Tube Amps vs. Solid-State Amps
77Tube vs. Solid-State
Tube amps have been around for many years. In fact, many years ago, tubes powered most things, such as T.V.s, radios, and yes, guitar amps. Modern amps have become cheaper and the quality has diminished. Of course, there are still nice amps that are brand new that are tube, but they are heavy, expensive, and more fragile than solid-state, but the sound quality is superb. Solid-state amps run off of pure circuit boards and try to model a guitar sound. Tube amps are powered by glass tubes and do a better job of voicing whatever is inputed into the amp. It is a pretty safe generalization that tube amps are better than solid-state.
Tube amps have their pros and their cons. There is really only one pro, but it is the most important one to a musician-sound quality. Tube amps sound better than solid-state amps. All professional guitarists use tube amps of some sort, because the sound is truly better than cheap solid-state amps.
The cons to tube amps are cost and weight. Tube amps cost more than solid-state and weigh more than solid-state amps. A quality tube amp can cost anywhere from $400 and up. However, the premium price is worth it because you receive premium sound. tube amps are also a bit heavy, and a 30-watt combo can weigh 50 pounds. The simple solution to this, however, is simply installing casters on the bottom and just rolling the amp.
The only benefit of solid-state amps really isn't even a benefit. Sure, they are cheaper, but the overall quality is awful.
Tube amps also can be very loud. Concerts at stadiums can be played with 30-watt combos, as 100-watts or more are needed for solid-state. Personally, I have never played anywhere that I needed more than 20-watts, and chances are, wherever you play, you will probably be miced, and thus not needing more than 15 or 20 watts of tube power.
There are many quality tube amps on the market today. You can do the research yourself if you wish, but here are some starters:
- Fender HotRod Deluxe
- Fender Blues Deluxe
- VOX AC30
- VOX AC15
- Marshall VintageModern 2266
- Marshall JVM410C
- Fender Blues Jr.
- Fender Vintage Reissue '65 Twin Reverb
- Fender Super-Sonic 112
- Fender Vintage Reissue '59 Bassman
- Egnater Rebel-20
- Egnater Tourmaster 4212
- Orange Rocker 30 combo
- Orange AD30TC
- Orange Tiny Terror
- Mesa Boogie Express 5:25
- Mesa Boogie Lonestar
- Blackstar Artisan Series 30
- Blackstar Artisan Series 15
I hope this information has helped you. Make sure to find the sound that fits you, and don't worry about the price. Don't settle for less, and when you find your amp, save money for THAT amp, and don't cheat yourself.
-Matthew
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Transistor amps are direct coupled to the speakers and the output power varies at differnt frequencies ---tube amps are coupled to the speakers using output transformers--the results are that the tube amp puts out the same amount of power at any combination of any frequiencies---high or low
So what are you saying, Rich?
"Transistor amps are direct coupled to the speakers and the output power varies at differnt frequencies ---tube amps are coupled to the speakers using output transformers--the results are that the tube amp puts out the same amount of power at any combination of any frequiencies---high or low"
You have it backwards. The reason why a tube amp uses an output transformer is because power tubes are high-impedance devices. An output transformer is device that matches an output stage that has an impedance that is measured in thousands of ohms to a 4, 8, or 16-Ohm load. A high impedance amplification stage that is coupled to a low-impedance load is less able to dampen (control) speaker movement than a directly-couple output stage; therefore, a high-impedance tube output stage is more frequency dependent than a low-impedance transistor output stage.
The cold hard truth here is that tube amps are usually rated at RMS power and transistors amps are usually rated at peak power (or at some made up number). RMS power is 0.707 x peak power.
you dont know shit about SS amps, for some reason Dimebag used SS amps for most of his career, GOOD ss amps sounds GOOD.
You're an idiot. Stay off things where your foul language isn't appreciated, and when, in fact, YOU don't know what you're talking about, because, believe it or not, there are quite a few people around actually that are highly educated inthis stuff, like, have collegiate degrees in this, that will back me up. So get lost.
All depends on application. Some scenarios require the headroom available in solid state amps. There are also some terrible tube amps out there that are simply gimmicks to cash in on everyone's lust for "that tube tone" (which most of the time can be mimicked by top grade modelling technology). Most of these are lower watt, mass produced amps that are cheaply made right next to those poor quality solid state amps. The fact is a high quality amp will be a good amp, regardless of solid state or tube. The Roland Jazz Chorus, for instance is an excellent amp that produces some of the best clean tones out there. With advances in modelling technology (such as Boss' use of COSM), I think the gap between tube and solid state is going to be closed, with newer technology replacing the old. I think most guitarists are just afraid of the inevitable change.
