Solid State VS.Tubes , & WHY ?

[dave_mc]

i prefer tubes... out of everything I've tried.

[HTH AMPS]

I voted 'whatever' - it all depends on the job at hand.  I'll not mention SS with regard to anything other than valve amps as that's what we're really discussing here.

For vintage tones and any type of cleans I'd go valve every time - I love my AC30 for clean/crunch and it will even do a good rawk raunch a-la Brian May with a booster.

For metal it's gotta be solid state - there is a tightness and precision in the low end that is perfect for what I want.  If money were no object and someone else was carrying this stuff for me, I'd have a decent valve amp in the mix too since the midrange in valve amps is brutal (would use a JCM800).  

I think the problem with much of the tranny stuff out there is that it's designed for the budget end of the market.  The more expensive and better designed tranny stuff can be really good (Randall, Line6)

 :twisted:

[WezV]

I also have a late 70's solid state VOX AC30.  It is actualy quite a nice sounding amp.  It has a very warm sound compared to most early solid state amps and the vib/trem channel is classic vox, but it lacks any of the dynamics of a valve amp.  I dont claim to be a very good player anymore (since i concentrate on building) but i enjoy using an amp that is part of the instrument.  A good valve amp will respond to the way you play in a way solidstate and modelling amps just cant get right.

PS.  If anyone wants to buy a late 70's VOX AC30SS, i have one for sale.

[OD-Black_Fire]

I like the tone of tube amps, however, I love it when I use the solid state rectifier in my tube amp. Makes it as tight as full solid state metal tones but its $%&#ing tube. I like the guts.

But tubes amps are a bit over hyped. Actually, I'm talking about that "warm sound." Sometimes I can make my amp sound so warm its abrasive and downright irritating. When I "cool" off the signal it makes it much more pleasant. I like the cold mid cut, bass and treble boosted sound on amps. With solid state amps, I can have more mid range without it sounding warm. Sometimes that comes in handy.

[Tricalibur]

I voted 'whatever..' because IMO they both have there place. Tubes of course will always sound better and just generaly be louder than ss circuits. But they are extremely overpriced nowadays and for the average hobbyist / bedroom player a good ss amp can do good to 'emulate' cranked tube tone. I'd say tube = Live performance / Rehearsal and Recording and SS = solitary practice / small jam sessions *NOT RECORDING

[JJretroTONEGOD]

one disadvantage of valves is that they can sound over rich in harmonics to the point when it just sounds like a mush of sound, I have certanly noticed this with driven louder valve amps. From my experiences valves go muddy realtivley quick as well and start dying very soon! (sometimes sounding like gollum vomiting in a cave) buuuuaaaah, buaaaaah. lol. I prefer hybrid amps, like preamp valve's SS rectification, without sag, cos its punchier, and still not too agressive at the same time. I think Vai has got it spot on, I love his Carvin amp.

[Tricalibur]

^ yeh thats true, I played a small 'guitar recital' last year with a cranked plexi (attenuated). The gig was recorded and now looking back on it the sound is VERY fogged and mushy. Of course ther were alot of other contrbuting factors (Like the guy had a friggen cowboy blanket drapped over the cab and Im pretty sure I had my guitar tone knob turned almost to '0').

[LiamH]

I like valves, but that might be the result of the simple equation age+ears+guitar= love of valves.

I wonder if James Marshall Hendrix were a young man today whether he would be tubing it or going mental with some computerised rig.I bet the Arctic Monkeys will do more for guitar than..well a shed load of experts.

I reckon guitar icons don't give a monkeys' what the rest of us think, they go for their own sound and one day the rest of us follow. I remember being about 16 and beng told Steve Vai was all noise once.

[fps_dean]

Tubes, fullness, warmth, compression, need I say more?

There have been some decent solid state tones, but they're still thin and fizzy...

[HTH AMPS]

Tubes, fullness, warmth, compression, need I say more?

There have been some decent solid state tones, but they're still thin and fizzy...

tell me if this sounds thin and fizzy... http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4988&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 :twisted: