Does amp/cab aesthetics matter to you?

[Twincam]

As the title really.
I've seen a few amp heads that look a bit like a cheap brand car stereo from the early 2000s that are supposedly the business but the design would really put me off.
Then there's been a few combos which look like a Maplins pa or something.
To me things really have to look decent to buy.

[wateroftyne]

It matters to me loads.

[lowhand_mike]

yep definately, just as much as a bass has to float me boat visually. Theres that assumption that if it looks good quality then it is. If it looks like 90s cheap tat then...

[alexclaber]

Even if you don't care what anyone else thinks and you always have your back to it when you're playing, it's still satisfying to have an aesthetically appealing rig for all those times you're looking at it but not using it. Like with cars, motorbikes, bikes, etc - how it looks doesn't matter when you driving/riding it but there's a lot of time it's just sitting around either being ornamental or an eyesore.

And obviously with a band there's also the image you're projecting, though I think that matters far less than what your instrument looks like (don't play a quilted maple topped fanned fret active 7-string with fretboard LEDs in a punk band!)

[machinehead]

Yes, it matters a lot to me.

Having sad that, performance matters quite a bit more. I would buy a cab that looked less sharp but performed to my requirements, but I would never buy a great looking cab that didn't.

Frank.

[Passinwind]

It matters a little bit, but for me form pretty much always follows function.

[CamdenRob]

Not so much as with basses... All things being equal I'd go for an amp / cab I thought looked better, but it's not as much of a factor as tone and weight.

Edited April 13, 2016 by CamdenRob

[RhysP]

Yes it does matter to me.
There are some that I think look like sh*t that I have used though, Markbass stuff for instance which, although looking like they're made by Fischer Price, are actually really good.

To be honest I've never had much interest in amps & cabs, I've only owned five amps in the 37 years I've been playing.

[KingBollock]

It would be more important if I had the money to be choosy. It must be somewhat important else I wouldn't have gone to the bother of replacing all the knackered black knobs on my Peavey T-Max (bought secondhand) for nice chrome ones.

[redbandit599]

It must convey the visual equivalent of 'heft'

[neepheid]

As long as it doesn't look like it's going to fall apart if I breathe on it wrong, or looks like I might catch something from touching it, I don't care a jot. Sound and reliability are my primary concerns.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

We are visually oriented creatures, so looks are paramount, with anything and everything. Years ago when I was in the ski business Nordica introduced a line of ski boots that fit great, but were butt ugly, so even the very few who were convinced to try them on didn't buy them. The following year the exact same boots were reintroduced with a different name, and appealing graphics. It became the #1 best seller, not just within the Nordica line, but of every line.

[Lw.]

Yes it matters to me, not as much as sound & build quality but it definitely plays a part in the buying process.

For some reason it matters more if the thing is expensive too - if something is cheap (for whatever it is) I wouldn't necessarily mind if it looks cheap/ugly but if it's expensive it needs to look it.

[probablypike]

Everyone generally seems to be in agreement then.

I know I'm going to be wanting to get a new amp someday, and it's probably going to be a Rumble V3. I'm not a massive fan of the way they look, but because of the price/sound the looks won't stop me getting one.

[paul h]

I think they look nice

[FinnDave]

I like the way my Ashdown ABM 500 looks, the illuminated VU meter looks good and the whole thing looks chunky and reliable (which it is). I also appreciate that it is a perfect fit on top of my Barefaced Super Twin cab, nothing looks worse than an amp hanging over the edges of the cab like a fat girl wearing tight jeans.

Edited April 13, 2016 by FinnDave

[Lw.]

[quote name='probablypike' timestamp='1460563442' post='3026864']
it's probably going to be a Rumble V3. I'm not a massive fan of the way they look, but because of the price/sound the looks won't stop me getting one.
[/quote]

They may not be particularly to your tastes but I wouldn't say they look bad, they've just definitely thrown their lot in with the faux-vintage crowd.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1460563919' post='3026870']
nothing looks worse than an amp hanging over the edges of the cab, like a fat girl wearing tight jeans.
[/quote]

MeGusta.jpg

[Passinwind]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1460557603' post='3026791']
don't play a quilted maple topped fanned fret active 7-string with fretboard LEDs in a punk band!
[/quote]

Yep, can't have anyone being an actual rebel in a punk band.

[Twincam]

Just to say cabs really don't matter to me and I don't mind a scruffy cab either.
But the amp head has to look right. Using an Ashdown abm at the min and they are well built but also they look right, although looking at it now it does remind me of old science equipment.

[Guest Jecklin]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1460565628' post='3026890']
...Using an Ashdown abm at the min and they are well built but also they look right, although looking at it now it does remind me of old science equipment.
[/quote]

That was their original vibe for sure. The retro '50's graphics, colourway and the term Klystron were a real breath nostalgic air when they appeared in the late 90's.
The stack of ashdown stuff really stood out from all the SWR, Eden, hartke and trace stuff at the bass centre in Wapping for example

[scalpy]

Got to admit the aesthetics of Aguilar cabs did sway my current choice and I was very keen to have tweed too. So yes the looks are important to me, but I've got to say that purchasing those cabs has made my work go up threefold. Firstly, it really helps with trying to look professional (emphasis on trying!) secondly, clients aren't bricking it like they used to when I heaved in a 410. They'd assume it was too loud before I plugged in.

[Muzz]

A little. If it's something I actively dislike (like the coloured cabs - Vanderkley, for instance - or the ones that try a little too hard - the TKS ones that look like a Dansette), but mostly the anonymous black boxes I judge on tone, weight and practicality.

[Japhet]

I reckon I've got the best of both worlds with my TechSoundsystems cab which, to me, is the coolest looking cab ever, which also sounds stonking with my Tecamp Black Jag head and weighs next to nothing. Can't imagine ever wanting anything different. Looks even cooler with the 2x10 combo and also sounds killer.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Japhet

[Guest bassman7755]

I'm not massively fussy on what an amp and cab look like with the exception that I do hate overt "vintage" styling so thats anything by ashdown or orange ruled out, ditto for the TKS gramophone styled cabs and anything similar. Anything that looks it was made after I was born would generally do me looks wise though. I'm super fussy about basses though.

Edited April 13, 2016 by bassman7755

[Dad3353]

Of all the gear I've accumulated over the decades, be it for drums, guitar, bass or whatever, I really can't think of one single piece that has [i]any [/i]aesthetic appeal to me in any way or form. It's much more subtle than mere looks, to me; I wouldn't spend any time at all just [i]looking [/i]at my Hiwatt amp or HH cab. It's the overall impression, maybe from my early, formative years browsing through catalogues and music magasines, and going to concerts. I've a fair selection of all sorts, from Vox Amplugs, through Danelectro Hodad, HA 3500 and Fender Bassman. What do they look like..? A heteroclite assembly of vintage gear, more or less road-worn, some with a bit of dust. Looks..? Not really my thing.
Disclaimer: It's not that I have [i]bad [/i]taste; rather that I have [i]none[/i].