It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:25 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 35 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:42 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:23 pm
Posts: 1009
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Cool man.. Seeing the last 2 posts, I have all 3. Fender 85, Roland JC 50, Hot Rod DeVille.

My HRDV has a nice warm tone (NOS tubes) and is REALLY loud. The 85's are less warm, but have a more crisp clean channel with a quicker attack and cut through a mix better. My Roland would be kinda like if you tried to marry the two together. It has the crisp sound and attack of the 85 but warmer like the DeVille.

_________________
Image
HaleAmano- House Of Sharks (Now On iTunes)
http://www.reverbnation.com/haleamano
http://www.haleamano.com


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:42 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:25 pm
Posts: 1
The differences between SS and tube amps are far less dramatic today than they were at one time. I played Jazz and classic rock with a Strat through a '77 Quad Reverb tube amp that was great in a number of performace settings - auditoriums, clubs and even outdoors. It never let me down. I also plugged into some SS amps back then (75-79) and the background noise ("frying") was really loud in some of them, and the tone was thin compared to the Quad Reverb. I'm currently playing my VG Deluxe Strat (an AWESOME guitar :D ) through an M80 Chorus (SS) that is incredibly quiet compared to the SS amps I used 20-30 years ago. I haven't noticed much of a difference between tube amps and SS amps today, and with all the amp modelers you can use, I think it's strictly a matter of personal preference relative to the amp, your performance applications and what you want out of it. I don't miss the noise the reverb springs made if you bumped the cabinet on the tube amp.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Solid State Amps
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:35 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:14 am
Posts: 1
airbornestrat wrote:
I am curious if I am the only one who really likes solid state amps? I do appreciate tube amps and their sonic differences from solid states...but for some reason with the pedal I use (Digitech RP355) I am able to attain the really nice warm tones that I am looking for...am I alone??


No you are not alone. I use a Fender Stage 160 with an RP-355 and it sounds just as good if not better that my old Marchall JM-900 stack.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:45 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
Posts: 15336
Location: In a galaxy far far away
Used solidstate for gigging for a goodwhile. A pod into a marshall poweramp, the 9000 series. Perfectly good sound, super reliable and a lot less heavy. I'd have to agree with Johnny on this. Most cant hear the difference. Knopfler recorded his first album with a roland ss amp. His second comunique he plugged straight into the mixingdesk. He didnt even use a amp, yet most people think its a twin.

_________________
No no and no


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:10 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 5:52 pm
Posts: 50
Location: South Florida
I am finding myself playing more through SS amps than tubes.....I have a Line 6 75w head on a Crate 4x12 that I keep on "Clean" and do everything with pedals in front. I will be looking at SS heads from Fender next.

_________________
Frank

"Why put off till tomorrow what you can get someone else to do today"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:51 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:43 pm
Posts: 14
Location: El Paso, Texas
Go for what suits you, try both type of amps, it's not that a tube amp is better, but what is better for you, tubes are better at something and solid state at something else, I don't know what you guys think but one of the best sounding solid states i've ever heard (to my ears), is the roland jazz chorus I really think it's an amazing amp! hope this helps my friend


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:56 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:53 pm
Posts: 483
Location: usa
although i have Cyber Twins, i am holding onto my JC. these amps have been my consistent favorites.

ciao,
johnny.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:35 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 2:46 pm
Posts: 298
I was thinking of getting a Spider IV 30w. Does anyone know if you can get into it to rig up an attenuator? If you can, what impedance is the amp rated at?

I can't find this info from the Line 6 website... maybe there's a blog over there though.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:53 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:49 am
Posts: 1153
Location: South Bay, CA
aclempoppi wrote:
Played a 410 sixty-five Music Man for years in a blues band, although it was a hybrid, it was a great amp. ART


Art - that would be my first guitar amp! Great sounding amp, great clean, took pedals well - back then I had an MXR Distortion II (AC cord) for dirt. Sold it when I moved to Hoboken to a 5th floor walkup apt...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Solid State Amps
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:52 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:01 pm
Posts: 1598
airbornestrat wrote:
I am curious if I am the only one who really likes solid state amps? I do appreciate tube amps and their sonic differences from solid states...but for some reason with the pedal I use (Digitech RP355) I am able to attain the really nice warm tones that I am looking for...am I alone??


