Compressor Pedals.

[pohaku]

I use a tube amp AND a compressor.I love compressors but I think they are there to give you that last little bit,not to drastically alter your tone.

A compressor pedal can be used to add a little sustain,a little overdrive or a little of both.They also give you a little "cluck" for country style chicken picken'.

Quite right. That's how I use mine. Not really as a significant effect. If you want to approximate the sound of a tube amp with a SS amp, you are better off with some variety of tube preamp (pedal or otherwise) than a comp pedal. That's not to say that a comp pedal won't add something to your sound, but it won't make a SS amp sound like a tube amp. I also use a DBX 266 in my guitar rack, but only because that's the only thing for which it's any good. Works pretty well in that application and having the gate can be nice as well.

 

[Gear_Junky]

i am by no means an enemy of compression. it has all its uses, including with guitar. and it can be pleasant with clean guitar sounds - that extra clean sustain and punchiness can be cool. but when i hear on recordings compression used to make up for a lack of a tube amp, it sounds "good" but a bit too "artificial" to me.

part of the "tube tone" is a natural compression that occurs in the circuitry and that just sounds... natural. that's probably why tube amps sound so good and cut through the mix so well in the first place.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

i am by no means an enemy of compression. it has all its uses, including with guitar. and it can be pleasant with clean guitar sounds - that extra clean sustain and punchiness can be cool. but when i hear on recordings compression used to make up for a lack of a tube amp, it sounds "good" but a bit too "artificial" to me.

part of the "tube tone" is a natural compression that occurs in the circuitry and that just sounds... natural. that's probably why tube amps sound so good and cut through the mix so well in the first place.

Pretty much what he said. I'm not saying don't ever use a compressor, but if you're in the market for a compressor because you don't like the fundamental sound of your amp, maybe it makes more sense to look for a new amp.

 

[Big Kenny]

Carl Martin
Barge Concepts
Barber Tone Press
I like all three for different stuff, The Carl Martin finds acoustic uses while the other two are on my electric board

 

[Rickson Gracie]

You do NOT need to get a 50 watt amp to get good tube sound. actually having smaller amp will let you experience the tube 'goodness' even more because you can crank it up.

90% of the time you will not need more than 15 watts of power and many times 5 watts is all you need when dealing with tube amps. especially for recording or small gigs.

invest in a good tube amp in that power range and you will be a happy guy.

 

[pohaku]

All my tube amps are pretty low wattage:

Matchless SC-30 (30 watts with 15 watt cut switch) I ususalkly play this at 15 watts in the house and when recording because 30 watts is too loud.

Fender Super Champ - 18 watts

64 Fender Champ - tweed circuit and a whopping 5 watts - but it goes to 12.

Ampeg B-15N flip top - 30 watts

All are suitable for recording (and many great records were made with these amps) and can be more than loud enough for home/studio use. Most are suitable for a small venue, depending on whether you also have drums or not. You don't "need" 50 watts for a tube amp.

 

[castlerock]

I've come to the realization that for the sounds i want to experiment with I need a compressor, I don't so much need the sustainer types. What compressors are worth checking out from your personal experience?

a compressor will be a great addition to your rig and likely help you come close to what you want, but judging by what you've been describing you might want to try out a ts-9 or ts-808. they're really good at warming up solid state amps and will give you that little bit of grit and punch that you seem to be looking for...and they will drastically change the sound of your rig.

 

[ggunn]

You do NOT need to get a 50 watt amp to get good tube sound. actually having smaller amp will let you experience the tube 'goodness' even more because you can crank it up.

90% of the time you will not need more than 15 watts of power and many times 5 watts is all you need when dealing with tube amps. especially for recording or small gigs.

invest in a good tube amp in that power range and you will be a happy guy.

+1. My gigging amp is a Deluxe Reverb (22 watts) and it can get too loud. I have a 50 watt Marshall but it's way too much for the gigs I play.

 

[WhiteStrat]

+1. My gigging amp is a Deluxe Reverb (22 watts) and it can get too loud. I have a 50 watt Marshall but it's way too much for the gigs I play.

Oh the wisdom of hindsight. My main amp is a 100 watt tube combo with like 12 tubes (they're all named for signs of the zodiac I think). I thought I'd need to crank over the rest of the band. Guess what? I never turned it up past 4. Then I stopped playing live, and now I only use it in the studio.

I love it for it's sound, but I had to buy an attenuator just to bring it back down to practice/recording levels.

My next amp will be 3 or 5 watts--1 tube. Seriously.

 

[Gear_Junky]

+1 on wattage.

my SCXD is 15 watt. it is easily louder/punchier than a 60-watt solid state amp. And when just practicing at home it shakes windows at 4. I have to turn it up to at least 4 - it starts sounding good at 4 and up. it will easily hang with unmiked drums or else it can be miked.

 

[antichef]

I never turned my 50 watt JCM800 2204 + 1960A ('80s Marshall half stack) up past "1" - for any real playing - seriously. Except for recording in a nice studio with a gobo hut built around it turned up to 6 (that was kickass! but really expensive). At gigs (small to large bars - no stadiums ), if I went higher than 1, I overpowered the mains, and the sound guy kicked me around.

Most tube amps I play through at home are from 1 watt (an old Silvertone practice amp) to 3-5 watts (Gibson skylarks, Epiphone 101, Epiphone Valve Junior, etc.). The small ones are great for recording and farting around on, but still loud enough to piss off the other denizens of the house. The 50 watt Marshall pretty much wants to take a wall out when you play through it.

 

[nubsy]

I recently got an Analogman Juicer. I think that it helps add a little heft to clean, low volume playing on the old Fender Champ I have. Nice and simple, with just one knob for the amount of effect added. The squish is adjustable via an inside trim pot, but I've left it at the original setting. I've yet to try it at higher volume, but think that it may come in handy for parts done in a cleaner realm.

 

[TelePaul]

I was playing my epi valave jnr combo with my boss cs3. Just riffing with some shadows/cliff richards tunes, sounded great!