I should also add, many tube amps are not capable of attaining the saturation levels needed for modern heavy metal without the use of some kind of effect pedal. Most solid state amps achieve this just fine.
With all due respect, I think thats wrong. Tube technology will always be the best, and the "new" technology will just make changes to tube amps, not change them to solid-state. Solid-state was invented solely for a cheap alternative to tubes. Also, the headroom issue. Thats not true. Some of the high watt Fender tube amps stay clean forever, and sound multiple times better than solid-state amps. I've been around guitars and amps (usually high end equipment) for going on 11 years now. I've never come across a solid-state amp that can't be beaten by a tube amp in terms of sound quality. Moreover, many purists, traditionalists, old school guys, whatever, don't like the modeling stuff because that's what it is-modeling. We like the real deal. It sounds the best. All of those old-school "metal" bands that influenced all you hardcore kids used the old school tube amps without modeling. But hey, whatever man.
It is true that solid state amps are getting better tonewise, but the important thing that always gets over looked is the way in which a tube amp responds to your playing dynamics. A solid state amp will struggles in comparison in this area. And this is why, in my opinion at least, that tubes amps are superior. I've been playing for 20+ years and I have used and gigged with both types of amps.
Amps should create no sound by themselves. Any deviation from the origional signal is called distortion, and that is measurable. The 'warm' 'sound' of tube amps is simply an accquired taste.
Far more important is the sound the speakers, and the room, contribute to the final.
My comment below.
Weird.
I sound good playing through solid state and tube amps
Must just be my fingers...
Your tone quality is better with the tube amp, guaranteed.
Have played extensively through both and there are good and bad in both instances.
Definitely disagree with the writer's implication that all solid state sounds bad. Have used excellent solid state on occasion such as the old 90's Roland Bluescubes and many fabulous Vox solid state amps from various decades.
Granted I tend to opt for valve, but have found very pleasing tones through solid-state equipment both in terms of recording and live.
"Solid-state was invented solely for a cheap alternative to tubes."
Only someone who is not old enough to remember tube-type consumer electronics would make such an asinine statement. For most applications, solid-state technology is superior to tube-type technology. I doubt that few people who are old enough to remember tube-type televisions would trade a modern flat-screen TV for a fifties or sixties vintage all-tube model.
Semiconductor technology paved the way for all of the modern electronic devices that we take for granted. The problem with modern semiconductor-based guitar amps is that they are built to low price points. There are solid-state amps out there that sound and feel better than most tube-type amps. The amps made by Eric Pritchard (www.pritchardamps.com) fall into this category. Eric's amps can cop the elusive touch-driven semi-distorted tones that are the domain of the tube amp.
KnowTubes, you took that out of context, which, I'll admit, I could have made it more clear. What I meant by that was a cheaper price, not cheaper quality.
I remember when digital cameras came out and fellow professional photographers desperately clung to developing film, swearing up and down that photos look more vibrant from film and that they would NEVER use digital cameras. And, now, I don't see any photographer using film other than for nostalgia.
For all we know, future solid state designs will lead to a tone that far surpasses not only tubes, but current solid state designs.
With tubes there is only so much that can be achieved and tube lovers cling to it. But with technology, the future is wide open and in time it's a matter of fact that tubes will die out since every other field of science surpasses it's predecessor in time.
The problem here is, it is purely subjective as to which one sounds better. However, despite whatever sales and marketing tactics they try to sell us on, no solid state modeling amp is going to sound like a cranked plexi head.
I see my colleagues with Ph.Ds who run 100K modeling programs that simulate space environments, mechanical and thermal and, in no way, does modeling simulate or substitute for real world testing and, in many cases, the modeling is WAY off from real world testing.
The same is true for these cheap modeling amps by Fender and Line 6. While they have a sound all their own (good or bad), it is far cry from a tube amp.
They will never replicate a totally saturated output section and, when playing super heavy material, all you need to do is get a great tube amp that has a fantastic power amp and boost the signal by 10 - 20 db at the front end and it will sound better and more defined as well as feel way more livley than any solid state modeling amp will. Not only are the output tubes distorting, so is the x-fmr. It is also saturated and, if you dummy load the head 100%, you can hear the audio signal inside both the tubes and the tranny.