As you can see, you're certainly NOT alone. As others have said, it's not the amp, it's the person using it and certainly a lot of great's have used SS. Certainly there are a lot of great, if not legendary SS amps out there too...Roland JC 120's and Lab's just to name a couple.

I know people who are certainly "tube purists"...I actually know one guy who won't even pick up his guitar unless it's plugged in to a tube amp (even something old and crappy like a Silvertone). Maybe it's me but I never thought people like this really "got it"...it's not about the gear, it's about playing. Yea...I like nice equipment as much as anyone but I have never let that stop me from playing. Generally, as long as I have a guitar and an amp, I'm happy.

That said, like others here I have a number of amps. My main gigging amps are my '73 Fender Bandmaster (tube) and my Lab L5 (ss). To be perfectly honest, yea...the old Fender does sound a bit better. That said, the difference isn't huge by any means and as others have also said, the disadvantages of a tube amp...particularly in regards to maintenance...don't really out weigh the difference in sound. My Bandmaster is 36 years old now and yea...she's getting "fussy". She's been blowing a lot of preamp tubes lately and she's probably due for a recap. Certainly keeping "fresh" tubes in her gets expensive as well. My Lab on the other hand...I plug her in and play. No muss, no fuss and she's still a great sounding amp. I too would rather play a great sounding SS rather than a poor sounding tube amp...and just because it's got tubes, doesn't mean it actually sounds good (and vice-versa).

The funny thing about all of this is that I own several amps at this point...the '73 Bandmaster, the Lab L5, a Kustom Lead III 130 watt SS head, a Kustom KLH 40 1x12 combo and most recently a Fender Princeton 112 Plus (and a few others as well). Of all my amps, the one that really gets played the most is my little Peavey Backstage Plus. Why? It's light, it's portable and it's loud enough to use at most jams. No she's not the greatest sounding amp but she does the job night after night and I don't have to kill myself to haul it around. I'm getting older and simply my back isn't what it used to be. Even hauling a 2x12 combo around is getting harder for me. The little Peavey though...I just toss a multi-pedal and a couple of cables in the back of it, grab a guitar (or 2) and go. Any more I'm already sucking down a beer while everyone else is still unpacking! LOL!

Very simply if you get the sound you want...be it tube or SS, consider yourself lucky in that your not one of those people who ends up driving themselves insane on the ever elusive quest for "perfect tone". Just play that sucker and enjoy :-)

Peace,
Jim


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Solid State Amps
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:05 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:58 pm
Posts: 2293
Location: Adirondacks
lomitus wrote:
airbornestrat wrote:
I am curious if I am the only one who really likes solid state amps? I do appreciate tube amps and their sonic differences from solid states...but for some reason with the pedal I use (Digitech RP355) I am able to attain the really nice warm tones that I am looking for...am I alone??


As you can see, you're certainly NOT alone. As others have said, it's not the amp, it's the person using it and certainly a lot of great's have used SS. Certainly there are a lot of great, if not legendary SS amps out there too...Roland JC 120's and Lab's just to name a couple.

I know people who are certainly "tube purists"...I actually know one guy who won't even pick up his guitar unless it's plugged in to a tube amp (even something old and crappy like a Silvertone). Maybe it's me but I never thought people like this really "got it"...it's not about the gear, it's about playing. Yea...I like nice equipment as much as anyone but I have never let that stop me from playing. Generally, as long as I have a guitar and an amp, I'm happy.

