Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for tone?

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It seems like everyone likes tube amps when it comes to guitars. but for bass amps, people just use solid state, but then rave over the tone???!?!?!
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

with bass amps it's different. First of all, to get the kind of wattage necessary, it takes a lot of tubes! (e.g.: Mesa/Boogie 400+, Fender PS-400, Ampeg SVT Classic).

Second of all, when it comes to bass, you don't always want the sag associated with tube amplifiers (particularly those that has tube rectifiers). You want your sound to be there, on time, everytime. As the true time keeper of the band, the bass player has to know that his sound will come out at precisely the time he plays the notes.

Also with all the rattling a bass cab does, it could rattle the hell out of some tubes in a head sitting on top of it.

To make a long story short, solid state rules in the bass world, with the exception of maybe a tube in the preamp.

Most bass players go direct anyway, so the amp is nothing but a stage monitor to begin with.
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

The question is not correct.

The difference isn't due to a bass vs. guitar thing.

The difference is between a choice of tone vs. image.
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

thanks! I think I get it, that ^^^^^^^ helps!
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

I think part of it as mentioned is that you would need a lot of tubes to give the wattage necessary to efficiently amplify a bass. Also that the coloration that tubes give would make the bass signal less distinct from the guitar signal. Although I don't think a tube preamp stage would be all that bad for tone shaping in a bass amp.
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

Anyone looked into the new 200W all-valve ORANGE Thunderverb heads ???


They are a 2-in-1 guitar/bass head !


WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THOSE MONSTERS !!!
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

I need to switch to bass....
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

Anyone looked into the new 200W all-valve ORANGE Thunderverb heads ???


They are a 2-in-1 guitar/bass head !


WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THOSE MONSTERS !!!

same

I saw em and figure there is potential
 
Re: Bass amps: how come most dont care if they are solid state instead of tube for to

Not just that - but many modern bassists don't want any kind of overdrive. They want pure clean sound - and what's the purest clean sound you can get (no accidentally overdriving the tubes?) - solid state.
 
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