You can't simulate that with Solid state transistors and DSP. They can tell you until their blue in the face but, they have yet to do so. Solid state amps failed at replacing tube amps. Everyone thought tubes and tube gear was going to die. Tubes and tube gear (even hi end recording gear today) uses tubes and, tubes are here to stay.
More companies are now reproducing Genelex KT66 Gold Lion model tubes, Mullards, Telefunken and even the American staple, RCA blackplates.Point is,tubes are not going away and, no modeling amp is going to replace them either.
Remember ADA thought they had the market with their SS pre amp that was also touted as a "modeling amp". They claimed it sounded like a Roland Jazz Chorus to Fender Vibrolux to Cranked Plexi head. While it sold quite well and, I owned one, it failed to sound as good as a the real deals. The roland JC-120 smoked it as did the tube amps by miles.
Looking at Peavey, Roland, Yamaha, Johnson and Line 6, they all made attempts and, most got pushed out by demand for tube designs despite all the advancements in modeling.
Now, we have software packages (plug ins) that they are trying to sell and, for what it is worth, they sound inferior to a GOOD tube amp. There's no life in them. It's a dead and flat compressed sound similar to running through a solid state eq box, a compressor, some sort of gain pedal, some DSP for the reverb and modulation FX etc and out into a solid state power amp more or less. That is the signal path minus the DACs if one is using a real guitar to play the parts vs a MIDI controller.
Take that modeling box, and, pump it through a fine solid state power amp and crank it to the same SPL level as the cranked Marshall Plexi head that was modded for higher gain. Now, use an A/B box and compare the two tones. The Plexi head is going to blow away that thin solid state raspy, honky mid ranged tone amp but, it goes much further than just tone. It also affects the feel.
How the amp feels and, the dynamics and the feedback that one feels when playing the amp is totaly different when playing live and loud vs in the bedroom during practicing. With that fully cranked tube head, one can feel the instant he / she hits the note. There, no nano or milli second delay as there's no solid state DACs that turn the ac signal into 1s and 0s and back again.
The signal does not have to be compressed and line leveled prior to hitting the DAC because, it is all analog to which, guitar is analog. This results in immediate, 1:1 ratio of input to output. What goes in, comes out. Such is not the case with solid state amps.
Play lightly, the tube amp cleans up by huge amounts. Roll the volume down on the guitar and, it goes super clean with a lot of headroom to spare. Nice Fender single coil and, it's smooth and creamy and clean and very warm when the amp is dimed.
On the modeling box, it is already compressed, it's eq points are static and fixed regardless of what is occurring at the instrument side and, depending on the patch or program, the gain almost remains still on 10 despite attempting to play quiet as possible.
The dynamics is totally different and is no where near the same as a tube amp. I've played those Johnson amps and most of the Line 6 amps and I personally, cannot stand the feel nor tone. While there are TONS of horrible sounding tube amps out there, any tube amp can be modded or turned into a great sounding amplifier after changing a few components and redesigning the circuits a bit to suit.
As to which sounds better, that is purely subjective and, what I like someone else may not. I prefer tube amps, and in particular, Class A, Class AB1 power amp designs. I do not like Class A/B2 designs most of the time.
CA
What the soild state lover are forgetting is that Solid state is Digital and tubes are analogue! A good tube is gonna destroy a good solid state tonality wise period. A solid state is trying to mimic analogue and it can't and will never be able to. If you look at a digital waveform you will see a step like waveform, its allways gonna be missing data that an analogue device has. An analogue signal is a smooth wave form and contains an INFINITE amount of data, and unless you have a digital device that can process infinite amount of data then you are out of luck. But obvious tube amps colour the signal and this colouration is a personal preferance. To me solid state sounds harsh and sterile. But hey ignorance is bliss. and btw a analogue camera has more detail than a digital camera, and so does a tube tv, the colouration that tubes gives is the thing that makes a picture look a bit rubbish, but sound wise I think the colouration that tubes give is a good thing. The argument is do you like tubes colouration on sound? It's a fact that tubes have more of a detailed sound than solid state.
Before I begin, I'm sorry if this comes across as *ahem* cold and harsh. One thing I really hate is how people tend to speak argue as pretend-experts on the internet instead of actually doing some research. Oh well, I guess that's human nature.
