Do tube amps really sound better than solid state?

[juwanfidle09]

I used to be one of those who used to arrograntly think that "why in the hell should I take your advice or believe you, I can play better than you".

Pero yun nga, aabot talaga sa point na hindi mo dapat isipin na pagkumparahin yung gear at playing. Magkaibang magkaiba naman kasi yun e.

[rrmode1]

Meh. Yang argument ng modellers vs the real thing parang rapper lang yan. No matter how good your average white rapper is, he still ain't black. 

[randymarsh]

doesn't matter kung solid state or tube amp. mas maganda tumunog ang gitara ko pag malinis at puro ang kuryente at kung galing sa independent supplier. pag meralco, tunog lata.

LOL 

[shredmaestrobri]

Mas gusto ko si eminem kesa kay dr dre

Wala lang

[IncX]

i can see the value of solid state naman .. awhile ago i was listening to nine inch nails' remix Downward Spiral album. it was all solid state and icy distortion ... it works for the style of music, because it was basically an anti-guitar album played with guitars.

there are some people who have a different approach to guitars and music ... but unfortunately, they aren't the same guys who would ever play My Sharona, or do stock pentatonic guitar solos.

[Bolt Thrower]

i can see the value of solid state naman .. awhile ago i was listening to nine inch nails' remix Downward Spiral album. it was all solid state and icy distortion ... it works for the style of music, because it was basically an anti-guitar album played with guitars.

there are some people who have a different approach to guitars and music ... but unfortunately, they aren't the same guys who would ever play My Sharona, or do stock pentatonic guitar solos.

i like my solid state amps. in fact one of my dream amps to covet is the ampeg vh140c. then a randall v2 archetype that's even a hybrid. i like the immediacy and that cold brutal solid state tone for my application. It sounds good to me. Even the harshness sounds pretty useful for me.

But I wouldn't go as far to say that they are better especially compared to the industry tube amp standards. Even if the Randall V2 can go as loud as a recto, it wouldn't sound as good.

Modeling has come a long way. Why do you think there are tons of multieffects patches that sound exactly like the original album recordings? Technology has moved forward. We are not in the 60's anymore. Multieffects pedals are capable of reproducing not just the tube amp sound but the whole chain including whatever digital processing was performed in the studio (and that's why patches sound like the album). New technology is infinitely more flexible and very capable and cheap.

Mas makakatipid ka pa nga kung bumili ka na lang ng Marshall tube talaga diba? Kesa gastos ka ng gastos every year upgrade ng upgrade sa mga cheap multi effects na kopya lang ng kopya ng orig. BAwat upgrade ng sub 500 dollar bracket products, mas mahal pa ginagastos mo. Bumili ka nalang ng Marshall na gusto mo isang gastusan lang.

New technology is not cheap. May mga cheap multi effects pero yung maganda at industry standard like the Axe Fx are priced as much as an ENGL or a Mark V. Mahal pa rin. At yung may mga Axe Fx also have the real tube amps they like and they just clone their settings to the Axe Fx. Bibili ka pa power amp at FRFR speakers na tig $1000 isa.

E matinong Marshall stack makaka score ka USD1.5K.

 

 

[DiMarzSiao™]

Mas gusto ko si eminem kesa kay dr dre

Wala lang

ahaha., kaka-pakinig ko lang kay eminem... 

tutal., napunta sa multi/modeler. sagaran na ng OT.

I used to have the Zoom606., matagal ko ginamit yan. timpla lang ng timpla., sabi ko, hahabulin ko ang mga naririnig ko.
then., humusay ako gumitara gamit ang multi + SS amp.

after a decade, nung nag decide na ko makipag-jam sa banda.
dun ko "naramdaman" ang kaibahan ng tube amp.

mas lalo akong humusay.

after more years., (wala pa rin akong tube amp, dahil ako'y dukha lamang).,
nagkakaruon pa rin ng pagkakataon na makagamit ng mga tube amps.,
at ang pakiramdam ko., ako na ang pinaka mahusay (pero, hindi ko pa din kayang tugtugin ang solo ng My Sharona., kulang pa ko sa da moves eh.)

 


BTT:
Re: Do tube amps really sound better than solid state?

-Yes. SS amp can sound good. but tube amps... ika nga ni papa Jack.. hmmmm., it's better.

[vhunter]

There are some exceptional SS amps too. One of them is the JC120 by roland. Its a fantastic amp.

[treblinkalovescene]

There are some exceptional SS amps too. One of them is the JC120 by roland. Its a fantastic amp.

Dude, Blues Cube din.

[Bolt Thrower]

My Behringer GDI21 sounds sweet at any volume

Slayer or Slash should just have used a Behringer GDI on Brit mode. Sounds good at any volume. No cranking needed. And you sound like a Marshall! lol cheap technology working for you.

Nevermind that it is a copy of a Sansamp. A cheaper copy of a copy...of a copy.

[DiMarzSiao™]

A cheaper copy of a copy...of a copy.

Copy-ception... 

There are some exceptional SS amps too. One of them is the JC120 by roland. Its a fantastic amp.

Dude, Blues Cube din.

ZT !

[teleleng]

Nice arguments here from knowledgeable guitarists....Syensa na mga bros, noob pako sa magandang tube and ss amps that is why I really dig the posts here....

[free2rock]

Ay... Tapos na?

[brownbread]

reading......

[SDMF]

i like my solid state amps. in fact one of my dream amps to covet is the ampeg vh140c. then a randall v2 archetype that's even a hybrid. i like the immediacy and that cold brutal solid state tone for my application. It sounds good to me. Even the harshness sounds pretty useful for me.
But I wouldn't go as far to say that they are better especially compared to the industry tube amp standards. Even if the Randall V2 can go as loud as a recto, it wouldn't sound as good.