That said, like others here I have a number of amps. My main gigging amps are my '73 Fender Bandmaster (tube) and my Lab L5 (ss). To be perfectly honest, yea...the old Fender does sound a bit better. That said, the difference isn't huge by any means and as others have also said, the disadvantages of a tube amp...particularly in regards to maintenance...don't really out weigh the difference in sound. My Bandmaster is 36 years old now and yea...she's getting "fussy". She's been blowing a lot of preamp tubes lately and she's probably due for a recap. Certainly keeping "fresh" tubes in her gets expensive as well. My Lab on the other hand...I plug her in and play. No muss, no fuss and she's still a great sounding amp. I too would rather play a great sounding SS rather than a poor sounding tube amp...and just because it's got tubes, doesn't mean it actually sounds good (and vice-versa).

The funny thing about all of this is that I own several amps at this point...the '73 Bandmaster, the Lab L5, a Kustom Lead III 130 watt SS head, a Kustom KLH 40 1x12 combo and most recently a Fender Princeton 112 Plus (and a few others as well). Of all my amps, the one that really gets played the most is my little Peavey Backstage Plus. Why? It's light, it's portable and it's loud enough to use at most jams. No she's not the greatest sounding amp but she does the job night after night and I don't have to kill myself to haul it around. I'm getting older and simply my back isn't what it used to be. Even hauling a 2x12 combo around is getting harder for me. The little Peavey though...I just toss a multi-pedal and a couple of cables in the back of it, grab a guitar (or 2) and go. Any more I'm already sucking down a beer while everyone else is still unpacking! LOL!

Very simply if you get the sound you want...be it tube or SS, consider yourself lucky in that your not one of those people who ends up driving themselves insane on the ever elusive quest for "perfect tone". Just play that sucker and enjoy :-)

Peace,
Jim


It is funny...I have mainly SS amps and one tube amp...a new Super Champ XD...absolutely love that amp...byt then again...my Bandit 65 which I bought back in 85 still sounds fantastic...so I have the best of both worlds!!!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:28 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:13 am
Posts: 3317
Location: The Alpha Quadrant.
Those Super Champ XD's are great man. I tried one the other day. Do you like the DSP fx? I have DSP on my Acoustasonic and its great.

CC

_________________
Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:59 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:58 pm
Posts: 2293
Location: Adirondacks
Celtic Cyclonus wrote:
Those Super Champ XD's are great man. I tried one the other day. Do you like the DSP fx? I have DSP on my Acoustasonic and its great.

CC

CC,
The DSP is fantastic!! I really love this amp...it is amazing..and if I don't have enough volume..I can always mic it..:) it keeps me from having to lug around my bigger stuff...I forgot..to list my JCM 900...lol...so make that 2 tube amps...What I love with the DSP is when I don't feel like taking my Digitech RP355 to a gig I have the effects I need right there in one nice package. How is the Acoustasonic?? I am dying to play through one...haven't been able to track one down around here.
E


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:03 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:13 am
Posts: 3317
Location: The Alpha Quadrant.
airbornestrat wrote:
Celtic Cyclonus wrote:
Those Super Champ XD's are great man. I tried one the other day. Do you like the DSP fx? I have DSP on my Acoustasonic and its great.

CC

CC,
The DSP is fantastic!! I really love this amp...it is amazing..and if I don't have enough volume..I can always mic it..:) it keeps me from having to lug around my bigger stuff...I forgot..to list my JCM 900...lol...so make that 2 tube amps...What I love with the DSP is when I don't feel like taking my Digitech RP355 to a gig I have the effects I need right there in one nice package. How is the Acoustasonic?? I am dying to play through one...haven't been able to track one down around here.
E



I absolutely adore it. I bought it and the Telecoustic Deluxe at the same time and they go so well together. Its great that its wedge shaped as it made a great monitor at my recent gig. I had the line out go to the desk and the amp looking up at me. Its great and clear as a bell. I'm dying to play a 'proper' acoustic through it but I can honestly say I'm in heaven. Its bringing the best out of me!

CC

_________________
Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:41 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 2:46 pm
Posts: 298
The Ultimate Chorus looks like a good used buy. Thoughts anyone please???


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 35 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: