SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

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Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

I'd love to afford a good tube amp for my electrics (I drool over a good Mesa Boogie). I will never play live and looking for a close sound at low volumes. I would also like to sometimes plug in my Maton Messiah but cannot justify a dedicated acoustic amp.

Yes, my blues is everything from Robert Johnson to SRV. Hence looking for flexibility at a cost which the DW won't beat me to death over.... I only just "discovered" the Amplifi models and was after some informed opinions. Even opinions about the difference in sound at lower volume levels between the 150 with the 12" driver v the 75 with the 8" driver.

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Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

If you're never going to play live then the only person you have to please is yourself. If you can, go try them out and see if you can get a tone you are satisfied with out of them. I usually prefer 12" speakers when playing with a band but for bedroom jams even headphones are an awesome option.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
IMO tube amps are especially great for playing blues. Not sure how you can get the bluesy breakup out of a Line 6
Click to expand...

BB King played solid state as did a lot of the blues men. Cheap, dependable and clean.

Lab%20series%20L5.jpg
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

I have heard Bandits and Renowns play blues down here alot

the Renown is notoriously heavy for a SS

I heard this one guy with a Squire and two Peavey Rage amps
set up in metal folding chairs kill the blues one night

the blues isn't in the gear
not at all
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

Securb said:
BB King played solid state as did a lot of the blues men. Cheap, dependable and clean.

Lab%20series%20L5.jpg
Click to expand...

This is true although it did not happen until the mid to late 70's and on. Before that he was playing a Fender Twin. You can hear the tone difference too. I prefer his older recordings myself but it's B.B. His blues tone was a bit more clean and jazzy compared to heavy blues players like the Allman Brothers, Hendrix, Page and so on.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
No need, I play on tube amps. I have no desire to see what something else can do. I have never heard a good live blues show come from a solid state amp and I have never gotten a good blues tone out of a solid state amp. Tubes offer the breakup point blues players look for. I have never met a pure blues player who does not use a tube amp. For the bedroom, I'm sure it's fine to go with a SS but for live blues... I just don't see it happening.
Click to expand...

Lot's of blues/blues rock players have used/played SS amps live..Albert King, Robbie Krieger, Billy Gibbons, BB King, John Fogerty..lol ..Santana used one at Woodstock. Dudes like Like Neil Schon, Ty Tabor & John Mclaughlin have as well..

It's a myth that you can't get great edge-of-breakup/bluesy tones from SS. The Stonehead I just bought does a great job with that stuff as well & that Quilter someone posted a video of up there sounded really sweet too..
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

It may well be that numerous others have gotten great blues tones from SS amps, but I'm not one of those other players. I'm me, and I need a little more help than those guys do.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

Frank Zappa was a solid state guy until he got the Carvin endorsement.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
No need, I play on tube amps. I have no desire to see what something else can do. I have never heard a good live blues show come from a solid state amp and I have never gotten a good blues tone out of a solid state amp. Tubes offer the breakup point blues players look for. I have never met a pure blues player who does not use a tube amp. For the bedroom, I'm sure it's fine to go with a SS but for live blues... I just don't see it happening.
Click to expand...

I can understand "if it isn't broken don't fix it," but this is a case of a confirmation bias if I've ever seen one. You don't want to try any solid state amps, but you won't hesitate to call them inferior to tubes for blues. There's already plenty of electric blues legends listed in this thread who used solid state amps extensively.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

Myaccount876 said:
I can understand "if it isn't broken don't fix it," but this is a case of a confirmation bias if I've ever seen one. You don't want to try any solid state amps, but you won't hesitate to call them inferior to tubes for blues. There's already plenty of electric blues legends listed in this thread who used solid state amps extensively.
Click to expand...

I have used plenty of solid state amps before I moved to tube amps over 10 years ago now. Even my favorite SS amps (Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Princeton) were lacking a bit. The Fender had great cleans but no grit and the Marshall... granted a hybrid, had terrible cleans and too thin of grit.

Sure there have been a handful of players listed in this thread but that list is still an ant in comparison to the same list that could be made from great tube amp players.

Jimi Hendrix, Page, David Gilmour, Adam Jones, Mick Jones (Clash), Duane Allman, Brad Paisley, Tom Morello, EVH, Billy Duffy, Steve Stevens, Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Robby Krieger, Chuck Berry, Catfish Collins, etc.

Surely you get my point by now as this list has barely scratched the surface.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
I have used plenty of solid state amps before I moved to tube amps over 10 years ago now. Even my favorite SS amps (Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Princeton) were lacking a bit. The Fender had great cleans but no grit and the Marshall... granted a hybrid, had terrible cleans and too thin of grit.

Sure there have been a handful of players listed in this thread but that list is still an ant in comparison to the same list that could be made from great tube amp players.

