The DEATH of REAL GUITAR AMPS and the "RIGHT TO ROCK" (RE: Rob Chapman) - SPF
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- Опубликовано: 7 дек 2023
- This is a response to Rob Chapman's video wherein he lays out the case against tube amps and for smaller and smaller digital guitar amps, amp modelers, and amplifier plugins.
Original video: • The End Of An Era? (An...
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Hey Dude, great video and thank you for your kind words about mine. Here’s my hot take, I genuinely think by the time valve manufacturing facilities go out of business (and I’m 100% sure they will) I think technology will be around that will replace valves, as in a unit that you can push in to your socket and it will provide the same facility.
I imagine something digital which replicates the tone of particular tubes, so you could choose whether or not it’s giving you L 84 or 606 vibes they will never take away our amplifiers. There will always be a demand just as there is four vintage violins or even old radios.
Keep rocking and maybe see you at NAMM
Nice dog by the way 🐶
Hey Rob. Good to see you. Thanks for the comment. I think I agree that there will always be some degree of demand for classic tube amplifiers, but I question whether a) governments of the world, eager to please the increasingly hysterical climate activists, will begin to ban new tube manufacture in the same way they have new tungsten light bulbs, or b) the demand will sink to a point where new tube manufacturers cannot sustain a viable business model.
As for the tube substitute that'll plug and play in the tube sockets...that would pose quite an engineering challenge, for one, because the voltages at which tubes operate far exceeds anything a typical semiconductor can handle. One would need to incorporate a miniature power supply to reduce the voltages to usable levels for semiconductors, and then raise the output voltages back up to something that would interface seamlessly with what's present on the anode pin, which is typically in the hundreds of volts. Not saying it's impossible, just not something I can ever see being an economical solution.
Not sure I'll make it to NAMM since they no longer have a Nashville gathering. But hit me up if you make it to the Dallas Guitar Show. I might be there again this year.
The dog...that's Nipper! The RCA Victor "His Master's Voice" mascot. I think he's 32 years old this year.
@@TheGuitologist The voltage levels tubes operate at are no problem for semiconductor devices, you just need the right ones, This coming from a background of building high voltage solid state power electronics since I was 10-11 and first started getting interested in building power electronics projects that use high voltages, and I'm talking very high voltage projects and quickly going from there after spending most of my life being fascinated with electronics, sciences. and using learning as an escape mechanism from childhood abuse, so I had a good head start to where I am now in terms of knowledge and range of things I've been interested in building and experimenting with since I was a very young child reading about Nikola Tesla and all he did and his projects and would raid libraries on anything I could find, and finding people that could get me all kinds of books (I've got electronics engineering and various sciences, even metallurgy books gong back to as far as 1864 and entire 700 page multi volume electronics engineering books from the early 1900s filling a few bookcases now...complete with bits of old paper in where people have designed their own things and their own projects with everything being written down back then in amongst the pages of things, notes, scribblings and all sorts that gives you a kickstart to some interesting ideas amongst the content of whatever type of book it is) . Things like solid state Tesla Coils and plasma speakers and solid state power supplies for Nixie tubes and all manner of high voltage electronics projects that put tube voltages into the low to medium voltage ranges, things needing voltages of up to 1kV or more to then boost voltages up to multi-kV voltages before the high voltage components downstream up this further into the tens to hundreds of kV, or in the case of TCs, even millions of volts. There are solutions out there, and as technology continues on it's path and material sciences get even better, they'll become easier to produce in smaller and smaller packages even :)
We're always going to have options for our love of tube tech, whether it does eventually start to take the form of solid state packages in a tube you push into the socket or tubes will just stick around for us to use. Musicians not being the only users of tubes, as you rightly noted, the demand for real tubes won't sink low enough even if most musicians take a different route. You've still got audiophile purists who cling to modern hifi tube amps and people who cling to their classical tube powered radios, radio receivers, hifi amplifiers etc. The demand for all manner of tubes is still there, and probably growing albeit it at a slow rate nowadays rather than sinking. We'll all be good with our love for tubes and the supply of them, it's the NOS tubes that tend to be pushed becoming more expensive due to lower stock levels of these NOS tubes and the always onward march of inflation making it seem like tubes are becoming harder/more expensive to get imo, at least partially. Modern produced tubes are still reasonably priced an in stock just about anywhere you'd find stuff like that, even with retailers on eBay still able to provide modern produced tubes at the same effective prices they've been for years and still make a business of it with good stock levels. I think you're absolutely right about the desire for real tubes never dying to a point where someone can make a solid state replacement an affordable enough concept to get off the ground until the need for mass production of it coming into force enough to make them a similar enough or cheaper alternative that people would be willing enough to switch over to instead of just continuing on using their beloved old/new 'old'' tubes for their given hobby of choice that requires them :)
Great video, my dude.
The problematic part with such devices (and they are already around) is that you cant replicate the behavior of Tubes with discrete components, at least not at a reasonable level of component count. There are various attemps to replace Preamp Tubes which on clean levels works relatively good but the higher gain you achieve, the more harsh the tone gets. This goes mostly back to the fact that Semiconductors arent able to handle "overhead" and start to produce 3rd harmonics too early where you would prefer 2nd or even 4th harmonics which are the main contents in a tubes headroom.
Replacing individual tubes on AI level would technically be possible but if they need to function as drop in replacements, they need alot of outboarding for voltage level shifting this goes again to the parts count. And there are several other reasons that speak against such a technology (at least by todays standards) which for example is the added latency when you multiple times AD/DA convert a signal and let it process in individual stages. Not saying that this is impossible. But if i would develop such a technology in our unfortunately spiritless world, i would probably also go for the convenience in bringing it all together into one complete / functional device, rather than creating a device that receives alot of headwind from potential users.