First of all, "Solid State" does not necessarily mean "digital", and anyone who thinks that it does has no idea what they're talking about, and should therefore shut up and learn rather than further spouting off information like the expert they're not. Tubes can be digital too, in fact some of the earliest computers were tubes— and going even further back, electromechanical relay switches. It's the circuit the tube or transistor is in that behaves analog or digital.
As for the infinite detail part about celluloid (note how I didn't call it analog) photography, do a quick Wikipedia search on "film grain" and you'll see how it is far from infinite detail.
You can argue up and down how tubes just sound better, though in the end you're merely stating an opinion. To a rock guitarist, tubes very well may sound better. To an acoustic folk (remember that acoustic guitars can be equipped with piezo or even magnetic pickups) or jazz guitarist— or maybe even a keyboardist, a good solid state amp very well might be more the sound they're looking for.
Yes, the vast majority of solid-state amps are low-quality. Yes, tubes sound great, but so can an amp like a Roland JC-120, and for different reasons. Yes, the distortion on the JC-120 sounds like crap, but getting a JC-120 and complaining about the cheesy distortion is like getting a Ferrari and complaining about the lack of trunk space. You buy the JC-120 for its amazing (and it IS amazing) clean sound just like you buy a Plexi for its dirty sound.
This vacuum tube worshipping is the reason why there is no such thing as a quality mid-level ($500–$800) transistor amp like a JC-60 or any equivalent anymore, which really does kind of suck because they do have a nice sound which tube worshippers would be quick to bash as "sterile," "cold," or some other word they heard their aging guitar idol use to describe the sound. It seems rare that you hear someone describe it as "clear," or "crisp," and that's a shame because in my opinion that shows an unfortunate close-mindedness within the guitar community. It is also probably why there are almost no boutique solid-state amps. (Eric Pritchard is the only one who comes to mind, though Björn Juhl did develop the solid-state preamp section for the Louder & More guitar amp.)
Don't get me wrong, I love tube amps. I just think solid-state gets unfairly neglected even at times when it would arguably be better than a tube amp.
So if you want that classic rock guitarist sound, use a tube amp. You'll never truly nail that Hendrix/SRV/EVH/whotheF'ever sound without a tube amp.
If you'd rather create your own sound, use whatever the hell you want. Don't go with a tube amp because of what some old guitarist says, and don't go with a solid-state because of what I say. Use what sounds good to YOU. Never stop experimenting and keep an open mind.
Who knows, maybe you'll find a good sound that involves using both amps at the same time!
Hey, was this article written in 1980?
Cuz it's now 2011 and things have changed.
The argument is not "tube vs" solid state". Tube won that long ago.
The argument is now "tube vs modeling" and that's not so clear cut.
In the end modeling will win, but there will always be tube freaks the way there are people who prefer vinyl records to CD.
No, it was definitely written in 2009. Then why is it still being argued? Because the comments above say otherwise. Modeling is worse. Because it's just that-modeling. You will NEVER be able to digitally reproduce the sound of tubes. I guarantee it won't happen. It can't. How could you possibly conjure an ANALOG signal out of a DIGITAL device?
Hello everyone
I am an guitar musician with classical formation but now i have started to play electrical guitar (with ss amps). I come across a tube amp some days before and i was overwhelmed by their response (i do not discuss the warmth of the sound but i must say the tone for me its much more satisfying than a solid state, although i know there some pretty good ss amps around)
Ok its all a sensibility question, that its true, but anyone who plays for many years now that the top priority its...your own sensibility! Anyway tube amps seem to have something that its vital to me because of my formation, dynamics, the ability of doing a "crescendo" or "diminuendo" and a sound that doesn't gives you the felling that its dressed with a strait jacket.
anyway the best amp is the air around us ;-)
I do not buy this argument. I'm a professional touring musician, and all I have to say is "Roland JC 120". End of argument. SS has it's place the same as tube does.
Oh you're a touring musician? With who? Good luck with the solid state...maybe you'll see the light one say...
