Solid or tube?

[zanshelby03]

I for one like the controll of solid state amps. I feel you can do more with them. The feeling used to be if you didn't have a tube amp and turn it up to
"11" then you were wasting your time. Given the advancments in recent technology I believe that solid states can give you the same rewarding "ball crushing" satisfaction as the old Tube monsters. Don't get me wrong there is nothing as sweet as the face melting sound of a Mashall cranked to the max. I just prefer to get great tone at any volume. What do you all think?

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Solid or tube?

heres what i think....if you like solid state then go for it.

btw....theres more sounds out there than "cranked" or "bone crushing".

Subtlety....thats what tube amps do well imho. Even totally clean sounds are so much richer.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Solid or tube?

If you're not looking for cranked tube tone, I certainly like tubes better. You can control your dirt with your picking hand. Some hybrid amps do that ok but nothing beats tube amps for mild dirt. Imo.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Solid or tube?

I also like that a ball crushing tube amp can be a ball searing amp with just about any dirt pedal. Then you can turn the ball searing on and off with your volume knob

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[gilaltom3]

Re: Solid or tube?

Tube amps are fantastic at any volume IMO. I've never gotten a solid state to sound good....

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Solid or tube?

I've gotten some decent sounds with solid states but nothing close to what I can get with a good tube amp.

 

[zanshelby03]

Re: Solid or tube?

I guess I shoud get one, I have only ever used solid state. I just like being able to get good dirt at low levels and then get some good soft tone when clean. However I have heard some real great shimmery clean tones from tube amps. I just love finding tone, I can never seem to stop tweaking my knobs (no laughing I'm talking about amps , effects and guitars). My wife asks me why I need more than one guitar or amp or effect, my response as always is they are all different and offer a different aspect to the tonal palet.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Solid or tube?

I guess I shoud get one, I have only ever used solid state. I just like being able to get good dirt at low levels and then get some good soft tone when clean. However I have heard some real great shimmery clean tones from tube amps. I just love finding tone, I can never seem to stop tweaking my knobs (no laughing I'm talking about amps , effects and guitars). My wife asks me why I need more than one guitar or amp or effect, my response as always is they are all different and offer a different aspect to the tonal palet.

Dude, you've never played a tube amp..... :banned:

jk, but you've got to play one man......

 

[trevorus]

Re: Solid or tube?

Reread the first post, then think about the context of never having played a tube amp. When you own one, and use it every day, you become intimately aware of the things that it has that IC's and chips will never have. Not saying there are not some great solid state amps, but for my tone, and the tone a completely overwhelming majority of professional and non-pro musicians alike, tubes are where it's at.

 

[zanshelby03]

Re: Solid or tube?

funny thing is I've never had one to play on. Crazy I know .I own 9 guitars and three amp and have been playing for 22 yrs and actually never used a tube amp. It's a sad statement I know. "Dork" I know!

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Solid or tube?

I've never been happy with the cleans from my solid-state amps. They always seem to have a hardness to them that puts me off, in the way they feel and sound. The tube amps played clean have an elastic quality; they respond to pick attack and "flow" better with your dynamics, especially in the midrange and treble.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Solid or tube?

I had a tube amp for a long time. I have had solid states since then. Today I have one of each.

They all have their pro's/con's.

I do not feel you can't get a great tone out of solid state. That's a bunch of Tube Sheep talking. A lot of the tone/sound/awesome/bonecrunch whatever that you are hearing recorded is probably NOT that and you have no idea.

'Yeah, we ran a MetalZone straight into the board and Juiced it with a Presonus compressor" So much for 'tube' tone.

I think a ton of the tube mojo comes from obsessive compulsive bedroom tone loners.

Don't get me wrong. A couple of the greatest sounds out of my guitars have came from tube amps. But one came from a Marshall VS 100 hybrid, and my Peavey Studio Pro made amazing sounds.

Learn how to play your amp - not how to identify tubes. At the end of the day, I'm a cost/performance ratio guy. Solid state wins this every time. And every year it gets better and better....

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Solid or tube?

my Peavey Studio Pro made amazing sounds..

I always liked Peavey's soild state and got really good sounds with it myself.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Solid or tube?

If you like a processed signal then I think SS will do you just fine.

 

[zanshelby03]

Re: Solid or tube?

aceman.....yes! can anyone say line 6 spider?

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Solid or tube?

Look up 'odd-order harmonic emphasis' versus 'even order harmonic emphasis'.

Ask RavenDouglas, who was just like you .... until he finally succumbed and tried valves. He's never looked back.

And don't just base your ideas and what you hear on overdriven or dirty sounds. Learn about the clean sounds upon which all others are built. If you can't hear the difference, you will be happy with SS. If you can hear the difference, you will wonder why you waited for so long.

Tube technology almost vanished in the 60s and early 70s for most applications (TV, radio, calculators etc). There is a very good reason why it did not disappear in the world of music. You owe it to yourself to find out why, by using those pink flappy things that stick out the sides of your head.

Listen, feel the responsiveness, and enjoy.

 

[formula73]

Re: Solid or tube?

I have a little ss combo in my shop on the ship and I get tones I like out of it. That said, if I had a choice, I'd be running tubes. It gets the job done but I really miss the touch responsiveness of my M1000 at home.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Solid or tube?

I like 'em both. I'll often practice with a SS or hybrid and grab an all-tube one when it comes time to record a little ditty, but not always. I've had good and bad results with guitar tones using both kinds - turns out it's my ears that get messed up during the tracking and mixing process not the amps.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Solid or tube?

I don't mind if someone prefers solid-state amps over tubes. That's far from my own preference, but to each his own.

I do kind of scratch my head over people with opinions about it who've never played a tube amp, though.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Solid or tube?

aceman.....yes! can anyone say line 6 spider?

Let's don't get crazy now....


Seriously, I think it's all about setting the knobs. I haven't played a Spider in a while, but if I spent some time, I bet i could get at least a decent sound out of it.

Don't quote me on that though...

Seriously