Do you prefer to tame a bright amp or brighten a dark amp.

[mountain blues]

Tame the bright amp, definitely.

[somedude]

Most of my amps are bright, and I tend to use long cables and roll off the tone on my guitar.

[In Absentia]

I use the old recording addage: It is easier to take something out, than to put something in.

[natmiss]

Old saying by recording engineers. You can't add frequencies, only take them away.

[Britishampfan]

I want bright I can always add mids and lows easy enough.

That clarity and sparkle in amplifiers in the treble cant be added in.

Muddy and dull is not a good trait for anything musical.

[MikeyG]

I like bright amps... I can only think of one that couldn't easily be tamed, and that was the Mesa Stiletto... Way bright...

Another amp that I found to be muddy... And very hard to brighten up, was the Mesa Lonestar...

Other than these two amps I've had pretty good luck with either approach. I love a good treble booster on a darkish amp. I've also tamed other bright amps with the proper speaker choice.

But if I had to choose? Tame bright ...

[rp108]

Brighten a dark amp.

[Peeb]

I'd rather tame a bright amp.

[GTRJohnny]

I prefer boosting a warm amp. I can only take a bright amp for so long. Warmer amps are much easier to get along with longterm and keep your hearing.

[Onioner]

Expanding on my earlier response, I'd rather have a speaker that represents the high end in a pleasing manner (which generally means smoother) and then push a lot of that high end through it. I've been using a pair of Weber Greenbacks w/ the harmonica dustcap with an overdriven 6v6 BF amp, set very bright, and it's just about the most pleasing pairing that I own.

Basically, don't attenuate frequencies, just make them sound good. Incidentally, that seems a good general rule to me. Situational and amp dependent, of course, but that's why it'd be a general rule.

[wornoutjunkie]

I have a bright amp and I use a germanium treble booster on Low/full mode (I know its a treble booster but has the option to boost other frequencies) and its a killer sound!

[bluesjuke]

I don't care for a dark ampp that I have to max out or near max out the treble control.
There should always be enough brightness in an amp that you can get it bright enough on it's own without havin to crank the treble.

If you have to put the treble on 10 it sure cuts down on what's available in between and will be a limited amp.

[Jon Silberman]

Non-issue for me. Sell either one and buy the amp you like.

[DICKIE C]

Originally Posted by Jon Silberman

Non-issue for me. Sell either one and buy the amp you like.

I agree with Mr. Silberman.

I tend to believe that an amp that has a nice balanced tone, with the proper mid-range, cuts thru the mix like a hot knife thru butter.

[Miles]

Dark tones sound thick, syrupy, and blissful when you're playing alone.

When you go cut a track or head to a gig, THAT tone is often mud. I like bright amps that have a rudeness to them. I want my tone to cut through and sit well in the mix. I'm not talking about a shrill tone, but a tone that has generous cut to be dialed in.