Does everyone arrive at tube amps, eventually?

[misterwhizzy]

Can someone post a video that gives a good example of what they mean by "fizzy"? I see this term written over and over, but I can't think of a tone I think would be accurately described by the word.

[Demanic]

I use the term "sizzle", but then, I like it.

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[Top-L]

The progression: Solid state (cheap) -> tube amps -> modelers -> whatever works

Love tube amps, but if you are recording, the sound you hear in room very different than what is recorded. The cabinet has a larger effect on the sound IME, certainly the recorded sound. Having lots of physical cabs not feasible.

I spent a long time learning how to dual mic a cabinet, then mix the mics, eq the sound, etc etc. Then you have to add effects. And if you are recording demos or doing creative stuff, having to deal with all the extra engineering stuff cuts into creativity, and its difficult to get many different kinds of tones.

Modelers will tell you exactly how it sounds recorded, and played through studio monitors or PA, pretty true to what is recorded. All the creative tweaks you do, effects chains, etc, are all saved in the modeler and can be reproduced. That said, all I do anymore is play over backing tracks or noodle.

My understanding is that now there are inexpensive solid state amps / modelers that can keep up with a drummer. That didn't used to be the case 20 years ago. So I say, use whatever works.

[Securb]

Solid state (cheap)

[Top-L]

This was how I started. With a cheap solid state amp.

IDK why the face palm.

[alex1fly]

The progression: Solid state (cheap) -> tube amps -> modelers -> whatever works

Sounds about right. Using a tube amp is kind of a right of passage for guitarists. But that doesn't mean you have to use them forever and many don't due to the issues that come along with tube amps.

[donaldr]

i play with a guy who uses a mustang or a katana and he seems to be the loudest on stage but when you hear recordings of our gigs, they dont cut through as well as the other (tube) amps. they do sound good when ive messed around with them at his house. he even had his katana reboxed into a big tweed cab so it doesnt look like hes using what it really is. the bigger box did open up the sound some too.

Funny I did the same with my Katana 50w into a closed 1x12" cab with Eminence GB12 speaker. Now I like it. Good and cheap grab & go amp.

[Securb]

This was how I started. With a cheap solid state amp.

IDK why the face palm.

Sorry man didn't get that you were talking about your experience,. I thought you were calling all SS amps cheap. Solid-state amps are not exclusively cheap. Quilter, Roland, and other SS amps can be pricy.

[AdrianSD]

Can someone post a video that gives a good example of what they mean by "fizzy"? I see this term written over and over, but I can't think of a tone I think would be accurately described by the word.

For me it means that very brittle high end coming as a byproduct of cranking the gain up. I like distortion (quite a lot actually) and between using pedals into a clean SS amp and a boosted tube Marshall I chose to stick with the latter. It's just easier to dial in the tone I like. With SS amps it's much harder to dial in the right amount of gain without it having it sounding like a tin can full of wasps. It's like when connecting a 1W subpar speaker to a 100W hi-fi amp and have it maxed out, you get that annoying distorted sound.
If that makes sense.

[Demanic]

This was how I started. With a cheap solid state amp.

IDK why the face palm.

Probably has something to do with the fact that not all solid state amps are "cheap" or more to the point cheap sounding.

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[Top-L]

Sounds about right. Using a tube amp is kind of a right of passage for guitarists. But that doesn't mean you have to use them forever and many don't due to the issues that come along with tube amps.

Thats true. It was a "rite of passage".

And here we are in 2021 and I see tube amps for what they are. Just one possible way.

[Securb]

Probably has something to do with the fact that not all solid state amps are "cheap" or more to the point cheap sounding.

Don't know how many times I have mentioned it but Judas Priest use 20 - 50 watt solid state Marshalls in the studio. Just because an amp is inexpensive does not mean that it will sound bad. Especially these days

[AdrianSD]

Don't know how many times I have mentioned it but Judas Priest use 20 - 50 watt solid state Marshalls in the studio. Just because an amp is inexpensive does not mean that it will sound bad. Especially these days

Yeah, I could get some pretty crazy high gain tones using both Boss Metal Zone and the hated MXR Fullbore metal after I started to connect them into the effects return loop of Vox AV60 and Roland JC (think 40?). But it took me a lot of time to get the tone I liked out of them. Compared to that, getting all gain I need from a tube amp *I like* and using an overdrive to boost it with an EQ in the loop is where it's at for me. It's really simple and covers almost everything. I don't even use any modulation effects, except for the pi$s poor reverb of the DSL

[Demanic]

So, the Full Bore Metal is hated too? That's good to know. I happen to like it, as well as the Metalzone, especially the gate feature.

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[Phantasmagoria]

I started out in the early 90's with a 20W POS solid state amp and then a friend went abroad and left me with his JTM 45 for a couple of year's. Now, playing that, I did'nt get what the fuss was about tube amps ...always thought that thing was weak, kinda buzzy & lacked gain (this was still the early 90's & I was into thrash & death metal), was'nt happy until I put a DOD death metal pedal in front of it What a difference...that sound was IT for me! Anyway after losing the Marshall I bought a used H&K Switchblade (jumped on it 'cause it's what Lars from Candlemass was using/endorsing at the time) still thought I needed a "tube amp" (with a dod death/metalzone in front) to sound good/get my sound . I think I got some of my ****tiest tones ever out of that thing. Cold, harsh, thin, sterile, buzzy...you name it

Looking back it must have had something wrong with it ....a busted tranny or cold solder joint or something. At the time there were NO tech's I could take it to here, so I sold it " as is" for next to nothing. Since then I've had both tube and SS amps...none of them expensive or high end (Bugera 333XL, AMT Stonehead, Randall T2, A pair of Laboga the beast 30 watter's, Chinese 15W monster I bought for $150 & a few others..) but I got them 'cause they all sounded awesome (to me) and not based on whether they ran tubes or not. Never had the slightest problem with any of them. They all run like butter, are all equally fun to play & sound killer..

I'd been avoiding modelers for years because they always sounded wrong/plasticy/synthetic to me, but now that I have a couple, I think they can be made to work just fine, sound (and in some cases, even 'feel') awesome & are actually the best/easiest/quickest to work with for recording..

So yeah, point being it's like different flavors of ice cream (tube/SS/modeler), they all taste great & they all have their place. I enjoy the differences between them & it beats sticking to just the one thing (tubes). Variety ..that's what it's about.