Need both a Solid State and a Tube?

[Codeseven]

Seems many on the net place amps into two distinct categories, either Solid State or Tube. And that the sound they each are capable of producing is vastly different. That if you want a 'solid state sound' you need a solid state amp and if you want a 'tube sound' you need a tube amp.

Do you guys own both? For the reasons above?

I'm a newer owner of a Mustang III, it's seems to be a great solid state modeling amp capable of many sounds including very near the warmth of a tube amp sound. But I got a good listen to a Tone King Imperial and loved it. Can a solid state modeling amp emulate a tube amp as well as a tube amp?

Should my M-III be the solid state amp I own but the Tone King be the tube amp I also own?

 

[Drew224]

I can't say I've ever wanted a solid state tone. There are guys who've made them sound good over the years (Jimmy Page being one name, and Brian May being another. Greg Ginn if you're not a Black Flag hater.), but it's never quite been my thing. I can get a good tone out of a decent SS amp, but to me, the response is just too flat. I prefer how even a kind of crappy tube amp still responds fairly well to my touch. A good tube amp is just mindblowing. There's a reason these things are still in production, when cheaper technology has been around for years.

 

[YankeeDespot]

It's not a matter o of need of course. I use my line 6 SS amp with footboard in the house when I'm feeling lazy, but there's nothing like the visceral feel of a tube amp. It took me a while to appreciate it, but it's really clear now. I love my fenders. I got the stupid loud Deville at GC for $200.00 because it had a faulty $4 input jack. I play the junior with a tubescreamer mostly.

Have some fun. Play amps, find the tone you want. You'll love whatever you get.

Cheers.

 

[Codeseven]

I can't say I've ever wanted a solid state tone. There are guys who've made them sound good over the years (Jimmy Page being one name, and Brian May being another. Greg Ginn if you're not a Black Flag hater.), but it's never quite been my thing. I can get a good tone out of a decent SS amp, but to me, the response is just too flat. I prefer how even a kind of crappy tube amp still responds fairly well to my touch. A good tube amp is just mindblowing. There's a reason these things are still in production, when cheaper technology has been around for years.

That's a good statement. As a kid I remember going down to the local drug store with a burnt out tube from our tv, plugging it into the tester machine and pulling out a new one to bring home and be able to watch tv that night (it was never allowed to be on during the day back then). Here we are decades later and those tubes are now sought after, who'd a thunk it. I kinda dig waiting a my neighbors tube amp to warm up before we can use it, brings back old memories.

 

[Codeseven]

It's not a matter o of need of course. I use my line 6 SS amp with footboard in the house when I'm feeling lazy, but there's nothing like the visceral feel of a tube amp. It took me a while to appreciate it, but it's really clear now. I love my fenders. I got the stupid loud Deville at GC for $200.00 because it had a faulty $4 input jack. I play the junior with a tubescreamer mostly.

Have some fun. Play amps, find the tone you want. You'll love whatever you get.

Cheers.

Yup, 'need' is probably not the right word. I should replace that with 'want'

 

[Dr. Pain]

I have both. Started with a Marshall MG30 but wanted something with a little bit more to it. Got a Peavey Vypyr 60 tube, it's both SS and tube. It's very good but was unreliable when I first got it. It would shut off for no reason and it's very loud. Then a Blackstar HT-5 and 212 cab. That's given me a tone very close to what I was after and it's great for playing I like such as thrash metal and Iron Maiden. Although the Vypyr is reliable now days and it does so many things my HT-5 can't. So between the two I get such great variety and I haven't forked out loads of cash.

Thing about the Vypyr is I can't turn it up enough to get the benefits from the power tubes as it's too loud and I'm after more pre amp tubes anyway for destortion, which it doesn't have, and that's where the Blackstar comes in. Although they might get a 5150 III 50 watt or a JVM 205H for company one day.

 

[SvdH]

Thing about the Vypyr is I can't turn it up enough to get the benefits from the power tubes as it's too loud and I'm after more pre amp tubes anyway for destortion, which it doesn't have, and that's where the Blackstar comes in. Although they might get a 5150 III 50 watt or a JVM 205H for company one day.

Try a Koch Jupiter! It has the pre-amp tubes, but with a solid state output stage. Sounds wonderful, and has the feel of a full-tube amp.

 

[tdearn]

I've got both. I've got a tube Marshall dsl 50 head for my rock band. Then when I play in my jazz band I use a fender deluxe 112 plus ss amp. Its nice and portable and has a great clean channel.

 

[BuzzHaze]

I have 2 in 1....a 79 MusicMan combo. It has a solid-state preamp and a tube power amp.

...but I do have both. I also have a Mesa Roadster, all tube and a Yamaha THR10 solid-state and my Peavey Mark IV bass rig is solid-state.

 

[needlespauls]

Try a Koch Jupiter! It has the pre-amp tubes, but with a solid state output stage. Sounds wonderful, and has the feel of a full-tube amp.

This could be one of my next amps. Sounds fantastic in all the demos I've heard, great size and weight, looks beautiful too!! Great price for what you're getting and by no means just a backup amp. Could go to the #1 spot.

