music: Freshies on the Brink: 6/14/2006
We humans have come to rely very heavily upon complicated machines that we don’t understand in the least. Take this computer in front of me: I can put things into it and get things out of it but have absolutely no idea what happens in between. I’d guess that computers like this are by far the most complicated pieces of machinery that people use on a daily basis. Considering that we as a society rely on computers so much it’s pretty mind-boggling that the average computer user has absoluetly no idea how a computer works. I consider myself to be pretty educated but still couldn’t even get past a very elementary explanation of the insides of a computer. Truth be told, I don’t have much interest in learning; I’m perfectly content to type things, let the magic happen, and get some sort of verification on the screen or from the printer that I’ve done something of worth. I’m content to let the black box remain a mytery, that is, until something goes wrong.
Computers are far too complicated for everyone to realistically become proficient in fixing them. Ideally, of course, if one were to own a computer one would also be able to take the thing apart and fix it. For the sake of argument and practicality, let’s think instead about some things that people rely on perhaps even more than computers and to a large extent have no idea how or what is going on inside: cars. Blessings to those who ride bikes (and know how to fix them even a little) and those who take public transportation; congratulations to the few who own and drive cars and do all their own maintnence. To the rest of us who own cars: apologies. We are caught, completely dependent on such machines for our daily functioning, but also completely dependent on those who know how to fix them. The last time I took my car in for its 60,000 mile tune-up it cost me $1600. I can’t help but feel taken advantage of, even though a lot of work and parts were done. But still…it was enough to spur me to investigate a little and try to teach myself some basic car repair.
The first step is to go to an auto parts store and pick up a repair manual. Then perhaps a little poking around under the hood — nothing serious, just poking and prodding and investigating and getting your hands dirty. Then, when little stuff comes up, instead of dropping the car off to get serviced, see what the book has to say and if you can have a go at it yourself. Since April I’ve replaced a turn signal bulb, changed the oil, and today replaced the rear oxygen sensor, which resulted in the “check engine light” (owner’s manual says: take car to dealer) finally going off after three years. Success. It, of course, helps to have friends with electronic diagnostic computers and roommates with a complete mechanic’s set of tools and a world of car know-how. This is a major stumbling block: even if they wanted to, the general population doesn’t have the requisite tools needed to really get into projects like this and open up those black boxes.
I’ve also been poking around my guitar amplifiers, having taken great care and time in selecting new tubes for the vibrolux (Electro-Harmonix for the preamp, phase inverter, and rectifier; Sovtek for the power tubes). In researching my amplifier I’ve had to do some quick studying of basic electricity and circuits (amperes, watts, volts, ohms, and the like). Electrical schematics are a bit daunting for amps, but definitely attainable.I’m still not there, and still rely on outside help for a lot of it, but I’m getting closer to being able to open up that (literal) black box and tweak things to my heart’s content in the relentless search for perfect tone. It’s a new dimension on a near-obsessive hobby, a grand education, and most importantly, a way to assume an active ownership of the mysterious contraptions upon which I rely on a daily basis. In the name of self-reliance, I think that we who rely on such complicated contraptions should at least make some effort in opening up the black boxes in our lives, learning how they work, and learning how to fix them.
Posted by davidtaus at June 15, 2006 11:21 PM | TrackBack