Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

[ArtieToo]

In an article on the GuitarNuts website about tube vs solid state, the author talks about using a tube pre-amp to "warm-up the sound":

Solid-state amps have come a long way but are still not quite "there," in my opinion. Some of them do a pretty good job of modeling preamp distortion but they aren't quite over the top modeling the power amp with it's complex interaction between power tube, output transformer, and speaker. Even so, nine out of ten people in the audience at a typical live gig aren't going to know or care whether you are using a good solid-state amp or a tube amp. If you do the weekend warrior thing and either play mostly clean or mostly with very heavy "metal" distortion then your best choice of gear might well be a multi-effects unit with a tube preamp driving a good solid-state amp!

Is he just talking about one of those "tube" pedals, or something better?

What do you all think are some good units for this type of application? That is, "warming-up" the sound of a solid-state amp?

Thanks all.

[Jeff_H]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

Artie -

My take is that he is talking about something like this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/search/detail/base_pid/180410/sourceid=qIasQQxQ6UOoANshGZZZ/befree_site_id=0014360857

It's like taking a tube amplifier, and splitting the pre-amp section and the power amp section into seperate components. It's most often seen in rack systems, like some of the elaborate systems some guitarists in the 80's used.

I know Robert_S uses a Mesa Rack mounted tube amplifier, I just can't remember what type of pre-amp he uses. I am assuming it's a Mesa as well, but I can't recall exactly.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

Thanks Jeff; It occured to me, right after I posted, to go over to MF and look around, and I saw that unit. Man, I could buy a complete tube amp for half what one of those costs.

I shoulda known.

[Jeff_H]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

Yeah...you can find them on the bay a lot cheaper, but I think for most of us the complete tube amp head or combo amp is much more pratical dollar for dollar.

When you get into those rack systems, you can really get some amazing sounds; combinations not possible in a lot of "standard" tube amp configuraitons. The trouble is that it's pretty specalized, and cost's a boat load of money.

I've thought about getting a tube amplifier like a Marshall EL34 50/50 or something like that, and using my Boss GT-6 in front, which is of course a solid state modeling / pre-amp unit. It has some pretty good models that I think could be warmed up nicely by some real tubes. It would be fun to experiment.

[Mincer]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

You are better off getting something like a SS preamp and connecting it to a low wattage tube power amp...preamp tubes don't sound so good when overdriven- you need power amp tubes for that.

[some_dude]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

You are better off getting something like a SS preamp and connecting it to a low wattage tube power amp...preamp tubes don't sound so good when overdriven- you need power amp tubes for that.

That's what I was about to say.

For clean sounds and really metal sounds, what that article says is true (think Marshall AVT), but I think you'd be better off going solid state preamp into a tube power amp, such as a Line 6 Pro into a Mesa 50/50.

[7th Hell]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

I played a Line6 HD147 at GC today- it's good... BUT it's still years away from true tube tone. There was just something FAKE about the way the amp interacted with my playing. I honestly can't see why someone would pay $1250 for a solid state modelling amp when they can get a REAL tube amp for the same ca$h! The tone is just so superior in a tube amp!

[dd12939]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

Robert has a Mesa Triaxis into (i think) a Mesa 2:90 power amp.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tube pre-amps. (Whats good?)

Yeah...you can find them on the bay a lot cheaper, but I think for most of us the complete tube amp head or combo amp is much more pratical dollar for dollar.

When you get into those rack systems, you can really get some amazing sounds; combinations not possible in a lot of "standard" tube amp configuraitons. The trouble is that it's pretty specalized, and cost's a boat load of money.

I've thought about getting a tube amplifier like a Marshall EL34 50/50 or something like that, and using my Boss GT-6 in front, which is of course a solid state modeling / pre-amp unit. It has some pretty good models that I think could be warmed up nicely by some real tubes. It would be fun to experiment.

It is.

I use mine for gigs with a cover band in just that way. I plug my GT-6 into a 100watt 6L6 driven Peavey power amp into a 2x12 Marshall cab with a Jensen and a V30 and can get any tone from that rig at almost any volume. I tried doing the same thing with a SS power amp and while I got good sounds, they weren't really as natural as with the tube section.