Just my 2c worth- I've been using my Roland JC120, which I bought new in 1978, and I have had that as my main amp ever since. I've got valve amps too.... AC15...fender super reverb, fender dual showman.... and to be honest I like the JC 120 the most for the music I play. I'm a jazz player mostly, so I'm mainly clean, but sometimes I like to ramp it up for blues and even then I'm happy with the Jazz Chorus..... sometimes I'll stick a boss super overdrive or something in front just to add some gain to the sound. People like my tone too.... I've had countless guitarists want to try playing through my setup because it sounded so good. I'm not being arrogant or blowing my own trumpet, but I think the author of the above article is a bit narrow minded. I think guitarists have to be some of the most conservative people... so unwilling to try other things.... and using equipment just because "some famous 70's guy'' or whatever used it. I think the digital modelling amps sound good... not the same as a tube amp... but different..... and that isn't necessarily a bad thing!!!
In my opinion it depends on the sound you're after. First example that comes to mind is the bass (actually two basses) on Pink Floyd's "One of these days". That was recorded through a transistor amp. And it clerly sounds more "cutting" than what tubes would allow. Yet the delay was a tube Echorec. It really depends..
audioexmachina.wordpress.com
This guy made a lot of money off your posts. Well not that much but still more than the average post.
In my opinion tubes sound better for everything other than metal. I feel that solid states can't truely connect with the player he way tubes do but maybe I haven't played the right SS amp yet. I have hears some bad tube amps though.
Well I used to play back in the 60's and had an AC30 at that time. I had a Gretch and a Strat which I used and the sound for me was great through my AC30. That was 40 odd years ago but I'm itching to start up playing again and playing music of the late 50's and 60's. Amps in the music shops I've been to all seems to have this crunch/distortion thing going on when turning uo the volume on the amp. This is definetly what I don't want. I want to be able to turn up the volume and still maintain that great clean sound. So, any of you techies out there have you got any ideas on the amps that I should consider? I shall be using a Strat and a Godin LGXT. Cheers guys.
This discussion seems to miss a lot of the reasons why alternatives to tube amps continue to tempt guitarists and manufacturers alike. The problem with tube amps is (usually) not the way they sound, but with how they're built and behave. Tube amps are made of components that are relatively expensive, heavy, and subject to high degrees of variability in quality and stability. In contrast, solid state analog and modeling amps are cheaper, (usually) lighter, generally more reliable, and more efficient. --But they don't sound like tube amps; they sound like an approximation.
So, in essence, those who claim that solid state analog and digital amps will never replicate fully the sound of a good tube amplifier. However, it should be noted, that there are things tube amps cannot achieve that non-tube amps can. That being said, we should all think of cost vs. benefit in dealing with tube amps.
Early advocates for non-tube amps were trying to escape definite problems. The first was that tube amps tended to break down under the wear and tear of touring, and in a lot of cases were difficult to maintain. Second was that tube amps (especially the early point-to-point) could vary in quality of tonality wildly. The exact same model of amplifier could sound a world apart from another. The third was that early tube amp designs needed to be played very loudly to achieve certain tones. Fourth, was that tubes were extremely variable in quality, frequently broke, and could be difficult to replace with a like type. Last was that tube amps were (and are) heavy and expensive.
Solid state analog (and later, modeling) amps on paper seemed to solve all of those problems. But, at the cost of audio quality. From the very beginning, it was understood that if you wanted to make things a little easier on yourself by using solid state gear, the price was an audible difference in your rig.
Even now, when the technology for non-tube amps is becoming increasingly capable of copping tube-like tone, there is a theoretical limit to how close that tech can actually come. The problem is that getting a non-tube amp to sound like a tube amp is that it is extremely difficult. To copy a tube amp, you must have a very, very good understanding of how they achieve their sound. --And replicating it requires the use of some pretty cutting edge tech. However, everyone can hear that their work has paid off as non-tube amps now sound MUCH closer to tube amps than they did 20 years ago!
Again, it's correct to claim that tube amps will never be totally replicated by non-tube amps, but I think as time goes on, that the sonic differences will become increasingly irrelevant. Eventually the benefits of having a non-tube amp will outweigh the cost in loss of tone. I just don't know how long it will be before the technology is available to achieve that.
Tube amps are more fun. You get to experiment with different tubes.
Before anyone starts talking about amps and soundind as if they know anything PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT. I build amps for my own personal taste. I build 3 kinds. 1. Tube, 2. Solid State, 3. Digital...YES THEIR ARE 3 KINDS OF AMPS. Tube amps amplify your guitar signal with a tube. Solid State amps amplify your guitar signal with transistors. Digital amps literally have a chip and processor that try to emulate the signal you feed it and reproduce what it thinks the sound is. Tube and solid state amps can compete in terms of clean mainly because when it comes to clean I BET ANYONE IN A BLIND TEST YOU CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE. Every amp sounds different so they will have their own distinct sound. When Distortion is introduced this is where tube shines. Distortion is basicaly the signal surpassing the peak level of the dynamic range. When this is done Tubes produce different harmonics than solid states, which is why Tube distortion sounds SO MUCH BETTER than solid state. Digital amps on the other hand try to emulate everything even clean. These amps are what you call modeling amps and make everything sound horrible mainly because the sound produced is not the orignal one inputed.
