Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Owwwccchhh

Owwwccchhh

New member
Hey everyone. I was wondering if I should get an all tube kind of amp (ht-5, Randall dialvo 5, Marshall DSL 5, a few bugera combos, like the 6505 copy. Or maybe a used 5150 combo) or if a solid state type amp would even be worth it. (Randall rx120rh, orange crush pro 60 combo, orange micro terror yes I know it's hybrid) Opinions?
 
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Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

All of the amps you mentioned are great for metal. Don't shy away from solid state there are some beautiful solid state amps out there. There are classics like Randell and Roland. The newer solid state amps have also made huge ground in tonal improvements. My suggestion would be to head out to some stores (with your guitar) and try a few of them to get a feel for tone and features. What might be my holy grail for metal tones could be the worst crap you ever heard. Your axe, technique and ear all are a huge part of your overall tone.

I don't see a bad amp in the bunch you mentioned, there are no bad choices here.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Just the idea of solid state has put me off more than a little. I don't need an amp for gigging either so the 120 watts of the Randall seems a little high, and so does the 60 watts of the orange. The Marshall amps look amazing and so do the Blackstar. The bugera amps are have a reputation for being low quality and that scares me a little.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

The lack of a cab is what kills me when it comes to that. I would have that thing already if I had the cab to go with it.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Owwwccchhh said:
The lack of a cab is what kills me when it comes to that. I would have that thing already if I had the cab to go with it.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about a scaled-down 5150/6505 cabinet to match the head? You shouldn't let that stop you. There are all kinds of cabs out there -- new, used, modified, and custom. I play a mini tube head though one or both sides of a Marshall 1960A.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Owwwccchhh said:
Just the idea of solid state has put me off more than a little. I don't need an amp for gigging either so the 120 watts of the Randall seems a little high, and so does the 60 watts of the orange. The Marshall amps look amazing and so do the Blackstar. The bugera amps are have a reputation for being low quality and that scares me a little.
Click to expand...

Just keep in mind a lot of the guitar tones on your favorite metal albums are solid state amps and modelers. Recording engineers cringe when a guitarist drags a 100 watt Marshall with a 4x12 into the studio. Like I said go play as many amps as possible tube and solid state.

Solid-state to me is more in your face, while tube sounds like it’s surrounding your body. I’m not going for a soft sound. I ain’t lookin’ for a warm sound. My sound is warm, but I don’t need tubes to do it. - Dimebag
Click to expand...
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

No. I mean the fact that I don't have the money for a cab or a cab period if I were to get that amp.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Owwwccchhh said:
Hey everyone. I was wondering if I should get an all tube kind of amp (ht-5, Randall dialvo 5, Marshall DSL 5, a few bugera combos, like the 6505 copy. Or maybe a used 5150 combo) or if a solid state type amp would even be worth it. (Randall rx120rh, orange crush pro 60 combo, orange micro terror yes I know it's hybrid) Opinions?
Click to expand...


I s'pose it really depends where you wanna go to, with your metal tone ?


Cannibal Corpse ?
Down ?
Pantera ?
Parkway Drive ?
Iced Earth ?
Obituary ?
Napalm Death ?


. . . and, and, and !
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Scooped mids thrashy metal. Metallica, slayer, pantera, megadeth. The usual ones.
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Would the ss Randall or DSL combo provide a better sound for them all? Or a 6505 combo or a 5150 comb used? Just based off of they're the only two brands that any of them used. And the 6505 is hugely popular. Also megadeth played a Marshall early on then switched to a line 6.
 
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Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Owwwccchhh said:
Would the ss Randall or DSL combo provide a better sound for them all? Just based off of they're the only two brands that any of them used. Also megadeth played a Marshall early on then switched to a line 6.
Click to expand...

Believe that the Randall RH50 T is a great sounding combo (all tube) for the money.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Randall-RG-...747236?hash=item235f9972a4:g:lREAAOSwBahVE3Ff

http://www.ebay.com/itm/randall-rh50t-/221988352978?hash=item33af8973d2:g:YxAAAOSwKtlWjnGc

I would take it over a DSL combo (for metal) any day !
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

I play a lot of the same music as you and just prefer tube amps. As others have said, there are great solid state options these days. One tube amp you can't go wrong with for that stuff is the 5150 III 50 watt. Combo or head, just perfect for metal. (And hard rock)
 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Check out the AMT Stonehead too (mini 50 watt 4 channel SS head) if you can. Killer high gain tones/great medium gain/both Fender-like & Metallica-ish/middy-type cleans..it's all there. Very "tubey" SS amp (both sound & response) that goes from ultra-brutz/hairy Recto tones to Orange-y sludge to ultra-tight Metallica/Pantera thrash. They're $700-ish new but often pop up for 400 or so on ebay (open-box/mint).


A couple of jams/demo's I did with mine..

All dry tracks. No effects/reverb/delay/NR. Not exactly pro recording's lol (Direct out [first vid]/AMT chameleon cab sim pedal [second vid]... both recorded into my digital handheld recorder's line input). Just to give you some basic idea of the versatility/sounds..

Brutez:






80's-ish/bluesy/shred..

 
Re: Solid state vs. Tube amps for metal.

Whether an amp is solid state or tube doesn't dictate it's quality for high gain. It's more to do with the components and voicing. I can get great metal tones out of either but if you can afford a quality tube amp it's pretty much a no brainer.
 
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