Solid State appreciation thread
- Thread starter Gamera
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baritone
Well-known member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
Most of the solid state amps we are experienced with are the tiny practice amps we purchased as beginners. A well-made high-output solid state amp like one of the bigger Marshall MG-series is actually a great amp. The level of satisfaction just depends on whether you are actually looking for a tube sound or a solid state sound (even if it says "tube emulation"). I still have 3 smaller solid state amps, and they are capable of some awesome tones, but they don't get too loud because of their designs, and they respond differently from my tube amps. They're different, but they are expected to be.
Most of the solid state amps we are experienced with are the tiny practice amps we purchased as beginners. A well-made high-output solid state amp like one of the bigger Marshall MG-series is actually a great amp. The level of satisfaction just depends on whether you are actually looking for a tube sound or a solid state sound (even if it says "tube emulation"). I still have 3 smaller solid state amps, and they are capable of some awesome tones, but they don't get too loud because of their designs, and they respond differently from my tube amps. They're different, but they are expected to be.
i love everyone
New member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
in my experience, solid state amps are just as useable as a tube amp if you want really really clean or really really distorted, but generally don't work for all the crunch and growl in between.
also, when was the last time you saw a 1600-watt tube bass amp? solid state wins for ridiculous amounts of power, even though it's not really a worthwhile victory.
in my experience, solid state amps are just as useable as a tube amp if you want really really clean or really really distorted, but generally don't work for all the crunch and growl in between.
also, when was the last time you saw a 1600-watt tube bass amp? solid state wins for ridiculous amounts of power, even though it's not really a worthwhile victory.
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
metlking
Well-known member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
If you need a guitar power amp and can't afford/don't want a tube power amp the Mosvalve is killer and cheap! I used one for many years before buying a Marshall 9100 all tube power amp...I kept the Mosvalve as a back up and still use it for practice.....
If you need a guitar power amp and can't afford/don't want a tube power amp the Mosvalve is killer and cheap! I used one for many years before buying a Marshall 9100 all tube power amp...I kept the Mosvalve as a back up and still use it for practice.....
barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
three things that i appreciate about solid state amps:
1. they give you something to sit on while you're at guitar center trying out tube amps
2. the fact that i someone else plays them and not me
3. they might be useful if you want to rip the guts and speakers out and use the chasis to build your own tube amp
three things that i appreciate about solid state amps:
1. they give you something to sit on while you're at guitar center trying out tube amps
2. the fact that i someone else plays them and not me
3. they might be useful if you want to rip the guts and speakers out and use the chasis to build your own tube amp
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
If it were possible I'd love to put a 6L6 tube poweramp in my Randall. I tried plugging the preamp of it into the poweramp of one of my Twins. It was ridiculously good.
:laugh2:
If it were possible I'd love to put a 6L6 tube poweramp in my Randall. I tried plugging the preamp of it into the poweramp of one of my Twins. It was ridiculously good.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
I seriously don't get the tube vs. SS 'war.'
A great majority of people on this board are more than willing to throw a SS OD pedal in front of their tube amp, run at bedroom levels and call it "awesome."
Anyone else see the ridiculousness of the argument?
If anything, old SS amps have more of a suck factor built in, Kustom, Sunn... those were some horrible sounding amps.
SS amps do what SS amps do. Tube amps do what tube amps do.
If you're trying to get a useable guitar sound at bedroom levels, SS is the way to go. With all the modeling technology that's come out in the last 10 years or so, that stuff is awesome.
If you're trying to get a good sound out of a tube amp at bedroom levels- good luck .5w is probably too loud. The good sound out of a tube amp is pushing your power section. That's where you actually hear how the term "organic" gets applied to tone.
What are you getting out of a tube amp that you don't get out of a SS amp?
If you're using a SS OD/Distortion/Fuzz in front of it, what does that do to your tube sound? What are those tubes doing?
My bass gear has pretty much always been SS. It does was SS amps are meant to do. Reproduce what's thrown at them. I don't like tube bass amps. They distort. The headroom isn't there. The way I like hearing my bass sounds is clean, and any distortion is the speakers being pushed- not the amp clipping.
I seriously don't get the tube vs. SS 'war.'
A great majority of people on this board are more than willing to throw a SS OD pedal in front of their tube amp, run at bedroom levels and call it "awesome."
Anyone else see the ridiculousness of the argument?
If anything, old SS amps have more of a suck factor built in, Kustom, Sunn... those were some horrible sounding amps.
SS amps do what SS amps do. Tube amps do what tube amps do.
If you're trying to get a useable guitar sound at bedroom levels, SS is the way to go. With all the modeling technology that's come out in the last 10 years or so, that stuff is awesome.
If you're trying to get a good sound out of a tube amp at bedroom levels- good luck .5w is probably too loud. The good sound out of a tube amp is pushing your power section. That's where you actually hear how the term "organic" gets applied to tone.
What are you getting out of a tube amp that you don't get out of a SS amp?
If you're using a SS OD/Distortion/Fuzz in front of it, what does that do to your tube sound? What are those tubes doing?
