Does Every Amp Sound the Same? Put These Models to the Test
Does every guitar amp sound the same?
That was the burning question for Ola Englund, guitarist with the Haunted and previously with Six Feet Under.
- “Whenever I make a YouTube video where I record or demo an amplifier, or a piece of gear, I always get at least one comment saying that I make every amp sound the same,” Ola says.
- “So is that the case here? Am I trolling everyone? We’re gonna find out in this video, Does every amp sound the same?”
For the video, Ola recorded his Washburn PX-Solar 16ETC guitar and re-amped it through a Randall Satan, a Randall RG1503, an EVH 5150 Stealth, a Hesu Bastard 50W, a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ and Mooer Blade Pedal. All the devices were run through his Hesu 2x12 cabinet and miked with a Shure SM57.
The fun starts when he begins to cycle through the tracks and you can hear the results of his test. He also recorded the devices with a room mic and plays those tracks as well.
Ola wraps things up by playing the tracks in combination with bass and drums before offering his observations.
Give it a look, and let us know what you think. When you’re done, visit Ola’s YouTube channel for more of his videos.
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Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of Guitar Player magazine, the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World, a founding editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a former editor with Guitar World, Guitar for the Practicing Musician and Maximum Guitar. Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.
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