Jimi Hendrix, Page, David Gilmour, Adam Jones, Mick Jones (Clash), Duane Allman, Brad Paisley, Tom Morello, EVH, Billy Duffy, Steve Stevens, Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Robby Krieger, Chuck Berry, Catfish Collins, etc.

Surely you get my point by now as this list has barely scratched the surface.
Click to expand...

I don't get your point. There are famous players that used SS and famous players that used tube, thereby immediately disqualifying a blanket statement that blues cannot be done with SS if you want to play live or make it as a blues player. It doesn't matter if its 1/2 and 1/2, or 3/4 to 1/4, or even 7/8 to 1/8 ratio of tube to SS.

Ten years is a long time to stay away from how tech has evolved on equipment and its fine if you want to use tube until you die, but really kind of kills it for your opinions on how Blues can't be done with SS well. Particularly when those famous listed here that used SS did it before any of the last decade's improvements in SS.
 
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Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
I have used plenty of solid state amps before I moved to tube amps over 10 years ago now. Even my favorite SS amps (Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Princeton) were lacking a bit. The Fender had great cleans but no grit and the Marshall... granted a hybrid, had terrible cleans and too thin of grit.
Click to expand...

You poor man.

Lets pitch together as a forum and buy this poor, toneless soul an AxeFX.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
I have used plenty of solid state amps before I moved to tube amps over 10 years ago now. Even my favorite SS amps (Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Princeton) were lacking a bit. The Fender had great cleans but no grit and the Marshall... granted a hybrid, had terrible cleans and too thin of grit.

Sure there have been a handful of players listed in this thread but that list is still an ant in comparison to the same list that could be made from great tube amp players.

Jimi Hendrix, Page, David Gilmour, Adam Jones, Mick Jones (Clash), Duane Allman, Brad Paisley, Tom Morello, EVH, Billy Duffy, Steve Stevens, Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Robby Krieger, Chuck Berry, Catfish Collins, etc.

Surely you get my point by now as this list has barely scratched the surface.
Click to expand...

So because the list of legendary artists who use a type of technology that was much more common/popular in their prime era is longer than the list of legendary artists who used a technology that is still relatively new and constantly being refined invalidates the fact the the newer technology worked for other legendary artists? May I emphasize the *legendary* when I say "legendary artists" for both the tube side and solid state side? The "legendary" is what makes their fewer numbers irrelevant. One technology is not objectively superior to the other.

Honestly, I think it's user error when people just say "X gear sucks".
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS SUCK!... ;)

SnakeAces said:
I have used plenty of solid state amps before I moved to tube amps over 10 years ago now. Even my favorite SS amps (Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Princeton) were lacking a bit. The Fender had great cleans but no grit and the Marshall... granted a hybrid, had terrible cleans and too thin of grit.

Sure there have been a handful of players listed in this thread but that list is still an ant in comparison to the same list that could be made from great tube amp players.

Jimi Hendrix, Page, David Gilmour, Adam Jones, Mick Jones (Clash), Duane Allman, Brad Paisley, Tom Morello, EVH, Billy Duffy, Steve Stevens, Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Robby Krieger, Chuck Berry, Catfish Collins, etc.

Surely you get my point by now as this list has barely scratched the surface.
Click to expand...

Surely you get my point by now as this list has barely scratched the surface.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, well the answer is simple. Firstly, In some cases, thanks to the era, that was all that was available to them...and secondly, Guitar players (even legendary ones) are'nt always the most adventurous lot...ie If one guy is playing a Fender for his blues tone chances are so will the next guy. Not saying those amps don't sound great, but the players I mentioned don't really have cash constraints and play what they do (sounding insanely good all the while) just 'cause they like/prefer them....don't think they're 'struggling to overcome the shortcomings of SS' either (I doubt they're masochists/martyrs lol) ..if tone (or anything else) was lacking they'd just use tube gear.
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

So. Appreciate the ss v tube discussion. Any feedback on the Line 6 Amplifi range?

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Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

GourmetSaint said:
So. Appreciate the ss v tube discussion. Any feedback on the Line 6 Amplifi range?
Click to expand...


I haven't played one, but they seem pretty pricey so either they're really good... Or really overpriced...
 
Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Compared to a decent tube amp they seem reasonably priced.

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Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

Re: SOLID STATE AMPS (DO NOT) SUCK!... ;)

GourmetSaint said:
So. Appreciate the ss v tube discussion. Any feedback on the Line 6 Amplifi range?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Wanted to like 'em. Sure liked the looks! In fact, it was my curiosity that got my dealer to order some for the sales floor. But the sound to my ears was typical "hi-fi", sterile Line 6. I've got their M9 multi-fx pedal that I run through the loop of my Splawn QR and love it. I've also been on the verge of ordering one of the G wireless systems for a while now (and have heard great things about it). But when it comes to Line 6 amps... I've never heard/played a single one that I could stand, including the first Bogner collaboration. Though I haven't tried the DT Bogner collab yet.
 
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