Sorry there is a language barrier, hope my message came right. Cheers!
Respectfully disagree, as an electronic engineer for over 30 years...I can say the only thing to replace a valve is another valve...
@@AC2237 in terms of characteristics i totally agree.
To keep this on professional level i dont dare to speak about sound.
Just my view & opinion here …. Years & years ago ( around 2010) I got a call to one of the oldest hotels here in San Diego (Carnegie hotel) and they were having elevator issues . I was STUNNED to go into the main Elevator power room & find that it was STILL running the original 1909 built Edison Elevator Division motor , pulleys , old school Knife switches with carbon contacts & brass levers ( Think Scene from Original Frankenstein movie , where Igor throws the switch 😉). Anyway we had to do some motor repairs & got them back up & running again rather cheaply as I recall. About 5 years later the city inspector finally condemned the system & they had to do a major upgrade & retrofit to bring everything up to current codes . Since then the manager told me they had nothing but problems with the “ Latest & greatest” and that the original system had only minor problems for over 100 years !! Amazing how the further “ Into the future “ we go ,the more things don’t last …..😐. Thanks for all you share with us , and I’ll keep my Fender & Vox tube amps around a little while longer … 😉
Thats because the new better is neither new or better.
The NEW crap does cause an immediate need for Warranty Service and after warranty service.I've seen three brand new 1 day old LG refrigerators fail from three different people
Jobs creation ! on YOUR dime.That's the ticket
The old elevators were pretty good , but they were built for weekly maintenance . The service companies nowadays have cut the time to 1/5th as much and the old elevators aren’t kept up.
I have followed you for years. I am glad you see how our World has changed. I respect your skill , but there is a problem way bigger than any of us. You see that
As a service engineer /repair guy for a major company of offshore equipment I can confirm built in obsolescence is a thing . Was told by a engineer from the mothership it is a thing . We were told to push services, parts/new features/upgrades. Their profit margins aren't enough for these greedy bastards.
if a company made something (light bulbs) that would last 40-50 years, why not re-tool the idled factories to make another product? we humans are an interesting species.
This comes down to the top executives at publicly traded companies being compensated based on the share price. And the share price is driven by the quarterly earnings report. The big auto companies used to have a massive moat around them based on how much capital it takes to start such a company. Then along came Tesla. But I think they may have closed the door behind them.
@@AndyThomas_mrblitz Obviously because it's not financially viable otherwise they would have done that already. Our current form of capitalism is about maximizing short-term value and completely disregarding anything past a few quarterly earning reports, if that; there's nothing logical about it besides get the most money as quickly and as cheaply as possible which promotes some pretty stupid ideas like planned obsolescence.
Didn’t think I could like Brad any more than I already did. Then he makes this video! Bravo, brother!
I am in the industry at the forefront of this and at the world leader company for power/energy and products. Some of the patents are mine and I am knee deep in what’s going on. What you are seeing was planned long ago and the shift taking place is just really starting. I’m between a rock and a hard place as I am against the politicians who have hijacked energy and power but I also see the need for what’s coming, technology-wise.
Simply put- the wrong people are in control.
And yes, BlackRock invested in us and is driving the bus.
And there lies the freaking problem. All countries are. Going third world freaking fast.
And energy can be free. Through the air.
@@jerryhatrick5860 ‘Air’ is a paramagnetic and yes, it is a power source. Much better than lithium. But it’s about controlling people and exponential growth of the people. Using energy and power for control. Linking it to how you bank, you name it. It’s coming.
Ok buddy.
Source: trust me bro.
Last click took a wrong turn. GPS map re position Starlink upload correcting now, guidance system slewing course correction in progress.............
I remember when the "black box" in cars started appearing and even the salespeople didn't know until a mechanic plugged into the computer and told the salesman not only how fast he had just drove the car but also how hard he braked, the rpm's when he shifted, the g force in turns and how fast he accelerated from a stop. That was in 2005. Then came onstar and the ability to remotely turn off the car was born.
Planned obsolescence is the name of the game in modern consumer market economics. It makes staying "old school" extremely appealing.
I agree , old school , simple and quality is the way to be
Agree 100%. Just picked up a vintage 1973 Super Reverb the other day for $800. One of the best sounding amps I have ever owned and super easy to fix. No modeller will even come close to this amp tone wise. Now is the time to be snapping up these amazing vintage amps!
I worry about how eventually we’re gonna run out of people who are competent and skilled at working on tube amps. They will always exist but seems like they are slowly becoming fewer and farther in between based on where you live. Kind of like how there’s only a handful of guys who play pedal steel on 90% of country albums these days. People slowly stopped caring to learn that instrument over time.
Compared to modern technology tube amps are pretty simple electronic technology. I’m 53 year old hvac tech and learning how repair and recap them from the likes of good RUclips videos from guys like “uncle Doug and others”.
@@allstopblue5717don’t worry I’m 28, and already a savage tech/engineer. Built 200 pedals, recapped a bunch of amps, recorded a bunch of bands. 🤟😎🍻💯🔥
Blackrock bought my old office building, and a few years ago when I was painting/selling houses, Zillow tried to buy every single one of them.
I’m glad you’re taking the time to make a video on this Brad, we’re addicted to convenience as a society, and we’re gonna sit by passively and watch as corporations buy our entire lives. That’s the idea, permanent landlord state, nobody owns anything or has shit, and the ultra-wealthy become gods. Yep, sounds like a dystopia to me.
