crappy old tube amp

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The music I like is mostly folk rock
Beatles influenced music (beatles,
neil finn, crowded house, beck, garbage,
etc)
I know that most of this music was originally
performed and recorded using vintage tube guitar
amps, lots of VOX el84 and fuzzy buzzy
stuff like that. very warm. lots of
pedals being used.
I've got some more money to invest in
improving my system, and I've
been listening to amps this month, some I own
(adcom and audiolab ss amps),
some nicer ones are friends (older Levinson),
and some more SS power amps
I've auditioned from a local shop too (denon and
macintosh).
Probably 15 amps.
They sound good, lots of HF detail, firm,
like the presentation of the music is very
controlled, tight grip on the bass, very fast.
but I've found I just like really cheap amps -
my favorite is is an amp I pulled out of an old Ampex tube
reel to reel, an integrated SET w/ 2 ECL82 and
some Telefunken diamond 12AU7's, it cost me
$5 at a thrift store. I also like my
heath ua-1 monoblocks and of course an st-70 too
- but the ampex frankenamp is what I really enjoy listening
to...
I want to like the more expensive
stuff, it should be MUCH better for
3k+ right? (I realize this isn't much
to many audiophiles but it's an investment to me)
but it sounds really cold and
clinical, like the music was recorded in
a bathroom, where the frankenamp sounds like
I'm in a little club listening to live music.
really alive, vocals fuller.
I know you are going to ask me about my listening
room and cables and stuff like that, but before people
get all hostile and belittle me,
-------------------------
the question I have is this:
is part of the reason I like the distortion of this
crappy amp is because the music is supposed to
be warm and distorted?
If the music was originally conceived by the
musician while practicing on an old amp,
and recorded on an old el84 guitar amp,
does it make sense that it will
sound better reproduced on an old el84 or similar
tube amp?
---------------------------------
I notice I do prefer the more expensive solid
state amps with classical and newer pop synthy
pop music, which I don't listen to all that much.

I'm just curious what people who know stuff about
audio reproduction think...no insults or "what a moron"
type posts are neccessary, I realize i'm ignant.
I'm going to continue to listen to what I enjoy I just
wonder if the type of music I listen to has anything to do with
why cheap warm amps sound so good to me.
thanks,
mike
P.S. speakers used are b&w cdm-7se, but I like the tube
amp best with some old DCM window speakers or older allison
bookshelfs. I'm not a big
LF bass person either.

[Bret Ludwig]

You like distortion and bandwidth limiting. As long as you are honest
about it it's no moral failing, I suppose. Lots of blues record
collectors secretly listen to old 78's through guitar amps.

[Lionel]

In . com>, Bret Ludwig
wrote :

> You like distortion and bandwidth limiting. As long as you are honest
> about it it's no moral failing, I suppose. Lots of blues record
> collectors secretly listen to old 78's through guitar amps.

How old are you ?
Most of us have listened their first hits on a monophonic cassette player.
Are you still looking for your first thrill ?

[Bret Ludwig]

Lionel wrote:
> In . com>, Bret Ludwig
> wrote :
>
> > You like distortion and bandwidth limiting. As long as you are honest
> > about it it's no moral failing, I suppose. Lots of blues record
> > collectors secretly listen to old 78's through guitar amps.
>
> How old are you ?
> Most of us have listened their first hits on a monophonic cassette player.
> Are you still looking for your first thrill ?

I was raised on good equipment. We had 6550 tubed Altec theater amps
and JBL speakers when I was a kid. Dad wouldn't allow consumo **** in
the house. We even had a Russco transcription table with the laminated
wood arm.

[Lionel]

Bret Ludwig a écrit :
> Lionel wrote:
>
>>In . com>, Bret Ludwig
>>wrote :
>>
>>
>>>You like distortion and bandwidth limiting. As long as you are honest
>>>about it it's no moral failing, I suppose. Lots of blues record
>>>collectors secretly listen to old 78's through guitar amps.

IMHO, considering the frequency range to reproduce the
integrated drivers of the (good) guitar amps are among the
best you can find.

>>How old are you ?
>>Most of us have listened their first hits on a monophonic cassette player.
>>Are you still looking for your first thrill ?
>
>
> I was raised on good equipment. We had 6550 tubed Altec theater amps
> and JBL speakers when I was a kid. Dad wouldn't allow consumo **** in
> the house. We even had a Russco transcription table with the laminated
> wood arm.

You never plugged a crappy cassete player on a guitar amp ?
Even not for a party in a garage ?