valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

[jeremy]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

what works for one person might not work as well for someone else. luckily we live in an age where there is an over abundance of options for just about everything. ill keep using my old deluxe and deluxe reverb and bob can use his valvestate, lew can use his mustang.

as far as the hendrix comment in post 4, thats total bs. old marshall plexi's, late 60's fenders, fuzz face, and wah are anything but ****ty old gear. they are all very sought after by players (and collectors unfortunately). old coily cables kinda sucked but that kept a bright strat sounding fatter. i have a newer bullet cable and i love it

 

[Gunslinger_505]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

My Mustang III has. Maybe not get rid of but I don't gig with tube amps anymore.

Modeling amps are where it's at and where it's going to go I think.

.

I love my Mustang III. Everyone I jam with comments how nice my tone(s) is. It does take some effort to get there relative to a tube amp, but IMO, worth it. A big plus is it's like having many (up to a 100) "channels" all in one amp. I originally bought an MI as a practice amp and liked it so much I upgraded to the III. There was a time I used to build my own tube amps. I have one left and it hardly gets used at this point. The one thing about tube amps is they sound better as they get louder. But the 100W III has plenty of head room, and anymore it's mic'ed.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I love my POD.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

You missed that people have their own opinions based on their own experiences and really don't care about poll results, especially for such a subjective discussion.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I can not conceive of not plugging in to my favorite tube amps and do not foresee them being replaced for any gigs or even most home playing.

I do have modeling amps of both the all ss and hybrid varieties, though. They sound good and I use them out of convenience or if it is a very low volume situation. But on the Roland I only ever use one amp model: Classic British Stack. I never use any of the effects. On the JMD I only find 3 or 4 of the 16 models useful to me and the only effect I use is spring reverb on a clean setting.

But I probably will get the new Marshall Code modelling amp head. Early reviews are that Code series leap frogs the Mustangs in terms of tone quality and feel, and I like the approach of being able to mix and match different preamp and power amp models to build your own custom pre sets.

 

[leevc5]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

You missed that people have their own opinions based on their own experiences and really don't care about poll results, especially for such a subjective discussion.

I care and that is all that matters.

 

[Securb]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

but you can't always get the response from the amp.

Who says I can't? The response comes from me, not the amp. I play my gear, my gear doesn't play me. I played SS amps for years and tube amps and had success with both.

 

[Demanic]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years after - add hybrid

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years after - add hybrid

I am my gear. Somehow, no matter what I play through, for better or worse, I always sound like me.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I don't bring my tube amp out to gigs, and I haven't been using it for practice at home, or rehearsal. The Fractal is really that good. There is a reason so many great players are using these things. I go direct to the PA, powered monitors, or IEMs.

 

[johnstone]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I'd run my Twin Reverb for pinks against any amp any time any where.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I'm the dreaded cork sniffer everyone warns you about. :bigthumb:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I love my Mustang III. Everyone I jam with comments how nice my tone(s) is. It does take some effort to get there relative to a tube amp, but IMO, worth it. A big plus is it's like having many (up to a 100) "channels" all in one amp. I originally bought an MI as a practice amp and liked it so much I upgraded to the III. There was a time I used to build my own tube amps. I have one left and it hardly gets used at this point. The one thing about tube amps is they sound better as they get louder. But the 100W III has plenty of head room, and anymore it's mic'ed.

All of the above. Including having built my own amps. The Mustang III is an incredible amp. And it cost me under $350 out the door. I never thought I'd be a modeling amp guy. But the Mustang has changed my mind completely.

However: I do not use any of the factory presets located from 00 - 79. I erased them all by overwriting my own presets on them.

I did save all of the amp models from 80 - 100. I use them as starting points for creating my own sounds and then store the new presets over the factory presets...which erases the factory presets.

Man, I've got soloing tones that nail Europa(Santana), Supernatural (Peter Green), Hard Road (Richie Blackmore), Trademark (Eric Johnson)...and a jillion of my own.

