Pre-Amp vs Power Amp Tube and Setup Question

[AG2997]

Hi guys
I wanted to know whether the sound that comes out of a tube amplifier is more influenced by pre amp or power amp tubes? What percentage of the sound is created by the pre-amp and the power amp?

So as an example, If i were to use an AMT SS-20 (pre-amp pedal with 12AX7 tube) with a cheap solid state amplifier, will it sound similar to another amp with a 12AX7 pre-amp tube (eg. Blackstar HT-5R)?

Thanks

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Pre-Amp vs Power Amp Tube and Setup Question

Depends on the amp but all amps are a sum of their parts and more than just tubes. If you go by tube compliment alone there would be no difference between a Marshall Plexi or a JMP or a JCM800 or JCM900. The AMTSS-20 will sound like an AMT SS-20 into a cheap solid state amp. There are no percentages that you can say this percent is preamp this percent is poweramp. Some amps rely heavier on one or the other for their sound but anyone giving a percentage to is just making up numbers.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Pre-Amp vs Power Amp Tube and Setup Question

Power, unless you specifically talk about high gain.

Not only do the power tubes cause more "punch", the output transformer is a piece of junk that can't hold on to the speaker - which sounds better for guitar.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Pre-Amp vs Power Amp Tube and Setup Question

It's hard to put percentages on it but they all matter. Like edge said an amp is the sum of its parts. If I used my Triaxis with my old Crest solid state power amp (I might try this for the hell of it...) it will of course sound VASTLY different than with my 2:90. Even my Triaxi/2:90 sounds quite different than my Triaxis/50/50 even without any of the modes on the 2:90 engaged. (Obviously not as hugely different if I were to go from a non/Mesa brand to Mesa or from tube to solid state or something like that)

I've heard arguments made that the power amp doesn't matter much unless you're getting tube break up, etc., but I beg to differ. I play mostly high gain, with a lot of pre-amp saturation, and come nowhere near the volume to break up my tubes and the power amp makes a big difference, at least to my ears.