Solid State Amps For LIVE, Rather Than Tubes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter stevieb
  • Start date Start date

The statment in the post is:

  • As TRUE as it can be. Exceptions would be very rare.

    Votes: 2 10.5%

  • As FALSE as it can be- TURN AROUND, YOU 180 DEGREES OFF.

    Votes: 11 57.9%

  • Mostly TRUE (about 60-80% correct.)

    Votes: 2 10.5%

  • Mostly FALSE (about 20-30% correct.)

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • Total voters
    19
Voted "mostly false." There are a handful of situations where solid state amps just happen to perform really well for a particular sound - the Roland Jazz Chorus is a jazz/clean-toned standby for a reason, when you want a perefectly clean and clear sound, and something about the solid state/speaker modeling thing works really well for Meshuggah and their Line6 Pod Pros.

However, my experience has been that by and large tube amps outperform solid state amps, which is especially true in a live environment when you can really get them moving some air.

Two caveats:

1.) This is really more true of tube power amps. I could see a solid state pre, dialed in right, running into a tube power amp with the tubes pushed a bit hanging just as well, since for me the poweramp compression (not saturation or "distortion," exactly, but the way that the amp compresses a bit when you hit it hard and smooths out overall) is really what makes a good tube amp.
2.) this is also probably because there are very few botique-quality solid state amps on the market. Most tube amps I'd take to a gig run for $1k+, whereas the number of solid state amps on the market in that price range (excluding modeling amps, which I have a whole other slew of issues with) is, well, miniscule.

Gotta agree on the reliability front, too - I've played tube amps for the better part of a decade now, and played solid state for a few years before that. I've had more issues with the solid state amps than with tube amps, even though I have 2-3x as much time logged on tube rigs. I'm not saying solid state amps are inherently LESS reliable than tube amps - I suspect it's just that the tube amps in question are higher end than the entry- to mid-level solid state amps - but certainly they're not more reliable either. Also, while we're on the subject, tubes are a LOT more servicable. I had a TSL-100 head back in college that got soaked in a couple pints of beer at a toga party gig. A new set of tubes, a new fuse, and $30 in labor cleaning the innards and I was back in business, while a solid state circuit most likely would have gotten fried and melted down.
 
Well, FINALLY- a considered, thought-out opinion, instead of the usual pablum, what-somebody-done-tol'-me response. I can respect your opinion, Drew, even if I am not 100% in accord with it. Oh, and Rejection Ninja obviously gave it some thought, too.

The rest of you guys- it is obvious your guitar playing is getting in the way of what you REALLY want to do- READING and TALKING about tone, instead of MAKING it.

EDIT:) Just so you all know I am funnin' ya.
 
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If your sound comes from a solid state amp, play that live.
If your sound comes from a tube amp, play that live.

I just don't get why anyone would think that amp archetecture is venue specific.
 
stevieb said:
Well, FINALLY- a considered, thought-out opinion, instead of the usual pablum, what-somebody-done-tol'-me response. I can respect your opinion, Drew, even if I am not 100% in accord with it. Oh, and Rejection Ninja obviously gave it some thought, too.
Click to expand...

Thanks dude. Here's the thing, though - I'll freely admit I've never played a $2,000 solid state amp. Would I feel differently if I played a truly botique quality solid state head? Who knows. My experience is that most of the things that tubes do naturally are very hard to do with solid state electronics, and since tubes have been the de facto standard for guitar amplification since day one and are really what guitarists (at least the majority of those living today - it'll be interesting to see how the Line6 generation changes things) expect from an amp, I have a hard time seeing how manipulating a solid state amp to respond like a tube amp could posisbly be easier/more effective than just letting tubes do their thing.

Anyway, if anyone's aware of a botique-quality solid state head, particularly something capable of mid-to-high gain with a bit of a metal vibe, please speak up as I'll promise to at least be open minded. Past that, I'll say that the best solid state stuff I've played comes from Tech-21, and I dig my Trademark-30 enough (and while it's less to my taste I was floored by the semi-clean tones from the 60) that in a pinch I'd be curious to hear a Sansamp PSA through the right poweramp (evidently they do better with SS than tube, I've been told).
 
So far I've played a couple of solid state (excluding bass amps) that I like: the Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight and the ZT Lunchbox. Both are serious, high-power amps with distinct voices and the undeniable benefit of light weight (the JM is under 26 lb with the cab, the ZT is 9-1/2 lb) and high power (JM, 250 watts; ZT, 200 watts). I'd gig with them anywhere, despite the fact that my tube amps give me a lot of joy ('63 Silvertone 1484, Band-Master VM head + Weber 15 cab, DRRI, Blues Jr NOS, many others now gone). You can't make a tube amp light: the 15 watt BJ is still 31 lb.

DrewPeterson7 (and others) are correct: it's your sound, not what the electrons are racing around in that matters. Tube vs solid state is one of those false dichotomies that we all revel in: ARE TOO! and ARE NOT! are the two sides of the argument, and that's about as deep as it ever gets.

Me, I love good sound, but I prefer the experiential. I'd feel pretty silly ascribing the kinds of characteristics to electronic schematics that so many guitarists get into fights over. It's all urban legend, and BS in large doses, and more a test of how conformist you are in your views than your actual knowledge.
 
This thread died almost a year ago. What is with all the necro-posting today?
 
I dunno, you tell me. You just posted...

Hey, it really has been almost a year.
 
I agree that Tubes are the way to go.

Everything sounds better through a tube amp. Guitar and harmonica.

I have a 1966 Sears Silvertone tube amp which helps to provide a really nasty harp sound and a Fender Deluxe that is about as versatile and yet basic as a tube amp can be.

Others say that SS is more reliable if you gig alot but I have not had an issue with my vintage amp or my more recently made tube amp. Just take care when packing em and they'll be fine.
 
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