I still don’t understand how blackrock,state street, vanguard arent considered monopolies. They 100% should be broken up.
YOU NAILED IT
I've never seen a tube amp try to sound like a digital one.
I just watched a video about something similar. It's about audio engineers who work with old DAW versions and use it on a computer that is never connected to the Internet because if they go online, they're forced to upgrade their DAW and they will have to pay a monthly subscription just to be able to use it even though they purchased it years ago.
Computer hardware & software are the biggest planned obsolescence. "Major security updates are ready to install" over & over again until "Your hardware is antiquated and Windows 10 cannot install."
BS!!!
Linux baby!
They don't have to update...it's a choice.
@@MyBichSustained Yes, they can go online when ever they want and not update, of course then they don't get new tools that makes their job easier too.
Life is about making choices.
@@aristocaster Boohoo?
@@aristocaster Boohoo?
This has got to be one of your best videos Guitologist, I think you put it into perspective better than any other person on RUclips, Tube amps aren’t going anywhere soon in my Opinion and it’s very good to be able to repair your own tube amps , I’ve learned so much from your Channel and thank you for that!!!!
Louis Rossman did a video called "When EV companies go bankrupt". It has to do with things that need DMCA software every time they are used. There have already been a couple of small Chinese EV companies going bankrupt, and the DMCA server was shut and it bricks the car. This can also happen to small things like ovens or refrigerators.
Brad, so true. I retired as a new car dealer auto technician in 2009. I started in 1967 so I advanced along from simple to module driven computer controlled systems. Bad deal for the small guys and home mechanics. Can't get parts and the info is protected. Where will the classic cars be? Like you I learned amp repair and have tackled advanced electronics. It's a tough trade to get anything done. Your blog is on the money.
Back in the mid 70's I got talked into getting a solid state amp. I was told "tube amps are a thing of the past". Fast forward a few years and I'm doing a gig where there's a backline of Fender amps. So I plug into one and there's that sound I'd been missing. Since then I use nothing but tube amps most of them old like me.
I will say that there were a few stellar discreet transistor amps made...OLD Peavey and OLD OLD OLD Kustom
@samfosdick9874 Damn CCR old lmao
I agree with your comments. I have 2 old-style Fender amps: 1 bandmaster reverb and a deluxe reverb re-issue with the circuit board replaced with a point-to-point wired circuit board. I repaired both when I got them and then packaged them into combo amps. Both are classic sounding blackface Fender amps -Ventures tones for days. I am not an amp repair person. I learned everything I needed through online sites and a little common sense. I have NEVER found a PC board based or digital modeling amp that sounds enough like the originals that would compel me to give up my tube amps. And yes I have a stash of replacement tubes, resisters and capacitors such that I could fix my amps if I need to. Try your digital modeling amp after an EMT nuclear attack and see how well they perform. I'll take my old amps and my Volvo PV544 off into the sunset while you sit there with your useless bricks.
I'd rather play a diddly bow thats plugged into a toaster than let some ai bullshit entertain me. From my cold dead hands indeed!
I am a 30+ year OBD expert in automotive. Almost all the tech changes since the late 80s when i started were not based on consumer demand but Gov’t regulation (CARB/EPA--->CAFE Standards). You cannot diagnose most problems without a pro-level scan tool, and you have to know how to interpret the data. Component level repair is impossible, so it’s high-cost modular repair. Just had a conference last week where John Deere came up in in conversation as being completely monopolistic and not cooperating with any industry groups. You are spot on.
Nailed it. Government is behind it, but the car manufacturers go along because the high regulation in their industry means it blocks out newcomers into the car market. Any upstart is quickly swamped by fines, regulations, attorney fees, on top of all the R&D, taxes, and God knows what else.
Great video, Brad! Thanks for all you do on youtube....i find it very enjoyable to watch.
Thanks for watching!
Came for the topic of amps, stayed for everything else. Love this channel!
So glad SPF isn't dead!
Me too!
Tired of all these people commenting on the death of tube amps. They will never die off. Technology will just evolve and merge. This is coming from someone that uses both tube amps and modelers.. Love the channel!!!! Keep the content coming!!!!!
Great commentary. When covid hit, several local 'vintage' electronics repair shops that were barely hanging on closed. It was inevitable as you said because of the throw away electronics sold now. Also, a good friend and old band mate owned a small local music store/vintage amp & guitar repairs that ended up closing. All that to say, I bought several large boxes of tubes from those stores when they closed. I watched a video you did several months ago, where you bought a huge lot of tubes. I bought one big box with mostly modern power & preamp tubes from my buddy. Lots of Russian made Mullards, EHX, Ruby's, etc Then some JJ's, Sovtec's, etc. I did get lots of NOS tubes from the 'TV repair shops' that I haven't went through yet. I think in a few years, they will be basically priceless. I repair vintage amps, radios, and stuff like that. My knowledge is not near yours, but I'm getting there! I just 'semi retired', so I plan to do a lot of catching up. Sorry for the long 'book', man. Thanks!!!
I'm old enough to remember the TV repairman that came to your home with a tool box and another box full of replacement tubes.
@@jaypeterson7637 I remember that one time as well. I'm 62. We had a Magnavox TV I think. I would have to ask my dad to be sure. I remember having to let the tubes warm up until the picture popped on. It hummed too, when all the tubes got warm. The repair guy, which was my uncle, had to replace a tube one time. I remember this certain smell when the tube crapped out. I smelled it several times growing up playing in bands when an amp would overheat & crap out. You had to have a Fender & later a Marshall tube amp! Lol.
