Is solid-state dead?

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

This. My Mustang III sounds pretty good. No, I wouldn't want it as my only amp, but it's fun.

Even when I'm in a "tube mood," I have solid-state pedals in front of my "tube" amp. A lot of players do. Pure tubedom is pretty rare.

I had a Mustang II a few years back. The only thing I didn't like about it was the speaker. Other than that, a great amp and LOUD for a solid state. A lot of lower priced, and from what I hear, some higher priced Fenders like the Princeton Reverb, seem to have bad speakers. I still have an Eminence Rajin Cajun that I bought five years ago and never used. I'm thinking of buying a Super Champ X2 and sticking the RC in it.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I played solid state amps for years. Had some pretty good ones, too. Among the best I have used are Yamaha and Roland offerings. They sound just fine as far as amps go. But then I started playing tube amps, and have never looked back.

Even a crappy tube amp has a different kind of touch response than any SS amp I've played. I can set down one note, and I become aware of what my fingers are doing to a much greater degree than I had ever noticed before. I'm a much better player since I made the switch, and I'm not the only one who noticed.

I'm a gear whore, so I'm always trying out new toys. But don't even say "Pod" to me... cheep imitation of The Real Deal.

Someday, modeling technology may advance far enough to become indistinguishable from tubes, but I have yet to experience it. And digital modeling isn't really the same thing as solid state amplification anyway.

Solid state is dead. Long live solid state!

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Don't forget the Electro Harmonix 44 Magnum. No idea if they sound any good but some people seem to like them with an appropriate pedal in front. Also ZT amps, they seem to be aimed more at acoustic players though electric guitarists can get some good sounds out of them as well.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Don't forget the Electro Harmonix 44 Magnum. No idea if they sound any good but some people seem to like them with an appropriate pedal in front. Also ZT amps, they seem to be aimed more at acoustic players though electric guitarists can get some good sounds out of them as well.

The EH 44 magnum and 22 caliber are great with a POD through a cab.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

There's one group that hasn't been heard from: The Low Zone.

Depending on the style of music, bass players have consistently embraced solid-state amps.
For their size, they can pump more power into bigger drivers and cabs.
This is not to ignore the tube amp goodness of an SVT (which I owned for a time), a Sunn or a Marshall Major... but those puppies are boat anchors.

 

[mremic01]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

There's one group that hasn't been heard from: The Low Zone.

Depending on the style of music, bass players have consistently embraced solid-state amps.
For their size, they can pump more power into bigger drivers and cabs.
This is not to ignore the tube amp goodness of an SVT (which I owned for a time), a Sunn or a Marshall Major... but those puppies are boat anchors.

Definitely, the big thing in the bass world right now is super light-weight SS heads and cabs with Neo drivers. For awhile it was hybrids with a pre-amp tube or two, but they seem less prominent now. The SVT with an 810 won't be going away any time soon, but a lot of bassists are downsizing to lighter gear. I got a Markbass LMIII a few years ago and it's great. The Sansamp VT Bass has been getting pretty popular as a way to simulate that Ampeg tones and it does a great job of it.

 

[MrFoster]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I dont think it's dead at all, but regardless: Line 6 will keep making Spider amps which I think work pretty well for solid states

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Definitely, the big thing in the bass world right now is super light-weight SS heads...

One of the things that makes them light is the "Class D" power amp section. I read a description of this "switch-mode" amp, and it seems like it would hard (or expensive) to get it "right", meaning the cheap ones probably don't sound that great. A friend of mine who plays bass tried out an new light weight bass amp and said it just didn't sound right.

The Quilter amps use a class D power amp, but they aren't cheap.

I love my tube amps, but if I ever find an all analog, solid state amp that sounds as good, I'll be all over it. I've tried several over the years, and have come across some good stuff, but none of it ever had "that something" that my tube amps have.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

SS amps have their place. The advantage to them is in Winter months you don't have to fear bringing a tube amp in from the cold and fire it up. The heat of the tubes could cause a problem with the tubes. With SS they are what they are. I know many Jazz players that prefer the convenience of SS. Polytone makes some surprisingly good amps for Jazz. The Acoustic image Claris is also very good for Jazz, but for metal. I don't think so

 

[everdrone]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I hope not! my recordings are all modelers. My bass amps are all solid state/modelers. Not super enthusiastic about solid state but the band RED FANG uses it and sounds passable.

I am looking forward to axefx/kemper improvements! they have fuzz modeling but it is not quite there, not as organic as it could be.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I'm still not talking about modelers. I'm talking about analog, transistor-based distortion. The only mainstream answer I've seen here that nails those criteria is the new Randall RG series.

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Ibanez TSA series? It's a tube amp but the distortion comes from Tube Screamer circuitry built into the preamp.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I went and reread my original post, and I am not sure I was entirely clear. If I was, then you missed the point entirely.

I'm not talking about amps like the Blackstar ID series. They have knobs to switch between different virtual tube types. And I'm not talking about modeling, which is designed to sound like a tube. I'm talking about amps that unapologetically say, "No, there aren't any tubes in here. It's not supposed to sound like that. You gotta problem? Hit the bricks." And the only amps in the past twenty years or so that I can think of off the top of my head are the ones Randall built.

