ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

previous: Lee Note: I've posted this on the Webe... -- 9/18/1999 5:52 PM

Re: The Hawthorne Effect

9/21/1999 2:06 AM
Steve A.	Re: The Hawthorne Effect Lee: Thanks for the proper name for that phenomenom (I think we'd called it the "placebo" effect here before). In any case, after you have invested time and money in a particular mod or upgrade to your guitar or amp, you have a vested interest in having it improve your sound to justify your time or money. Guitar pickups in particular are perhaps the worst culprit in this regard because it is really hard to A/B your changes (although if you start getting a really great sound that you weren't getting before that seems to be a point in their favor). And with a set of Lindy Fralin pickups going for almost $250, it's not like spending $5 on caps and resistors that you can probably reuse later anyway... you really want those suckers to sound great to justify the expense! However, with guitar amps, I tend to be a real "switch" freak and will temporarily add in all sorts of switches so that I can instantly evaluate the changes in sound (if any). But it should be pointed out that the added wiring of a switch can affect the sound, too, so these tests aren't 100% accurate. Thanks for bringing up a good point! Steve Ahola P.S. With all of the people building and rebuilding amps here at AMPAGE (unlike some forums where people do more talking than soldering) if a "bum steer" is posted in regards to some component or mod, when other people try it out, they will let us know right away that they weren't impressed at all!

9/21/1999 2:06 AM

Steve A.

Re: The Hawthorne Effect

Lee:

    Thanks for the proper name for that phenomenom (I think we'd called it the "placebo" effect here before). In any case, after you have invested time and money in a particular mod or upgrade to your guitar or amp, you have a vested interest in having it improve your sound to justify your time or money. Guitar pickups in particular are perhaps the worst culprit in this regard because it is really hard to A/B your changes (although if you start getting a really great sound that you weren't getting before that seems to be a point in their favor). And with a set of Lindy Fralin pickups going for almost $250, it's not like spending $5 on caps and resistors that you can probably reuse later anyway... you really want those suckers to sound great to justify the expense!

    However, with guitar amps, I tend to be a real "switch" freak and will temporarily add in all sorts of switches so that I can instantly evaluate the changes in sound (if any). But it should be pointed out that the added wiring of a switch can affect the sound, too, so these tests aren't 100% accurate.

    Thanks for bringing up a good point!

Steve Ahola

P.S. With all of the people building and rebuilding amps here at AMPAGE (unlike some forums where people do more talking than soldering) if a "bum steer" is posted in regards to some component or mod, when other people try it out, they will let us know right away that they weren't impressed at all!

Replies:

Lee Hi Steve,Actually, ... -- 9/21/1999 12:37 PM