 

[Dr. Pain]

Try a Koch Jupiter! It has the pre-amp tubes, but with a solid state output stage. Sounds wonderful, and has the feel of a full-tube amp.

Cheers I'll have a look at it.

 

[musicmaniac]

I've got my original Peavey Classic VT that is both 6L6 power tubes and SS which I've used without trouble for about 40 years. It serves as backup or practice amp now but it covers most of what I need an amp to do in these cases.

 

[SteveGangi]

Don’t buy an amp because someone on the web says it “sucks less” or because some garage band kid says “it haz the br00talz”. Try it and buy it because it sounds good to you. You have to try many many many in person too… internet “reviews” generally have shit miking, shit control settings, and can be manipulated to agree with the poster’s preconceived agendas.

There are phenomenal tube amps and phenomenal solid state amps. There are also horrible piles of shit in both categories.

 

[st.bede]

High quality SS amps can sound very good. low quality tube amps can sound pretty bad.

 

[edro]

One of my amps is an old 80's Legend with tube pre's and SS finals... Killer amp. (ZZ Eliminator album was Legend amp)

Another is a Peavey Vypyr 60 Tube with modeling pre and Tube finals. Also sounds good but loud as two hells.

My Blackstar 20 all tube is a great amp, especially for strat/tele....

There are good and bad in both worlds. A Roland Jazz Chorus sounds beautiful clean, right up to the point you use on board distortion and then it sounds like tish to me.

I had an old white Marshall back in the road days and set it fat clean. I used a Nady TD-1 (12ax7 tube inside) for stank.

Sooooo if you have a good sounding amp for your clean (whatever that might be to you) I'd say get a good greasy stank pedal for the bbq smokin'....

 

[Smedley Smorganoff]

While I agree that a good tube amp is very delicious, a good solid state amp also has some desirable attributes.

Solid state amps are very tight sounding, or as Drew224 said: "flat". They have a fast attack that can't be duplicated on a tube amp. Lack of sag, if you will. This could help if you're a very fast player or you have a lot of intricate things going on in your playing and you want it all to fly out of the speaker. A lot of lapsteel and slide players appreciate the fast attack. Jazz guys who are changing complex chords rapidly like the fast attack.

Like Buzz Haze, I have a Music Man amp that is solid state preamp with tube poweramp. It's a good cross between the two and I love it for slide. I also have an Orange OR50 and a Fender Vibroverb which are both all-tube and I love my Music Man equally.

My rule of thumb with solid state amps is that as long as it's high wattage, it should sound good for playing loud. I find the closer a solid state amp gets cranked to its power capacity is when it starts to sound bad and exhibit all the things people hate about solid state amps.

 

[old mark]

I played nothing but tube amps for decades...now all but one of mine are old US made Peavey solid state amps...My favorite amp is a mid '80's Peavey Bandit 75, Solo series. GREAT blues/jazz semi clean, and huge potential for filthy overdrive sound, and ALL available a very low volume...and these amps get LOUD!!!!

FWIW, my only full tube amp now is a mid '70's Peavey Vintage Tweed, 100 watts, with a pair of 1965 JBL 12's in it...Like a Fender monster amp.

ehb - I have a '70's Legend A 30, too...amazing amp in many ways.

 

[SteveGangi]

While I agree that a good tube amp is very delicious, a good solid state amp also has some desirable attributes.

Solid state amps are very tight sounding, or as Drew224 said: "flat". They have a fast attack that can't be duplicated on a tube amp. Lack of sag, if you will. This could help if you're a very fast player or you have a lot of intricate things going on in your playing and you want it all to fly out of the speaker. A lot of lapsteel and slide players appreciate the fast attack. Jazz guys who are changing complex chords rapidly like the fast attack.

Like Buzz Haze, I have a Music Man amp that is solid state preamp with tube poweramp. It's a good cross between the two and I love it for slide. I also have an Orange OR50 and a Fender Vibroverb which are both all-tube and I love my Music Man equally.

My rule of thumb with solid state amps is that as long as it's high wattage, it should sound good for playing loud. I find the closer a solid state amp gets cranked to its power capacity is when it starts to sound bad and exhibit all the things people hate about solid state amps.

Yes, this. I do chords and fingerpicking. It can get pretty "busy" to say the least. I also play clean a lot. For that, a good sized SS amp was just the ticket. Crunch and drive sound good on partial (power) chords and single note leads... however crunch and drive sound would sound like sharts for finerpicking and chord melody. At the same time, for jamming an ACDC or Sabbath song, a clean sound would just be wrong

 

[dspelman]

Seems many on the net place amps into two distinct categories, either Solid State or Tube. And that the sound they each are capable of producing is vastly different.

"Vastly different" is vastly overstating things. Most folks really can't tell the difference between a Line 6 pod and a tube amp. A few can, but only under certain circumstances. And when you get a bit higher on the modeling food chain, the differences disappear, for all practical purposes.

I've got a ton of tube amps and a bunch of modelers. At the moment, I'm using modelers far more often than tube amps and I don't think the people who are listening are missing anything.

 

[rabidhamster]

Mostly you'll need one til you get the other.

Except for Dimebag. After he got tube amps, he needed his solid state amps back again instead.