Tube snobbery?

gearup · 05-17-2004, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Visirale

Oh and for a few posts back on "that's the kind of rig you get once you're in a band" (sorry, grossly misworded I'm sure), I'm the kind of person that would rather not shoot around the bush, and bite the bullet. Why have to go through more amps than need be? I use that philosophy on a lot of my spendings. I don't like marginal things. I'd rather save longer and get something I really want

.

Me Too. I'm to poor to buy cheap.

Major Tom · 05-17-2004, 07:56 PM

Quote:

When I heard my Utah thru a $1849 Sewell Amp, which, btw, was only 15 watts, I couldn't believe my ears!! It sounded positively acoustic!!! Forget the Acoustic, full-spectrum SS amps!! This thing was incredible! Sweet! Rich!!

And then, when I turned the knob a few degrees on the gain, it went from rich, shimmery acoustic, to tasty distortion, unlike any I had ever heard before! Unreal!

And for 15 watts, that thing was so incredibly loud!! Wow!! The simple electronics keeps the signal clean and unfettered, and doesn't suck a lot of the juice out of the signal that other amps require, ergo, needing more wattage to crank the sound out. That 15 watts sounded like 50!!!!

That's what a good tube amp can do.

Chesh

Wow, that brought tears to my eyes! Never ever heard anyone ever say anything like that about a modeller....usually more like "it sounds pretty close to..."

Casey · 05-18-2004, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom

Wow, that brought tears to my eyes! Never ever heard anyone ever say anything like that about a modeller....usually more like "it sounds pretty close to..."

Seconded! Wow Chesh... where did you take your marekting classes?

Case

CheshireCat · 05-18-2004, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casey

Seconded! Wow Chesh... where did you take your marekting classes?

Case

Pretty much mail order.

Chesh

Hopeful · 05-18-2004, 06:08 PM

I have read and participated in a number of discussions on this subject and I have come to this conclusion. There are many reasons to buy a SS amp (I own two). Unfortunately, there is only one reason to buy a tube amp - TONE (I own two also). We all have some justification for our amp purchases, but I do hope tone is the primary consideration. Remember, in a live electric guitar situation, the amp is usually the last thing the listeners hear. A good amp will always make your guitar sound better than an average amp. Some may call it "snobbery", I would call it "experience" or "wisdom".

DarylB · 05-18-2004, 06:31 PM

Though I have not real ALL of this thread and I agree with most on the topic of tubes vs. solid state, I would like to offer my lone reason to justify owning a modeler. Ex. If you are lead guitarist hired to play a gig for a local singer who has a studio-recorded CD, you need to replicate all of the different tones used as closely as possible, your best bet is to use a modelling tool such as the Boss GT-6 to emulate each of the tones. The situation I presented is not fictious but was recently the case for a band I played in (I was not lead but rhythm guitarist).

georgeo · 05-18-2004, 09:36 PM

Tubes rock because:
1) they have a sweet clean sound
2) they overdrive oh so nicely
3) they can make crappy digital effects pedals sound good

So, in good conscience, i cannot recommend spending alot of money on a solid state amp. short on cash? Get a sweet little SS amp. buying a $400 SS amp? not so much.

I'm a fan of buying as nice of stuff as possible, and waiting till i can get the best, even if it means playing naked for a few months. like, with no effects. not with no clothes.

vyctr · 05-19-2004, 07:06 PM

does anyone have a link/clip of all the "sweet tone" you guys are talking about? i seriously want to hear the difference.
victor

DarylB · 05-19-2004, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vyctr

does anyone have a link/clip of all the "sweet tone" you guys are talking about? i seriously want to hear the difference.
victor

Listen to a Stevie Ray Vaughn tune and compare his tone to a solid state amp at a store or something (I dont know of any certain recording artists that use just solid state in a comparable style).

**Rainer.** · 05-19-2004, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vyctr

does anyone have a link/clip of all the "sweet tone" you guys are talking about? i seriously want to hear the difference.
victor

Get a good speaker system, then listen to nearly any good artist that uses a tube amp. (Just about all of them... Clapton, Vaughn, Satriani, Vai, Van Halen...) Then listen to that comparable SS amp. It's best to do a side-by-side comparison between the two, though.

Major Tom · 05-19-2004, 08:06 PM

Quote:

does anyone have a link/clip of all the "sweet tone" you guys are talking about? i seriously want to hear the difference.

You can pretty much listen to any recording artists' guitar tones, or for that matter, go to any concert - tube amps have been the standard of the industry ever since the invention of the magnetic pickup. Since national label CD's are recorded in professional studios, they will give a better indication than that of an amateur's recording made at home.

There are exceptions of course, but chances are if you hear an electric guitar in a recording, it is a tube amp.

georgeo · 05-20-2004, 04:32 PM

maybe another positive of a SS or modeling amp-their tone doesn't change much as volume changes.

gearup · 05-20-2004, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgeo

maybe another positive of a SS or modeling amp-their tone doesn't change much as volume changes.

That is their downfall. One of the best tone knobs on a tube amp is labeled VOLUME.

ApparentlyNothing · 05-20-2004, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgeo

maybe another positive of a SS or modeling amp-their tone doesn't change much as volume changes.

Well, that's not entirely true. If you push a SS amp to the peak of its wattage, then it starts to sound like crap. When tube amps get pushed to their peak, they sound their best. Although SS amps will have relatively more headroom for cleans if that's what you're wanting.

spmantar · 05-20-2004, 06:22 PM

I think what he meant was that the tone (not that clipping at higher volumes) that comes from an SS amp will not change at lower volumes. The tone from a tube amp will not sound its best at lower volumes, while an SS amp, if one likes its tone, will be able to keep that sound at lower volumes, although at really low volumes, the tone suffers since the human ear can't hear the low and higher frequencies as well (as I learned from Major Tom).