Do amps ever come back in style?

[akukulich]

For a long time, you couldn't give B-15s away. I used to see them stacked up in the corner of music stores, and you could get them for a couple of hundred dollars. That's certainly not the case any longer.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Some amps never seem to go out of style (Ampeg SVTs, for example), while others that were once ubiquitous have gone the way of Chorus pedals. I’m thinking here of Acoustic, Trace Elliot, Eden, SWR, Sunn and Vox. You could arguably add GK and Markbass to that list as well. But while some basses and effects do come back in style, I can’t think of any examples with regard to amps (B15, maybe?). I’m aware most of the aforementioned brands no longer exist, but that’s never stopped anyone. Why is that, do you think?

Eden is another. I think continuous manufacturing has a lot to do with it, and there is a fashion aspect (both audio and visual), and finally technology improvements that are considered.

For example, 1964 Impala SS is is a gorgeous automobile, one of the best in it’s class in it’s day in the United States, but I doubt today may would want deal with the numb ponderous steering, the loud engine, not to mention the ridiculously poor gas mileage.

As for my Eden gear closing out 15 years of service by today’s standards is heavy, not exactly energy efficient, (stereo power amp that can eat up to up 18 amps), and a little on the large side.

But to your point, until I can’t move it, it’s is rock solid, durable (World Tour…they meant it. It will stand up to that as well as me banging it around quite nicely) and still sounds great. I never was much of a follower fashion, so there is that as well.

 

[Crash 56]

Great tone never goes out of style, regardless. Our ability to lift it as we..ripen…does. Moving my Acoustic 371/301 was easy in 1974, just looking at one now makes my back hurt

I am with you on that! Incidentally, I am contemplating a move to Texas, how is life in Midland? is there a music scene there, and do you have enough room for another bass player in town?

 

[onestone]

When discussing Hi-Fi equipment a wise man one time said 'good sound reproduction will never go out of style'. I'd say the same goes for musical equipment such as instruments, amps, speakers and so on.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I couldn't care less if an amp is not "in style" anymore. The RB series GK and the WT series Eden are still being used because THEY SOUND GOOD. This kind of trivial B.S. irks the crap out of me.

Cool story, bro

 

[scowboy]

I still use an Eden Navigator as my primary IEM preamp. The EQ and the compressor are worth its weight. I also add a touch of drive for some light dirt.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Weight pushed more amps out of style than tone.

 

[Killing Floor]

As a general rule when a brand goes out of business and the factory or supplier relationship permanently ends you could refer to that as “going out of style”.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Says who?...

 

[Kukulkan61]

Attention, controversial opinion:
I think amps in general are on the way out.



The future will hold a lot more pedalboard / modeler setups straight into FOH, with FRFR monitor systems in the rehearsal room for those who don't want to go down the IEM route.

This may be true but it will always have that black cloud controversy like PJs and Jazz basses sounding exactly like P basses, close but no cigar...

 

[Kaa]

This may be true but it will always have that black cloud controversy like PJs and Jazz basses sounding exactly like P basses, close but no cigar...

Will the "close" be close enough for everyone but we bass players? I think it already has achieved that. The old trope of us being the only ones who care about tone more than "It sounds like a bass." is pretty much spot on.

 

[Thumpin6string]

The only amps I'll play through are the "out of style" ones. Eden, A.M.P. and Thunderfunk. I dislike the class D amps and have not found any "modern" amps that give me "the tone".

 

[Madcity Fats]

I love my dusty old Acoustic 140/106 setup, which is my practice rig. My backup practice head is a Kustom K200B. They sound huge and fantastic and I paid about $600 for the whole lot.

My gig rig is an ultra-light Quilter amp and a Boom Bass Cab that weighs under 40 lbs but, well, BOOMS.

Two things can be true at once.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

For a long time, you couldn't give B-15s away. I used to see them stacked up in the corner of music stores, and you could get them for a couple of hundred dollars. That's certainly not the case any longer.

I bought one in 1989 for smaller gigs for $250. I sold it in 1993 for $250.

 

[lug]

I am with you on that! Incidentally, I am contemplating a move to Texas, how is life in Midland? is there a music scene there, and do you have enough room for another bass player in town?

 

[shnapper]

I like old stuff, I believe older stuff in some cases is made better. Nothing goes out of style people just gravitate towards new trends and leave the good stuff behind for me to pick up cheap

 

[Hasty]

I am with you on that! Incidentally, I am contemplating a move to Texas, how is life in Midland? is there a music scene there, and do you have enough room for another bass player in town?

Texas pretty much occupies the same land mass as France, Switzerland, and part of northern Italy. I bet we can fit one more bass player in the state.

As someone who grew up in the Western part of Texas... Midland wouldn't be my first choice... but it does have its own charm.

 

[Altitude]

These are all product development and manufacturing companies. I think if you run a company like that you always have three potential future scenarios:

1. Continue to grow the company, adapt to changes in the market, onward and upward
2. Sell the company to another who values the IP or market share
3. Shut it down

Most of the companies the OP listed as having passed out of fashion chose other than #1 and are just gone in one way or another. Sometimes hard to understand, too, like in the case of Genz-Benz who was making stellar amps up until they sold to Fender who appears to have totally scuttled the brand (unless you argue that the redesign of the Rumble line happening at the same time as the Genz acquisition isn't coincidental).

But in one sense or another, those companies are no longer popular because they aren't trying to be.

 

[Funkdified]

Ampeg Rocket bass combos?

What? I've had it since the late 90s. Yay I'm hip again. No I'm not....

 

[Clark Dark]

I used to own a Hughes & Kettner combo and it was great but now they strictly make guitar amps and it's rare to find any of those BassBase amps and neo cabs on the used market.