I was hoping to see some feedback on Ampeg vh140 or Randall Rg100 es which is why i started looking at this thread. Kaso naging pataasan ihi na e.

Anyway, mayroon kasi dito sa area namin nitong dalawang amp na ito, kakatakot tignan baka mabili ko.

[nickson]

I was hoping to see some feedback on Ampeg vh140 or Randall Rg100 es which is why i started looking at this thread. Kaso naging pataasan ihi na e.

Anyway, mayroon kasi dito sa area namin nitong dalawang amp na ito, kakatakot tignan baka mabili ko.

You got good taste in amps judging by your sig.

[free2rock]

I was hoping to see some feedback on Ampeg vh140 or Randall Rg100 es which is why i started looking at this thread. Kaso naging pataasan ihi na e.

Anyway, mayroon kasi dito sa area namin nitong dalawang amp na ito, kakatakot tignan baka mabili ko.

Why don't you give em a try and let us know

GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION

[Bolt Thrower]

I was hoping to see some feedback on Ampeg vh140 or Randall Rg100 es which is why i started looking at this thread. Kaso naging pataasan ihi na e.

Anyway, mayroon kasi dito sa area namin nitong dalawang amp na ito, kakatakot tignan baka mabili ko.

A recording studio near my place has an Ampeg VH140c. Let me see if I can try that one out. The thing with this Ampeg is when it is for sale, they go away fast. They are more famous that the Century and old RG Randalls. Alot of famous bands have used that Ampeg in their records. The group I'm currently jamming with has the regular V2. Have it in my house for a week now. Really loud with lots of headroom. The onboard EQ does the magic. It's the best hybrid amp I have tried. 

[SDMF]

You got good taste in amps judging by your sig.

Thanks dude. Nag intay intay lang din ako kaya ko nabili mga yan. So far satisfied ako, although syempre ang gas...
Ive actually played solid state amps for quite a while wheb i was younger because i want lots of gain. Pero ibang panahon na ngayon e. Even with tube amps today, ang dami mapagpipilian high gain amps, amps that will sound very good at bedroom levels.

[SDMF]

Why don't you give em a try and let us know

GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION

Hahaha dyan nagsisinula ang gas sa patingin tingin at patesting testing.

[nickson]

Thanks dude. Nag intay intay lang din ako kaya ko nabili mga yan. So far satisfied ako, although syempre ang gas...
Ive actually played solid state amps for quite a while wheb i was younger because i want lots of gain. Pero ibang panahon na ngayon e. Even with tube amps today, ang dami mapagpipilian high gain amps, amps that will sound very good at bedroom levels.

Haha... totoo talaga. When we were young, all that matters is gain! There was this one CRATE SS amp in a studio back then, na sobrang tuwa ako I always use the amp's distortion instead of my pedal(s) OD+DIST. That was ages ago, tas kapag bata ka syempre... makarinig ka lang ng heavy na tunog sa amp, WOW na.

I'm not at all expert in tube amps pero nakakatuwang isipin na those little glowing tubes at the back make that wonderful sound. I own a beat up tweed from the early 90's. The cleans coming from it is divine. Nothing I've heard in SS. Although... sobrang lakas. 3 pa lang volume, reklamo na ang misis.

Onga pala, napansin ko... I've had no interest whatsoever in high gain tube amps dahil ang hanap ko sparkling cleans. Medyo sa pedals talaga ako nakuha ng dirt. Siguro kapag naka-try na ako ng "plexi" amp, magagas ako. But until then, happy pa ako sa amp ko.

[Bolt Thrower]

Haha... totoo talaga. When we were young, all that matters is gain! There was this one CRATE SS amp in a studio back then, na sobrang tuwa ako I always use the amp's distortion instead of my pedal(s) OD+DIST. That was ages ago, tas kapag bata ka syempre... makarinig ka lang ng heavy na tunog sa amp, WOW na.

I'm not at all expert in tube amps pero nakakatuwang isipin na those little glowing tubes at the back make that wonderful sound. I own a beat up tweed from the early 90's. The cleans coming from it is divine. Nothing I've heard in SS. Although... sobrang lakas. 3 pa lang volume, reklamo na ang misis.

Onga pala, napansin ko... I've had no interest whatsoever in high gain tube amps dahil ang hanap ko sparkling cleans. Medyo sa pedals talaga ako nakuha ng dirt. Siguro kapag naka-try na ako ng "plexi" amp, magagas ako. But until then, happy pa ako sa amp ko.

Yung dala ni Voltz na Plexi!  Saraaaap ng cleans. Lakas din.

[nickson]

^Ay hindi pala high gain ang plexi. Pero yung crunch nya. Yummy (sa vids).

Yun yung nasa birthday ni papi Rey no? Dami ko na-miss out na magandang gear nun. Tsk tsk.

[Bolt Thrower]

^Ay hindi pala high gain ang plexi. Pero yung crunch nya. Yummy (sa vids).

Yun yung nasa birthday ni papi Rey no? Dami ko na-miss out na magandang gear nun. Tsk tsk.

oo yun yun! swabe ang break up.

[SDMF]

A recording studio near my place has an Ampeg VH140c. Let me see if I can try that one out. The thing with this Ampeg is when it is for sale, they go away fast. They are more famous that the Century and old RG Randalls. Alot of famous bands have used that Ampeg in their records. The group I'm currently jamming with has the regular V2. Have it in my house for a week now. Really loud with lots of headroom. The onboard EQ does the magic. It's the best hybrid amp I have tried.

Sige paki try mo balitaan mo kami.