Tube Amp Aficionado Thread NOT dissing modellers

[cherrysunburst00]

With all the attention modellers have been (rightfully) receiving (I always say "whatever gets the peeps playing), I thought "hmm, why not start a tube amp aficionado thread?"

Maybe they are plain and/or simple, but borrowing from Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon, I like simple. The stuff I like was recorded with simple technology. And as I've said a myriad of times (and will say many more times in the future) I dig the "charm" of guitar into amp. Like a Chevy Chevelle 454 or my '13 Challenger (new, but "old school charm" and vibe)--Good Ol' AMERICAN HORSE POWER!!!

NOW, on to the goods. Let's discuss what sort of music we play AND what we play through.

I dig my Marshall JMP & JCM 50th anni amps, my Phaez Sibly, Dr. Z Monza (a Rock 'n' Roll BEAST) and Mini Z, and Laney Lionheart L5T.

Have the hankering to get a Carr Raleigh in the medium future.

I play only straight guitar through amp "with no toys in between to mess up the signal"--Ted Nugent and strictly hard/old school heavy rock. Never play clean.

 

[Iron Broadsword]

...Kidding, kidding!

 

[SWeAT hOg]

Classic Rawk-er here. I play most of my dirt through my Tiny Terror and my clean stuff through my VOX Night Train. The VOX also serves as the platform for most of my pedals, which the Tiny Terror don't like too well. MLP member Batman sold me a wicked Cornish G2 clone that I use for anything needing a great distortion pedal tone (covers, mostly-Nirvana, Weezer's Hash Pipe, etc.) My previous tube amps were a Traynor YCV50 and a YCV80. Both were far too loud to get to their 'sweet-spots' and I am much happier with my lower-wattage tones.

 

[WhiteEpiLP]

I finally aquired my first all tube amp not too long ago. A fender blues jr, with an eminence canabis rex.
All i can say is wheres it been all my life (well 3 years of playing guitar at least).
I started with a line 6 spider 30 and quickly wanted something more organic sounding.
Modeling amps might serve well for the at home, needs to cover alot of sounds person.
But nothing beats the suttle hum and warmth of a tube amp imo.

 

[chupe442]

My Marshall DSL40 (after a few mods and repairs), has really turned into a gem for most platforms. The clean channel does the Marshall grunt cleans very nicely while providing a solid pedal platform for grind core to any thing else I can throw at it. On the #2 channel, I can get beautiful high gain for classic to 80' metal with little effort (before the notorious fizziness takes over..) Over all, not a buy and play amp for everybody. But a little patience and knowledge/luck and the DLS line is not bad!

 

[Tsquared]

Blues/Jazz. Allen Sweet Spot or an '83 Princeton Reverb II that I'm slowly trying to make sound as good as the Allen. I didn't say like the Allen - I want as good as, only different. More work than I initially thought.
Pedals are the work of... Satan.

I won't mention the solid state thingie here...

 

[Soul Tramp]

Doesn't get more simple, or iconic, than this.

 

[drew365]

Future icon!

Excuse the pedals, sometimes I can't help myself.

 

[Riffraff12571]

Simplicity at it's finest.

6SJ7GT pentode, Single ended 6L6WGB power section & 5Y3WGTA rectifier point to point wired.



Tonez

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrzfywGuf74[/ame]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrzfywGuf74

 

[acstorfer]

I play pretty much all classic rock.

I have had quite a few tube amps. Some tube amps I liked. Some tube amps I thought blah. One tube amp I absolutely hated. One tube amp I absolutely loved.

I'm thinking since this is an aficionado thread I'm gonna talk about the tube amp I loved, and miss very, very much.

Ladies & Gentlemen, jammers of all ages, may I introduce the Swart Space Tone 6V6.



This sexy beast isn't just a looker. Even with it's minimal 8" speaker the sound filled up the room better than any 12" speaker I've ever played. It even rivals the 15" speaker I used for my Egnater Rebel 20, and currently use with my Orange OR-15.

With just a volume control, a tone control, and a hot switch, it was simplicity incarnate. I love using pedals and every pedal I put in front of it sounded great. Where it shined of course is at it's sweet spot at the overdrive level.

It will be replaced within the next month or two, but with which Swart amp? That is the question.

 

[frankv]

I play pretty much all classic rock.

I have had quite a few tube amps. Some tube amps I liked. Some tube amps I thought blah. One tube amp I absolutely hated. One tube amp I absolutely loved.

I'm thinking since this is an aficionado thread I'm gonna talk about the tube amp I loved, and miss very, very much.

Ladies & Gentlemen, jammers of all ages, may I introduce the Swart Space Tone 6V6.



