December 23rd, 2009 | 
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Yes there are some big differences. I’ve played guitar for going on 40 years and have tried just about every type of amp out there , tube , solid state , hybrid , you name it. I have always went back to a good old tube amp. You will find that a good tube amp is more powerful than solid state. A good 50 watt tube amp will blow away a 50 watt solid state amp almost every time. I’m talking about power at a usable volume. Tone is a matter of personal preference , of course, but if you want a sweet sounding overdrive and a crystal clear clean sound with plenty of depth then a good tube amp is the way to go. Of course there are the down sides such as maintenance. Solid state amps are basically just plug in and play but that’s not the case with tubes. tube amps need to be maintained regularly. The power tubes ( usually 6L6’s or EL34’s) need to be changed on a regular basis ( once a year or so) or when they go bad. The smaller preamp tubes don’t get nearly as hot and can usually be changed only when they go bad , if ever. If you have a tube amp it’s always a good idea to have some spare tubes on hand just in case. Another down side is the price. Your usually gonna’ pay a lot more money for a good tube with the same features and wattage as a comparable solid state amp. And you also have to figure the cost of the maintenance too. But to spite all that I will go tube over solid state any day because of the tone , power , sustain and overall musical sound produced by tubes. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all solid state amps are junk or are bad. In fact I have tried a few that sounded pretty good but just not what I was looking for. They just couldn’t match up to the tube tone that I know and love. I mean , if I could get the sound I wanted from a solid state amp and not have to dish out all that cash for maintenance and such don’t you think I would do it? Same probably goes for most tube amp users. The fact is though , they haven’t created such a beast yet and maybe they never will. So I guess the answer to your question would be ”yes there are major differences”. And , yes they are worth the price if your looking for true tube tone and power.
Posted in tube amps
Yes there are some big differences. I’ve played guitar for going on 40 years and have tried just about every type of amp out there , tube , solid state , hybrid , you name it. I have always went back to a good old tube amp. You will find that a good tube amp is more powerful than solid state. A good 50 watt tube amp will blow away a 50 watt solid state amp almost every time. I’m talking about power at a usable volume. Tone is a matter of personal preference , of course, but if you want a sweet sounding overdrive and a crystal clear clean sound with plenty of depth then a good tube amp is the way to go. Of course there are the down sides such as maintenance. Solid state amps are basically just plug in and play but that’s not the case with tubes. Tube amps need to be maintained regularly. The power tubes ( usually 6L6’s or EL34’s) need to be changed on a regular basis ( once a year or so) or when they go bad. The smaller preamp tubes don’t get nearly as hot and can usually be changed only when they go bad , if ever. If you have a tube amp it’s always a good idea to have some spare tubes on hand just in case. Another down side is the price. Your usually gonna’ pay a lot more money for a good tube with the same features and wattage as a comparable solid state amp. And you also have to figure the cost of the maintenance too. But to spite all that I will go tube over solid state any day because of the tone , power , sustain and overall musical sound produced by tubes. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that all solid state amps are junk or are bad. In fact I have tried a few that sounded pretty good but just not what I was looking for. They just couldn’t match up to the tube tone that I know and love. I mean , if I could get the sound I wanted from a solid state amp and not have to dish out all that cash for maintenance and such don’t you think I would do it? Same probably goes for most tube amp users. The fact is though , they haven’t created such a beast yet and maybe they never will. So I guess the answer to your question would be ”yes there are major differences”. And , yes they are worth the price if your looking for true tube tone and power.
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