Question about tube amps . . .

[GuitarStv]

I know that vacuume tubes give certain distortion charecteristics that everyone loves, and that the clipping from solid state diodes don't really live up to all that . . . but I was just wondering if there is any difference in the clean sound? Like from what I understand, the clean sound from tubes should be exactly the same as the clean sound from s.s. amps. Anyone know for sure?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

the clean tones are different as well...compare the tone of a Fender Twin Reverb to the tone of a Roland Jazz Chorus. Both of these amps are know for their clean tone but both are very different tones. SS is by it's nature much more harsh sounding that tube...even when it's clean. I don't mean it in a bad way, and in truth there are several very good SS amps.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

Is it because tube amps have some slight distortion even at very low levels? Is this the difference that can be heard between them, or is it just the way that the amplifier is laid out? I've always wondered . . .

 

[ankalar]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

The word "warmth" gets thrown around a lot. When I bought my first tube amp, I finally realized what this "warmth" was that everybody talked about.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

Is it because tube amps have some slight distortion even at very low levels? Is this the difference that can be heard between them, or is it just the way that the amplifier is laid out? I've always wondered . . .

There's that and there's the way the amp reacts to transients. When you whack the strings, not only is there often clipping but I think the large banks of capacitors and the output transformer affect the response as well.

IMO, SS & modeling amps are more "off" when it comes to clean tones than with distorted ones.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

It's interesting to me that so many jazz guitarists use solid state amps...especially the Polytone. And they often get a gorgeous clean tone. I'm thinking of guys like Joe Pass, George Bensen and Pat Metheny.

Blues guys can go either way. BB uses a solid state Lab Series amp. Albert King played that big old refrigerator of an Acoustic.
Buddy Guy likes his Fender Cyber Twin. All those are solid state amps.

Seems like it's mostly the rockers who insist on tubes.

Me? I can't play through anything except tubes. To me solid state just feels like there's no breath...no air...no sense of space.

It's not just about overdrive and distortion, although most of us do like just a little bit of distortion even when we're playing clean. Seems to round over the edges of my tone and make it smoother and more pleasant...and more "natural".

When I hear a horn player (sax, trumpet, etc.) there's a certain texture to the tone that sounds a little distorted, yet breathy. That's the quality I do not hear from a solid state amp and the quality I do hear from a nice tube amp.

Tubes sound "imperfect"....more textured and natural like a human voice.

More like Louis Armstrong!

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

It's interesting to me that so many jazz guitarists use solid state amps...especially the Polytone. And they often get a gorgeous clean tone. I'm thinking of guys like Joe Pass, George Bensen and Pat Metheny.

Blues guys can go either way. BB uses a solid state Lab Series amp. Albert King played that big old refrigerator of an Acoustic.
Buddy Guy likes his Fender Cyber Twin. All those are solid state amps.

Seems like it's mostly the rockers who insist on tubes.

Me? I can't play through anything except tubes. To me solid state just feels like there's no breath...no air...no sense of space.

It's not just about overdrive and distortion, although most of us do like just a little bit of distortion even when we're playing clean. Seems to round over the edges of my tone and make it smoother and more pleasant...and more "natural".

When I hear a horn player (sax, trumpet, etc.) there's a certain texture to the tone that sounds a little distorted, yet breathy. That's the quality I do not hear from a solid state amp and the quality I do hear from a nice tube amp.

Tubes sound "imperfect"....more textured and natural like a human voice.

More like Louis Armstrong!

Lew

VERY WELL SAID LEW!!!

 

[RiffRaff]

Re: Question about tube amps . . .

Cleans from tube amps come in a variety of different tones as well, a class A amp with EL84's (think AC30) is going to react differently (different overtones) than a class A/B amp with 6L6's (think twin) - they react differently to attack and pickups. Plus the higher wattage amps like a twin are made to stay clean, getting one to break up comes at very high volumes where as a Vox AC30 is designed to overdrive when the player attacks the strings with more intensity.

what I find really interesting is how many people depend on pedals to obtain their overdriven sounds - they swear they need a tube amp but then plug a SS device in front of it to create distortion, interesting, not saying it's bad - I love my Xotic AC boost pedal.