I often notice that people who have open reel decks and/or tube equipment are nicest

I think those folks like to share their knowledge and be good ambassadors of the hobby. 

Exactly, that's what I thought. They are often true "vintage" audiophiles with decades of dedication and experience. And they know what good sound is and how to achieve it.

If you don't have a good resource for info , tubes and RTRs can be challenging.   I always try to give good advice/ info when possible.  

Indeed, they are challenging but so rewarding.

Real men use tubes. 

Throw out the hardware
Let's do it right

They are often true "vintage" audiophiles with decades of dedication and experience. 

I wasn't vintage when I started.

That's because they have the most patience. 

@koestner not sure if you were serious but there is probably something to your suggestion.  

I was serious with a humorous tone. If they have the patience to spool up those tapes, and FF/RW to the spots they like, along with biasing the tubes and always keeping a watchful eye on them, not to mention a probable turntable with all those rituals needed to play, then they have a lot of patience and would be willing to help others.

I don't know about "nicer", but we're definitely warmer... 

I have both, and enjoy helping others, and hopping about learning about other people’s equipment, posting fun finds, but I only recommend equipment I have personal experience with, so I feel like an 8 Track tape, endless repeat. Here he goes again, you can see it coming ......

I also realize, I have more time than funds, many have the opposite, (time is wealth) thus used, upgrade, restore approaches inconceivable for many. 

That's simply not true.  The nicest people are the one's with meters on their amps.

Both of those relatively high maintenance 20th century technologies go for a premium price these days and require a special level of patience and dedication for sure.

Also gotta say I have never met a disagreeable Ohm Walsh owner. No joke!

They say good sound can have a calming effect on the soul and I agree with that.

We could do a study here where we compare systems of the grouches versus the good guys and see if there is a correlation to the systems they listen to. Could be the most meaningful study on good sound ever! I’d bet fatigue is a key factor. Also boredom.  Make it so!

I have a tube pre and meters on my amps...my friend who has all tube gear and 3 reel to reel decks is as nice as anyone I've ever known...

They have to be nice because dealing with all the reel to reel frustration and lack of available things to listen requires a certain amount of tolerable skill. and Dealing with people as we know is incredibly challenging.

I suppose tubes and warmth go hand in hand. I also think tubes and reel to reel decks say a lot about one's level of curiosity. So many tubes, so many functions, so many voicings, so many designs. Reel to reels, so much mechanical complexity and it's right there to see, not some magical unseen technology like digital and streaming (although I love these as well, all in service to the music). 

The patience and meticulous attention required for reel to reel probably would make for a calm, friendly, and controlled personality.  Does this make such owners also more inclined to be serial killers?

Yes, warmth, and palpability.

@larryi  Most probably, never ever stop by the creepy reel to reel dude's house to buy any gear. He'll probably have it priced low to attract dozens of suckers. When you do show up, he might just boil you in his serial boiling cauldron along with the other audio nerds who tried to beat you to it.....Danger Danger McGranger...

The patience and meticulous attention required for reel to reel probably would make for a calm, friendly, and controlled personality.  Does this make such owners also more inclined to be serial killers?

Most audiophiles, if they met such a fate, would not be missed.  It is mostly a solitary pursuit.

I fit only one half of the description--I am very much a tube person, particularly low-powered tube amps, but, I don't have the patience for reel to reel, nor the money for it.   I have enough exposure to good reel to reel playback that I do appreciate how good it can sound.  

Yes, reel to reel endeavour is something that one should have passion for, especially these days when cost is high and finding people to service your high end deck may not be easy. But they are great timeless machines. I don't have one yet, thinking...

I do have Nakamichi 682ZX cassette deck and Panasonic AG-7350 SVHS deck to play music. Both sound very good but they cannot be like true reel to reel deck. I love tape.

Perhaps I have been around a long time.  I built TRF leaky grid triode AM receivers when I was 9 or 10, with help from my dad.  That was 1953 or 4.

In the early 70's I had a Garrard 301, SME 3009, Shure V15, and a Quad 33 / 303 with a pair of the original Quad ESLs.

I had Quad's again in the late 90's (with tube amps) but gave up because they were arcing on me every two or three years.  I still have the packing case that I built to ship them to a guy in Virginia.  He commissioned me to build him 4 of the cases for his use.

Now I am a hybrid! SS pre + home built tube amp.

The nicest people are those that give there advice freely without criticism of others and are prepared to listen to those whose opinions who you may not agree with, without fear or favour.

“I often notice that people who have open reel decks and/or tube equipment are nicest”

Indeed

vs the angry streamer crowd…..

You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

This is ridiculous as, clearly, I'm a tube freak and I'm not nice at all.

wolf, get a RTR deck, it will make you nicer.

I have tubes, no R2R, but I lust for one.  Where does that leave me?  Decent guy, but a little crusty around the edges?

Guys with tubes usually learn to roll with it.  

Well, I’m rarely a proponent of sweeping generalities, but this one has me thinking of all the times I’ve been smacked down online by some snot-nosed (or low-T even) audiophool, audiofanatic, audiofascist here and there.

My usual learned suspicion (speaking of sweeping generalities) is those who go so such extremes to defend so little have so little to defend.

Not talking Goldwater-era sensibilities here (extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice), just that the farther over the edge someone is willing to drag a specious, or worse, buzzword and high-tech “auty” argument, the less likely it is to have much value - for me, that is.

YMMV.

But thanks for bringing it up.

We're a pretty good looking bunch too! Joe Novak. (owner of four high end reel to reel machines)

Yes, I have 2 R2R decks. My wife insisted on it, She thought they might help file a couple of burrs off my course personality. It’s a work in progress.

Of course, we are good looking, and our equipment may look even better !

I think OP is on to something here.

Could be because tubes and r2r take a journey to get there. They also take a lot of thought. They’re not beginners’ gear. If they’re expensive, it’s for a reason (take the covers off a Revox deck and see). Most of these folks at least know what’s inside their gear. Some even built it with their hands. Got to respect that.

Also, come to think of it, there’s no hype there. No grandiose claims of paranormal sound improvements are ever made. Not having to process idiocy is indeed calming.

I’m not a tube guy, but I have to say that some of the threads I enjoyed the most on here were tube threads. Just knowledgeable guys sharing good, valuable information.

" Not having to process idiocy is indeed calming ".

Great way to put it.