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

[MacBradley]

solid state tone ftl

 

 

After reading this post and using some inductive reading...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This thread is proof!!! Johnny Greenwood doesn't know how to plug into a metal zone!!! :poke:

[CicadaSilence]

After reading this post and using some inductive reading... This thread is proof!!! Johnny Greenwood doesn't know how to plug into a metal zone!!! :poke:

 

 

 

:falls to knees; tears shirt:

[Fantomius]

I use a fender champion 600 at home using mainly its clean sound.
Dist pedals + clean tube sound =/= dist pedals + clean solid state sound
No way

[wurstburst]

If that's what makes you happy, go for it.

 

But attenuators and power scaling technology, plus a ton of good 5-15 watt tube amps out there makes tube amp playing in the house much more workable nowadays, if you don't mind the expense.

[spentron]

I found a couple SS amps that surprised me lately, and one is just a 400 watt/chan. power amp w/ EQ attached. Like a tube amp, they need the right volume. I think the essential ingredient is to push the speaker to breakup and most SS amps can't keep it together at that level... really very few sound good past about 1/10 their rating when you're using a dirtbox. W/ 400 watts you can actually go past that point until the speaker is rather losing it. I'm starting to wonder if that's one issue with tube amps as well, when you crank your 15 watter to peak out around 30 into anything less than a 4x12, or a 50 into less than a full stack, it's actually too much.

 

I think the speakers in the JC amps are horrible, making the amps one of the most overrated. Even Line 6's are avail. with decent speakers.

[anglerfish]

I think the essential ingredient is to push the speaker to breakup and most SS amps can't keep it together at that level... really very few sound good past about 1/10 their rating when you're using a dirtbox. W/ 400 watts you can actually go past that point until the speaker is rather losing it. I'm starting to wonder if that's one issue with tube amps as well, when you crank your 15 watter to peak out around 30 into anything less than a 4x12, or a 50 into less than a full stack, it's actually too much.

 

 

I agree with you about speaker breakup being essential. However, I've been playing 50 watts into 2x12s for years and I think it sounds great. Of course, I think that the speakers I prefer (Mesa/Celestion Black Shadows) are rated for 80 or 90 watts, so two of them wired in parallel are more than enough to handle 50 watts.

[Wood Chuck]

The bottom line is SS amps CAN & DO sound good with pedals. They are however more picky about pedals then a tube amp, We all know the reason as it has been statrd here 60 times @ least. My Orange crush 30r has been used for light band practice with an OCD as my drive and it sounds great.

[TheGareth]

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

 

 

OK, firstly you're a prick. Secondly, I had a Marshall MG15 and the MI Audio Tube Zone sounded great into it as did the Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz.

[newstrat60]

No reason to be a {censored}ing asshole. Thanks for your positive contribution to the forum...10 posts in no less.

 

 

At least he doesnt have a zillion posts since 2 month, give him that for granted.

and the 1st part of his answers seems accurate imo.

[bluesfralins]

OK, firstly you're a prick. Secondly, I had a Marshall MG15 and the MI Audio Tube Zone sounded great into it as did the Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz.

 

 

u think i could trade you rigs with you?

[shaun126]

 

At least he doesnt have a zillion posts since 2 month, give him that for granted. and the 1st part of his answers seems accurate imo.

 

 

what the {censored} are you talking about?

 

He was an asshole for no reason.

 

The end

[Wood Chuck]

u think i could trade you rigs with you?

 

 

You don't quit huh? If your here for free speech & info that's cool but, it is rather important to try to be a little more tactful if you wan't to develop good relationships here. That would be the better course of action here I think. Sarcasm has it's place but as far as we are concerned no matter how old you are here post counts & time spent here DO count many of us here are friends and if you wanna be a person that fits in I would cool the sarcasm. You are not gonna last without making adjustments in your attitude. I am TGIH:evil:

[MPH]

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

 

 

Could'nt agreed more.

 

Even at lower volumes, it sounds better than any SS amp i've owned.

 

Although mine did cost a bit more than $80 because of all the modding.

[Wood Chuck]

At least he doesnt have a zillion posts since 2 month, give him that for granted. and the 1st part of his answers seems accurate imo.

 

 

 

He is a troll.:poke:

[MojoFilter]

Those are just buzz words. There are some SS amps that sound great, and if its for practice, a SS amp will certainly suffice. To be honest, I hate when people ask about a 5w tube combo fo cheap that does metal. A SS amp will be their best option

 

 

No, they're not just buzz words: they describe a very specific set of characteristics of many, if not most, Solid State amplifiers. No one's saying that Solid State doesn't have it's place. I own a few, and use a few. As a blanket statement, do they have the same warmth and complexity of sound as my good tube amps? Not even close.

 

I'll be very blunt: if the vast majority of Solid State amplifiers had the same level of complexity, warmth and feel of a good tube amp had, we'd almost certainly be witnessing the end of tubes. Solid State amplifiers are cheaper, more reliable, and easier to mass produce.

 

I'm not saying that there aren't good Solid State amplifiers out there for particular applications...there are. However, if someone is going to tell me that they've found a Solid State amplifier that sounds like, and more importantly feels like as an old tube amp cranked into overdrive, I'm going to have to call bull{censored}.

