Guitar Amplification

Digitization pervades our world, for better or worse... It delivers this web page and the mp3 sounds of the TruVibe products, it delivers practically 100% of the recorded music we purchase or borrow or listen to through other media. When the CD was introduced in 1983 it swiftly displaced LP's due to it's improved audio clarity, lack of snap, crackle and pop and portability. But actually, it doesn't sound better and many people only spotted this retrospectively having junked their LP collections years ago . Digitisation brings with it a shrill hard metallic edge, an icy clarity and clinical uniformity which takes feeling and warmth and subtlety out of music. It sounds flatter and subconsciously it's more tiring to listen to and slightly dissatisfying.

Same thing applies to guitars and guitar amplifiers, easy to be seduced by a massive range of simulated sounds instantly switchable, easy to listen to or play with a band using digital modeling technology in one form or other and enjoy the music forgetting that there is another dimension missing.

The technological differences between the 1950's valve and the 21st century semiconductor are staggering believe me, of course this delivers benefits. It would take thousands of words to describe the differences between those glowing glass tubes and big lumps of metal and a DSP with a row of power transistors, but is it worth listing the obvious differences from a more practical point of view ? ... go on I can't resist ! -

The sad thing is, it's very easy to forget this ..... UNTIL SUDDENLY we get jolted back to reality, we hear some real sounds, we hear the real sound of a real guitar played with a good quality valve amplifier - the sound that rocked through more than two decades before first the transistor and next the digitisation thing arrived in town. The sound that fuels countless hundreds of classic rock recordings and will continue to inspire guitarists for centuries - some things were always meant to be so.

Guitar music should be felt as well as heard. Plug into an amp, - controls maxed out , valves cooking close to melt down and the guitar , amp and room unite as one complete and awesome instrument. This is the electroacoustic territory where that guitar almost seems to play itself , this is the real deal, sonic nirvana. The interactions between , pickups, strings, valves , transformers, speakers , air (not to mention the occasional spring) are beautiful and infinite. It's warm and shimmering, harmonics zing and sizzle and sustain is limitless. The non linearity of the valve introducing harmonic and dynamic distortions that can be instantly modified by the guitarist's playing technique. The guitar volume control works through the full dynamic range so the player can bring the volume of the sound up from a clean whisper to a screaming roar and everything in between with the turn of the control (or even the flick of a pickup selector). The digital modeling amp with 100 watt output power and 200 sound patches is not as satisfying to play as the 9 watt valve amp with just three tone and a volume control. ( and the 100 watt valve amp is untouchable). At home and in the studio, no digital modeling box run into headphones, or DI'd comes close, the brain knows it's just a psychological trick being played on the senses so player gets tired or board with the sound very quickly. The classic rock and blues tunes that have inspired armies of musicians were all invented before the digital age and we all know this deep down, the holy grail of guitar sounds is firmly rooted in the past and and owes its brilliant uniqueness to some simple ingredients - glass, hot wire and iron.

Long live the Vintage sound , the Vintage feel, the Vintage style - the TruVibe.

Andy - February 2006

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