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Why can't guitar amps be more like bass amps?


mparsons

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What I'd like to see more on guitar amps are more versatile EQs. Bassists are used to things like parametric mids, full-blown graphic EQs and whatnot but guitar amps tend to stick to the ol' bass-middle-treble EQ setup. I really liked how my old Yamaha DG80 combo had an active EQ with separate controls for low and high mids. After all, mids are very important in guitar tone so why not have more control over them?


As for size, I don't think it's really a problem of tubes but the transformers tend to be pretty big. Even the ones that use toroidal transformers take quite a bit of space. That's probably also where a big part of the weight comes from.

 

Implementig a guitar amp with an active eq would require lots of tubes (and consequent heating -> bigger power transformer), whereas opamp based ones would be simple, little and very effective.

 

But then you'd hear the tube purists say: oh noes the fragile harmonics are killed in the crystal lattice ... :facepalm:

 

The sad thing is that most solid state amps are built with the same stupid and inefficient passive eqs of tube amps, whereas active ones would be easiliy implemented and would increase enormously the amp possibilities ...

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Implementig a guitar amp with an active eq would require lots of tubes (and consequent heating -> bigger power transformer), whereas opamp based ones would be simple, little and very effective.



Um no. If you'd make an active EQ outof tubes you'd probably need 2-3 tubes for it, which wouldnt require any bigger power transformer for the extra 3mA per tube.

Anyways, there are several active EQ amps out there like the Mesa Marks, Randall V2, Carvins and more and more. If active EQ is your thing, then buy an amp with an active EQ, or a damned EQ pedal.:idea:

-D

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300W @ 8 ohms is going to get you squat against a 412 or 212 50W guitard rig, much less 2 of them vs. drums.

My Titan is 1200W @ 4 ohms, and heavy as {censored}. But it's Mesa, so go figure. :thu: Their neo/lightweight cabs are heavier than most manuf's "regular", non-neo designs. I'd be scared to knock that amp off my cab and step on it.

But lots of people like MB stuff. It sounds nice, and is priced right. Clipping on guitar = good. Clipping on bass = usually not good, so as was mentioned, headroom is your god.

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300W @ 8 ohms is going to get you squat against a 412 or 212 50W
guitard
rig, much less 2 of them vs. drums.


My Titan is 1200W @ 4 ohms, and heavy as {censored}. But it's Mesa, so go figure.
:thu:
Their neo/lightweight cabs are heavier than most manuf's "regular", non-neo designs. I'd be scared to knock that amp off my cab and step on it.


But lots of people like MB stuff. It sounds nice, and is priced right. Clipping on guitar = good. Clipping on bass = usually not good, so as was mentioned, headroom is your god.



You do realize you're not in the bass forum, right?

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I don't know guys. I have a solid state 600 watt Genz Benz class D bass head and a 400ish watt all tube Mesa Boogie 400+. I gotta say the tube Mesa blows the 200+ more watts GB away.

The GB sounds awesome but can't produce that intense punch that the Mesa does.

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Weird. I swear this thread has "bass amps" in the title.
:facepalm:
You should check with the OP. He's a bastard for posting this, obviously.



It's that "guitard" crack what prompted this, not the topic.

Incidentally, this question is of interest to me, as I have mighty bass GAS.

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It's that "guitard" crack what prompted this, not the topic.


Incidentally, this question is of interest to me, as I have mighty bass GAS.

 

 

Guitard is what I call both guitarists in my band. I use it all the time. It's like calling your homeboy "bitch". It's no biggie mang.

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If you care about weight and size, that means you're gigging.

If you're gigging, you don't need the microscopic emotional perfection of tubes, you need something that won't break and is easy to carry. Nobody can hear your microscopic emotional perfection and nobody cares.

I've been playing tubes since the Sixties but there's no sense being an idiot about it.

Home: Tubes
Gig: Transistors

T

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Look at this:


591563.jpg

$600 brand new, 300W at 8ohms, with a 4 band EQ. Weighs 7 lbs. And its tiny.


I want a small, cheap, powerful, and light guitar amp that sounds decent. Any out there?



Just use that with a guitar...I don't see the problem?

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If you care about weight and size, that means you're gigging.


If you're gigging, you don't need the microscopic emotional perfection of tubes, you need something that won't break and is easy to carry. Nobody can hear your microscopic emotional perfection and nobody cares.


I've been playing tubes since the Sixties but there's no sense being an idiot about it.


Home: Tubes

Gig: Transistors


T

 

 

Fighting words

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i will be 100% willing to use SS/digital amps when they can soft clip without odd order harmonics...just like tubes do
:o



The harmonic content of clipping has nothing to do with "softness". It has to do with asymmetry. And tubes tend to be quite asymmetrical and therefore produce LOTS of odd harmonics.

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If you care about weight and size, that means you're gigging.


If you're gigging, you don't need the microscopic emotional perfection of tubes, you need something that won't break and is easy to carry. Nobody can hear your microscopic emotional perfection and nobody cares.


I've been playing tubes since the Sixties but there's no sense being an idiot about it.


Home: Tubes

Gig: Transistors


T

 

 

I don't buy my amps to leave at home. If something happens to one of them, I'll use another until the main amp is fixed. The point is, I care, and I play better when I actually enjoy the sound coming from my rig.

 

I'm sure I could step down to a Hot Rod Deville (and have before), but I'd rather lug my 47 year old Concert around.

 

That said, I would have had no problems gigging with my Vox AD60vtx if I was in a cover band, or as the backup to said Fender Concert.

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