jmacomber68w Posted February 7, 2008 Share Posted February 7, 2008 so for 240 bucks, there is the 30w amp that i have ran into in a flyer, ive read a bit online, can anyone explain how this is different than a tube amp, Im dont have much knowledge of the difference between tube amps and solid state, all I know is that ive played a few of my friends tube amps and they dominate my amp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigWheeledWagon Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 so for 240 bucks, there is the 30w amp that i have ran into in a flyer, ive read a bit online, can anyone explain how this is different than a tube amp, Im dont have much knowledge of the difference between tube amps and solid state, all I know is that ive played a few of my friends tube amps and they dominate my amp There is a huge difference in the tones produced by a tube amp and a sold state amp. For most purposes, vacuum tubes are a dead technology, but for guitar amplification, nothing has improved upon the good old fashioned tube (in my humble opinion). Transistors are more efficient from an electrical standpoint, and they don't heat up the way tubes do, but they lack the "warmth" of tube technology. Solid state technology provides a very clean sound, if this is what you want. They don't really do much to the sound of your guitar other than amplify the signal, but this can sound "cold" to some (like me). Tube amps impart that little something extra to your sound, which most refer to as warmth. The sound produced is probably not as technically accurate a reproduction of the sound coming off your strings as that produced transistors, but it's certainly more colorful. The debate over tube vs. solid state plays out a lot like the debate over analog vs. digital or LP vs. CD. Strangely enough, I'm not one of those who has a turntable and thinks the CD/digital music has destroyed music. I don't particularly miss the hiss and crackle of a record player, and I like the cleanness of digital. With amp tubes, though, it's not so much about trying to get a clean and accurate reproduction of the signal coming from your strings and passing through the pickups -- the tubes are really part of the instrument. They add color, body, and again, warmth (I just find that word the best way to describe tube sound, but they can also impart depth and tonal complexity). When I first started playing guitar (1991 or so -- wow), I pretty much tried to get the loudest amp I could for the money, so my first few amps were solid state (I wasn't even old enough to drive, so we can cut the young me some slack on this point). For years, I never understood why, despite trying numerous different pedals and guitars, I could never get the guitar sound that my favorite guitar players had. When I finally got a little money, I bought my first tube amp. I was astounded at the difference. I expected it to be a subtle difference -- it wasn't. It was a huge difference. I could never go back to solid state. I started to say that it would be like going back to a normal television after having HD for a while, but that's not it. It would be like going back to black and white 13 inch TV with no cable input after having a 52 inch plasma. Oh, and tubes distort rather easily (or at least at lower levels than transistors) -- which is one of the reasons they largely fell out of favor in other areas of use (the other reasons being power consumption, size, and heat). In the area of guitar amplification, though, this is a major plus. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
In a little rowboat Posted February 8, 2008 Share Posted February 8, 2008 Good assessment...a few thoughts... As mentioned, tubes break up at a point, adding not just 'distortion', but harmonics and overtones that can be quite delicious 20 watts of tube will take you leaps and bounds beyond 20 watts solid state in volume and power to cut through... All tube electronics dont run as efficiently (resulting in heat), but yield some natural compression and increased string response Youll get better volume and tone control from your guitars electonics with an amp with tube preamps There are several manufacturers that have produced hybrid amps (tube preamp w/solidstate power out, and vice versa), although im not a fan, they are another animal Most tube amps require more maintenance and the occasional retube...however most tube amps are easier to work on if they go bad... Best if you take 2 amps of same wattage, one tube, one ss, and play them next to each other j Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oceanman Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I've had that amp, it's a piece of shit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colm Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 It's a modeling amp - it uses digital technology to emulate various classic amps.So it has a setting for 'Fender Blackface' and 'Vox AC30', which are intended to sound like the originals.It also has some built in effects. The unique thing about the valvetronix series is that they actually use a valve/tube for this modeling.This may be a marketing gimmick, or may be an essential part of the technology. Either way it gets pretty good reviews & is known for being very responsive to your playing(pick harder & it distorts more) I have the 15 watt version and I use it as a practice amp a lot, usually with headphones.It's much more convenient than my tube amp for this purpose, and it's also fun to play with the different amp models occasionally. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oceanman Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 This may be a marketing gimmick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jmacomber68w Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 figure i would put this to bed, played it, didnt like it, im gonna go get a real tube amp soon enough, gimmick would be a good way to describe more of a cool toy amp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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