Members skatalite Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Which do you guys prefer and why? Do you have both kinds of amps in your arsenal? Do you use certain ones for certain situations? Explain yourself! And sure, talk about hybrids if you want... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitargod0dmw Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I have a tube, a hybrid, and a SS. I prefer the tubes, but that head is so heavy! It's also the least powerful, so it's kinda tapped out. Right now, I'm using the "best of both worlds" hybrid. It's plenty loud. It sounds great too. However, I am going to start using a SS as my main amp in the near future. With twice as much power than my hybrid. I'm no help at this stuff. I like all of it. Let me say like this... For different styles of music, I would use different amps. Can I get away with one? Of course! Do I have to? Nope. I'm not sure which I would choose if I could only have one. Probably an all tube...like a Mesa 400+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members james on bass Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Hybrid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rummy Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 For overdrive/distortion, you can't beat tubes. I have a tube guitar amp, and a solid state bass amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bluescout Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I have a PV Classic 400 tube and a PV Firebass SS. I tend to play loud so I like either a SS amp that can cut the mustard or a tube amp that doesn't sound bad when it reaches it's limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Both.Some days, tube will inspire me more. Other days, SS will inspire me more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike fitzwell Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I like them both. I have a Genz GBE-600 and a '73 Ampeg V-4. I used the V-4 when I was doing the blues thing. Now that I'm doing more pop/rock I prefer the sound of the Genz. For me it's all in the application, though I could do either with either and be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skatalite Posted October 22, 2007 Author Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Interesting, folks! I'm wanting to get a tube head, preferably an Ampeg Classic or Mesa 400+. Mmm to both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted October 22, 2007 Moderators Share Posted October 22, 2007 My preference is playing the all tube Dual Showman Reverb I built. When portability and flexibility are key (gigs), I use a solid state head (Thunderfunk). When I need that all out grind, it's an all tube Ampeg V-4B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Tubes, in general, have a fullness, a smoothness, and a warmth that I don't as readily detect in SS amps. That said, it's not like there aren't any SS or hybrid amps I don't gass for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterhinkydink Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Tube amps smell better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassman1956 Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Tube amps smell better. [FamilyFeud contestant voice] Good answer! Good answer! [/FamilyFeud contestant voice] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RSBro Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Hybrid. Only tubes would be a 400/400+, or Trace V4/6/8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members countrybass Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 hybrid. Mostly because I don't want the added weight of an all tube amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poltergeist Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 depends man... if you can get an old tube Sunn head, you'll be in heaven... some stuff i prefer on solid state... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Apendecto Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I would have to play though something pretty amazing to get me to move on from my Big Block 750. It's got a ton of power, not too heavy and the overdrive sounds great. Yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mytola Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I don't have any amps I'm going to get hold of a Markbass 2x10" combo some day though... Someday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bikehorn Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Most people know me for being a hardcore tube person but I like transistors too. It's a lot easier to achieve light overall weight, low power consumption, a decent price, low maintenance and impedance flexibility using a solid state design. They can sound pretty good too and they don't need to be transformer coupled so in theory their bass response could go marginally lower than that of a tube amp(where the transformer usually determines the lower -3db frequency, somewhere usually around 30 hz). That said, there's just something amazing about tubes. They seem really elemental to me and the circuits don't have to be complicated to achieve great sound. I am not a big user of compression, but when you get a tube amp close to but not quite at the point of clipping the preamp, you get a nice sort of 'natural' compression that doesn't smack of "opto comp". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jannda Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Guitar= Tube/Bass= SS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnyswonger Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I play through tube amps unless they are not available. Any port in a storm, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members max maroon Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I use a hybrid for live and practices, when I record I use an all tube combo, I always wanted to go all tube but my live rig sounds and performs as well as anythang I've ever heard or tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willsellout Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I tend to gravitate towards SS amps. I do enjoy tube amps but not hauling them around:D. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fiery Furnace Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 I prefer a tube amp, but there are solid state amps that I will happily use - most of the GK line is very solid, and the Monoblock is also an excellent, if slightly bland, SS amp. Don't give me any of that Eden, SWR, modern Ampeg, or (yamaha/crate/behringer) no name SS crap though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jackcheez Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 Preference = tubes. My main two amps for the last decade have been the GK 800RB, and the Ampeg SVT-CL. Both are great amps. These are not the only amps I've owned and used. What I like about the tube amp is that it's dynamic and expressive in a way solid state amps are not. What I mean is when you really dig in, it sounds like it. You hear the difference in tone. There's nuance that solid state can not deliver. Even at low volumes with tons of headroom, there's a difference. Tubes just respond differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members basste Posted October 22, 2007 Members Share Posted October 22, 2007 SS.. why ? don't really know but i much prefer GK sound than ampeg or tube trace i tried .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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