Just one guys opinion but when you go into a studio to record you depend on the sound engineer to shepherd you through the daunting multi faceted labrynth of sonic possibilities in your search for that sound you hear in your head. You place this trust because the knowledge required to coax that one particular sound you crave from the tons of possibilities requires training experience and dedication to craft. If it was easy there would be no need for sound engineers.
By the same token, when you call to inquire about an amp, do you want to talk to the individual who says “oh yeah, the Schwing 90K weighs more than any other bass amp so it’s got to be the best, am i right? I mean why would Rude McTootie with the Bent Stalks use one if it was not the baddestass box on the planet, am i right? Am i right?”, or would you prefer someone with current up to date knowledge on the dizzying array of bass amps available and fluent in the tech specs so many of us are interested in. Now expand that knowledge to cover the entire Sweetwater catalog and i’d wager that their sales staff works long and hard to become knowledgable enough to shepherd you through their area(s) of expertise, or as important, knows who to hand you off to if your inquiry is out of their wheelhouse.
To me an engineer has always been one with a vast body of technical knowledge on a particular subject, does that not describe someone who can help you avoid spending a ton of cash on something you will be less than satisfied with?
I guess if you just insist that technical product knowledge is different than stress or load calculations, you could argue that consultant might be a better description of what the sales staff at Sweetwater does, but i for one won’t be losing any sleep over the title bestowed on the people who have helped me see the light on more than one occasion. I’ve never been disappointed in a Sweetwater purchase and many times i’ve taken the advice of my sales engineer in choosing what to buy, so i’m not gonna complain if they want to call them sales teddy bears. They work hard to keep me happy and that’s good enough for me.
By the same token, when you call to inquire about an amp, do you want to talk to the individual who says “oh yeah, the Schwing 90K weighs more than any other bass amp so it’s got to be the best, am i right? I mean why would Rude McTootie with the Bent Stalks use one if it was not the baddestass box on the planet, am i right? Am i right?”, or would you prefer someone with current up to date knowledge on the dizzying array of bass amps available and fluent in the tech specs so many of us are interested in. Now expand that knowledge to cover the entire Sweetwater catalog and i’d wager that their sales staff works long and hard to become knowledgable enough to shepherd you through their area(s) of expertise, or as important, knows who to hand you off to if your inquiry is out of their wheelhouse.
To me an engineer has always been one with a vast body of technical knowledge on a particular subject, does that not describe someone who can help you avoid spending a ton of cash on something you will be less than satisfied with?
I guess if you just insist that technical product knowledge is different than stress or load calculations, you could argue that consultant might be a better description of what the sales staff at Sweetwater does, but i for one won’t be losing any sleep over the title bestowed on the people who have helped me see the light on more than one occasion. I’ve never been disappointed in a Sweetwater purchase and many times i’ve taken the advice of my sales engineer in choosing what to buy, so i’m not gonna complain if they want to call them sales teddy bears. They work hard to keep me happy and that’s good enough for me.
