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Tube vs Solid State


ne14t?

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I dont know how many ads I have seen on craigslist where the guy went out and spent $1000 on a decent Epi Les Paul and some kinda little amp and has it listed for dirt cheap because they bought it two years ago and havent touched it in a year and a half. But the perfect marketing ploy is to suck in all the impulse buyers!

 

I started playing electric about 8 months ago. I bought my "dream guitar" - a Gibson SG Standard. I didn't have a "dream amp" and didn't really know anything about amps. I did some research, asked some questions in some forums, and ultimately decided on a SS modeling amp that got great reviews - the Fender Mustang II. Enjoyed the amp - it could make a lot of different sounds - but really was enjoying the guitar.

 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I'm in Guitar Center, and there's a super-clean Fender Blues Junior NOS tweed amp, just taken in on trade, at a very nice price. I took it home, have picked up a few effects pedals, and have not touched the Mustang II since. I will probably sell it, and I know I won't get nearly the $200 I paid for it.

 

So, there ya go!

 

~DB

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I started playing electric about 8 months ago. I bought my "dream guitar" - a Gibson SG Standard. I didn't have a "dream amp" and didn't really know anything about amps. I did some research, asked some questions in some forums, and ultimately decided on a SS modeling amp that got great reviews - the Fender Mustang II. Enjoyed the amp - it could make a lot of different sounds - but really was enjoying the guitar.

 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I'm in Guitar Center, and there's a super-clean Fender Blues Junior NOS tweed amp, just taken in on trade, at a very nice price. I took it home, have picked up a few effects pedals, and have not touched the Mustang II since. I will probably sell it, and I know I won't get nearly the $200 I paid for it.

 

So, there ya go!

 

~DB

 

Does GC not buy back from you at a good rate? I did pretty much the same, started with the modeller (Mustang III) which really was a great little amp (maybe a bit too much juice) when I went into L&M and bought my Haze they bought back my mustang III for almost full price I think I lost like $30 off it. If its not a loss I would keep the stang around as a backup or second amp, my buddy is coming up to visit and he wanted to bring his guitar stuff to jam with me and I was like "just remember an amp, your free to use mine but only when I am not using it"

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Great info on tubes and solid state.

 

My preference: tubes.

 

Solid State is ok but I will never buy a modeling amp and shy away from them in the store. Fake tones IMO, and I'd rather play the real thing. I know it's a sales ploy for the youngsters, but you can't beat the real tube tone.

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To thorough in my two cents worth: I understood the primary differences to be these:

 

 

[1] As the signal moves beyond the linear range of a tube (into overload), it distorts the signal with a smooth curve instead of a sudden, sharp-edged cutoff typical of a transistor, E.g. what tends to be referred to as “soft clipping” nowadays

 

 

[2] Because of this effect, the harmonic content of a distorting tube is different from that of a transistor, providing a distortion rich in odd harmonics, which are (apparently) more pleasing to the ear.

 

 

That said, this differences only become important when you are overdriving either a tube or a transistor. Further, they only work with a certain style of distortion, the “drive” sound typical of 70’s rock. By the time one gets into modern hyper-gain metal, transistors actually do a very good job of making that type of sound. I like tube amps, and use one, but I think the fetishism attached to them is a bit like the vintage guitar fetish – a reasonable basis for differentiation that has been blown out of all proportion. (vis the prevalence of posters who respond to any post about the tone of anything by insisting that another tube based device is the answer.

 

 

I remember seeing Mark Knopler on the first Dire Straits tour. Same great sound as on the first album. The amp, A British transistor combo made by H&H – the British equivalent of Peavey. It’s in the fingers lads.

 

 

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my first amp was solid state. it wasnt until about 2 years after i began playing guitar that i realized there was a difference! now that i have more experience under my belt i've learned first hand that i prefer tube tone rather than ss tone. i don't play heavy distortion, just an 808 pedal into my ac30. it's what suits my style.

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Actually when I started playing electric, functionally as far as I know there were no ss amps, so my first amp was a Fender Deluxe Reverb. That went on trade for the AIMS Dual 12 120 watter I still have.

 

But... we're talking close to 90 pounds here and I'm not at the age I find that entirely pleasant to schlepp, regardless of the casters.

 

OTOH, I got the DR for two reasons: 1) it made enough noise for the rock band I was playing in at the time, late '65 and early '66, and 2) it had two separate input channels so if I decided to use vocals on one and the guitar on the other, I could do a solo gig.