This sexy beast isn't just a looker. Even with it's minimal 8" speaker the sound filled up the room better than any 12" speaker I've ever played. It even rivals the 15" speaker I used for my Egnater Rebel 20, and currently use with my Orange OR-15.

With just a volume control, a tone control, and a hot switch, it was simplicity incarnate. I love using pedals and every pedal I put in front of it sounded great. Where it shined of course is at it's sweet spot at the overdrive level.

It will be replaced within the next month or two, but with which Swart amp? That is the question.

You sound like a commercial for a BOSE Wave Radio.. hahahahahahaha

 

[Oranjeaap]

Modelling amps can be very usefull and can sound very very good.
And tube amps are their own category of awsome tonez.

It's a bit like you Americans laughing about the small cars here in Europe and Asia, and we laugh about the huge ass fuel burning monsters you're driving. Well, neither suck, they just each have their own area in which they work best. Use the wrong vehicle for the wrong purpose, yes you're an idiot. Use the wrong amp for the wrong purpose, yes you're an idiot.

Dont hate A because you use B and vice versa


For bandrep I use an Engl tube amp, dont even know the model but it has everything you need: line out, PA out, effect loop, reverb on both channels, foot switchable volume boost. The perfect allround amp. Tone isn't the best tube tone ever but for loud playing it sure works better than my VOX Valvetronix.

Oh, my valvetronix is amazing by the way, so many different sounds from 1 amp and it sounds really good too. Too bad it doesn't do high volumes so well. But hey, that is what they're for right? Low volume practice

 

[kevinpaul]

I have two very cool tube amps. I like the music that comes out of them and I like to mod them. When I am getting ready to work the big 50 watt blaster and a couple pedals are what I get ready with or a hybrid 100 watt Fender.
The me time to relax and play a nice non work guitar I use my Fender Mustang II. I can get it to sound like any amp or guitar. I have used it in small clubs and bars, it is only 27 pounds. Not heavy and great is a big point.

 

[elephantrider]

i've been dabling with a genz benz el diablo 60 tube head into
a blackstar ht 12 cab. i've most always run through a ss amp,
but really glad a stepped into this one. it can get creamy blues /
jazz, to nasty dirt, and most all in between. the learning curve
on this bad boy is fairly steep with how you change sound, but
i'm really enjoying the newfound love of duh toobz.

 

[LP121]

DSL15c for me. Does exactly what I want.



I like my Vypyr too.

 

[LPCollector]

I like combining Tube AND solid state amps.
Tube for main tone and solid state to power effects.
That's right, Wet/Dry/Wet rawks my world!!!

 

[IronWeso]

Yay tube Amps!!!!
Voodoo Deluxe Modded JCM2000 (and 3rd channel mod) / Power Station / 2x12 Greenbacks

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With that 3rd channel mod it makes playing in a cover band a breeze. Country to heavy metal.

And a nice lil 1W practice amp:

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[frankv]

Yay tube Amps!!!!
Voodoo Deluxe Modded JCM2000 (and 3rd channel mod) / Power Station / 2x12 Greenbacks

With that 3rd channel mod it makes playing in a cover band a breeze. Country to heavy metal.

And a nice lil 1W practice amp:
]

The Power Station sure looks good racked up..

 

[NotScott]

Nowadays, I play mostly Blues, traditional through more rocked-out tunes. I have some really killer old tube amps and a POD X3. Granted, my POD is an older model with older tech and not one of today's top-performers so take whatever I say for whatever value it may or may not be to this conversation.

For what I am playing nowadays, I need something dynamic. I want an amp that bites when I pick hard and purrs when i pick soft. I also use my volume and tone controls all night to help dial in the right amount of overdrive or soften or accentuate my attack or tone. To me, the amp's feel is much more important than its sound.

In my limited digital experience, I have yet to play a modeler that can successfully emulate this feel of a tube amp that is on the verge of breaking up. I can get good clean and good metal tones out of my POD. But trying to replicate the feel and tone of a slightly overdriven tube amp is something that I have not experienced yet, particularly the dynamic response. The POD just sounds one-dimensional to me and doesn't seem to feel right for those semi-driven tones.

Having said that, if I found a modeler that could replicate the sound AND feel of my old vintage amps, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. However, I would still miss all the cabinet rattles, hums, hisses, buzzes and other noises that tube amps make when they are pushed. There is just something organic about a tube amp on the verge of blowing up that makes them so addictive, at least for me.

I wonder what a few parameter controls for rattles, hum, buzz, etc. would do for a modeler?

 

[IronWeso]

The Power Station sure looks good racked up..

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