This is why I bought a hand wired ‘65 deluxe reverb head. Had my same amp tech build me two 5F11 Vibrolux amps. He also got my old Aims Dual Twelve up and running.
We are still working on a plan for my two Hot Rod Deluxes. Maybe hand wired bassmans or Dumbles.
In the Marine Industry, I'm running into a lot of similar situations. I was thinking of purchase a Diagnostic tool for Mercury Outboard Engines. Unfortunately, it cost almost $8500 for the tool, and you have to purchase it every few years. Because they do not offer any firmware or updates on the tool.
Also, the more computerized and "environmentally friendly" the engines are. It seems the more problems they have.... strange problems that require a ton of money to fix.
I'm talking about fuel pumps that cost $2000. They are designed to be throw away units.
I try to help people by rebuilding these units at a fraction of the price. However, that ends up pissing off Marina owners.
In the end. I would prefer to work on boats from about 2010 and older.
They are now making it almost impossible for the small business owner to service the newer boats, without purchasing 10's of thousands of dollars of more electrical equipment.
The regulators who come up with this bullshit don't WANT people owning boats, or anything else for that matter. The sooner they can destroy the internal combustion engine and get us all on the grid, the happier they'll be.
Is Brad a sovereign citizen?
@@TheGuitologist then they can shut us off with the flick of a switch.
The grid is nowhere near ready for your mandated electric vehicle. Plus, they're shutting down our coal and nuclear fired plants with no plan as to what replaces them.
I started watching your channel when you focused on working on amps and never showed your face. When you became more political, I watched less, but still respected your knowledge about tube amps. I have purchased and sold a lot of guitars, amps and effects over the last thirty years and am amazed at the quality sound of software based amp sims and recording plug-ins. However, I also completely agree with your analysis here. I earned my money in the heating and cooling industry and it is on par with your automobile analogies. It has absolutely become a "planned obsolescence" that is driven by the EPA requiring higher and higher efficiencies that make HVAC manufacturers have to re-engineer and re-tool there factories to produces these new products in the name of "lower carbon footprint"! And guess who is paying for this? The manufacturer's, Lobbyist, and Elite wealth owners benefit from this. Sadly, it's us the consumer suckers who will pay for it, as always. When will people start voting for people who have them as their main concern? Local, State, House, Senate, President?
Until we start seeing classic tube amps on the shelves of thrift stores next to VCR's and CD players then tube amps aren't dead.
Nice allegory man.
Tube amps will likely die without going through that process, they'll still be sought after just nobody will make them. Not at an affordable price for the average dude at least.
Anything on a shelf for sale isn't "dead"
@@user-ei9ns9hq6b Tell that to a stuffed squirrel.
they will never die. Technology is close but no dice.
Brad…you just gained a ton of respect from me my man…regarding electric cars…they ARE NOT to save the climate etc…they are a control tool…if you don’t agree with their nonsense and toe the line, they simply shut off your car or limit your range of travel…same thing with digital currency…but of course when you say this stuff out loud people mock and call you names…rock on my brother 👍
I agree. Many people don't realize how fragile modern amps are...
Fender has been plagued for decades because their PCB amps are played out in such a way that heat damages the PCB, there are noise issues due to the proximity of certain caps and other components necessary to fit it into the chasis...
Amps need to be serviced and a PCB is much harder to service than a point to point eyelet board... one lifted PCB trace can lill an amp...
Now we have more complex amps with processors like Fender Tonemasters... essentially a cell phone processor that plays a facsimile of an amplifier sound. If that fries, it's done for...
Some other brands have tons of issues as well... Blackstar, Marshall, Mesa... These complicated PCBs are not intuitive and one short renders an entire board trash...
Hell, I tried to repair one of my favorite pedals recently that has a daughter board for the switch... You cannot replace the switch without risking melting the traces. I contacted the company to buy a new daughter board I can solder a switch to and install and it's "obsolete"... The Pedal is 6 years old and they only recently were discontinued...
It's a mess...
You can crack open an old Electro-Harmonix big muff and swap the switch in minutes...
Big Muff...my first guitar pedal. I bought it in '74. I was lucky enough to run it with a '62 Strat and '66 piggy back Fender Bassman amp...HEAVEN!!
If you can't buy a replacement switch daughter board from the manufacturer, why not contact a DIY effects manufacturer and obtain a suitable PCB (assuming it's a simple daughter board)? Alternatively, just make your own.
Also, it should be possible to remove the switch without damaging the PCB traces just by using some desoldering wick and a solder sucker 🤷🏻♂️
I think people will always want them, just like cameras that shoot on film. It's not always about convenience or practicality or even the end result, it's about using the thing you want to use.
I agree. Look at how many people would prefer to record on tape instead of going digital. The problem is that only a few can afford it. You can still find audio engineers who will work with tape but the tape itself has become prohibitively expensive!
@@Sadlander2 Yeah that's sadly true - same with my film example actually.
The people that care will be too old to be relevant soon. The artworks and media we love will not hold any relevance at all to the younger generations.
True. Another example is vinyl collectors when digital streaming is so much more convenient and cost free.
@@vondoom2876 so everyone who collects vinyl is an aging boomer?
tuned in for an amp video and got something much more profound, stellar work man!
Well done and very insightful Brad.
