Perceived value

sweepy

Whilst on nightshift at work ( ie bored shitless ) I pondered why we have no qualms on spending £2-3k on Guitars yet £2-3k on an Amp is seen in some quarters as madly extravagant .

uncledick

Most of the guitars people spend 2 or 3k on are established designs going back 50 years or so. Amps, apart from the ‘classics’ tend to go in and out of fashion which makes people a lot more wary. Imho of course. 

sweepy

It’s interesting as an amp makes such a huge difference and whether a player gets more encouragement from an amp or a guitar iyswim

Maynehead

I think guitars have both functional and artistic value. People look at a guitar and get an emotional response, and even fall in love with them.

Amps are mostly seen as a functional, electronic appliance. It’s like falling in love with a fridge, it doesn’t often happen (I hope)!

steveledzep

A guitar is intimate and close.  An amplifier is remote and detached.

soma1975

Not a plug here but I genuinely cannot understand why I couldn’t shift my Marshall Astoria combo. Rare Handmade British custom shop amp with all the mod cons like low power and effects loop and ppmv in amazing condition was up for the price of a Princeton Reverb and barely a sniff. 

Definitely think the market for amps in general is crazy town right now. Only stuff under £800 or over £2k seems to be shifting fast. No idea what it’s like for guitars. 

sweepy

My musings originally started when I was discussing high end amps like Rift, Two Rock, Lazy J etc with an old mate and he baulked at the idea of spending serious money on an amp which got me pondering tbh

dazzajl

It’s a little like cars and tyres I guess. Everyone has a taste in cars, ones they like, dislike and the provoke an emotional reaction of some sort in most people. Tyres are largely boring and go unnoticed but the choice of tyre will affect nearly every aspect of the driving experience and characteristics of the car. 

I have an amp in the family that I love more than I’ll ever be attached to any guitar. So I’m clearly wired a bit backwards to most folks. 

dindude

My Amp has been by far my best purchase

let someone pay c.£2K for it originally.

Buy it mint s/h for less than half that.

Keep it / play it / love it.

If ever sold - would at least get my money back.

grappagreen

There's some good points here but ultimately to many an amp is seen in less 'romantic' terms than a guitar. 

I have as many amps as guitars after seeing the light some years ago.

I got introduced some time ago to a chap who lived locally who was the local 'guitar nut'. Went round his house and in a room he had 30 guitars, all high end/vintage with multiple versions of the classics.. lovely. What amps do you use I asked? Amps? I've got this Blues Junior... I then tried to argue that the amp is at least 50% of the equation but to no avail.. he has purchased more guitars since.. I'm not sure why anyone would want 10 Les Paul's and only one amp but I suppose that's because I see the guitar ecosystem in a different way.. I'm not in love with guitars, I'm in love with guitar sounds..

Si

kreggs

Blues junior eh? He should have used the boss katana

ESBlonde

There are some amps that just envelope you with warm fuzzy feelings as you play. They are rare and often (but not always) expensive. I get that most players have never experienced this or if thy have, they find the convenience of something else a bigger factor in thier choice. As far as recorded/miced sound goes it's become much more marginal with digital representations and such like.

You owe it to yourselves for seek out these wonderful amps and bath yourself in aural ecstacy at least once to see if it inspires your playing.

tekbow

grappagreen said:

There's some good points here but ultimately to many an amp is seen in less 'romantic' terms than a guitar. 

I have as many amps as guitars after seeing the light some years ago.

I got introduced some time ago to a chap who lived locally who was the local 'guitar nut'. Went round his house and in a room he had 30 guitars, all high end/vintage with multiple versions of the classics.. lovely. What amps do you use I asked? Amps? I've got this Blues Junior... I then tried to argue that the amp is at least 50% of the equation but to no avail.. he has purchased more guitars since.. I'm not sure why anyone would want 10 Les Paul's and only one amp but I suppose that's because I see the guitar ecosystem in a different way.. I'm not in love with guitars, I'm in love with guitar sounds..

Si

Have to say, I'm more interested in amps than guitars these days.

As you point out, an amp Is at least 50% of the equation.

Some great tones achieved by blending different amps.

guitartango

I would love to know how an amp like this is worth almost the cost of an car ? 
https://www.coda-music.com/bartel-amplifiers-roseland-1x12-combo-with-reverb-and-tremolo-due-early-summer.html

Is it hand wired by Virgins ?

guitartango

soma1975 said:

Not a plug here but I genuinely cannot understand why I couldn’t shift my Marshall Astoria combo. Rare Handmade British custom shop amp with all the mod cons like low power and effects loop and ppmv in amazing condition was up for the price of a Princeton Reverb and barely a sniff. 

Definitely think the market for amps in general is crazy town right now. Only stuff under £800 or over £2k seems to be shifting fast. No idea what it’s like for guitars. 

You are lucky, some kid wanted to swap his pcb junk with my Marshall hand wired amp...

Fishboy7

cheap guitar + expensive amp > expensive guitar + cheap amp 

tekbow

guitartango said:

soma1975 said:

Not a plug here but I genuinely cannot understand why I couldn’t shift my Marshall Astoria combo. Rare Handmade British custom shop amp with all the mod cons like low power and effects loop and ppmv in amazing condition was up for the price of a Princeton Reverb and barely a sniff. 

Definitely think the market for amps in general is crazy town right now. Only stuff under £800 or over £2k seems to be shifting fast. No idea what it’s like for guitars. 

You are lucky, some kid wanted to swap his pcb junk with my Marshall hand wired amp...

Just for clarity, any PCB based amp = Junk?

Also, are we saying PCB can't be hardwired or are we mixing handwired up with point to point or turret board construction?

Freebird

Maynehead said:

Amps are mostly seen as a functional, electronic appliance. It’s like falling in love with a fridge, it doesn’t often happen (I hope)!

My fridge is full of craft ale, and I am deeply in love with it.

terada

https://www.whathifi.com/features/11-worlds-most-expensive-loudspeakers

grappagreen

guitartango said:

I would love to know how an amp like this is worth almost the cost of an car ? 
https://www.coda-music.com/bartel-amplifiers-roseland-1x12-combo-with-reverb-and-tremolo-due-early-summer.html

Is it hand wired by Virgins ?

And yet people will (and lots of people do) spend this amount on a guitar - therein lies the point of the whole thread really. Why is a guitar worth £4.5k but an amp not if you accept that the amp is an equally important component of your 'sound'

Si

SimonC

guitartango said:

I would love to know how an amp like this is worth almost the cost of an car ? 
https://www.coda-music.com/bartel-amplifiers-roseland-1x12-combo-with-reverb-and-tremolo-due-early-summer.html

Is it hand wired by Virgins ?

I would rather own that amplifier than any car at the same price.
Its maybe a bad analogy as I can’t think of a single car  which represent value for money