You're right, except those smoky bars don't exist around here any more. When I was younger, almost any building with a roof (not necessarily a good one) was turned into a road house. When the drinking age was raised to 21, they all went out of business. These road houses were the music industry's version of the Minor Leagues. It's where people with instruments became musicians. They not only learned about music, but about the equipment that makes it. How many times have you run to a Radio Shack to get a 12AX7? Or a new speaker that you knew you were going to fry, but they have a 90 day guarantee that you'll use to get your money back?
Do you still have places like this where you live?
Well said. I'm waiting for the "what's a 12AX7" response...
A man who knows his tubes!
Do you still have places like this where you live?
Yep! The 15th Street Tavern in Denver, Colorado. Smokiest, seediest, diviest hardrock bar in the world! Where the PBR flows cheap from cute tattooed bartenders, roaches roam the vomit-strewn restroom and loud rock and roll plays six nights a week to crowds that make the local fire marshal nervous.
If Denver ever enacts a comprehensive smoking ban, this place is doomed.
I remember the days when they actually had a terrific selection of tubes, as well as a testing machine. Back then, many of the employees of Radio Shack actually knew something about electronics. While I was able to pick up some preamp tubes there, I don't recell them ever stocking the tubes I needed for my power section (6550s... I was a bass player!) although they could order them.
Radio Shack is a good example of what's happened over the years. To a place where you could get just about anything you might need to an electronics project, and people who could help you figure out what you might need to do, to today's "You've got questions, we've got blank stares" employees!
Mark