What are some iconic solid state amps?

Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Nice list. But are these "iconic", in the classic sense of the word? What I mean is, almost every modeler I have, has a "Black Face" setting. (Not necessarily under that name.) What would be some SS amps that would be "modeled" simply because of their place in history. The Roland Jazz is one of those.

Was the HiWatt SS? Most of my modelers include that one too.

I suspect that the HiWatt you see modelled is the big assed clean tube amp that David Gilmour was famous for using.


Solid state amps are fine, but I don't really think that too many of them meet that 'iconic' label . . . it's easy to name dozens influential recordings with tube amps. Much harder to do so with solid state stuff. A lot of this has to do with long standing biases and preconceptions caused by early solid state stuff not sounding all that good. But if your favorite artist never used the amp, you're not likely to be jonesing for the sound the amp makes . . . which means you're not as likely to see it in an amp modeler.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Solid state amps are fine, but I don't really think that too many of them meet that 'iconic' label . . . it's easy to name dozens influential recordings with tube amps. Much harder to do so with solid state stuff.

That's pretty much where I was headed with this question. I just wondered what SS amps where "noteworthy". Still, it's fun to see people list nice sounding SS amps.

Nope, tube.

Thanks. On my old Johnson J-Station, HiWatt, with Fenton speakers, is a roudy preset. (I think it's Fenton.)
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

IMO the jazz chorus and the bandits are the most iconic.

This is pretty much it. Polytones got known as the go-to jazz amp for carrying on the subway, not because of the tone. My Tech 21 Trademark 60 deserves to be on the list, because as a SS amp it sounds really great, and is the first real 'analog modeling' amp.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Vox solid state Super Beatle
Various Sunn stuff from the '70s, for bass (e.g. Concert Bass)
Pignose, of course (already mentioned)

Lots of other common, well known, and plentiful ones...but not sure if I would call them "iconic."
 
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Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Roland Cube

Peavey Bandit

Gorilla

Kustom 100

Pignose 20,
and Hog 40 to a lesser extent

I have played through all of these and owned several
Great amps

My Laney GC80A is also a great SS amp
But is much lesser known

I dont think the
Modeling amps from
Peavey
Line6
Johnson
Yamaha

Count as solid state
Heck the Roland Cube may not as well
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

And I wasn't thinking so much of modern modeling either. Just good, solid designs that were known for their tone. But all are welcome. I'd like to hear a Laney sometime. I keep hearing good things about them too.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

I had an Ampeg SS150H half stack that was great for metal and dead clean. Terrible for anything in between.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

At some point of time all those amps have been parked for a while at our rehearsal space. I'd say the Ampeg & Crate describe what you said.. and excel at it, but the Randall's are actually a lot more versatile than the name "Warhead" implies :laugh2:
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

I've heard good things about the Orange crush amps but haven't had a chance to try one yet.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

DUDE JUST ASKED IF HIWATT IS SOLIDSTATE?

I am sofa king tired of this forum. C'mon, y'all, you're better than this.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Acoustic 360/370 bass amps, maybe? Go-to bass sound for hundreds during the 70s & 80s, including Jaco and John Paul Jones.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

There's a few Jazz guitarists who would STRONGLY disagree that their idols chose Polytone just for portability. (And plenty of non-jazzheads who would agree wholeheartedly, especially if the amp isn't in the hands of a master who could make a broken transistor radio sound good.)

Back to OP, Gallien-Krueger back when they made guitar amps like the 250ML (or probably better 2000CPL preamp for per-channel EQs), with the likes of Iron Maiden and Rush using them in the studio.

There were some solid state Hiwatts, they aren't what modelers mimic. Though many modelers miss the jumpered channels DR103 or custom David Gilmour (internally jumpered with capacitor changes around input stage) models. Oh well, have to limp along with mimicking his pedal chain...

There's tons of bass amps. Or things like the Tubeworks Mosvalve power amps that were briefly huge.
 
Re: What are some iconic solid state amps?

Lab Series L5.

BB King. Ty Tabor. Both used the same amp. Crazy!
 
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