Two old friends (who've never met) have adopted the same strategy for dealing with entering their forties: they've both bought guitars and built small recording studios in their basements. I can understand that to a degree; I am no stranger to a room full of electronics. What baffles me about their behavior is that they've both embraced tube amplifiers with a passion bordering on obsession. Steve and Paul both insist that anyone who knows anything about anything knows tubes have a superior sound to the new digital doodads. I suppose they're right, both because they're much smarter than me and because hearing is not one of my more developed senses.
Still, I am unsettled at the prospect of relying on tubes that run hot and cold then burn out. I like digital electronics: I can count on digits.