I ran into these issues with a HK tubemeister. It was under warranty when it farted out and HK said find someone to fix it and we will pay. Well, 3 different places said it could not be repaired by the design. HK had me mail it to them in NY and they sent me a whole new amp. I didn't even unbox it, just sold it like that. Warranty was up in three months so forget keeping that bullshit.
..but I thought tube amps were "easy to fix" 🤔🙄😂
..good point....some are!....the older the amp the more likelihood of fixing it....many of the cheap new tube amps aren't worth the cost of repairing and a big issue is time...probably get a vintage Deluxe Reverb fully recapped in the time it would take to access the board in a Bluesbreaker....@@dingalarm
@@robbergin9441 I understand what you mean 👍🙂 It's indeed much easier to repair a vintage amp than a modern one. My Peavey Classic 20 has the same issue. I was just bringing up the age old cliché regarding tube amp repair 😄
Hey Brad. I'll say this. I own a bunch of tube amps. You know because you repaired my 1956 Fender Tweed Bassman on your channel. I'll never get rid of my tube amps and I have even bought new ones in the last year. When I gig, I used a line 6 helix (either Rack or Floor) because I don't have cartage service and I don't want to burden my crew with hauling around a bunch of heavy tube amps and cabinets and effects to play covers around town. The helix makes it amazingly convenient. My son is a musician and one day I hooked up my old 1974 Marshall JMP into my 1960A cab with a couple of pedals and cranked it for him and you should have seen his face. Pure joy. There is nothing else like it. Outside of this portion of the argument, I agree with everything you said about our future and the miniaturization and disappearance of gear. I know you are not a fan of Beato, but he testified in front of Congress recently about AI and said that AI should have to pay royalties for the library of music it used as a reference. So as long as we do that, hopefully the artist themselves will never disappear.
I'm not sure it's wise to even force people who use AI as an aid in writing to pay royalties to all the mainstream record companies whose artists were referenced in the AI teaching phase. Wouldn't that be akin to forcing me to pay Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix for influencing me when I was learning to play guitar or write songs of my own? If AI is a tool or aid for creation, just like any other piece of gear, should it not be free to all who want to use it without having to pay such royalties to those from whose works a new transformative work was created? I'm not saying I'm coming down on one side or the other here, just playing devil's advocate. This is one of the most important questions of our time and I think it bears more consideration than listening to a RUclipsr, whether that RUclipsr is a douchenozzle like me or a douchenozzle like Rick Beato.
I'm in Heating & Cooling business, and for well over a 2 decade's Heating Equipment, mostly gas fired furnaces have 1 or more boards in them, and 1 thing goes wrong and it is a new board, $150 average. Carrier is really into the electronic board and computer control from T Stat to furnace and even their condensing units. And the big brands, it is a $200 K buy in for a contractor. I sell & install cheap stuff with minimum chips & boards. Great Topic
This is a perfect example of guys our age. I grew up with a dad that fixed everything and taught us how to fix just about anything. I bought a Fuchs Triple drive amplifier and cooked one of the boards that control the channel switching. Called Fuchs for a schematic and got the response that we dont give those out. However, Fuchs did send the new updated version of the board and walked my tech through the process of fixing the amp over the phone. My first thought while watching your video was this situation with Fuchs and it opened my eyes to the future of having to fix the new amps. I personally love the Fuchs and it has wonderful tones but Im afraid to take it out on the road playing because of this issue I had, so I have two amps that I really lean hard on. A Fender Concert from the Rivera era and an old 58 Tweed deluxe. If I cook something its going to be tube. Easy fix and im back on stage. Im all about new technology but the fact that the average guy cant fix something is a terrifying thought to me. I play guitar with guys that have Kempers and Helix. They are cool. I like a real tube amp period.
I grew up in Cleveland Ohio and watched the fall of the steel mills and auto industry slowly crumble. My neighbor worked at a place where they were sold to the Chinese and were moving the equipment to China and wanted him to go help them set up and get them up and running. He told them no way!!! All his friends worked at this place and now they were without a job. So what this all boils down too is the fact that the new technology is moving across seas and now the people that once made the products are out of work. How will our people buy things when they arent working? This has puzzled me since companies started moving over seas. All the consumers wont be able to afford any of the other products that were also moved over seas. This is not just amplifiers or a musician issue. This is a problem with all manufacturing. Ill hang on to my tube amps and the old technology.
Thank you for your videos...
I’m 60 and I believe that real guitar amps have tubes. However modeling technology sounds so good and offers SO many options of amps and effects that it’s really hard not to go that route. It’s not as much fun as being a gear junkie but it’s a whole lot cheaper.
And lighter!
@@jaypeterson7637 and boring
@@bradleywright7066That's what's wacky about it, you would think the gear with way more versatility would be more inspiring...but it's not. Gear that was made before I was born that does one specific thing exceedingly well is inspiring
Amen@@jasondorsey7110
It really doesnt sound that good
This video was like a super deep spf! Well spoken Brad. Disposable world.
Keeping all of my gear.
You are spot-on with this one. Born in the 50's, I can't believe how things have changed. IT's all about getting humans out of the equation. We live in a world where the machines are building the machines, so it's no wonder we can't fix anything modern. SMT is great for robots but not humans and they are working to completely eliminate discrete components that humans can work with. Musicians should be really aware of this. Remember tape and records? That technology was with us for a very long time but then came digital. Each new tech era seems to come with a shorter life span. I know a lot of musicians with shelves full of optical discs, Beta tapes and ADAT's that they can no longer access because the tech has come and gone. Strangely, they can still pull stuff off old tape in various formats. We no longer have our personal music libraries, we rent them from a corporation and they exist on a digital construct. We pay forever if we want to continue to use it. Subscription software anyone. :(
I just want you to know what a great inspiration you were for me in hard times. Thanks(and I am better now).