My bass gear has pretty much always been SS. It does was SS amps are meant to do. Reproduce what's thrown at them. I don't like tube bass amps. They distort. The headroom isn't there. The way I like hearing my bass sounds is clean, and any distortion is the speakers being pushed- not the amp clipping.
Jackson Distortion
New member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
I like Crate.
I like Crate.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
It's about headroom. That's really where you see the difference between tube and SS.
In my case, I'm pushing around 900w into 4 ohms bridged. The amp isn't clipping, and a majority of that power is pushing bottom end. I can get clean reproduction of that sound in that- depending on my speaker configuration.
Last year I spent a month putting a Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ through it's paces. It doesn't clean up at stage volume like my SS amps. I'm guessing it may have had something to do with the preamp tubes it was using, but still, tube amps are made to be driven. Generally, that's what people get them for.
It's about headroom. That's really where you see the difference between tube and SS.
In my case, I'm pushing around 900w into 4 ohms bridged. The amp isn't clipping, and a majority of that power is pushing bottom end. I can get clean reproduction of that sound in that- depending on my speaker configuration.
Last year I spent a month putting a Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ through it's paces. It doesn't clean up at stage volume like my SS amps. I'm guessing it may have had something to do with the preamp tubes it was using, but still, tube amps are made to be driven. Generally, that's what people get them for.
T
thucydides
Guest
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
Well, although I like tubes, I've certainly found ways too make a SS amp usable when I've had to use one. And, I must say that my Roland Micro Cube is a blast!
Well, although I like tubes, I've certainly found ways too make a SS amp usable when I've had to use one. And, I must say that my Roland Micro Cube is a blast!
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
I've got a Randall RG75 combo that sounds absolutely killer. I was going to post this by itself, then I realized I actually have a clip of my friend Wes playing one of my old Deans through it. He goes for the high gain stuff, but it does plain old dirty pretty well, too. Pay no attention to my drunken voice.
I've got a Randall RG75 combo that sounds absolutely killer. I was going to post this by itself, then I realized I actually have a clip of my friend Wes playing one of my old Deans through it. He goes for the high gain stuff, but it does plain old dirty pretty well, too. Pay no attention to my drunken voice.
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Dr.Mavashi
neonderthalotonalogist
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
Kustom amps. Great stuff. Now these days I still practice more with Laney throuhg MassLite but Kustoms have great tone at extreamly low volumes, phenomenal.
Kustom amps. Great stuff. Now these days I still practice more with Laney throuhg MassLite but Kustoms have great tone at extreamly low volumes, phenomenal.
ModestCargo
New member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
And different strokes man - I love those old amps. Listen to John Fogerty.
It's like bass amps - I love the punchy and tight tones of SS amps.
My tube screamer does not sound good in front of many solid state amps and that's why I put it through tube amps. But I like how it "solid states" the tone a bit - the tight low end etc. I like that. And it does sound awesome.
And different strokes man - I love those old amps. Listen to John Fogerty.
It's like bass amps - I love the punchy and tight tones of SS amps.
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
Sounds like Dime's lead tone from FBD... and I mean that in a good way. You won't find a better amp for modern metal for that price than Randall RGs...I've got a Randall RG75 combo that sounds absolutely killer. I was going to post this by itself, then I realized I actually have a clip of my friend Wes playing one of my old Deans through it. He goes for the high gain stuff, but it does plain old dirty pretty well, too. Pay no attention to my drunken voice.
baritone
Well-known member
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
Oi! The difference between preamp toob distortion and output toob distortion is massive. I actually have trouble distinguishing between preamp toob overdrive and solid state distortion. HOwever, power toob distortion is different all together. When the power toobs distort, it dowsn't sound too different from a clan tone, except you can play palm-muted rhythms effectively. When the poser toobs distort, the original sound (i.e., fuzziness) doesn't change much, but it's like the crack of a baseball bat hitting a homerun. Preamp toobs don't do that.
Oi! The difference between preamp toob distortion and output toob distortion is massive. I actually have trouble distinguishing between preamp toob overdrive and solid state distortion. HOwever, power toob distortion is different all together. When the power toobs distort, it dowsn't sound too different from a clan tone, except you can play palm-muted rhythms effectively. When the poser toobs distort, the original sound (i.e., fuzziness) doesn't change much, but it's like the crack of a baseball bat hitting a homerun. Preamp toobs don't do that.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Solid State appreciation thread
The difference is, to my ears, how the signal is dynamic to your attack. Crank a tube pre and a DS-1 and you're compressing and distorting the signal. Set the tube pre to have some hair on it and as your signal hits harder, the signal gets more hair on it. That generally doesn't happen with a SS distortion/OD.
I guess the bottom line is choose the amp that works for what you want it to do, not because "tube amps are better."
The difference is, to my ears, how the signal is dynamic to your attack. Crank a tube pre and a DS-1 and you're compressing and distorting the signal. Set the tube pre to have some hair on it and as your signal hits harder, the signal gets more hair on it. That generally doesn't happen with a SS distortion/OD.
I guess the bottom line is choose the amp that works for what you want it to do, not because "tube amps are better."