 

The AIMS had the same setup, but a lot more of it. I still have it, but it's more of a table nowadays than an amp since...

 

About 8 years ago I got this little Kustom AE amp with the same functional setup but it's SS. So the 35 pounds is on a suitcase cart with a Zoom 707II and a plug-in bar rigged to it. It works fine in a small saloon/coffee house type setting sitting up on a bar stool, and has even worked well for venues ranging from a 150-seat hall doing cowboy stuff to a 500-seat theater doing a solo jazz gig. Yeah, I've upgraded and can run the whole rig through a little 100-watt SS PA that doesn't sound bad for a solo type gig and I can actually move all that stuff.

 

Bottom line?

 

I think there are compromises that have to be made on any performance/amplification decisions. I also think from personal experience that we tend to want "more" when it may really not make sense, but once we have our minds made up, it's hard to change 'em. And your "more" may be far different from mine.

 

Oh - and I think I'm getting back my old black Bassman. Sheesh. Gotta get a cart for that @%$#%$ cab, but I don't think I'll miss the Fender Leslie I once had. The Boss Leslie emulator pedal is a lot easier to haul.

 

m

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Loads of IMO comments and thats whats very important; its what the player wants.

 

My very first amp (and still have) is a early 70's Silvertone by Sears, it sucked and still does (Duh) although from what I've been told its worth some cash.

 

I have had loads of amps and still have many; from SS, to one modeling and a few tubes. Its what I want and what I like; no right answer or wrong.

 

Since it sucks, I'll be glad to take it off your hands [biggrin]

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Guest farnsbarns

I have avoided this entire debate by using strictly VALVE amps......

 

Good man! You're becoming a bit of an anglophile, Damian.

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The way I see it, it's whatever sounds best to you! Generally I prefer a tube amp to a solid state, but there are certain situations where I actually prefer my crappy little solid state (more often for Jazz situations). Hey that's me, you may be a Solid State guy and we can still coexist!

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While the Zodiacs still cast their shadow over some of us, we have pretty much gotten quite comfortable with good SS amps.

 

Anyone "debating" T00b vs SS and having to be on one side or the other is only demonstrating their own inexperience. Use what works and what works you use. A good amp is where you find it, same as a guitar.

 

rct

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I have avoided this entire debate by using strictly VALVE amps......

 

If you wanna be cheeky its THERMIONIC VALVES :P

 

Valves distort with a British accent, and consequently sound quite different from tubes

 

Does that mean my Chinese power valves distort with a Chinese accent? :P

 

 

This thread was never intended to be a debate, just a free forum to clear the air on amps.

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I guess I'm coming out of the closet on this one... I'm a "switch hitter".

 

I use solid state clean tones to play jazz (L-5CES through a Roland Cube 30X), and I use saturated tube tones to play the blues (ES-345 through a Music Man 210-65).

 

I'd been playing Rock & Roll, Blues and R%B for 25 years through tube amps before I decided I wanted to be a jazzman when I grew up (and bought an L-5). Through my contingent of Music Man, Gibson and Sunn tube amps I was never satisfied with the sound of my L-5. I even made a couple of pawn shop and mom & pop music store tours to no avail. Finally remembering that the famous Roland JC-120 was THE jazz amp in it's day, I went looking for a modern miniature version and came across to Roland Cube series.

 

Would I take the SS Roland out on a gig with my Blues band... NEVER.

Would I take the tube driven Music Man out with the Jazz Big Band... NEVER.

 

OK, I feel better now that I'm out.

 

I think what we all love about tube amps is the way a good tube amp colors and shapes the sound of the guitar in a variety of ways, and for a variety of reasons. That's great when your playing a style of music where you want a little crunch, edge and drive, but what I wanted out of my jazz rig was pure and transparent amplification of my big fat hollow bodied archtop. I found that with solid state.

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Thanks Larry...

 

I kinda feel the same way and I've seen some other jazz players around here - I did a rather extensive story on the area college's prof who offers a guitar major and plays jazz weekends - make similar choices probably for the same reasons.

 

Now I've gotta get to my Mom's one of these days to see if I can find the cab that goes with the old Bassman black head I'd forgotten I loaned my baby brother 20 years ago and how it may sound. <grin> As I recall it was cleaner with a guitar than my DR or the big AIMS. But I still like the way that little 30-watter AE amp sounds and, better, carries.

 

m

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