Choosing the right guitar amplifier is an important decision for every electric guitarist. The main reason is the amp can have drastic effects on the tone of your guitar. There has been a question that has been asked for decades, "Should I use a tube amp or a solid state amp?" Most guitarists have preferred tube amps in the heavy rock decades of the 1960s and 70s; mainly because technology hadn't produced a digital product that could match a tube amplifier. But now the question should be given some serious thought since we do have the digital technology to match tube amplifiers. This post is going to present a few different perspectives and answers to the amp question. It will also be a good introduction to both technologies in case you aren't already familiar with them.
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| Knob closeup on guitar amplifier |
This first article is from the perspective of the band. It offers good insight on band dynamics and more importantly, gear dynamics in the band. Check it out here at
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tube-Guitar-Amplifiers:-Every-Band-Needs-Them&id=6692871.
When you're creating a band, you need to think about the instruments you have and how you can generate not only the best sound but the most unique sound as well. Tube guitar amplifiers are gaining in popularity because they are able to not only increase the sound that your instruments are generating but also help modify the tone.
If you already have a guitar, you don't need to go out and buy a bunch of new guitars or even hire a new guitar player for your band. All you really need are tube guitar amps to help create some new sound effects. This can be done as you play, or later on through the use of extensive programming, depending upon the type of amp that you buy.
Combo guitar amps can also help you get several different sounds in one unit. This is often more cost effective if you're trying to get multiple sounds throughout your music. It will also allow you to branch out much easier into other genres. Otherwise you could end up with multiple amps, each capable of producing only one or two necessary effects.
Whether you have an electric or acoustic guitar, your band can benefit from the sounds that tube guitar amplifiers can generate. These tube guitar amplifiers can be purchased for a few hundred dollars or a few thousand, depending on the quality, the features and of course, your budget. If you plan on playing professionally or going on tour, it would benefit you by spending the extra money because the quality of sound that it will produce will be much better.
When you're shopping for tube guitar amps, you need to look at what it can do for you. You should see if it will allow you to customize the frequencies and whether it will emphasize the sounds that you create or not. You will also be able to add various electronic effects. Depending upon the amp, you may also be able to record directly from the amp to make it easier to play back your sounds and figure out the settings.
Tube guitar amps have been a very important part of music for decades now. Tube amps in general are used throughout home theater systems and much more because of the great sound that they are able to produce. You can find them in various different sizes and you need to ensure that it is able to produce the volume of sound you need - especially if you're playing in night clubs or auditoriums packed with screaming fans.
As you shop around for the different amps, combo guitar amps should always be considered first. While they are a little more expensive, you will ultimately get the most use out of it because of what they are capable of. Many different brands manufacture combo guitar amps, so you need to shop each one, read the benefits and features and much more.
If you can find reviews about some of the amps, it can also help you decide if it's worth the money. This will tell you what other musicians have been using the amp for, the sounds they're getting from it and whether or not they think it's worth the money.
Your band will need a lot of different instruments and equipment to succeed in the music industry. Add a tube guitar amplifier to your list of needs and you'll be able to make the music you've always wanted to make.
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| Guitar tube amplifier |
The next article is the real meat of this post. It provides an in-depth look into both tube amps and solid state amps, including the pros and cons of each. Check it out now at
http://www.rockyourguitar.com/tube-amp-or-solid-state-which-is-best/.
The debate of Sold State VS Tube Amps has been getting more and more interesting as the technology behind digital effects continues to grow.
There is an interesting article at epinions.com, where the author did a sound test and apparently they participants couldn’t tell the difference between a solid state amp and a tube amp.
Guitar amps have come a long way since the electric guitar was first conceived. However, the advances in technology has not had the impact on amplifiers that one would have predicted. Tube Amplifiers, for now, appear be the king of tone in the guitar world.
Looking Under The Hood
Tube amplifiers use a series of old fashioned tubes to provide power, distortion, and tone. Solid State amplifiers rely on transistors, and sometimes software, to provide the tone. They both have the same job, to amplify the sound of your guitar, however they both sound totally different, with good and bad points.
So without further ado, here is my summary of the pros and cons of both Solid State amps and Tube/Valve amps.
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| Digital solid state amplifier |
Solid State Amps
The Pros:
- Usually have clean sounds, crisp and accurate.
- Quick and responsive to your playing.
- Can take more abuse in moving since there are very few fragile parts.
- Require less maintenance.
- Can emulate many different amplifiers at the push of a button.
The Cons:
- Lacking “warmth” – Usually sounds cold and sterile.
- Distortion is usually sharp sounding “like razorblades”.
- Lacking Individual Tone. Most Solid State amps all sound very similar and will sound the same with almost any player.
Tube/Valve Amps
The Pros:
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Tube amps are best known for their warmth. They are pleasing to the ear, something you can not justify in a laboratory. Scientists have no way of measuring the warmth, which is probably the reason that they have not been able to duplicate it in a solid state amp.
- Each tube amp sounds different, each with its own unique tone. No two guitarists will sound the same through the same tube amp, as the amp will respond to the individuals playing technique in a totally different way. Tube amps have been described by many veteran guitarists as “Tone Monsters”.
- Tube amps sound fat and thick, and will sound even fatter as the volume is turned up, creating that famous wall of sound. Tube amps sound HUGE!
- Tubes, by their very nature of operation distort sound, and do so in the most pleasing way to the human ear, by Pushing and Pulling on each other. You can read more about how tubes work on wikipedia.
- Tubes compress your sound in several ways, usually when to much power is demanded from the output transformer. The transformer can not handle the signal peaks and softly rounds them off, causing even more distortion. Trust me, it’s a good thing.
- Unmatched in power and clarity (ie. 20W tubes can easily match the power of a 200W solid state)
The Cons:
- Dosen’t sound as good at low volumes. Sounds better when you play them loud.
- If you play every week, tubes will last a little over a year before they start to loose their tone. They need to be replaced and that will cost anywhere from $80 to $250.
- Tube amps cost a lot more than a solid state.
- You can’t instantly get access to different amps “emulated” sounds with the click of a button. Generally, if you use a tube amp, you would use guitar pedals to create different sounds. Here’s my list of the top 39 pedals for guitarists.
- Tube amps in general are very heavy.
In summary, every guitarist is searching for that the ultimate tone producing guitar, amp and pedal combination. As we grow as guitar players, we will no doubt make many different purchases, and every now and then hopefully we will come across something magical. When you play the perfect guitar and amp combination, it’s a feeling like no other!
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Have fun and stay tuned!
Mike
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