And, damn, what a fantastic job of audio engineering and mixing this is... ELO - Can't Get It Out of My Head (Remastered 2021). Have a brave new year!
Nice: ruclips.net/video/e6LQz0irkpk/видео.html
Thanks for another thoughful presentation, Brad. It's always good to hear your take.
The various matters you've discussed here (all about the confluence of how our society has sold its soul for the sake of convenience; planned obsolescence and the subsequent loss of agency by the individual, even up to our ability to accrue wealth, which we really can't if we have to pay through the nose for everything) are, to my mind, all facets of the ongoing trend against the individual. You're not that much younger than me, and I remember that every skill I acquired growing up gave me that much more independence; I get the impression now that this is a laughable concept. To bring it back to amps, yes, one can go down to the local music store, plunk down a grand and a half and get a facsimile of a classic amp...and we've seen how those tend to break not long after the warranty has expired. It's not for everyone, but for those who need the sort of dependability for which Leo Fender earned his renown, wouldn't it be preferable to spend a bit more for an amp which was both far more durable and far more easily reparable? Some might agree, many will not...to each his own. As to the encroaching corporate hegemony...I'm afraid the pooch was screwed long ago on that point...
If you play you know, the only people that want tube amps gone are the same people that don’t manufacture them. Nothing is like playing through a good valve/tube amp
My dad always told me, " A person put that thing together...you can take it apart and find out what's wrong and fix it". Everyone is capable of doing this if you put your mind to it. Of course that was before all the computer and circuit board stuff.
Great insight.
You made some great points. I saw the light bulb video before but never thought about it in a music gear context.
Brad, this is a fantastic video and I'm sharing this on my FB/IG page!
Please do!
Hey man, you had a Taylor guitar ad before the video. Sweet!!!
I'm in that boat of being stuck. The amp I've used for the past ten years (Vox AD50) acted up. With all the diagnosis I've done the past few months, it seems to me like it's a breadboard issue. It's extremely unlikely I'd be able to repair that so I'm now amp shopping. All I've been looking at is Fender tube amps. For the ten years I've had it, it's been quite the reliable live amp and I chose it specifically for the modeling so I'd have the sound I need onboard rather than carry pedals. Tonal and effect variety are no longer a necessity so it's back to a simple two channel tube amp.
Interesting that you have 2 amps from my collection behind you! Rock on brother!
It's a two-edged sword:
If someone has an Axe FX, for example, that hardware is really hard to break. It may last you a lifetime. But if it does break, you likely won't be able to fix it.
Real amps break if you look at them funny, but they can, most likely, be fixed...
The sheer number of N.O.S. tubes out in circulation will last a very long time, especially when fewer and fewer people are using them. By the way, I have a fully functioning 75 year old Fender amp that I use every day.
I agree. If you want to play around with modern digital amps or need the convenience that is fine but don’t get rid of your tube stuff because it will stand the test of time.
My foray into modelers was the Line 6 AmpliFi 150.
Need I say more?
Glad I still had real amps around.
...that is, until tubes are no longer made, and/or are way too expensive (they're expensive now as it is) 🙄🤷🏻♂️
By the way, great video Brad.
You have absolutely won a new fan here! They preach about sustainability yet the stuff they shove down our throats is anything but. I completely share your arguments and I have to say kudos for speaking up on the WEF, Gates, blackrock, and the such, more than anything else. we need to call out these people more. You have restored a tiny bit of hope for humanity in me. Thank you! ❤🙏
Agreed ..absolutly ..
From Australia 🦘🦘🦘and we are being hammered by the agenda ...
He's won me big time ..
I agree 100%. Been a sub of you and Rob a long time Brad, and I'm the same age as you dudes as well. Love what you do man don't ever stop..
I myself love the old tube amps, even tho rite now I don't own one, but I will in the future
Building materials and tools are starting to enter into ‘planned unobtainable’
Hey Brad, yesss to the 'Right To Rock n' Roll! Nice one!
Right?
Fantastic talking Brad!! You r right in all what you said.
Well said
One of my amps is a 1946 Magnatone. It’s still Rockin ✨🎶✨
Well kept and It will serve my son well, long after I’m gone.
Thanks!
No problem! Thank YOU!
Nothin better than a over built old classic amp compared to the the fly by nite ultralight on tone minimilized chipware of today..
Except when nobody listening can tell the difference...nobody.
@@joelspaulding5964 just cause the new people can't doesn't mean the old one can't its about tone and feel making notes come alive in warmth and harmonics new people take for granted , and who would be more adept to hear the difference and older more experienced ear or new ones ?
Well stated & very much true!!!
Question: What current production tubes are worth a damn for my 68 super reverband 69 bandmaster (vibroclone)? I'll run the JAN 5881s until they die, and the rca blackplate preamp section is still sounding pretty good for now in the VC, but I like to think ahead. The SR preamp section is loaded with a mix of groove tubes and old GEs. The only reason I run the 5881s is because I kept the matched quad from the 5f8-a I built at 24 while recovering from cancer.
Tubes will ALWAYS be a part of my life, until they're unobtainium.
Spot on! Great video. People like Rob Chapman talk a lot of sense yes but in reality how much have they got personally invested in this new technology I wonder. I'll stick with my tube Marshalls and Vox's thank you because I know they can be repaired easily if there is ever a problem. A few pedals I've had over the years have had to be thrown away for the very reasons you mentioned. Thanks for a great video.