Conclusion, people need to be more open to solid state amps. I use a Roland Jazz Chorus amp and i distorted it with a Blackstar DIST X TUBE distortion pedal. Its a combination of both really and I like how my distortion pedal sounds on solid state amp especially on this one than on tube amps. The benifits? none mainly because its purely subjective.
If you play at low levels or dont play in a live band atmosphere a SS would work just fine. If youwant to sound good tube all the way!!!!!!!! suck it POD owners
I have a jcm 2000 dsl head and a 6505 head and just recently bought a dean dime head, I was a big dime fan so dont laugh. Their all good for something it just depends on what your trying to do or just your personal tastes. The trick to reading all these reviews is you have some tube snobs and thats all they will use and you will have some people who cant afford what they would like to have and will try say somthing cheap is better than somthing else ect. Listen to your ears not other people, but i do lean toward tube amps more. but ss isnt bad.
I'm 62 years old. I was around during the heyday of rock and roll, electric guitar, and all the great equipment that went with it. I am not biased in saying this, tube amps are simply better. I have never played through a solid state amp and "felt" the tone. A tube amp is more dynamic and smooth. Plus the overdrive/distortion on a solid state amp is just harsh. People that say it is necessary for a metal tone have not played around with tube amps enough. People can believe what they want but when it comes down to it, listeners will always think a guitarist's playing is better through a tube amp. They probably won't know anything about tube amps vs. solid state amps, they will just recognize the smooth, dynamic character of tone that comes with tubes.
I agree with Craig. Aren't many of these posts oversimplifying? What's better? A red car or a blue car? Similarly, how can lump cheap $300 solid state combos in the same category as Henriksen or Acoustic Image? Or group a Fuchs in the same category as cheap Crate? Not to mention the situation. Amps good for Texas blues aren't necessarily good for jazz and vice versa.
On that note, I disagree with Matthew's initial article for just this reason of over-simplification. The whole discussion of grouping all SS's in one category and tube amps in another seems pointless.
As a jazz player, I use an Acoustic Image head with unlimited headroom, but I also use a quality processor for some compression, a seperate signal with an envelope attached attack to simulate just a little sag, and frequency limiting. Does it sound just like a tube amp? Unanswerable, because so many tube amps sound so different. But it sounds great to me- a middle ground between Polytone/Henriksen and the AB763 sound, but also light and dependable.
Don't take the advice of this "internet Expert" that "SS is awful". There are plenty of solid state amps that sound really, really good. Not like a fat, blistering, driven tube amp where all the delicate upper harmonics are accentuated, but a very distinct, musical sound that has it's place. JC120s and those tiny Vox Pathfinders immediately come to mind as GREAT sounding solid state amps. I have both of them as offerings in my commercial studio along with a number of vintage fender, marshall, and supro tube amps. Most of Radiohead's guitars are tracked on one of those "crappy" red knobbed fender 80 watt 1980's amps. Prince played solid states, and Prince SHREDS. Lots and lots of jazz players get beautiful clean sounds out of portable SS rigs. Do SS sound like a cranked Cornford or JTM or a tweed Deluxe? No. But "because SS sounds awful" is a pretty rookie statement. A good player can sound great through any reasonable rig if it's being used in the right application to it's strengths. blah blah ovah, shut up and play yer guitar.
Hey, Barney, don't put words in my mouth. I said the quality was awful. If you have such a "commercial studio," then you're just looking to stir the pot, because I can't think of a single studio I've ever been to (and I've cut at least a dozen albums with various people. Not a huge amount, but I've been in some studios...) has ever had a solid state guitar amp to offer. No sound engineer recommends a solid state amp over a tube amp.
Garage band and a Lexicon interface don't count as a commercial studio, btw.
I don't have a commercial studio, that was someone else. Mine was the post before that.
