a tube amp pushed with some choice pedals. It makes me sound better to my ear and it feels better to me, which in turn makes me play better than if I were to be distracted by the tone. Considering, I picked up my tube amp for a similar price that I'd be picking up a digital amp, I didn't even have to compromise in that respect either so it's a no brainer.
@@BudgetPedalChap that's the other consideration. You look at the new Laney and Blackstar solid state options, they are pro amps at crazy budget prices. Katana has jumped the shark a little now, far too complex.
@@yaguitar if they are true solid state also, they'll probably sound much better too as they are not forcing the signal through the filter of a converter first. Some players still swear by the early solid state amps, I mean look at the jazz chorus.
I own both amps. Where the Bassbreaker 30r shines over a Katana or DI solutions is chords. With single note stuff the difference is less obvious, but strum a chord and digital is always going to sound digital
@@nekkon1989 that's how I feel about it. Both have their place though.
@@yaguitar true. I use my Katana way more, even for gigs. I hate having to wait for the tubes to cool down for like 15 minutes before I move my amp. Carrying around a 20kg amplifier is not my favourite thing either, but I can sacrifice my back for TONE 😂
Haha yeah, id agree. But still not as heavy as some combos that size. Half the weight of a marshall dsl 40!!
This video highlights an interesting thing. There is a subset of guitar/gear based RUclipsrs who have pretty much made it their content creator identity to deliver click-bait hyperbole about how anything beyond entry level or the lower end of the mid-tier level gear is some horrible scam and that anyone who buys anything past an arbitrary price point must be stupid and easily tricked by marketing. Sadly, this has pretty much poisoned any potential conversation. If you say you like your $1000+ guitar or your tube amp, you must be some kind of "cork sniffing blues lawyer" because "every real guitarist knows that tone is in the fingers and you can sound amazing through everything!" That kind of hyperbole entirely misses the point but it certainly does generate clicks and audience engagement.
What you talk about in this video is the reality of the matter. A tube amp is going to feel and even sound different from a digital modeler and a solid state amplifier. It isn't about what sounds "better" but more about why each of them are different and what they each provide to the player. There are amazing solid state amplifiers and there are fantastic digital modeling solutions. Heck. I use a mix of tube amps and software based amp/effects modeling in my overall setup and both bring some really compelling things to the table. There is simply no reason to get ideologically tied to one type or another. Likewise. There is no reason to get ideologically tied to one particular price point or quality tier of music gear. Doing so is just dumb. Each price category exists for a reason and each have their upsides and downsides. There should be no shame in honestly evaluating and acknowledging those differences.
One last thing. In the video, you often speak about how "the audience can't tell the difference". You offer it almost as if you are apologizing for expanding your viewpoint. A sort of disclaimer so that you don't get harassed in the comments or something. Here is my question. Does it matter if they know the difference or not? They are the audience. They are there to have a good time, drink, and dance. Some of them might notice if they are somewhat aware of guitar equipment but for the most part, they are just going to listen to whatever you play. Here is the thing. At the end of the gig, you have to go home with the gear. You have to practice with it alone. You have to bring it to rehearsal. You have to plug it into your recording rig to lay down tracks. You have to live with this stuff so why put the audience (who doesn't care either way) above your own preferences and needs? You have to enjoy playing through your stuff. You are the one that wants to be inspired by the sounds it makes. If you know that the audience doesn't really care, why factor them into your gear decision process? Why offer their tastes and knowledge as a disclaimer when stating how your feelings and opinions have evolved as you have gained more experience?
Interestingly I was doing a podcast with Hello Sailor the other week and he has a philosophy. If you like it, it makes you play better. Be it look of a cool pedal, sound of a great amp etc. if you play better, the audience hears that. So gear you love makes the audience happier.
You're right though, I do sound apologetic because I'm so used to people going "you're so dumb, no one knows the difference"
tubes ;9)