Thats right dude, the beauty in this is its simplicity, once a plan gets too complex eeeeeverything can go wrong.
I'm so old, I remember when just about ANY piece of new electronic gear came with a manual the size of a small town phone book. Nice fold out schematics, flow charts, trouble shooting tips, complete parts list with parts numbers, etc.
Now you get nothing but a web address with little usefull info at the other end.
Love the Epiphone amp/cab looks awesome how does it sound
One thing along these lines I find things like Alexa and Siri to be horrifying. Because these things are digital and you only see the harmless looking pylon it feels like nothing. But imagine if Alexa was analog. Guy comes in with a big reel to reel tape deck and plugs a mic to it, wire it into your computer, music, thermostat etc.
it sits there and records every word you say and every so often someone changes the tape and takes it in for keyword analysis to “enhance” your life.
That would freak people out watching those tape reels turn. They’d want it out of their house.
But it’s digital so people accept it, even desire it, even though it’s basically a wiretap.
The Dead Kennedys called it. “give me convenience or give me death”
Great video, I love these kind of discussions. We're about the same age. I've always been a tube amp guy and still have my original 5150 head, a few other mini heads and tons of pedals. They are all a blast. But I will say this, I'm all for the modeling stuff and I find myself playing more now then I have in a long time. For me it's the ability to have so many tones/effects available at the push of a button. One day I'm playing with a 5150, the next day a Plexi, another day a clean Fender. I'm just loving it. Will I ever get rid of my tube amps, no way because they are still a ton of fun. Will I buy another tube amp, probably not. I get both sides of the argument. I think the younger players don't know how lucky they are to be living in this day and age!
I love my Princeton Reverb - it is a hand wired clone by Vintage Sound. I do worry sometimes whether tubes will continue to be available. Also, this is absolutely correct about built in obsolescence. However, we have all been guilty in some ways of enjoying cheap electronic products. Many times they are forced on us because they are the only thing available. We can also argue which came first - the demand to buy cheap products that are disposable or the disposable products.
I always think of what Dave Smith said about physical synths vs virtual synths. It was about turning it on playing, opposed to turning on a computer, waiting for the software to boot and hoping an update didn't render something in the daw useless. Don't get me wrong, the virtual tools are great, but chasing the technology dragon becomes endless and can be an inspiration killer for creatives.
I don't think amps will ever totally disappear. When I go to a show, I want to see a Marshall back line. Its a staple. I owned a 900 half stack, loved it, had to sell. Believe me if I had the means I would own amps, direct solutions do however open the door way easier. You can get running for $200 and sound great these days. You cannot replicate the sound of 2-4 stacks through the PA though, that's the biggest difference.
Agree with you. 100%
I hate how all the new gear requires a computer to be able to use all the features. I’d rather have dedicated gear that just does what it does by itself, without the internet, and they can sell upgrade packs, sort of like the Roland blues amp thing
I’m still dragging heavy tube amps, cabs, combos and an even heavier analog pedalboard to bar gigs because I prefer the instrument feel and live in the room tone of tubes versus the digital FRFR tone and response feel of a controller.
I am fine with a digital home studio rig but do spend more time playing my live rig at home to continuously cultivate my sound.
I remember back in the early 1990's, my car broke down. It sounded like it wasn't running on all cylinders or something. I wasn't far from home and I walked back and said "Sorry Dad, I've broken down, can you grab some tools and give us a hand" we walked back to the car and my dad took a look at it for 10 mins. Long story short, after some tinkering around, it turned out that one of the spark plugs was clogged up. He got a wire brush, cleaned it out and the car was fine. Not even a half hour job. Thanks for your videos.
Great video, Brad. Lot's of brain food here. Very thought provoking.
I appreciate what you're saying, and I've been around a lot longer than you or Rob. I love tube amps and have owned many over the years (and still do) starting with a used blackface when the amp was just 6 years old. You're fighting a battle you can only lose. Technology always moves on - and always will. And it's always been mostly crap, and some truly exceptional. Ultimately over time, the exceptional ones take over, are copied, and become the new normal. It's always been this way. When I started gigging out in 1974, being a keyboardist as well as a guitarist, I actually used to carry a guitar, pedalboard and blackface Twin Reverb. I also carried a Fender Rhodes, an Ampeg amp for the Rhodes, a Farfisa organ and a Leslie. I would have tube issues, cable and dirty jack issues (lots of pedals/cables), mechanical Leslie issues, and by age 22, back issues and eventually 2 hernias. Today, I take 2 guitars, a keyboard that weighs about 13 lbs, and a Helix with a small light amp (because an old guy is used to the guitar coming from a focused "amp" source behind him). It sounds great, better than all that heavy stuff did, and is far more consistent night to night. The only real difference is that the sound source for the Leslie doesn't physically move like a real one. :) This new gear costs far less relative to income, and I have far fewer issues that ever require servicing. Would I want to go back to 1974? No way! And please back off the conspiracy stuff - this makes people see conspiracies everywhere and act CRAZY. Big business has ALWAYS done slimy things to get richer. Often coordinating. But what this old guy has found is that when you see grand conspiracies everywhere, you are usually giving "elites," big business, government, far more logic, intelligence and coordination than they are actually capable of. Not only that, the people de-crying the conspiracies are usually themselves rich fat cats trying to manipulate you for their own benefit. Live your life as best you can, and do your best to enjoy every minute. You can't turn back the clock. Life sucks AND life is great. As far as "the Chinese," America has to do what it did when I was a kid: stop giving huge repeated tax breaks to the rich (there's your conspiracy), and start investing heavily in innovation again like we did in the 50s and 60s. When we do that, no other nation on Earth can touch us.