I tend to use my own variations of the Twin Reverb model for most of my rhythm and for my cleaner blues lead tones.

 

[Benthedemon007]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

From fret12 magazine:
View attachment 73102
All laughing aside, it rings quite true! In fact, it's probably the GOLDEN RULE OF GUITAR that no guitarist wants to admit to themselves! Jimi Hendrix would have become a legend even if he was playing a solid state amp and pedals that were un-buffered and NOT true bypass. He took, what was in essence fairly ****ty old gear by today's standards, and forced it into making mind blowing new sounds! He was able to make art no matter the gear, and that's what we all need to remember.

He used by today's standards a very simple rig, but still an amazing one; super leads are generally seen as great.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I play Metal, so solid state for me. Tubes are actually pretty unMetal if you think about it.

 

[Hank-]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

Considering a amp here means a preamp+poweramp+speaker, i'll divide my opinions on them.

Most of the dedicated SS amps released for guitar players are targeted towards beginners. Not a lot of options to pick from among the better SS amps available out there.

Hybrid tube & SS that sound good are the Blackstar HT series for cheap, also available in head or combo forms, mostly easier to come across.

Then there are the modelling based amps using DSPs for preamp. These are also available with tube power section essentially making them hybrids. The mustang, yamaha thr mini, peavey vypyr, roland cube etc. come under these types. These are the future as far as non tube & SS is concerned IMO. They aren't overly expensive either.

 

[leevc5]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

Considering a amp here means a preamp+poweramp+speaker, i'll divide my opinions on them.

Most of the dedicated SS amps released for guitar players are targeted towards beginners. Not a lot of options to pick from among the better SS amps available out there.

Hybrid tube & SS that sound good are the Blackstar HT series for cheap, also available in head or combo forms, mostly easier to come across.

Then there are the modelling based amps using DSPs for preamp. These are also available with tube power section essentially making them hybrids. The mustang, yamaha thr mini, peavey vypyr, roland cube etc. come under these types. These are the future as far as non tube & SS is concerned IMO. They aren't overly expensive either.

I have a Marshall AVT50 hybrid and to me it is one step down from a tube amp but when push comes to shove I rate it above the Mustang II modeling amp.

I think the gap between tube, hybrid and solid state amps is narrowing with every passing day. We old tube amp folk probably never will give them up but in the foreseeable future I think that the full on tube amp will be used more for nostalgia than a clearly defined difference in tone.

 

[Gunslinger_505]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I tend to use my own variations of the Twin Reverb model for most of my rhythm and for my cleaner blues lead tones.

I go for the '59 Bassman for the cleaner blues. What finally got me using this was changing from Bassman cabinet to the 65 twin. Add a 65 twin reverb and a tremelo and it's a pretty convincing Super Reverb. Kind of get a good Tommy Castro vibe going. The silvertone does a convincing Zep. Most my classic rock is through the 80's Marshall (jcm800). Crystal clean is the 65 twin.

A thing that's really nice with these modelling amps is it's like having a EJ type setup where you can switch from different amps with different pedals on each one for different effects all wrapped up in one. If you use a lot of tones it's hard to beat a modelling amp.

 

[leevc5]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

If you are good you can play on anything and get any tone you want. .

That is very true. However, I am not that good, I still love to play, need all the help I can get and get a real boost checking out all kinds of gear.

 

[tc]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years later - add hybrid

I don't get the point of someone asking whether tubes or solid state are better and then someone else saying "oh well, it doesn't matter, a good player is a good player and he will sound good with whatever and that's that."

Yeah, a good player is a good player. But that's not really the question. The question is, does the good player sound better with tubes or with solid state?

 

[Demanic]

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years after - add hybrid

Re: valve/tube vs. solid state -- 10 years after - add hybrid

The problem is that better is a matter of taste.
I find tube amps generally sound more 3D. That being said solid state amps tend to have more clean headroom. Of course there are exceptions.
Find an amp that you like and play the crap out of it. If you are lucky, you'll find more than one that you like and can afford.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk