Tube Amp or maybe just a new pedal?

  • Thread starter Thread starter arcadeko
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arcadeko

arcadeko

Illuminatius Overlordious
I have had a little $99 Fender Frontman 25R practice amp, had it for about 8 months - it is my first and only amp.

I have been checking out amps at the local music stores and I really like the sound of the Fender SuperChamp ($299) and I was getting ready to invest in a tube amp because I like the fat warm tones.

But I am wondering if maybe I couldn't get similar results from just getting a good distortion pedal? I see these Boss DS-1 pedals ($40) and the Boss Superstack ($99) - as well as many Tube driven pedals and that would be much cheaper than buying a new amp.

The Digitech multi effect pedals have a ton of modeling settings. I have a cheap Delta Labs multi-effect and I sue it all the time but I am tired of it and I thinkt he Digitech stuff has a better sound.

I am going to hit the GC and test a bunch of pedals and amps this weekend to see how pedals actually sound in SS amps versus tube amps. But I was wanting to hear from some people and get some opinions.

I should note:

1) I don't play gigs so I Don't need an amp any louder than the one I have which is 25 watts - and the 5watt tube amps I have heard are even louder. So I am just looking for some nice tone to record with.

2) I never play any clean channel guitar music - everything I do is kinda gritty punk/alternative type stuff. There is always a lot of distortion and I like the harmonics and feedback I get. I like the hot pickups. I am going to be working on some more rock driven (led zep/white stripes) blues type riffs in the near future.

So can I get away with a pedal or is there no substitute for a real tube amp? :D
 
The difference is that the Super Champ XD has a real tube power section. There's just something magical about how power tubes clip/distort. Preamp tubes really don't have that same magic to them when you push them, although they are good for adding sensitivity and "grit" to your tone. Any of the pedals that use a tube will have a preamp tube driven at pretty low power levels, and the might be good at complimenting an overdriven tube power section, they just can't replace its effect on your overall tone.

The SCXD is a little different because I think that it uses a modelling preamp section (not even sure if it has preamp tubes). But having a real tube power section is the sweet part of the deal for that amp.

I'd go for the real tube amp because I have a feeling that pedals will not satisfy you in the same way as that SCXD will.
 
There is no substitute for a real tube amp.

Play a nice Victoria 5112 or 20112 Deluxe experience the touch sensitivity and dynamics of a well -made tube amp and you'll see what it's all about.
 
c7sus said:
There is no substitute for a real tube amp.

Play a nice Victoria 5112 or 20112 Deluxe experience the touch sensitivity and dynamics of a well -made tube amp and you'll see what it's all about.
Click to expand...

That is about 3x my budget - but I do plan on testing out several amps versus pedal/ss amp.

I read the specs on the Vibro-Champ XD which is the 5watt version of the Super Champ XD but $100 cheaper - so if I can play one of those it might work.

I also like the Blackstar 5watt tube amp but its $399 so I would have to wait a couple more weeks... might be worth it if I son;t find an amp I really like, but I have a GC coupon too so we will see
 
arcadeko said:
That is about 3x my budget - but I do plan on testing out several amps versus pedal/ss amp.

I read the specs on the Vibro-Champ XD which is the 5watt version of the Super Champ XD but $100 cheaper - so if I can play one of those it might work.

I also like the Blackstar 5watt tube amp but its $399 so I would have to wait a couple more weeks... might be worth it if I son;t find an amp I really like, but I have a GC coupon too so we will see
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Check out the Egnater too. There's a 20-watt Rebel head on Craigslist in my area for $350.

Egnater Rebel 20, all tube amp head

Here's another called the Tweaker. 15 watts. $300.

The 'TWEAKER' by Egnater --tube guitar amp head

The Blackstar might work for you too. Go out a play a few different amps. Once you play some decent tube amps you'll never look back.
 
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first off ....... there are some amazing pedals out there.
The DS-1 is not one of them! :D

But Blackstar makes some great tube pedals and Fulltone makes some very amp like OD's. The OCD is a really good one ... behaves like an amp in that it cleans up when you turn down the volume. There's very many great pedals and you could possibly get by with one and even if you got a tube amp also, the pedal wouldn't go to waste.

Having said that, there IS no substitute for a nice tube amp HOWEVER: .... the magic in a tube amp comes mainly when you get the power tubes singing and to do that they have to be cranked at least a little bit to get them going.
As you've found out .... even a 5 watter is LOUD! so those 15 and 20 watt amps are gonna get really loud when you push the power tubes hard enough to make the magic happen.
Now the Egnaters (VERY nice amps) do have master volumes which means you can get distortion without cranking them BUT .... that distortion is pre-amp tubes and not power tubes because the power tubes have to be pushed to get them to distort and they're not being pushed if you use the master to keep the volume low.
So if you're gonna do that ...... then it's not a lot different from what you can get out of a good OD.

I'd go to the store numerous times ..... take your time ...... hell, bring your Frontman when you're testing pedals to see what it will actually sound like thru your own amp. Try a bunch 'o' pedals ..... try some amps.
For really cheap that little Bugera sounds decent even thru it's crappy little 8" speaker and you could run it into other speakers (like the one in your Frontman)
Plus you can turn it down to 1 or 1/10 of a watt.
Some of the other amps have scalable power like that too.
There's a LOT of stuff to choose between so take a lotta time and really investigate what it all sounds like. Make it a fun adventure and don't get in a rush and you'll find something you fall in love with.
That'll be what you should get.
 
I would mention some tube amps, but my tastes have slowly moved toward the more expensive stuff over the last few years, so I won't tease you, since you are on a low budget at the moment...

...but a 3-way crunch pedal that wasn't very expensive and one I actually liked, was the Lovekraft Mojo Drive:

Lovekraft Effects
 
Yeah a 50W tube amp is going to be pretty darn loud by the time you push it hard enough to break up the power tubes. As you found out, even a 5W tube amp is pretty loud in a small room.

There is a whole new crop of lunchbox amps out now by the likes of Vox, Orange, even the high-dollar amp companies are starting to make smaller low-powered amp heads and combos.

If volume is a really big issue for you, maybe even look into (gasp) modelling gear or software.
 
Well you know...if you get a master volume amp or one that's designed to break up real early...you can still use 25, 30 even 50 watt amps to get nice crunch without ripping your head off.

My Tungsten Crème Cortez is under 20W and can get mean even at low volumes. It's a "refined" 5E3 style of amp, and it just spits out some of the creamiest crunch tones without a lot of work.
 
Tadpui said:
.......If volume is a really big issue for you, maybe even look into (gasp) modelling gear or software.
Click to expand...

+1.

If you're not playing out, the Frontman is going to have to do for bedroom practice, and something like a UX1 will be your recording 'amp'.

Everyone is guilty of 'suggesting' their favorite amp. However, if you aren't playing gritty punk/alternative music, then you don't know where arcadeko is coming from. $1,200 for a Victoria is fine, and would have a sound Clapton wishes he had these days. But for 'gritty punk/alternative' it ain't right. I hate to say it, but with 99% of the punk players out there you'd actually hear their poor/sloppy technique, and most punk players prefer hiding behind a wall of mush. Remember, it's about feel, emotion, or getting all that angst out of their system, and not sweet, creamy tones. He's not a blues player.
 
Lt. Bob said:
first off ....... there are some amazing pedals out there.
The DS-1 is not one of them! :D
Click to expand...

The first pedal i ever bought, probably 25 years ago. Terrible buzzy distortion. Of course i thought it was awesome when i was 13.
 
Do you think the individual pedal's are better then the multi-pedals like the Digitech RP 355 ? I thought the DT sounded pretty good and you can edit them on your PC via USB
 
Individual analog pedals properly configured sound WAY better than any of the low-end multi FX pedals IMHO.
 
Where did he say he's playing punk rock?

:confused:

Tell Neil Young he can't get gritty sounds out of a Deluxe 5E3 circuit.
 
c7sus said:
Tell Neil Young he can't get gritty sounds out of a Deluxe 5E3 circuit.
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Exactly! :)

That's why I mentioned my Tungsten Crème Cortez, 5E3 amp. It does all kinds of crunch/grit sounds...from mild to nuclear. :cool:
 
I am strongly leaning towards this thing plugged into my clean SS channel

 
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