I use a pedalboard with effects pedals and a Simplifier Mk II going into a Headrush powered monitor. I love proper tube amps however my "rig" is a compromise weight-wise, but the main reason is because various friends had digital amp and effects units that sounded amazing... until they broke... and then that was it... everything gone! Every now and again a pedal on my board breaks. Usually they can be fixed. If not then it's just one thing that needs replacing.
You got me wondering when you talked about vacuum tube manufacturers eventually going away, Right away I thought that a plug-in transistor array would take their places in "tube" amps. And wouldn't it be cool if the mounted those transistors inside glass envelopes and included tiny LEDs to make them glow. I think I've watched too many scfi movies over the years, but if it comes to fruition remember you heard it hear first. . 💡
11:40 I couldn't agree more. Practicality is very often a mask for exclusive tech that no one really knows, and in the end it's plausible that no one will be able to use these tools in an artistic way. I wonder where our artistic tendency will migrate to, when there will be no territories left in music, designing and literature!
As an example, I paid $6000 for my hearing aids (no health insurance coverage for hearing aids, but that’s another gripe). They started failing before they were paid off, AND the warranty ran out. And I opted not to buy the extended warranty because it was as much as the monthly bill for the hearing aids. I’m retired and on a fixed income. I decided to buy some $100 hearing aids that claimed to be as good or better than my expensive ones. They suck but are better than nothing.
They get you by the short hairs and refuse to let go.
You make a lot of sense in what you say but I wouldn't write off tube amps just yet. I wouldn't be surprised if a new generation discovers the thrill of plugging into a old school amp and cranking it and realising how easy it is to get a good sound. Who would have thought that vinyl would be so popular now after being written off a couple of decades ago?
I don't think you are wrong in any way shape or form. But I will tell you that I bought a microscope to learn how to do this SMD stuff, and I do plan on getting good at it. But I will not use any of that garbage to play at home or live. My Fender Deluxe Reverb and my 1970's Marshall 50 watt JMP with 4x12 remain my go to amps. My new car is a 2004 Chevy trailblazer, BECAUSE I CAN WORK ON IT!
1000% agree with this.
Damn guitologist you are based!!! Subscribed!!!
I guess I've made my own luck in the (personal and friend) amp sphere. I have a good stock of tubes and other componentry left over from the earlier work and I also design and wind transformers which was a good little money-spinner back in the day. It also comes in useful when I have a rush of blood to the head and just want to build something.
Transformer winding is one thing I haven’t done yet.
@@TheGuitologist If you like to know the process, I'd have to message you somehow. I don't social media apps., just email. I have an old hand-cranked winding machine which helps enormously but the wire is always hand-fed to the bobbin. It is a bit of a mission but well worth the effort. The design is easy. You really need to be able to get hold of bobbins; old cores can be reused.
We are driving our own destiny by wanting stuff cheaper and cheaper. The problem is income drives our behaviour and this is driving us to part with said income but at the same time loosing control. There is a never ending shift from the masses to the elite, all in the interest of money and power. If you can't fix it yourself or find someone who can fix it for you are forced to go and buy one their cheap products.
The insidious hidden tax of inflation isn't so hidden anymore. They're effing up big time right now, waking a whole generation of people up to what they're playing at. Let's see how long this can last.
My *_Line 6 Spider 112 Red Face 50 watt Amp_* works just fine.
Psionic Audio just made a video to your point, it was about a busted Katana amp that just isn't worth fixing both because it's more expensive to take it to a tech, and because you can't just fix it yourself because Boss doesn't sell aftermarket boards to the owners of such amps, leaving you to go out and having to buy a new amp.
I heard about 15 years ago that none's mining tungsten anymore as there's no demand for it.
I used to work for Audio Note (valve based hifi) and we could replace a 50 year old valve but a 5 year old chip? No...
Equally I have a mate who works high up at Ford in Detroit and the seats in their cars have five microcontrollers (mini computers) in to run heating, position etc and they couldn't get them, production ceased. In the states you have a motion powered piezo crystal linked to a tyre pressure monitor which has RFID in every wheel and those where seriously running out at one point. Its nuts!
The direct connection to the sound is what makes tube amps so glorious.I love them
I do have a Helix, bought out of curiosity...and it's not terrible.. it just depends on me keeping my computer up to date too !!
And the Helix will be outdated soon.
Paul and Gene got got with those AI cartoon Kiss characters. Nobody is gonna pay $1500 a pop to watch a 2 hour animae.
They already do.....she's called Taylor Swift.
Some things I’m comfortable with fixing on a surface mount level. I know in my Chevy truck from the early 2010s I can buy a replacement board or can solder in a new capacitor or resistor or IC. Guitar amps are a whole different animal. Nothing can replace old tone tech. It’s simulated fairly well but it’s just not the same. I heard of a few new tube manufacturers since we can’t legally get sovtek tubes anymore. No idea where that will go but I have my fingers crossed
Prayers going out to all the families in Tennessee tonight with the tornados 🙏
While you make good points Brad...in a short time an IR amp & cab pedal will be cheaper than a pair of output tubes
Still love my vox & boogie & will keep them going but technology is moving on
Tubes amps will still be supported it will just be an even more (& expensive) specialist market just like getting spares for 50's teles.
I agree with you 100%, Enjoy the ride while it lasts. keep collecting those precious
amps!