Tube amp addiction, tube amp dyslexia and ECT

[tubeswell]

When you see me going off in some wrong direction (you know who 'you' are) I know you patiently say to yourself "it takes all kinds...", and I am thankful to the many diligent people on this BB who take the time to tirelessly correct the errors of my impetuous and foolhardy ways, when I get numbers mixed up and voltages mixed up.

I'm thinking of starting a support group for sad addicts like myself. Not that I can see any point in personal reform (and even tho' I tend to need to learn the 'hard' way having gotten lucky with electro-convulsive therapy in the past (and I hope it stays in the past) and through repeated slip-ups).

In lots of ways I blame music for making me dyslexic (or was it my dyslexia that made me infatuated with music? - I will probably never be able to work this out since I must be dyslexic). Whatever it was, it started me on the journey I am on, so in the best spirit of zen, it must be meant to be, so a-tube-amp-building we will go...

If you need to talk about your addiction, please be my guest. (Now where is Oprah?)

[Steve Conner]

This is your support group. I'd like to humbly propose a 12-step program:

1. Admit you are powerless over amp tweaking.
2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves should restore us to sanity. 120 watts through a 4x12" should be enough power.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and lives over to excessive forum posting.
4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of our tube collection, and realised that there was still room for some more in the garage.

Oh I give up, maybe someone else can think up some more.

[Robert M. Martinelli]

That reminds me of an AA program

What about founding the TAAA ( Tube Amp Anonymous Addicts ) ?

Uhm....I guess that wouldn't work.....the AA is made of people who want to QUIT something.....

Cheers

Bob

[thumbs]

I've been trying to fight this thing by putting together yet another guitar (a thinline tele with a fat neck). I'm hoping it will be my Deluxe's new best friend. I'm not saying I've found a cure, but it does make feel better than buying yet another pedal did.

[cminor9]

have kids. then you won't be able to afford to build too many tube amps.

...but then you just turn to scrounging up parts at surplus stores and old hammond organ guts. I guess there is no cure.

[tubeswell]

Yep I've got 3 kids and I agree it sure doesn't make it any easier

[txstrat]

I've tried that too (2 kids) and must say it's gotten worse since my time for the tube amps went to 'late at night' and the missing sleep don't make it better.
Therefore and due to my eye circles I might look like an addict as well.
And yes, Bob, I don't wanna QUIT either.
BTW I still have 4 or 5 chassis' laying around.

[theunrulychef]

How can I quit? I haven't built one of everything yet.

[Mandopicker]

Even the statement, "Coming to bed soon!" has an entirely new meaning as a result of my addiction.

[tubeswell]

How can I quit? I haven't built one of everything yet.

Meee tooo

[Chuck H]

Thank goodness for this thread. I feel like I have kindred spirits all around the world.

Just today I was at the dump. Where I live there is no garbage pickup so EVERYONE has to haul the trash to the dump. That means anyone from town could possibly have been there when THIS happened...

I backed my van up to one of two enormous dumpsters where everyone throws in their garbage. I got out to unload and saw a five foot long piece of four fin aluminum channel about two inches wide. MY mind instantly registered "FREE HEAT SINK" and I began to twitch. It was just out of reach so I would have to step INTO the dumpster to retrieve it. It's not bad enough I'm going to take someone elses trash out of the dumpster in front of people I see every day, no, I'm going to have to get in the dumpster and take it out. This thought lasted about a nanosecond before I stepped in and retrieved my prize. It was perfect for a project I'm working on and I gleefully looked it over right there, shook off the odd liquid and goo and stuck it in my van.

To make matters worse I was wearing my "work around the yard" rags. The overall appearance of myself dressed in stained tattered clothing and getting into a dumpster to take garbage for my own use in front of people in a small town HAD occured to me... But it took a backseat to my addiction.

This kind of behavior is not at all unlike things I've seen crack heads and junkies do. Maybe it's time I admit I have a problem.

Hi, My name is Chuck...

[Sir Cuitous]

I've been trying to fight this thing by putting together yet another guitar (a thinline tele with a fat neck). I'm hoping it will be my Deluxe's new best friend. I'm not saying I've found a cure, but it does make feel better than buying yet another pedal did.

OCTAD Obsessive Compulsive Tube Amp Disorder. I build guitars as well - it just reinforces the amp addiction. I blame everyone on this forum who "enabled" me to achieve some highly successful builds in so short a time.

[Robert M. Martinelli]

Yep I've got 3 kids and I agree it sure doesn't make it any easier

Me too....It didn't of course cure my addiction, but at least I can hope to form a family band once they've grown up....

[txstrat]

Me too....It didn't of course cure my addiction, but at least I can hope to form a family band once they've grown up....

That's what I'm working on too...
And BTW I've already built three strats.

Even the statement, "Coming to bed soon!" has an entirely new meaning as a result of my addiction.

Meanwhile my wife knows what that means - at least a couple hours.

[thumbs]

You guys are so right about the guitars being part of the problem. Fiesta Red's got her eye on a SF Princeton Reverb and the little hardtail wants to kanoodle with Dan Huff's Bassman!