I dunno if he preferred it through a valve amp. But I get your joke.
I’ve swapped necks on guitars and basses, and can hear and feel differences, but I wouldn’t call my experiments scientific.
My eighties Japanese Strat has a baseball bat neck, and it sounds good to me.
I dunno, I quite like the knobs. But then, I’ve got a Strat, so I’m used to them.
It’s five string basses I can’t get used to, they look wrong wrong wrong!
Stewart Ward, of Session amps fame, recounts how changing necks on a Telecaster (sorry guys) changed its tone significantly.
The stiffness of the necks, due to differing thicknesses, seemed to be the deciding factor, not body material.
If you’re interested in the iOS app route, check the Sound Test Room on YouTube. It’s quite annoying with the guy’s hands flapping around, but he shows off the kit quite well. Plus I love his Scouse accent.
I’m currently enjoying using several iOS apps. Patterning is very interesting, has great sounds and an unusual, creativity inducing interface.
Funk Drummer by Lumbeat is also very good, but I truly hate the interface.
Lastly, I still go back to DrumJam from time to time.