The death of digital amps?

[solspirit]

https://guitar.com/features/interviews/amp-tech-colleen-fazio-analogue-digital-amps/

 

[greekdude]

The death of VW beetle, the death of IBM XT, the death of Motorolla 68000.... yup... death is inevitable but not yet

 

[Benjy_26]

Lol no

 

[Benjy_26]

Well-made tube amps that are just about always going to be repairable, are really cool. I love the concept, and it has a lot going for it. I dont expect the Tone Master I just bought to be around in twenty years. But look at it this way: You dont expect that when you buy a TV these day, either.

On the other hand, I have a lot of digital and solid-state stuff that is pretty old and still does what it did when it was brand new. If a good digital amp still works and does the things you want it to do, its not obsolete, any more than an amp from the 50s is. Hell, my cheap plasma TV is going to be 13 years old this year. I have a cheap PCB hybrid amp from the early 90s that sounds great. Its not over til its over.

And by the way, thats a chicken-ass clickbait headline for a solid article thats not really about that.

My Boss GT-8 dropped in 2007. I bought it upon release and have gigged it hard for years.

Your Tonemaster will be fine unless you destroy it on purpose.

 

[Benjy_26]

I have been thinking about it in those terms. How many unrepairable digital products do we never actually see break because we sell them, trade them, give them away, recycle them because the new one is ten times better and half the price, or because they are working right now like they always have, and we never think about them? I am going to die surrounded by digital stuff that outlived me.

Yup. By its very nature, solid state stuff is more reliable. Look at the SSD's in laptops now. How often do they get corrupted? Cell phones now are tanks compared to the analog units we had in the 90's.

 

[idsnowdog]

The problem with the majority of amps that are based on PCB's is that they aren't easy to repair so they are in essence disposable consumer electronics. If I was designing amps I would make them more modular and incorporate PC board features. Basically I would mount the tube sockets, input jacks, pots, choke, filter caps, and transformers on the chassis but mount the circuitry on an easily replaceable logic board with PC style power connectors. If something went wrong with the logic board just unscrew the board from its standoff's, unplug the controls and replace the board without ever soldering/unsoldering anything.

 

[GuitarStv]

Long term - sure. But they're so much cheaper that I feel like they'll never go away. How many Katana's has Boss sold in the past few years?

 

[Mincer]

Well, if they aren't fixable, what's stopping you from buying a new one? I mean, they say big screen TVs aren't fixable, so if it really breaks down, you just buy another one.

 

[GuitarStv]

Well, if they aren't fixable, what's stopping you from buying a new one? I mean, they say big screen TVs aren't fixable, so if it really breaks down, you just buy another one.

The wasteful process of buying stuff that's designed to fail and be thrown out is one that seems unlikely to be maintainable into the distant future for a variety of environmental and energy related reasons.

 

[justFred]

The will typically function well beyond the point in time when replaced by some far superior technology…

 

[NegativeEase]

The death of VW beetle, the death of IBM XT, the death of Motorolla 68000.... yup... death is inevitable but not yet

Ha, I have an XT that still boots

 

[NegativeEase]

https://guitar.com/features/interviews/amp-tech-colleen-fazio-analogue-digital-amps/

Sorry guys, whats this article about?

I was too busy looking at her soft eyes, her stylish amp, and her repair setup.... Her workbench setup is underwhelming honestly (tool judgments,.. I know)

She got that tattoo for this photo op :lmao:

 

[NegativeEase]

Also, checked out her bookshelf, artwork, amp storage, and cool pants and belt.

 

[jeremy]

i have that same weller soldering station on my bench. shes good in my book

 

[jeremy]

The wasteful process of buying stuff that's designed to fail and be thrown out is one that seems unlikely to be maintainable into the distant future for a variety of environmental and energy related reasons.

the amount of waste we generate absolutely drives me nuts sometimes

 

[NegativeEase]

i have that same weller soldering station on my bench. shes good in my book

Solder station is fine, it's those sh*t needle nose and bulky non flush cut dikes that are questionable :lmao:

Also, thats' not even close to the amount of tools you need to service an amp -I need more pics, and more of her too.

 

[NegativeEase]

I read the article, she seems like a cool person.

However, it that a pic of herself up on the wall? RED FLAG RED FLAG

 

[NegativeEase]

Her Fazio amp is super badass looking -it's like a boxy Silvertone 1484 look

I dig it!

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[jeremy]

thats for damn sure lol. im willing to give her the benefit of the doubt since it looks like there is a lot more bench to the right out of frame

 

[NegativeEase]

thats for damn sure lol. im willing to give her the benefit of the doubt since it looks like there is a lot more bench to the right out of frame

yeah, I'm just making jokes, Im sure her place is tight and she keeps her tools on the other side or below.

but that really may be a pic of herself on the wall -i must know cool amp making foxy Ms. Fazio!!!