50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

[Lewguitar]

This thread: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?p=2337020&posted=1#post2337020 made me wonder about this.

What kind of amp or rig do you think guitarists will be playing through 50 years from now?

Do you think they'll still be playing through Marshall or Bogner style stacks?

Or do you think they'll be playing through Lap-Tops?

Do you think there'll even be tubes 50 years from now? I don't.

I think everyone will be playing through modeling amps.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Tube amps.

 

[DankStar]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

wow, a lot can happen in 50 years.

Not sure about that far down the road, but I think somewhere between now and then your amp will be more like an app on your phone that you can plug into whatever cabinet, PA, or computer you want. If you lose your phone (or it breaks) for a gig, you just borrow someone else's phone and use that. hopefully things will be wireless by then. I hate cords.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Tube-driven laptops.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I'm not sure...I think the guitar's popularity will continue to wane unless something, or someone earth shattering comes along.

 

[phil_104]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I think tubes amps. The guitar tones of today are inspired from tones 30, 40 and 50 years ago. I assume 50 years from now it will be the same, and tubes will be the way to get those tones.

And yes, I think people will still be playing Les Pauls and Telecasters, lol.

 

[lpmarshall]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I would hope in the next 50 years amp modeling will get better, but who knows. I still don't think tube amps will ever go out of style.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I think there will be a big breakthrough in tube modeling --- getting tube tone without the heat, fragility, biasing of tubes, etc.

When I think about the modeling technology we use here every day at work, modeling the entire internet, telecommunications networks, satellite communications, etc., and I realize that all we do is just identify how the thing works, quantify it, and reproduce it.

If we can get decent audio with A/D conversion, decent video with A/D conversion, hell look in front of you --- we have laptops now that can practically do anything.

What it all boils down to is this: tube amps are predictable. There is a finite number of input -> response -> output scenarios. If we pick small enough units to break down (read: use a high resolution, like we talk about 24 bit audio, etc) the scenarios, we will have a model that is identical to the real thing in any given input -> output scenario. Anything that's predictable can be modeled.

The difference we hear between digital audio and analog audio is the sharp edges pictured above. As the bit depth increases, the difference between the analog source and the digital representation decreases.

Think of digital audio, and the image above: as our processing power gets greater over time, our bit-depth or resolution will become greater and greater until the difference between digital audio and analog audio will be indistinguishable, and in the case of tube modeling, digital tube simulation vs. tube will be indistinguishable.

If I just invented the next generation of tube modeling, trademark, copyright 2009, and whatnot.

-Hunter

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Making tubes involves using toxic chemicals and creating toxic waste that I think will be outlawed worldwide within the next 50 years. So I think tube manufacturing will cease at some point.

Likewise I think players will wise up to the ear damage we're all doing to ourselves and I think players will be able to create the huge sounds of the stadium amps of today with very small amps at a lower onstage volume.

I think if players of the future want to create the sustainful tones of today they'll still need an onstage guitar speaker to stand in front of.

But I think they'll be powering that speaker with a modeling amp that sounds even better than the vintage tube amps of yesteryear and the Bogners of today.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I don't even thing there will be sound systems. The guitar amp, FX, and sound system will all just be an iPhone app. People coming to the concert will get a specail access code, and receive the audio on their iPhones. The concert iteslf will be dead silent, cause everyone will get it in-ear.

Oh, and the iPhones will be implanted in our skulls at birth.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

The alien overlords will not allow music. Guitars and amps will be dismantled into their component parts and recycled as scrap for their mighty armies.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Sheesh....worser and worser!

 

[ES350]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I don't think anybody will be playing the electric guitar in 50 years. They'll be too busy trying to catch a water rat for dinner.

 

[ksmith63]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Once my band becomes the biggest in the world, everyone will be playing through Budda Superdrive 80s. There will not be another amp being made and Budda will be larger than Wal Mart (but without the questionable ethics and products will be made in the U.S.).

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I'm in the "solid state breakthrough" crowd. It still keeps progressing, that stuff is still getting closer and closer to what we understand as "the real thing" today. Eventually, that coupled with the Green Movement will make the tube heads obsolete. Maybe not such a bad thing, they'd certainly be lighter, by the time we get there they'll have the tone and modelling capabilities as well. Maybe even do some things better than the tube amp could.

But for now seeing a pair of 6L6 tubes glowing a beautiful shade of blue within my Splawn, coupled with the fullness it brings to the clean channel, is a thing of beauty indeed.

 

[ksmith63]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

There will be no amps.

Guitars will be plastic and transmit "tone" wireless to the audience's brain. Each person will be able to individually specify their tonal preference and mix of the audio signals being received. You will also be able to "hear" the concert even if you are someplace else, ex: at the ballet with your significant other.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

The alien overlords will not allow music. Guitars and amps will be dismantled into their component parts and recycled as scrap for their mighty armies.

So alien spacecraft run on tubes? I hope China, Russia, and Slovakia upgrade their militaries. And I never thought I'd say that.

 

[baritone]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Making tubes involves using toxic chemicals and creating toxic waste that I think will be outlawed worldwide within the next 50 years. So I think tube manufacturing will cease at some point.

Likewise I think players will wise up to the ear damage we're all doing to ourselves and I think players will be able to create the huge sounds of the stadium amps of today with very small amps at a lower onstage volume.

I think if players of the future want to create the sustainful tones of today they'll still need an onstage guitar speaker to stand in front of.

But I think they'll be powering that speaker with a modeling amp that sounds even better than the vintage tube amps of yesteryear and the Bogners of today.

I think the sound of a Tweed Bassman will continue to outweigh these factors in 50 years.

 

[Tor]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

Likewise I think players will wise up to the ear damage we're all doing to ourselves and I think players will be able to create the huge sounds of the stadium amps of today with very small amps at a lower onstage volume.

So you're saying.. Geoff really comes from the future?!

 

[d1dsj]

Re: 50 years from now: what amp will guitarists be playing through?

I think the great great great grandson of the Fractal Axe FX Ultra will be the be all and end all, they will be able to simulate everything ... except the groupies!