[Johnonon]

Yes, but how many times have you heard the terms "harmonically rich" and "sterile" thrown around? They mean nothing to me now because of how many times I've heard it. Sure I can hear the harmonics from a tube amp thats cranked, but does the "harmonically rich" sound or "saturation" make or break a tone for me? No

[Agreed]

No, they're not just buzz words: they describe a very specific set of characteristics of many, if not most, Solid State amplifiers. No one's saying that Solid State doesn't have it's place. I own a few, and use a few. As a blanket statement, do they have the same warmth and complexity of sound as my good tube amps? Not even close. I'll be very blunt: if the vast majority of Solid State amplifiers had the same level of complexity, warmth and feel of a good tube amp had, we'd almost certainly be witnessing the end of tubes. Solid State amplifiers are cheaper, more reliable, and easier to mass produce. I'm not saying that there aren't good Solid State amplifiers out there for particular applications...there are. However, if someone is going to tell me that they've found a Solid State amplifier that sounds like, and more importantly feels like as an old tube amp cranked into overdrive, I'm going to have to call bull{censored}.

A lot of Randall amps sound and more importantly feel like tube amps cranked into overdrive.

The ISP Theta is an amazing modern SS amp.

Oh, hell, why am I responding? Your point is dogmatic, not pragmatic. I implore you to keep your ears and mind open when playing, because there isn't anything mysterious or magical about tubes that no other technology can approach (even in supplication ). The characteristics of tubes that we like so much can be emulated quite successfully (or altered to your preferences with equal success) with solid state and digital technologies, either by designing circuits with analogous behavior (in SS amps) or by programming sufficiently complex algorithms to accurately express the same.

[Johnonon]

Thanks agreed, you said it better

[WWW]

A lot of Randall amps sound and more importantly feel like tube amps cranked into overdrive. The ISP Theta is an amazing modern SS amp. Oh, hell, why am I responding? Your point is dogmatic, not pragmatic. I implore you to keep your ears and mind open when playing, because there isn't anything mysterious or magical about tubes that no other technology can approach (even in supplication ). The characteristics of tubes that we like so much can be emulated quite successfully (or altered to your preferences with equal success) with solid state and digital technologies, either by designing circuits with analogous behavior (in SS amps) or by programming sufficiently complex algorithms to accurately express the same.

English please!:poke:

[anglerfish]

A lot of Randall amps sound and more importantly feel like tube amps cranked into overdrive. The ISP Theta is an amazing modern SS amp. Oh, hell, why am I responding? Your point is dogmatic, not pragmatic. I implore you to keep your ears and mind open when playing, because there isn't anything mysterious or magical about tubes that no other technology can approach (even in supplication ). The characteristics of tubes that we like so much can be emulated quite successfully (or altered to your preferences with equal success) with solid state and digital technologies, either by designing circuits with analogous behavior (in SS amps) or by programming sufficiently complex algorithms to accurately express the same.

If you call Mojofilter's comment "dogmatic", you either don't understand or are looking to redefine the definition of the word. By definition, your response is far more dogmatic than any of his assertions.

[eman]

zoom g9.2tt

in front of that I have my ibanez weeping demon wah and satchurator distortion pedal....

I run that into my home stereo into a pair of JBL extreme one monitors for home practice.......sounds great at low to medium volumes.....

for louder volume or at a gig.......the stuff at the top of the post into a pair of tech21 power engines (60 watts a piece.....all the volume you need, Bro).....for a stadium.....mic the power engine(s).

same tones from bedroom to club to stadium.....

amazing flexibility........sounds great..........

[MojoFilter]

If you call Mojofilter's comment "dogmatic", you either don't understand or are looking to redefine the definition of the word. By definition, your response is far more dogmatic than any of his assertions.

He's a Randall guy...I've met a few of them, and I'm not surprised by his comments. He wants to convert the world to what he knows is truth.

 

However, getting back to the original point: a good Overdrive melds with a good tube amp in a way that does not happen with just about every solid state amplifier I've played since 1980. Again, it's not saying that Solid State amps are bad for their applications, but it's nonsense to say that an Overdrive pedal reacts to them the same way that drive pedals are used in conjunction with a good tube amp. The vast majority of people (and musicians) I've found over the years prefer the sound of the latter.

[MacBradley]

He is a troll.:poke:

I think there needs to be a new classification for trolls that don't even realize there objective is to troll, and have even convinced themselves that they care about joining forums other than to piss people off.

What would you call that anyway? A gnome?

[Agreed]

 

He's a Randall guy...I've met a few of them, and I'm not surprised by his comments. He wants to convert the world to what he knows is truth. However, getting back to the original point: a good Overdrive melds with a good tube amp in a way that does not happen with just about every solid state amplifier I've played since 1980. Again, it's not saying that Solid State amps are bad for their applications, but it's nonsense to say that an Overdrive pedal reacts to them the same way that drive pedals are used in conjunction with a good tube amp. The vast majority of people (and musicians) I've found over the years prefer the sound of the latter.

 

 

Apparently unlike you, I don't define myself by a piece of gear I own. I have one Randall amp, but many more amps than that, and if you'll recall I actually recommended that he use a tube amp. Or did you not read my original post in this thread, instead choosing to dismiss me because the word Randall appears in my signature?

 

I'm going to have to ask for something a little bit more rigorous than your own anecdotal experiences or appeals to common understanding in trying to establish the unquestionable primacy of tube amplifiers. After all, clearly my experience doesn't agree with yours, so why should I privilege your experience over my own? This is why it is useful when discussing something about which there is a degree of controversy to appeal to evidence instead of emotion.

 

If you think I'm mischaracterizing what you're saying, then by all means correct my misunderstanding.

[Wood Chuck]

I think there needs to be a new classification for trolls that don't even realize there objective is to troll, and have even convinced themselves that they care about joining forums other than to piss people off. What would you call that anyway? A gnome?