Now, I don't think there are any, at least not in the main stream.

Ok. I get ya. I do know that bass amps are very much ingrained in solid state technology. My bass amp is a solid state, and there's many other bass amps (high end ones even) that are solid state.

 

[everdrone]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I'm still not talking about modelers. I'm talking about analog, transistor-based distortion. The only mainstream answer I've seen here that nails those criteria is the new Randall RG series.

I think a change to the title would be better "Is Analog Transistor-Based DIstortion dead" and then you would get minimal responses . I think I addressed this with my comment about the Red Fang band who uses solid state Sunno heads only. usually threads are about solid state versus tube, and tube always "wins"! haha IMHO :beerchug:

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

To most uniformed/tube biased people..all SS amps are created equally.. heheh

I own a '89 Randal RG 100es and a ART SGX 2000 and love them both. Few now adays realize that the RG, when it came out was ~$850.. a new tube amp from marshal cost right around 1200 or so..( have a few gear buyer mags from that era) .. LOL...

This was no cheap SS amp and one of the few SS amps that could hold its own against tube amps

in saying all of the above.. Most of bedroom practicing is done with Guitar Rig 4,PC, and headphones.. Randalls much like their tube counterpart have to be cranked a bit to get a good sound

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Price has nothing to do with it. Talk about uninformed/biased...

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Price has nothing to do with it. .

Price has everthing to do with everything. The one huge fallacy /myth going on every guitar forum I have EVER been to is that you can somehow get somethign really cheap thats as good as something really expensive. There is NO free lunch. IMO. Solid state amps are cheap. Tube amps are expensive. Expensive stuff is expensive cause its built better and sounds better. Of course Im mean guitar amp heads. Noone will ever make a expensive solid State amp head, becasue it defeats the whole purpose of tone.

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

perhaps.. much like your statement about me it seems LOL .. Im not some 18 or 20 year old that bought a used RG for ~$250-$350 on Ebay.. original owner BTW

how am I biased though.. I have owned 2 tube heads.. A Ampeg V-4 and a Laney 100 watt.. Both where decent.. the ampeg was far superior in clean power to the laney.. compared to the randal.. the ampegs clean was also better

AND back when these amps came out, you could not jump on a forum like this and get options on what to buy.. Nope.... read some good things about the RG in guitar mags,A friend had an RG 80 and I liked it, and a guitar hero of mine endorsed them.. 1st and only time I bought something because of an endorsement.. Vivian Cambell of DIO

in any case the RG is still regarded as one of the best SS amps ever made.. very loud and has the best distortion of any SS amp I have ever played through.. And reliable.. Only been in the shop once since 1990

AND price does have something to do with it.. When people say SS amp.. 1st thing they think of is a $150 practice amp.. seriously..

The RG was a flagship model when it was released.. comparable to the tube amps that where produced at that time

any amp can sound bad.. whether it is SS or tube.. + one must take into account the other things in the signal path that can adversely effect the amp.. Speakers/cabinet.. those more than anything can make a quality amp sound bad,good, or godlike.. Pickups.. OHH YEA... sh*tty pickups and you can have the best amp in the world and it will sound mediocre at best.. Had a SD designed by Humbucker in my jackson.. sounded god awful.. Had a Gibson T-Top that was sitting in a box for 10+ years.. Guitar kicks all kinds of ass..Same amp but the pickups totally changed the sound of the amp.. 1 sucked.. the other was heavenly

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

Price has everthing to do with everything. The one huge fallacy /myth going on every guitar forum I have EVER been to is that you can somehow get somethign really cheap thats as good as something really expensive. There is NO free lunch. IMO. Solid state amps are cheap. Tube amps are expensive. Expensive stuff is expensive cause its built better and sounds better. Of course Im mean guitar amp heads. Noone will ever make a expensive solid State amp head, becasue it defeats the whole purpose of tone.

uhh NO.. that rule might apply to the stuff released now adays but that wasnt always the case.. there can be expensive SS amps and one can tell the difference between the cheap stuff!!..

You can get tube amps made in china now adays that might be OK but they wont cost much..EVEN the so called american/british companies probably outsource their work to asia.. these companies still charge alot and hide the country of origin in mounds of paperwork.. doesnt have to cost less to be cheap.. sometimes an item cost alot and is still cheap

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Is solid-state dead?

I think the real question is, was it ever alive? Sticking w/ the kind of solid state stuff you're talking about, most people were driven away from it because of how dead and lifeless it sounded. Let's be realistic here. There were few people that made those amps sound good and they had 6 miles of cable and 58 things between the guitar and amp. Not to mention the 2 people I'm thinking of were high gain players. When you tune that low and add on that much gain tone isn't so much the issue as is how well the amp held the gain structure together. The old solid state stuff excelled at that, hence why Dimebag preferred solid state heads over tube heads. It served it's purpose and still has a relatively good purpose for beginners even though decent quality tube amps are dropping in price all the time. I would have forgone one of my testicles as a teenager to have something like a Jet City 20 watt tube head.

Modelers are a different story completely.