meiklejohn Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 The most over asked question in music! But I need to ask it...I've played guitar for a good few years now and I'm yet to play a tube amp. I started a band with my mate a year or two ago and we've finally got a full line up and are ready to go out and get gigging...When we started the band I had a Marshall mg100 combo, I then sold it wanting a half stack so bought an mg100 half stack, after a while I started reading up about tube amps and decided solid state wasn't for me and I would invest in a hybrid cause that's going to have a better sound, right? wrong, I have to admit I don't really hear that much of a difference with my AVT150 head and cab. I did however notice a big difference using a 1960 cab compared to the AVT cab!So my question to you all is...Do I get rid of the hybrid and buy an all valve head? Are they really THAT good? I'm out to play to a pub full of drunk old men who like seeing young lads playing real music from the 70's and throwing in a few of there own. We're not trying to get famous, we just love music. Is it worth buying an amp that needs new tubes and is gonna cost a fortune to maintain? How much does it cost to run a tube amp? Services? Parts? etc. can I get that all done locally or do I need to send it away to Marshall and wait a while for it to come back?I really am quite ignorant to the whole tube amp thing and the things I need to know about them. I've read a million and one websites on them but I want honest opinions from local lads playing in bands not a guitar tech that's a total snob to solid states.So what's the verdict?Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 (edited) Personally, I prefer valve amps for the natural sound and the hitting power. I used my Cornford at last weekend gig and the guest guitarist used a Valvestate 250. He got completely lost in the mix and I was only running at 1/2 gain and 1/3 volume in a biggish hall. It was the opposite in a previous band where I used a Spider Valve 100 and the other guitarist had a DSL50. You just couldn't heard me at all until I was turned up way too loud. It's a matter of personal preference, and some great tones can be got out of those AVT's, but for me, there's no substitute for a valve or (tube) amp. As for maintenance, I'd contend that if a solid state amp goes "pop" circuit-wise, there's very little the Average Joe could do to fix it. Valves you can change yourself for the most part. Also, if you want to change the colour of your tone, it's not too difficult with a valve amp, some amps even let you change valve types (e.g from EL34 (British Marshall sound) to 6L6 (Fender blues sound) ) without the need for rebiasing. Solid states amps have their advantages too - they tend to be more relaible, quieter and are usually much lighter. Some of the newer ones have a wide range of tone options via amp modelling - e.g Line 6 Spider and Flextone. As for hybrids, I've played through and owned a few and none of them really cut it for me. I owned a Bogner Alchemist and a Hughes & Kettner Switchblade, both of which had onboard effects - if that puts them in hybrid territory. Both were very good amps. Having said all that, I know a few guys who gig regularly with AVT's and are more than happy with them. Edited May 10, 2013 by Diesel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 I agree with Joda Serk's comments, especially around wattage. My Mesa Lonestar runs at 5, 15 or 30 watts and on the 15 watt setting actually murdered my 50w Cornford the other night in a live situation (2 x guitar, bass, drums, vox) when my mate was using the latter. Both of us were using Strats and were playing at similar volumes The clarity of tone on the Mesa, which like the Cornford run EL34's, lead to better cut-through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatboy Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 you gotta look at how amp companies market their products. they come in with high wattage solid state/hybrid heads which look the part and bear the "name" young ones/beginners end up being fooled by the product and don't get what they believe they are paying for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Valves do not a good amplifier automatically make, but I've never head a solid state amp that had real character (unless you want boundless clean headroom a-la Roland Jazz Combo). I suggest that for pub gigs with a bit of drive, you want to track down a low-mid watt valve amp that plays well with pedals. I guess the problem with a pub rock covers band is that you need a pretty no frills tone. Either a Fender Hot Rod/Blues Junior or a Peavey Classic 30 wouldn't be a bad place to start looking. Definitely check out the second hand market. Match that with a reasonable dirt pedal and you're pretty set. I wouldn't recommend a hybrid amplifier - they're slightly muddier than straight solid states, and if the solid state stage goes kaput, it'll just end up in the bin. Valve amps can indeed be patched up by someone in the know fairly cheaply, and they really don't need that much maintenance. Lastly, re-sale: if you want to upgrade at some point, a valve amplifier is much easier to shift for a decent price than a solid state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 I've got a chance of a 50 watt marshall dsl? He wants my brand new mexican tele for it i think, worth it or...? I'm gonna go tube guys, there's a reason it's all pros use right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Hell of a rig to play at the pub with, but not a bad amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 I've got a chance of a 50 watt marshall dsl? He wants my brand new mexican tele for it i think, worth it or...? I'm gonna go tube guys, there's a reason it's all pros use right?Is that a DSL combo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul G Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Tubes for me, though you can get a good sound out of a solid state, just depends what you're after. The best solid states I've used are the Fender heads in Capt Tom's, but there will be many who disagree. Many solid states now seem to have loads of features, in built fx, tuners, all sorts of stuff. Personally, I hate that shit with a passion, but some don't. Tube amps aren't necessarily expensive, I second that. If you're curious about tinkering with stuff, you can change your tone by swapping out tubes, though some of these tasks are best done by a tech. 50 watts should be more than enough for any gig anywhere, but watts don't necessarily equate to volume. I've been using a 30w amp for the last few years in a death metal band, it kicks ass, it manages fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 It's just a head? There's a guy offering me a 100 watt dsl head and 1969A cab for 500 but can't buy that untill I offload some stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre Von Mondragon Posted May 10, 2013 Report Share Posted May 10, 2013 It's one of those things that you never think make that big a difference until you try it out, and then you can never go back, like well made fuzz circuits. Valve watts are almost always more everything than Solid State watts, my wee 15 watt Laney Cub outperformed a Vox Valvetronix 50w under gigging conditions a fortnight ago, not even miked up, running on full it sounded ace, with tuneful feedback on tap. Get the Fire Bottles min... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 (edited) So a Marshall jmd1 50 watt marshall head is mine for a straight swap with my brand new tele? That a good deal? Edited May 11, 2013 by meiklejohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Wooooah he told me it was all valve? It's not! What the hell, chancer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatboy Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 If the valves are fresh/recently serviced with no major problems, standard wear and tear I'd say yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 How long does your Tele have to remain unsold before you admit defeat and stop referring to it as "brand new"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 In guitar world 4 weeks old and played like 3 times is pretty brand new? Haha sorry ill say "my tele" from now on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 What's your budget anyway? Here we are talking about cheapo modern Marshalls when we could be talking about seriously tidy gear. Blow a few shekels on one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Young Adolesent Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 What's your budget anyway? Here we are talking about cheapo modern Marshalls when we could be talking about seriously tidy gear. Blow a few shekels on one of those.i think thats just a tad too expensive.....just a tad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meiklejohn Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 My budget is however much I get for my tele, avt150 half stack, gibson 498 and 500t pickups and 1960B cab. That's pretty much all I've got to sell haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 (edited) Get a credit card, and find a loose woman you can pimp, and then reap the rewards in amplification. Chicks dig tone. Pretty sure TLC mention solid state amps in that 'No Scrubs' song. Edited May 11, 2013 by Joda Serk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Young Adolesent Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.