But there are solid state amps that sound great, but again, it depends on what you're looking to do. As I said, if I were a Texas blues player, I'd probably have a Dr. Z. But as a jazz player, Acoustic Image is what sounds great for me. When I play with my rig, I'm focused on what I'm playing and not my tone, which means my rig is working for me. I'll consider what sound engineers tell me, but I follow my ears, as the artists that inspire me do.
I think what some people are taking exception to, including myself, is how you lump everything into either tube or SS for all situations, when it just doesn't work that way. There's no one kind of paint that works for all styles of painters. John McLaughlin plugs his guitar into a laptop. I'm not crazy about it, but that's what he has found best connects his artistic mind to what he actually hears, which is really what we're all striving to achieve. Maybe one day I'll get another tube amp, but it all depends on where this musical journey takes me.
Equipment is the means to an artistic end. If you're playing your music and feel artistically fulfilled, who cares what gear you're using? If this is going to become a discussion of professionals (where it started with the basics), let's keep our priorities.
My vote: +1 for quality amps, tube or SS, whatever gets you to your sound.
To be quite honest, unless your a professional musician, no one is really going to care what you sound like, so why bother spending $2000 on an amp, when you can have one than sounds good for $300?
That's the worst attitude I've ever heard. There are plenty of awesome tube amps for way less than two grand. And I can't think of a single amp that sounds good for $300.
Good god, so many comments here that leave no room for thought, just sound like stubborn old men...
"How could you possibly conjure an ANALOG signal out of a DIGITAL device"
Even your ears have resolution. Neurons firing is digital. At some point there will always be steps in levels. When a digital signal surpasses the perceivable resolution of an ear, there's your answer.
The fact is, in all the blind AB tests i check out, the listeners fail to distinguish tube from SS or Digital much of the time. Its great if you want to cling to your century old technology for dear life,but the SS bashing makes you sound younger than a "Line 6 Kid".
All that said, I love a good tube amp, but hate the petty snobbery
Also, this discussion seems be more focused on the equipment and less about the sound. A high watt tube amp with a solid state rectifier is going to sound more like a solid state amp than a 22 watt, tube rect amp that you're pushing really hard.
So perhaps the real question is: What do you like better? A compressed tone with sag/bloom or a clean tone with natural attack? Do you want it to stay clean, or mid break-up, or early raunchy break-up? Again, it depends on what you're playing.
Wow, I hate the author of this post. Sooo stupid!!!
peavey vyper transtube amps. modeling amps.. Definitely darn close to the tube amps they model... Any subtle difference is just that subtle... Technology has definitely left some of the tube only people in the rear view mirror. Not even mentioned is how much you [play.. If you run a tube amp on a daily basis you definitely will have to keep in mind the cost of tube replacements. Secondly tube amps dont like to be subjected to daily abuse.. Playing over 40 years Ive seen transistor amps come into there own. and then you always have to watch out what cab you are using mismatching is fatal. my favorite amp of all time was a fender twin reverb..but the vypyr I have now is very close just have to do a bit of tweaking to zero it in.
wow what a load of grumpy old men.....
Lets break this with something to ponder.
My humble opinion is that if I like the sound I don't really care if it's tube, solid state, digital or been modelled. If I like it I like I use it. I judge with my ears, NOT what nostalgia, sales reps or anyone else has to say. I also set my sounds and use my EARS. I don't need to look that the treble is on 3 or 7, or gain is set to 8. That is NOT what gets gigs and makes for a very comfortable living as a guitarist.
Your ears are the MOST important piece of equipment a musician will ever own.
Question: How many guitarists does it change to a futuristic light bulb?
Answer: 10, 1 to change and 9 others to argue about how much better the old light bulbs were.
Good Shredman! I think if you take any technology as a tool for what you're doing you can end this kind of pointless discussion. You can take the tube amp sound and make with it the riff of a song, BUT if you like some tweaked modeled sound to put on the solo... are you wrong just because some old guy on the internet or in a studio told you that it was not right? Personally I think of the different technologies that they're colors in a palette, and yes, solid state and modeling make it wider!
Both of these camps are correct. I play through class a tube amps (Vox Rickenbacker & Valco) for electric guitar for warmth, compression and resposivness. A tube rectifier is the bomb! I use a solid state amp (Trace Eliot & Trace Acoustic) for unplugged acoustic guitar.
It all depends upon the style of music and the type of pickups that are used. Good quality amps generally pay off in the long run. Stay tuned up and not too loud!
johnb0127 3 years ago
VERY NICE MAT