CoreyT
PRS Addiction
This may be interesting, The Tone King brings in some experts in the field quite often during live webcasts on Friday nights.
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The Truth about Tubes : Live Webcast : Guitar Gear Tech Talk
- Thread starter CoreyT
- Start date
Unreasonable Rant Mode On (and nothing against you Corey, I love you, man):
Since the Tone King has generally proven himself to know absolutely nothing about guitar tone, based on his demos, I'll pass. The man has the worst tone I've ever heard from anyone purporting to be a guitar gear expert. Ever. But that's just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.
And who's the guest -- Riff City Guitar? Hmmm...I wonder what they're going to try to sell...
The truth about tubes? It's like anything else guitar tone related:
Some sound good, some don't. And not everyone will agree on whether what they hear is, or isn't, good. There is no objectivity in tone - the Tone King is living proof that people have different ideas about what good tone is - it's personal. It's subjective. Some folks can't even hear differences at all (my wife, for example thinks all electric guitars sound alike*).
The classic old tubes -- Telefunken, Siemens, RCA, GE, Mullard, Brimar, Bugle Boy, Philips, old Tung-Sol, etc., etc., actually do sound better in some amps depending on the design of the amp, and actually do have a lower failure rate. No myths.
And some amps depending on the design do just fine with newer tubes, and NOS might be a waste.
Since people will never agree on what sounds best with what, it's utter nonsense to expect to have some hushed up secret mythology suddenly outed by some 'expert' dude.
I've done a lot of experimenting with tubes in 25 years in my studio, and I hope my clips have shown that I have at least a minimal understanding of how to get good tone from my rig.
I've used the NOS tubes listed above and there is a difference that is audible and repeatable. Doesn't mean better, or worse, in all applications, though.
There are no rules! Lots of players comparing new and old tubes might prefer the new tubes. And they'd be right as rain - for their needs.
The only way to know if your amp will or will not sound better with NOS (or any other) tubes is to try a set in your amp. Listening to anything but what your own ears tell you is just useless babble (including my useless babble, of course!).
I always recommend that people be hands-on and reach their own conclusions, and not simply go with some self-appointed expert dude's opinion when it comes to something as subjective as tone.
This isn't math. It isn't science. It's something far more subjective. Be your own expert. Try stuff out and see what works for you.
End unreasonable rant mode.
* Example conversation:
"Listen to this guitar, hon!"
"It sounds like a guitar."
"Yes, that is because it is a guitar. But doesn't it sound great?"
"It sounds like a guitar to me."
"But listen to this sound." (SFX: pickup switch click)
"Yeah. I can't tell the difference."
Since the Tone King has generally proven himself to know absolutely nothing about guitar tone, based on his demos, I'll pass. The man has the worst tone I've ever heard from anyone purporting to be a guitar gear expert. Ever. But that's just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.
And who's the guest -- Riff City Guitar? Hmmm...I wonder what they're going to try to sell...
The truth about tubes? It's like anything else guitar tone related:
Some sound good, some don't. And not everyone will agree on whether what they hear is, or isn't, good. There is no objectivity in tone - the Tone King is living proof that people have different ideas about what good tone is - it's personal. It's subjective. Some folks can't even hear differences at all (my wife, for example thinks all electric guitars sound alike*).
The classic old tubes -- Telefunken, Siemens, RCA, GE, Mullard, Brimar, Bugle Boy, Philips, old Tung-Sol, etc., etc., actually do sound better in some amps depending on the design of the amp, and actually do have a lower failure rate. No myths.
And some amps depending on the design do just fine with newer tubes, and NOS might be a waste.
Since people will never agree on what sounds best with what, it's utter nonsense to expect to have some hushed up secret mythology suddenly outed by some 'expert' dude.
I've done a lot of experimenting with tubes in 25 years in my studio, and I hope my clips have shown that I have at least a minimal understanding of how to get good tone from my rig.
I've used the NOS tubes listed above and there is a difference that is audible and repeatable. Doesn't mean better, or worse, in all applications, though.
There are no rules! Lots of players comparing new and old tubes might prefer the new tubes. And they'd be right as rain - for their needs.
The only way to know if your amp will or will not sound better with NOS (or any other) tubes is to try a set in your amp. Listening to anything but what your own ears tell you is just useless babble (including my useless babble, of course!).
I always recommend that people be hands-on and reach their own conclusions, and not simply go with some self-appointed expert dude's opinion when it comes to something as subjective as tone.
This isn't math. It isn't science. It's something far more subjective. Be your own expert. Try stuff out and see what works for you.
End unreasonable rant mode.
* Example conversation:
"Listen to this guitar, hon!"
"It sounds like a guitar."
"Yes, that is because it is a guitar. But doesn't it sound great?"
"It sounds like a guitar to me."
"But listen to this sound." (SFX: pickup switch click)
"Yeah. I can't tell the difference."
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Les, end that with, "and does it have to be so loud?" and it could have come from Mrs. B. :biggrin:
Mrs. B is so tone deaf that, when the kids were really little, I asked her not to sing to the kids too much or they'll think that's how it's supposed to sound! Yes, I'm a bastage. But god, I love that woman. :biggrin:
Mrs. B is so tone deaf that, when the kids were really little, I asked her not to sing to the kids too much or they'll think that's how it's supposed to sound! Yes, I'm a bastage. But god, I love that woman. :biggrin:
django49
New Member
Tone deaf........My sister-in-law was tested as a child in an effort to determine which musical instrument she should take lessons to learn how to play. The expert's verdict? "The stereo".
Truth.....She cannot carry a tune in a bucket......
Truth.....She cannot carry a tune in a bucket......
I forgot to include that part!
However, putting a few gobos around an amp is not a bad thing for one's own ears, not to mention the Mrs.' sanity.
Yeah, well I figure it this way: some folks can play, and some folks need to be the audience!
My wife and kids can sing, my son being a very good singer whose vocals appeared on the most recent 30 Seconds to Mars records backing up Jared.
But my son-in-law is utterly hopeless.
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alantig
Zombie Four, DFZ
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 14,990
Perhaps - but I'm thinking it's a good thing your son-in-law didn't inherit your wife's singing ability. (With a tip of the cap to the late, great Robert Schimmel...)
Aristotle, your posts first interested me in the DG30; then I took your advice on some pedals, and you were right on each time.
We may not agree on every piece of gear, but when it comes to general concepts of good tone, we see pretty much eye to eye. :beer:
