State of Solidity

danglybanger

danglybanger

ReelItInologist
...alright. I don't claim to just go doing unpopular things for the sake of it, but I don't blame any of you for thinking my line of err thinking must be intentionally out of line with the status quo :laugh2:

Truth is, turnsout I kinda like solid state amplifiers. Agreed the distortion offered by SS is often a bit lacking, but it's usually useable and much improved with certain pedals...

The big turnon for me is the AMAZING solid state clean tone... harsh a bit, very clean at the same time, percussive... am I a jazz guy? :laugh2: cause jazz guys seem to like it too. Can anyone recommend me other good high end SS thingies? I wonder if more solid state amps were made a bit quality, would there be more converts?

Bass players seem to like it...

So solid state users... can you chime in one what you like about solid state? or just chime in that it's all your parents could afford to buy you for christmas and you hate it :laugh2:

I might be a dedicated solid state man from this point on... things are much cheaper for us :D
 
Re: State of Solidity

Some solid state amps that come to mind:
PolyTone
Hughes & Kettner
Roland
Blue Tone
I think Robbie Krieger (Doors) used to play "Acoustic" brand amps that were SS.
 
Re: State of Solidity

You can have my tubes when you pry them from my cold, dead, hands.


Oh, wait. You dont want them. You just want solid state amps. Well, good sir, I turn my nose up at thee.
 
Re: State of Solidity

Roland JC120 for cleand and randall RG80 for distortion.

All you'll ever need in the solid state world. :P

You can argue with me all you want, but the JC120 is by far the best sounding clean amp on the planet IMO.
 
Re: State of Solidity

Some how I like SS a well. Just not as much as I like my Mesa. SS is usable and if I want a really weird dist then I'll use my fender SS amp that came with my squeir :smack: I can get to a really good sounding lead tone with the neck pickup on my Barclay. Don't aske me how that works. I really like the cleans as well. Good stuff. My Mesa will always rule IMO. Who knows, I may play some amazing SS amp.
 
Re: State of Solidity

I've had both, I prefere tubes JMO, but yes the big but, the marshall MG series are very good amps, as well as the peavey trans tube series.
 
Re: State of Solidity

I just tuned up my old Lab Series L9 and it sounds pretty good...with an archtop, you can get a very nice modern jazz tone. It also sounds good with a Tele...
 
Re: State of Solidity

The Hughes & Kettner Edition Blue 15/30/60 are nice SS amps also. Great cleans. Nice dirt if you use a pedal. I love solid state.

Then again, I've never wrung-out a tube amp.
 
Re: State of Solidity

Well...Honestly. I use solid state amps for the price. But they really aren't that bad.


However, for the best solid state tone that I've ever found, go to GOodwill or St Vincent DePaul or Salvation Army. Find a Working Stereo receiver, Plug in a distortion pedal. If necessary use another pedal like delay or chorus that can split the signal to stereo even when disabled. Convert the 1/4" to RCA lol and Whalla... The cheapest way to have awesome sound that can power a half stack...depending on your pedal of coarse.

I've done this with several receivers I've found at Donation shops and they all have good organic tone. Right now I have a Technics 500 Watt Home theatre system for my amp. Its great.



The tendencies for older or worn receivers is to sound extremely mellow. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but adjusting the bass is sometimes a necessity.



Unfortunately this isn't always the coolest LOOKING setup...but I've been doing this for years, performing twice a week at my church and it works great in a live setting.





As far as real amps...I've owned the Marshall MG 100 HDFX. Good solid state amp. I think it really needs the 12" speakers though. Needed Extra EQ with my cabinet (4x10"). I'm also a fan of Peavey Transtube.
 
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Re: State of Solidity

If you want bone dry clean, nothing beats a solid state. If it has good speakers, it should have just as much fat, lively tone as any tube amp.
 
Re: State of Solidity

...how does the FM do for you, emilio?

I've been wondering how things like the FM, Fender Jazzmaster (amp, not guitar... as I already know that sounds great) and Fender Metalhead SS amps sound...

I'm glad at least most of you don't think SS sucks 100% of the time. I almost feel normal :laugh2:

I agree with not finding the MG series marshalls to be absolute crap.
 
Re: State of Solidity

well if your are talking about cleans they can be very nice but overly piercing high with my guitar. a couple of weeks ago i was complaing about how bright it was but then again im using a jazzn and jb br. dail it in just right and they are real sweet. the distortion on it can be ok but i wouldn't put the gain up too much. it can do blues and stuff like that. or it can be turned into a metal monster with my me-50! (still needs work but good enough) but you don't care about that.
 
Re: State of Solidity

...I like a lot of brightness and high end definition, but nothing earsplitting. That said I find most amps too mellow...

Guess that's what EQs for.

Seems like a lot of places around here just won't carry much SS stuff... other than the supercheaps. I haven't seen any H&Ks around. Or maybe they just didn't stand out to me...
 
Re: State of Solidity

i think that the only reason it sounds ice picky is because of the high mids of the jb. and the jazz with light picking sounds real good but if picked too hard it gets extremely loud and trebly. just so you know i use a heavy pick. oh yeah and i heard that c-1's are on the brighter side.
 
Re: State of Solidity

...my Jag with 1 meg pots can make even the most mellow amps very bright :D Though a different kind of brightness than JBs offer, if that makes sense, which over the internet it may not... It even made the muddiest crate in the world sound decent. Course anything sounds better when you play a Jag through it ;)

I use the heaviest picks I can find as well. Don't know if that has too much bearing on the brightness, but I like the way a heavy pick gets those strings ringing...

My old Schecter was one of my hopeless experiments with humbuckers that only sounded decent to me once I learned to split the humbucker and put it in parallel mode... But that was a different animal than a C1.
 
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