Tube amp sweet spot vs. volume?

Well, I don't want to argue with you, but I bet when Metallica came out in the 80s (and I remember and was a fan), that 98% of their audience was teenage boys. That is not saying something offensive, that is just observation and fact. Is it wrong to say that the vast majority of Hannah Montana's fans are very young teen girls? No, it is simply the truth.

Hey, I was a teenager once, and a quite aggressive one at that. I surfed, rode skateboards (and was very good), competed in dirt bike races, on and on... If it was fast, furious, and dangerous, I was there.

And bands that play heavy, hard driving music relate to young teenage fellas. It's what they feel like. I remember quite well.

But you don't stay like that forever, and your music will reflect that. And I tell ya, there is nothing worse than seeing some old guy acting like he is 18 again, people are just gonna laugh and say you are going through a mid-age crisis.

I have about 200 old cassettes of death metal groups a friend left me years ago. Once in awhile I try to listen to them. I know they are great musicians, that is easy to hear. But man, I can't go for all that demon-growl stuff. I guess I am just an old geezer, but that stuff just sounds ridiculous and stupid to me. I would look like a fool playing that stuff and feel like it too.

How many people over 30 liked the Beatles when they were releasing albums? How about the stones? Cream? Hendrix? I could go on forever, but really my point is that just because older people aren't interested in an artist or genre doesn't make it any less intelligent or relevant than anything else.

You didn't really just compare Hannah Montana to early Metallica did you? ;)

You didn't really just compare Hannah Montana to early Metallica did you? ;)
You're right, that's pretty silly. Metallica would have a long way to go to compare with Hannah Montana. :wink:

How many people over 30 liked the Beatles when they were releasing albums? How about the stones? Cream? Hendrix? I could go on forever, but really my point is that just because older people aren't interested in an artist or genre doesn't make it any less intelligent or relevant than anything else.

Actually, my father who is a die-hard Country fan who hated Rock music once told me he liked the Beatles because they could really sing and wrote very good songs. :D

I was not comparing the music of Metallica with Hannah Montana, I was comparing their fans. Hannah Montana appeals mostly to young teenage girls. And Metallica appealed mostly to teenage boys. And you probably remember the big flap a few years back when Metallica went a different direction in their music, we had several young men come on here complaining they sold out. I responded that they would still be cranking out the power chord music if they simply wanted to make money, that would be selling out. But because they were no longer teens and had matured into grown men (they also cut their hair if you remember), they naturally wanted to play more mature music.

I don't care if people like that Death Metal music, but it is pretty dumb if you ask me. They all sound exactly alike, there is no singing (unless you call growling like a bulldog singing). It seems the whole idea is just to sound heavier and hopefully more evil than the next group. With names like Rotting Corpse, Death, etc... Come on, that is plain silly.

I'm not saying they can't play, they can. But just because I can jump doesn't mean I should jump off a skyscraper. :roll:

Just because it sounds silly to you doesn't make it silly. I agree that too much growling is grating, and I don't listen to a lot of death metal because of it. I'm also not a big fan of those concept bands either, that scream about blood and death nonstop over the entire record. Metallica is not a death metal band, nor do they scream or growl. Also, where you would say Metallica "matured", some would say that they tried to be more mainstream. In my opinion, their efforts after the black album were lackluster to say the very least.

Anyway, speaking on the metal genre as a whole, there are many types of metal out there that all sound very different to the seasoned listener, and not all of it is growling about death. You're clearly not into metal music at all, and that's fine. There's a reason why not much of it plays on top 40 stations, you're in the majority, but there are many musicians who love it and it doesn't make them a hannah montana fan or a 14 year old boy..

(I'm 27 by the way)

Anyway, what a thread derailment huh? If we ever have a meet/greet in person, Wes, I'll buy you a beer and bring you some GOOD metal CD's :D

You didn't really just compare Hannah Montana to early Metallica did you? ;)
You're right, that's pretty silly. Metallica would have a long way to go to compare with Hannah Montana. :wink:

Amen ! :lol:

You didn't really just compare Hannah Montana to early Metallica did you? ;)
That was uncalled for. Until now, I had only the vaguest inkling that there was a Hannah Montana and, now that I've seen a couple of her videos, I feel slightly soiled, that I've been dragged out of my innocence.

She comes across as if she's the star of a TV show about a California Valley girl, who has discovered RnR and becomes mega-famous because of some totally contrived plot, probably involving a stray dog, an old Indian Chief and a really obnoxious, smelly hobo, who turns out to be an errant music producer, who took a bum rap for one of his, now mega-rich, proteges and had to disappear, only to now return and champion this 14-year-old My Little Pony collector.

That was a very long sentence, as is listening to an entire Hannah Banana song.

and a really obnoxious, smelly hobo,

You mean THIS GUY ...

