Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Low_fidelity2100

Low_fidelity2100

New member
Seriously? am I the only the one?

I buy amps based on the clean sounds. I almost always end up useing a big muff, or ds-1 anyways. I just don't like tube distortion. Preamp distortion sounds fizzy and lame, and power amp distortion normally sounds flabby and like mushy crap to me.

I know someone will tell me why My opinion is wrong. haha. But still, am I the only one that buys tube amps for the clean sound? and doesn't care about the dirty sound?
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Man, everybody goes on about tubes, and how anything solid state is evil, and then go on to rave about the tones of guys like SRV, Eric Johnson, Clapton, Beck, Billy Gibbons, etc... (ie, all guys who get their dirt from a box).

I don't dislike tubes by any means, but I have a much easier & quicker time getting a tone I'm happy with from a pedal than an amp.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

I don't really like power tube distortion, actually. It's too loose and raunchy for me. I prefer the nice tight saturation from preamp tubes.

That said, I won't play anything but tube amps for my actual rig.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Tube dist and then there is tubedist...and using a tube amp as foundation and then use ss for dirt...well what is still amplifiyng the sound?
Guitarplayers do more complaining than playing, or haggle too much over sounds they expect to hear;)
There are no rules...play:D
Use what ever fits the bill for you!
That be a 200 plus Hiwatt or a JMP-1 preamp at home directly into a soundcard, both can get the job done!
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

I love the sound of poweramp distortion. There's nothing like hearing 100 watts of tubes doing their job, at volumes that make your drummer tell you to "turn it down."
Some guys would swear by Solid State just as quickly as some would swear by Tubes.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

The answer to your original question is an emphatic YES!!! There is something wrong with you:scratchch
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

I guess I am torn between the two. I get some of my favorite tones from running my Boss ME-50 (mainly the Tubescreamer, Fulltone, and Rat settings) into my clean tube Carvin X-60A. But then, the Roland Blues Cube's amp distortion makes me cream my pants! When I tried the Crate V-Series amps, I fell in love with that amp distortion (probably even better with a pedal ramming the front :) ) too!

So I am going to say I enjoy whatever sounds good. There are tube amp distortions I love, there are tube amp distortions I hate. The same can be said about SS amps. There is a cliche that comes to mind...oh yeah: there is no black and white...in the world of amps! ;)
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

I'm wondering if the dislike of tube distortion is due to listening to bad examples of tube distortion or a simple "going against the grain" mentality.

Power tube distortion is anything but flabby to me. Of course, if overdone it can be flabby. Same as when I eat twinkies and my ass gets bigger. Listen to a good dialed in tube amp with a moderate amount of power tube distortion dialed with a transistorized dirt box running into the front end. The sound is very tight (not loose in the slightest) and very articulate. There are plenty of amps out there that don't sound flabby and don't have one transister in the amp. Running a dirt box in the front of a tube amp doesn't mean you're getting all your distortion from the dirt box. Pre tube distortion can sound fizzy if done wrong, but again it's a matter of taste and good equipment.

Name some bands you like the guitar sound of.
 
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Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Gr8Scott said:
Running a dirt box in the front of a tube amp doesn't mean you're getting all your distortion from the dirt box.
Click to expand...
Yeah, i know. My point was that everybody (not just people on here) who are huge tube snobs are quick to forget a vital element of most legendary tones is a solid state pedal (or several).
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

That's a true and valid point. Tube tone purist types deprive themselves of some seriously righteous tones this way and I'm all for them to remain this way.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

I prefer getting distortion from my amp, I think I get more control over my tone this way and it is more unique. By using a pedal I think you get more of general tone of distortion that anyone can get using the same pedal. To me ss amp distortion sounds thin/fizzy to me. When I use my tube amp I can get thick types of distortion when compared to a pedal or ss amp.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Gr8Scott said:
I'm wondering if the dislike of tube distortion is due to listening to bad examples of tube distortion or a simple "going against the grain" mentality.

Power tube distortion is anything but flabby to me. Of course, if overdone it can be flabby. Same as when I eat twinkies and my ass gets bigger. Listen to a good dialed in tube amp with a moderate amount of power tube distortion dialed with a transistorized dirt box running into the front end. The sound is very tight (not loose in the slightest) and very articulate. There are plenty of amps out there that don't sound flabby and don't have one transister in the amp. Running a dirt box in the front of a tube amp doesn't mean you're getting all your distortion from the dirt box. Pre tube distortion can sound fizzy if done wrong, but again it's a matter of taste and good equipment.

Name some bands you like the guitar sound of.
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with a "going against the grain" mentality. its just ever Tube amp I've ever owned, the first few weeks I have it I try really hard to like its dirty sounds, But I always end up just goin back to useing a distortion pedal of some sort.
Its the same with any amp I've ever used. I'm not sayin its wrong ta like tube dist, I just personally don't really. I mean, Sometiems its alright, But its just not the sound I'm after.
And I know your right, that running a pedal infront of an amp, I'm still getting Some distortion from the tubes. But without the pedal, I don't like the dirty sound of a tube amp on its own. But Considering how pretty much everyone seems to Use some sorta distortion infront of they're amps, I'm obviously not the only one that feels that way.

Some bands I like the sound of...Smashing pumpkins, Nirvana, The stones, Cream, Kill hannah, Motley Crue (first two albums mainly), The cure...But Just cause I like they're sounds doesn't mean I wanna sound like them. So I don't really see what relivance that has.
I'm not trying to say anyones wrong or anything, Not really even looking to hear anyones opinion (cause honestly I don't care what anyone things when it comes to my personal preferance). I was just tryin ta see weather anyone else Bought amps based solely on how they sound Clean.

Haha, its funny how if a guitarist says he doesn't like tubes, Everyone thinks theres sumthing wrong with him. People act all concerned, and try to Talk you out of your own opinion. Its funny.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

im almost with you. right now, i like some of the pedals ive played better than most of the tube amps ive played. the only amps right now that ive played through and liked the distortion of are the dual rectifier and the fender pro reverb. and i think the distortion on both of them i heard was preamp. other than that, im all for distortion pedals for distortion. for cleans, i dont think any come close to being as nice as a fender twin or some other one like that.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Low_fidelity2100 said:
its just ever Tube amp I've ever owned, the first few weeks I have it I try really hard to like its dirty sounds, But I always end up just goin back to useing a distortion pedal of some sort.
Click to expand...

1 thing that helps open up the sound of a valve/tube amp is to play it at semi high volume!

At lower volumes all you're hearing is the pre-amp being overdriven, which usually results in a fizzy sounding distortion.

If/when you can crank the amp up, you can usually lower the gain level and the amp will work the power valves more (which usually thickens the sound up) and imo seems to smooth out the tone.

This is what I've found to happen, but I guess it depends on each individual amp :)

I currently get my Overdriven tones by setting my Orange to a 'slight breakup'
tone and then using various OD pedals to kick it up to as much gain as I need.

I'm not a high gain player myself, so this method may not work for you. But it works just fine for me :)

Craig
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

Well some amps have that great tight 'distortion box' sound of their own they are called modern high gain amps and are pretty expensive.

The other day I was checking out some bands and a guitarist was using a Kock Powertone amp to get the most incredible distortion I've heard. So I went to the front of the stage to see what pedal he was using but all he had was the amp footswitch. Amazing, he was getting the kinda of distortion you would normally get with an od pushing the gain channel.
Bogner Ubershall's and mesa rectifiers are great for that too.
 
Re: Am I the only one that doesn't like tube distortion?

see signature.



:chairfall :chairfall :laugh2: :laugh2:

-Mike
 
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