That’s generally true, anyway. Chances are good that the same model made 30 minutes later on the same production line doesn’t sound anything like that. It’s a crap shoot. However, when amp GAS strikes for a Friedman Brown Eye 50 and you don’t have one, you either fork over $2500 for a used one or I twist the knob on the Kemper. GAS Away! Now I’m jonesin’ for a late 50s tweed Fender anything...unobtainium...twist the knob. GAS Away! Train Wreck-curious? That’s an expensive GAS. That’s right...twist that GAS away! Is it exactly like the original? No. But a fluctuation in the power grid that day could yield varied results anyway. So, my point is, you’re absolutely right, no modeler can do a primo vintage amp justice, but if you want to get 85% of the way there now without wiring money anywhere, they serve a handy purpose. You really should try one. (Now, the bad news is, if Michael Britt hasn’t played and profiled it, I haven’t either. You can even get snobby about the profiles.) You might really enjoy the esoterica involved with profiling your - and maybe others’ - amps. I could see you being the next MBritt.
All good points, my friend Boogie! And yet, there’s alternate path...and it’s this other path, that I’ll get into more in a second, that I tend to take.
The caveat is that each of us has different philosophies - this is a good thing! - and which path we choose depends on the individual. On to the ‘Les’ philosophy’ portion of today’s program...
My guiding philosophy is that I don’t need or want very many amps, but I do want the best amps of their kind that I can find. So I’d rather have a small handful of fantastic amps than 1,000 mediocre amps, or 1,000 models of great amps that only get me 90% of the way there.
The second part of my thinking is that there aren’t that many basic foodgroups of amps out there, and of those that exist, I’ve narrowed my interests down to Plexis, Tweeds, Blackface and AC30, with a little bit of Dumble thrown into the mix on the side. I do get out and play lots of other amps, basically everything I can get my hands on (there’s an amazing store near me that carries just about everything, including all the esoteric stuff).
So being the best sounding Plexi I could find for my taste, the HXDA,
perfectly fills that Plexi role (incidentally, Friedman amps are absolutely not my taste, nor are current Marshalls); the DG30 is a fantastic amp that does Tweed “plus other stuff,” and moreover I actually like it better than the many, many vintage Tweed amps I’ve recorded and played; the Lone Star does Blackface pretty well; I’ve had a lot of Two-Rocks for the Dumble thing; I’m still looking for the AC30 that floats my boat 100%. There’s no rush to get another TR or an AC30, that’s kind of a long-term “maybe”. In other words, I’m in pretty good shape amp-wise, and don’t Jones for anything else.
If I had a big desire for a Trainwreck, I’d of course unhesitatingly get myself a Komet, who went to the trouble of licensing and getting their design directly from Ken Fischer, the guy who owned and designed Trainwreck amps, and they’re wonderful versions of that amp; I’ve played several in my studio.
Here’s the thing: I’m 100% satisfied playing the amps I’ve named, and haven’t been Jonesing for that AC30 or anything else enough to pull the trigger. It’s not hard for me to justify amp shopping, I’m in the recording biz, so the cost isn’t a deal breaker.
Finally, I’ve chosen the amps I’ve chosen over
everything else on the market, including vintage amps, most of which are very affordable relative to their reputations.
So I don’t get it; why would I want Kemper “90%” models of amps I passed on in the first place?