So what's Metallica's plot?

Just because it sounds silly to you doesn't make it silly. I agree that too much growling is grating, and I don't listen to a lot of death metal because of it. I'm also not a big fan of those concept bands either, that scream about blood and death nonstop over the entire record. Metallica is not a death metal band, nor do they scream or growl. Also, where you would say Metallica "matured", some would say that they tried to be more mainstream. In my opinion, their efforts after the black album were lackluster to say the very least.

Anyway, speaking on the metal genre as a whole, there are many types of metal out there that all sound very different to the seasoned listener, and not all of it is growling about death. You're clearly not into metal music at all, and that's fine. There's a reason why not much of it plays on top 40 stations, you're in the majority, but there are many musicians who love it and it doesn't make them a hannah montana fan or a 14 year old boy..

(I'm 27 by the way)

Anyway, what a thread derailment huh? If we ever have a meet/greet in person, Wes, I'll buy you a beer and bring you some GOOD metal CD's

Yeah, this thread went off a different direction, happens sometimes.

First, I am not against Metal bands at all. While not my favorite style of music, I have heard Metal bands I really liked. Kind of old-school now, but I was a big fan of Judas Priest. I loved You Got Another Thing Comin' and Breakin' the Law especially. I still turn the radio up if those songs come on. :twisted:

But the vast majority of Death Metal I can't listen to, believe me, I've tried. And yes, it is only my opinion, but I still think it's silly. Anytime you go too extreme on anything it's foolish. It's like some Punkers:

OK, I get it, you are different, you don't conform. You hate society's rules, nobody can tell you how to dress...

Come on, get real, this guy looks like an idiot. :roll:

I can kinda see this stuff when you are 16 years old, you're supposed to be foolish when you are a teenager. But when you get up above maybe 25, then you simply look IMMATURE. And boy, do we need attention or what??

And Metallica didn't go mainstream, THEY GOT OLDER. Look, I've seen Metallica, those are smart guys who call their own shots. Ain't nobody making them do what they don't want to do. No, the reason they cut their hair and changed their music was they matured into adults. SAD, BUT TRUE.

You know, there is a time to grow up.

I can kinda see this stuff when you are 16 years old, you're supposed to be foolish when you are a teenager. But when you get up above maybe 25, then you simply look IMMATURE. And boy, do we need attention or what??

And Metallica didn't go mainstream, THEY GOT OLDER. Look, I've seen Metallica, those are smart guys who call their own shots. Ain't nobody making them do what they don't want to do. No, the reason they cut their hair and changed their music was they matured into adults. SAD, BUT TRUE.

You know, there is a time to grow up.

I wasn't commenting on how they looked. I couldn't care less if they cut their hair and acted like adults, they are adults. I just think the quality, depth, and originality of their music took a hit during their "growing up". I don't know the reason, I'm only commenting on the quality of the music itself.

Also, I'm with you about the looks. I think anyone older than about 17 who dresses like the type of music they listen to looks silly. 50 year old hippies look just as silly as 50 year old punks too though. I think part of maturity is appreciating music for the MUSIC and not the look. I know the look that comes with metal, but I work in an office, have short hair, wear dress shirts/pants and polos. If you had to classify my taste in music by how I dressed you'd probably say I was a weezer fan, lol.

Do people just compensate with overdrive pedals in low-volume situations? Thoughts?

Yer pretty close with that insight! Maybe you need to boost the preamp signal BEFORE it gets to the amp??? This way you can get away with lower volume, overall. HOW you increase it...now that's another matter!

Cat

Aaaaaah! Just read through the tete-a-tete that's been happenin' here. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wes! After all you just said, WHY do you consider yuseff "insane"???

Cat

That just comes with the post count.

Wes! After all you just said, WHY do you consider yuseff "insane"???

Well, being insane is kinda tricky, insane people always believe themselves sane. So if a person believes themselves to be insane, then they must be sane. I think (or maybe I don't). :D

Yeah, I got completely sidetracked. Back to the subject. One of the best tests of distortion is to record yourself with quality recording equipment. Distortion that sounds great in the bedroom often sounds way over the top on recordings. Come down on the gain some and your recordings will come out much better.

Truth is, many of these mega distortion pedals are just a sales ploy like telescopes that advertise 400 power. Anybody who really knows anything about astronomy knows you get much better views with low magnification. And distortion is the same, the pros do not use hyper distortion like this. Often, if you really listen closely, their tone is almost clean with just a little breakup. There are exceptions of course, I am a big fan of Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins. They really use tons of distortion and it sounds great. But being totally fuzzed-out is their signature sound. When you get in a band situation playing with other instruments you need to come down on the gain or you are going to sound like white noise, nobody is going to hear you no matter how loud you crank your amp. Come down a bit on the gain and your tone will cut through. :D