L
Lewguitar
Guest
I was impressed by one or two, including Mark Sampson's latest: Star Amps. But for the most part, it seemed that most amp manufacturers are going for that awful cliched overdriven tone that lets anyone sound like a "Bagful of Angry Bumble Bees"!
Such a cliched cornball tone...but 90% of the amps there were dialed in for just that one tone. I guess it's what sells. Even Rick Derringer, who was demoing Warrior Guitars, had that "Bagful of Angry Bumble Bees" tone...
Yuck!
The amp I probably enjoyed playing through the most was the one being endorsed by Bill Kirchen: the Talos http://talosinstruments.com/.
Nothing fancy...just great great tone!
At the Eminence speakers booth we ran into Smitty who was showcasing his Bluestar amp line. Also very nice amps and great vintage blackface tone. His amps sounded very familiar to me and were very comfortable for me to play through because they reminded me so much of my own modified blackface Fenders!
When Smitty, Curly and I got down to discussing the Bluestar amps it turned out that Smitty had in fact designed his amps around the same mods that my brother Bruce, John (Stratdeluxer) and I have all been doing to our Fender blackface amps for many years.
It was great to spend a little time with Mark Sampson! I was walking with Curly and he goes: "Hey...there's Mark Sampson!" I turned around and there he was...looking a little neglected and maybe underfinanced but he was showing off his new Star Amps.
I have to say the tone was first rate! But the look of Mark's new line is a little to plain.
IMO, Mark should go back to the Vox/Matchless look and just put his own name on his new amps. They sound spectacular but look very ordinary.
Seemed like the buzz at the show was for the new 65 amps being demoed by Sheryl Crow guitarist...whatshisname. Sorry...can't remember his name!
But the 65's were the most talked about amps at the show. I only listened to them...didn't play them. But they seemed to go from a blackface Fender tone to that "Bagful of Angry Bumblebees" tone with ease.
Unfortunately, they were being demoed to often with that "Bagful of Angry Bumblebees" tone that I find so cliched and corny. Just not my "bag" I guess...it's a tone that robs a player of any individuality, IMO, and makes every player who has a few hot licks sound the same.
Lew
Such a cliched cornball tone...but 90% of the amps there were dialed in for just that one tone. I guess it's what sells. Even Rick Derringer, who was demoing Warrior Guitars, had that "Bagful of Angry Bumble Bees" tone...
Yuck!
The amp I probably enjoyed playing through the most was the one being endorsed by Bill Kirchen: the Talos http://talosinstruments.com/.
Nothing fancy...just great great tone!
At the Eminence speakers booth we ran into Smitty who was showcasing his Bluestar amp line. Also very nice amps and great vintage blackface tone. His amps sounded very familiar to me and were very comfortable for me to play through because they reminded me so much of my own modified blackface Fenders!
When Smitty, Curly and I got down to discussing the Bluestar amps it turned out that Smitty had in fact designed his amps around the same mods that my brother Bruce, John (Stratdeluxer) and I have all been doing to our Fender blackface amps for many years.
It was great to spend a little time with Mark Sampson! I was walking with Curly and he goes: "Hey...there's Mark Sampson!" I turned around and there he was...looking a little neglected and maybe underfinanced but he was showing off his new Star Amps.
I have to say the tone was first rate! But the look of Mark's new line is a little to plain.
IMO, Mark should go back to the Vox/Matchless look and just put his own name on his new amps. They sound spectacular but look very ordinary.
Seemed like the buzz at the show was for the new 65 amps being demoed by Sheryl Crow guitarist...whatshisname. Sorry...can't remember his name!
But the 65's were the most talked about amps at the show. I only listened to them...didn't play them. But they seemed to go from a blackface Fender tone to that "Bagful of Angry Bumblebees" tone with ease.
Unfortunately, they were being demoed to often with that "Bagful of Angry Bumblebees" tone that I find so cliched and corny. Just not my "bag" I guess...it's a tone that robs a player of any individuality, IMO, and makes every player who has a few hot licks sound the same.
Lew
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The Reflector and Echohead look interesting.
