Expensive amps with crap graphics and fonts

djspecialist

axisus

professorben said:

Morgan should join forces with Freidman. 

And then get bought out by Black-star?

timmysoft

When Blackstar first hit the market place, i was pretty disgusted with their name and logo, to me it just screams "no heritage, no class".

 I'd like to say i've come round to it, but i still think its a crap name, the logo looks like the branding you'd find on a childs BMX, plus the fact i think their amps sound horrible.

 I don't like the Fender BassBreaker logo either, i like that big metallic strip, thats cool but the blocky font looks like a shit computer game or a font you'd find on an old VHS.

ThePrettyDamned

timmysoft said:

When Blackstar first hit the market place, i was pretty disgusted with their name and logo, to me it just screams "no heritage, no class".

 I'd like to say i've come round to it, but i still think its a crap name, the logo looks like the branding you'd find on a childs BMX, plus the fact i think their amps sound horrible.

 I don't like the Fender BassBreaker logo either, i like that big metallic strip, thats cool but the blocky font looks like a shit computer game or a font you'd find on an old VHS.

I don't mind the blackstar logo and how they look. The big artisan is pretty alright. 

http://www.gear-vault.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/artisan-100.jpg

Excellent sounding amp, too. 

Bassbreakers are ugly, though. Blerg. 

Lebarque

Surprised at the loathing of the Bassbreaker's looks. Modernised tweed - what's not to like?

richardhomer

Lebarque said:

Surprised at the loathing of the Bassbreaker's looks. Modernised tweed - what's not to like?

They just don't look 'Fender' - the 'FENDER' logo just looks wrong....

jonnyburgo

Winny_Pooh said:

I once had a 90's Peavey Classic 50. After 5 mins it was simply a Classic 50. And thats the nicest looking Peavey ever! (Well, the wiggie was cool)

Amps should look sexy, I always loved the Matchless colour options etc. This is my Ceriatone.

http://i.imgur.com/l7l6nQm.jpg

Gorgeous, what's bothering me though is the head, it's about 1/2 cm off centre, sort it out please.

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

I don't mind the blackstar logo and how they look. The big artisan is pretty alright. 

http://www.gear-vault.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/artisan-100.jpg

That looks awful - like a cheap amp trying to look expensive. Not helped by the Fablon vinyl being fitted so poorly that it's lifting at the corners.

Lebarque said:

Surprised at the loathing of the Bassbreaker's looks. Modernised tweed - what's not to like?

Controls on the top. 40s-style Fender logo looks wrong on a modern amp. Black tweed looks cheap.

I've always though Laneys look terrible too, for similar reasons - just cheap. Company colours: grey, grey and grey - OK, there is black and white too but it all just looks like shades of grey. "Logo" which is just the company name with no attempt at styling whatever. Hardware and mounting screws from B&Q. Control panel that doesn't seem to fit in the cut-out properly.

http://www.amgardelectronics.co.uk/graphics/Laney_VC50.jpg


Also this… the exact opposite, mentioned in another thread - something trying far too hard to look expensive and ending up just looking crap - Marshall Astoria.

https://media.sweetwater.com/images/items/750/AstoriaCLASStk-large.jpg

nick_s

FelineGuitars said:

english_bob said:

revsorg said:

I don't know... I'm currently allowed to keep my Cornell Plexi 7 in the living room.  It's not just that it's smaller than my old Rivera M60

This from the company who used to use Comic Sans on their control panels.

It kind of looks like a Railway station name sign from a bygone ages - maybe something from Pre-nationalised rail network like GWR or suchlike

It reminds me of a 1920's speakeasy more than anything, got an air of art deco about it

Neil

Taste is so subjective isn't it?

I really dislike the styling of the Fender Bassbreakers and most boring black amps but love the look of the Budda.

Those controls, the cream accents and striped grille cloth topped off with the purple logo just look so stylish to my eyes.





 I love the look of the Astoria too, a beautiful deco design.......

Zoolooter

That Budda is unpleasant. And Marshall should stick to their old icon design - if it ain't broke........

Danny1969

I don't understand why people care what amps look like, I mean guitars yeah but amps are just at the back of the stage in the dark. We have our back to them, the audience don't care about them if they could see em ... I don't get it. 
If I built one it would probably be covered in checkerplate and built to not break rather than built to look good. Most of the above would have to be hardcased to survive in your typical band van 

cosmiccarrot

Zoolooter said:

Marshall should stick to their old icon design

That is one of marshall's old logos from the 60's after the 'coffin' logo and before the script. In fact I think Friedman used the font to retain a link to his modded marshalls. Agree on the Budda, damn ugly that.

For me a late 60's/70's angled marshall half stack with a 100w on top is still the coolest looking thing ever.

timmysoft

Danny1969 said:

I don't understand why people care what amps look like, I mean guitars yeah but amps are just at the back of the stage in the dark. We have our back to them, the audience don't care about them if they could see em ... I don't get it. 
If I built one it would probably be covered in checkerplate and built to not break rather than built to look good. Most of the above would have to be hardcased to survive in your typical band van 

its the same as people having good looking engines in their hotrods, its still nice to have something that looks good and well cared for. 

I only ever flightcased one amp in my 10 years of touring, that was just because it had white tolex.

TTBZ

Not amps but Xotic use bloody comic sans on some of their pedals. Don't care how good it sounds, it just looks horrible and clearly no thought has gone into designing the graphics. If they were cheap it could be ignored but at their high prices you want at least a bit of thought gone into how it looks.

cosmiccarrot

Danny1969 said:

I don't understand why people care what amps look like, I mean guitars yeah but amps are just at the back of the stage in the dark. We have our back to them, the audience don't care about them if they could see em ...

I think backline amps now, being much smaller, are maybe less important but the stage area is still import to your image, standing a little battered 5w combo on a chair and standing in front of it, isn't going to look good to anyone in the audience, even if your an amazing guitarist you still need to consider what's behind you to a degree, that just my opinion.

gibsongretschfan

Victory amps are an eyesore 

57Deluxe

The Tone King Majesty/Royalist looks like is made of plastic - like those 'Winfield' HiFi all-in-ones in 70s

https://www.maxguitarstore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/photo_majesty-45-head_1_large.jpg

impmann

cosmiccarrot said:

Danny1969 said:

I don't understand why people care what amps look like, I mean guitars yeah but amps are just at the back of the stage in the dark. We have our back to them, the audience don't care about them if they could see em ...

I think backline amps now, being much smaller, are maybe less important but the stage area is still import to your image, standing a little battered 5w combo on a chair and standing in front of it, isn't going to look good to anyone in the audience, even if your an amazing guitarist you still need to consider what's behind you to a degree, that just my opinion.

Honestly, I don't think it matters to the audience as long as it sounds great.

The inverse is also true... how many times have you turned up to see a band in a pub and the guitarist has too many guitars, an enormous amp and huge pedal board only to sound average at best. He just looks a prat to non-players.

Mickeyji

Danny1969 said:

I don't understand why people care what amps look like, I mean guitars yeah but amps are just at the back of the stage in the dark. We have our back to them, the audience don't care about them if they could see em ... I don't get it. 
If I built one it would probably be covered in checkerplate and built to not break rather than built to look good. Most of the above would have to be hardcased to survive in your typical band van 

Yeah, but I have all my amps in the house between gigs so I have to look at them every day. I don't much care for outright ugly things around me, messes up the feng shui