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   Why do Identical Amps Sound Different?

No two amps are identical.  You might have noticed this with guitars.  You must play several of the same model to find a standout.  There are a couple of reasons for this in guitar amplifiers.

First, of course, a guitar amp is a musical instrument not a high-fidelity component.  The guitar amp intentionally distorts your guitar signal, helping to create your sound, not just amplify it.  Internal components are driven beyond their normal specifications, creating wave distortion and nonlinear frequency response.  Circuits prone to resonating ring, adding additional harmonic tone and sustain.

Second, every electronic part is only guaranteed to be within a certain tolerance.  Its real electrical value can vary up to 20% from its listed value.  In addition, vacuum tubes and transformers have complex characteristics that are especially prone to variation.

The bottom line is that, sometimes, differences pile up to make an amp sound better than average and sometimes they pile up to make it sound worse.

So whether your amp cost $40 or $4000, THERE NEVER WAS, IS NOT NOW, AND NEVER WILL BE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

Like chocolate chip cookies, no two guitar amps are exactly the same even though their recipe is.  No recipe can perfectly duplicate the gestalt of a particular cookie or the sound a particular amp.

However, if your tone is lacking, here are four things that might help:

1. Re-cone or replace your speakers - they lose their mojo over time.  A good reconing service is Orange County Speaker, Inc.  You could also switch to speakers of a different size or magnet material, add speakers, or switch between open-backed and closed-back cabinets.
   
   
2. Re-tube your amp or switch tube types.  Click here for a PDF file of vacuum tube pinouts.  Listen to re-tubing suggestions but beware that "identical" tubes are no more identical than identical amps, especially nowadays.  Your results may vary.
   
   
3. Use a clean booster pedal or preamp to shift your guitar's signal level before it hits your amp.
   
   
4. Try differently alloyed guitar strings or a replacement guitar pickup.

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