"pushing " a solid state

huck_finn

New member
alot of poeple like to crank tubes, and I understand that but does the same go for a solid state?

thank you for your time
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

not really. it tends to get a little ratty when you crank a solid state amp up too far
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

I know that when I picked up a Digitech Bad Monkey it "simulated" pushing the tubes in my solid-state. I dunno if it was supposed to do that, but the amp got more articulation, more front end, and a helluva of a good tone. Anyway, I'm not sure if that's the same as "pushing" a tube amp but it certainly took on the characteristics of a pushed tube amp.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

Pushing a solid state power amp is way way different. When power tubes are pushed, they clip in a manner that is pleasant sounding. When solid state power chips are pushed, they clip in a much different way to the point that it sounds blatty and nasty. Not pleasant at all.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

I've had a few SS amps I'd like to push...

off a cliff.....


:D


Erik is spot on....square clipping...odd/even harmonics and all that....
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

I find solid-state amps tend to have a sweet spot which differs from amp to amp. I dont think you want to push the amp but the speaker needs some power to make it work right.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

JeffB

I've had a few SS amps I'd like to push...

off a cliff.....


Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude that was too much!!

thanks for a good laugh
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

JeffB said:
I've had a few SS amps I'd like to push...

off a cliff.....


:D


Erik is spot on....square clipping...odd/even harmonics and all that....

I've finally found a sig! That gave me a good laugh.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

ErikH said:
Pushing a solid state power amp is way way different. When power tubes are pushed, they clip in a manner that is pleasant sounding. When solid state power chips are pushed, they clip in a much different way to the point that it sounds blatty and nasty. Not pleasant at all.
As a bonus, the hard clipping in SS power sections can do nasty things to speakers.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

john5959 said:
I find solid-state amps tend to have a sweet spot which differs from amp to amp. I dont think you want to push the amp but the speaker needs some power to make it work right.

A huge +1 on that fact!!! I just picked up a transistor driven Randall today. It totally douched the more expensive Randall tube combo that was on display for around hundreds more, FOR METAL CRUNCH! The solid-state Randall is nice and super-crunchy for my home/friends. There was no tube amp I could buy, used or new that has this amps sound at its intended volume, for its intended purpose. Tubes can sound so sweet, but I was not looking for sweet.

The Boss MT-2 Metal Zone may be the answer to boost an amp you already have. I was using it on the clean channel of my crappy 2x10 Crate POS* for a while. The tonal range is far greater than 95% of guitar players know. IF YOU WANT TO TEST DRIVE A METAL ZONE IN THE GUITAR STORE, INSIST ON SEEING THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL! Sorry for the caps. In it you will find suggested tones...and the easiest to like is the "Heavy Metal" setting on the "Sample Settings" page. I also like the "Overdrive" setting. It may be no coincidence that these two settings are featured first and second.

>>>Lots of people sh8t all over the Metal Zone pedal. I think this is largely because it is not the easiest pedal to figure out without a little guidance from the user's manual. Also, the MIDDLE/MID FREQ dual control is a powerful set of controls as well as the LOW.

I hope this helps. Let your ears decide!

edit: *buy the way, the POS is not a real CRATE model...I meant to say that my little Crate is a piece of human excrement! Your guitar has to have least better than decent pickups with any distortion pedal, or it will squeel like a pig at any volume.
 
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Re: "pushing " a solid state

In general, pushing a solid state power amp will give you bad sounding clipping. The exceptions I have heard are old solid state Sunns and Acoustics (the blue and silver and white ones...Acoustic Sound Research Corp maybe?), which give a fat low fi old school fuzz tone when pushed. It is useful for things like sludgy riff rock or the Melvins, but not so useful for other things.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

One thing that you may find, huck, is that they do sound better when they're cranked up a little bit. It's not because they're being pushed, per se, it's because of the interaction between the guitar and the amp caused by the increased volume.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

john5959 said:
I find solid-state amps tend to have a sweet spot which differs from amp to amp. I dont think you want to push the amp but the speaker needs some power to make it work right.
WORD.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

HamerPlyr said:
One thing that you may find, huck, is that they do sound better when they're cranked up a little bit. It's not because they're being pushed, per se, it's because of the interaction between the guitar and the amp caused by the increased volume.

And because every amp seems to be more dynamic to the human ear when turned up.
 
Re: "pushing " a solid state

JeffB said:
I've had a few SS amps I'd like to push...

off a cliff.....


:D


Erik is spot on....square clipping...odd/even harmonics and all that....

Hey Jeff......Please spare it buddy! Most of the tone is in a guy's hands! :rolleyes: :laugh2:

As an avid user of both tube and SS stuff,the gap is narrowing! Plus let's be specific on what SS amp we're talking about here?
 
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