Why should I play a tube amp if I use pedals for my dirt sounds?

[C Fuzz]

I am the first to agree that cranking a tube amp is great. But when can I really do that? Basically never. I leave my overdrive pedal always on for that slight breakup and have 2 other dirts for different levels of fuzz. I'm starting to think it is silly to start up a tube amp for 30-45 minutes of playing at home when I am not really reaping the benefits. I was just curious if anyone else feels the same way.

[Loobs]

I don't feel the same way.

[anglerfish]

I don't feel that way either, but I might feel differently if I never played out. I use a solid state Fender practice amp at home, and it sounds pretty good, but nothing like my tube Ampeg. If I never played out, I would probably compromise with a 5-watt tube amp or something like that.

[light years]

QUOTE=Loobs;29898163]I don't feel the same way.

um, me neither

[friendlybunny]

There are some cool solid state amps for playing at home. The Vox Pathfinder 15r sounds pretty good.

[The Riffer]

When at home, I use my modded Valve Jr with an attenuator. That's right. I love the spongy feel a cooked up tube has. I may be able to achieve reasonable tones with a pedal and my ss amp, but the feel just isn't there.

[rydia is hot]

at bedroom volumes, the tube vs ss/digital/whatever debate doesn't make as much sense. it's at gigging volume that tubes start kicking ass.

[freeridstylee]

Yea why waste your time for at home volumes, just stupid. Solid state sounds good at gigging volumes as long as you have enough head room (and i mean a LOT of headroom, clipping power transistors sound like yuck).

[TomCTC]

I think tube cleans interact with dirt pedals differently than SS cleans.

Must be something to do with the mojeaux.

[driverhasabomb]

Agreed. SS amps start falling apart when you crank them and tube amps starts really living when you crank them.

 

At low volume there isn't a huge difference imo

[anglerfish]

I think tube cleans interact with dirt pedals differently than SS cleans.

 

 

This is definitely true.

[joems]

never liked a tube amp still looking for a sound that I wanted in a tube.

[Noise...]

I play clean 90% of the time. The other 10% is fuzz.

 

Because of that, I see no reason to use a tube amp. Maintenance for something I'll use at low volumes and still use a pedal when I'm not keeping it clean is just too much to justify. There's no way I'd spend a couple hundred a year on tubes/repairs just to use it for the same thing I can use a solid state for.

 

Aside from that, I don't care what you guys say - I haven't heard a cheap 5w tube amp that sounds that great. Maybe with extensive mods they can sound ok, but stock, most of them sound like {censored}. I'd take a good sounding SS amp over one any day.

 

Another thing to look at is cost. There are some great Fender SS amps (Princeton 65/112's, Princeton Choruses, Stage series, etc) that go for sub $200. Sometimes under $100, even!

 

If you're gigging all the time, yeah. I could see a tube amp being put to good use. But for home playing? Why waste the money?

 

FFS, recorded, I'd bet that 99% of the guys here couldn't tell the difference between a tube amp and a good solid state. I saw a thread a few months back and they couldn't even tell the difference between a POD's amp sim and the tube amp it was replicating.

[mewithoutlouie]

my valve jr was like $80. sounds good cranked and sounds good enough at lower volumes for just regular practicing.

[willburford]

I think they both have their advantages.

 

 

[bluesfralins]

your dirt pedals push tubes, they're designed for tube amps (good dirt pedals at least).

 

plug your pedals into your tube amp (assuming you have a decent one), then plug it into a marshall mg combo

 

you wont ask stupid {censored}ing questions after that

[shaun126]

your dirt pedals push tubes, they're designed for tube amps (good dirt pedals at least). plug your pedals into your tube amp (assuming you have a decent one), then plug it into a marshall mg combo you wont ask stupid {censored}ing questions after that

 

 

No reason to be a {censored}ing asshole.

 

Thanks for your positive contribution to the forum...10 posts in no less.

[C Fuzz]

your dirt pedals push tubes, they're designed for tube amps (good dirt pedals at least). plug your pedals into your tube amp (assuming you have a decent one), then plug it into a marshall mg combo you wont ask stupid {censored}ing questions after that

 

 

I appreciate everyones comments but not this guy. It was not stupid and it seems there are those that agree with me, and those that don't, I see both sides. I like talking about gear, but not with people like this.

[Fenderman1991]

I don't think the only reason to own a tube amp is to crank it. *shrug*

[bluesfralins]

yea im the noob, thats why im asking ss questions at 40 {censored}ing years old

[AnderMocs]

your dirt pedals push tubes, they're designed for tube amps (good dirt pedals at least). plug your pedals into your tube amp (assuming you have a decent one), then plug it into a marshall mg combo you wont ask stupid {censored}ing questions after that

 

 

Way to be a prick about it. I hope everyone makes stupid {censored}ing comments at you when you and your 10 posts asks some "dumb" question about effects that's become inane and stupid for most of us who have been around here more than 3 minutes.

[placebo62]

wow, what a douche

[AnderMocs]

wow, what a douche

 

 

me, or the other guy?

[anglerfish]

 

yea im the noob, thats why im asking ss questions at 40 {censored}ing years old

 

 

Jesus.

[shaun126]

yea im the noob, thats why im asking ss questions at 40 {censored}ing years old

 

Nobody called you a noob. I called you an asshole.

 

I Just so happened to mention that you managed to be an asshole, after only 10 posts in.

 

WAY TO GO.