Newbie Question: Vintage or Boutique?

[Electrico]

Hi Guys:

I'm a newbie on the Board. Great place. Kudos.

So, I have two Strats (MIJ Fotoflame and a 2010 Am Deluxe), an AVRI Tele, and now a smoking 1995 R9. :)

I'm an amateur, don't gig (yet :) ) and to date I've basically played unplugged or through a cheap 15W practice amp in my living room.

I really want to get a good amp now, and after a lot of reading, I got the boutique bug and am craving a Tone King Metropolitan. That amp just screams my name. I like it because from everything I've read and heard it's very high quality build, I can get a lot of great tones, and the power scaling means I can do a lot in my living room without the cops showing up.

But ... it's pricey, and I'm thinking I can probably get into a good vintage amp for the same mula.

I know opinions are like armpits, and that different people like different amps, but in general, for a guy with Fenders and a Les Paul who wants one amp, what would you recommend?

Thanks,

[whitepapagold]

If you come across a vintage amp and play it and love it- thats one thing. But over time so much changes, you never know if the speaker is about to go, or the transformers etc.

I would never buy a vintage amp without playing it first. They all sound a little different as the components age differently.

If you can buy a new amp, with a warranty, that will have support from the maker- then buy that. Without question.

Amps, guitars, etc are still made great. Vintage is for those who just have to have it. And the amount of small builders has made the competition and quality even better.

[Gearopenia]

I like boutique better because I am not educated on vintage stuff. I wouldn't know if the tranny was original etc,

[Earplayer]

a replaced transformer doesn´t mean the amp is sounding better or worse. a lot of old amps sound better with replaced filter caps or transformers. i have heard clones way better than vintage originals - but on the other hand i have never ever heard a clone that comes close to the real deal where everything comes together. my 71 super lead and a pre rola cab deliver the tone i am after and no other speaker or clone (scumback, or a plexi clone with nos mustards, etc.) has ever come close to the magic dust. so i guess in the end i always prefere vintage... resale value is a no brainer. you will have to sell the boutique clones for a bargain. with vintage amps you will have to prepare to go through pain in the ass - first you will have to find the real good ones......