Originally Posted by
Trakhak
With respect, I'd imagine you played through each knowing what it was. Like the wine experts in the famous test who couldn't tell white wine colored with red dye from red wine, expectations can affect one's impressions.
And for an example closer to home, there's that
Bicycle Guide test where a bunch of experienced riders couldn't reliably tell apart unlabeled Columbus Aelle, Cromor, Brain, Thron, SLX, Neuron, and EL-OS frames by the way they rode.
There is that but I have a history of buying lighter hybrid and solid state magic amps thinking they will be great only to hate them down the road. I have no expertise when it comes to metallurgy and it's possible the latest generation of modeling amps has finally crossed the Rubicon but I can tell almost immediately. The difference between Columbus and Reynolds is like the difference between rca and mullard. The difference between tubes and solid state modeling is more like the difference between bikes and tricycles. This is of course reliant on things like negative feedback and amplifier topology but trust me, if your playing 4-5 nights a week and you plug straight into a tube amp, you can tell. Those guys that have pedal boards can't tell because the are essentially playing pedals which are solid state modelers. When they sit in on my rig they can't believe the difference. Guitar, cord, low negative feedback tube amp. As good as it gets.