Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilNBend
Really -- any amp you buy that is not too expensive and you enjoy playing on it is a good choice.
What I say next will be controversial.
1) If you want a real, authentic tube amplifier, buy one of the reputable do it yourself kits and build your own. That is the only real, sure fire way to get an authentic mid 20th century tube amp. And make sure it is one of the small ones so you don't blow out your neighbors when you play on it.
2) The reality is that to get a big high wattage tube amp to clip/distort, it has to be cranked up to eviction level decibel levels. So modern amp manufacturers use all kinds of electronic tricks to get consistent great sound at a much lower volume level. Also, if your tube amp has any effects on board, the effects may involve digitally manipulating the signal. In other words, the sound you may be getting off an expensive tube amp may not be a totally analog sound, though it is probably indeed a great sound.
3) If using a combo amp, some people use a small lighter weight, solid state amp with a great clean channel, then use higher quality effect pedals for that "great" sound. There are also modeling amps out there as well as solid state amp heads that can be dialed into what the player is after.
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Not so much controversial as simply having some elements of highly personal subjective opinion, which are totally viable as personal opinion, but not so much as any sort of universal objective "Amplifier truth" .
For example : Any amp that you really like is "a good choice" and "not to expensive" is both a totally personal qualification and subjectively relative to one's personal budget. And as such has no actual objective bearing on what constitutes a "good choice"
1) DYI is certainly an option but by no means is the exclusive domain of
"real authentic tube amplifier" sound (not to mention real and authentic both, being totally subjective terms)
2) The reality is getting a "high wattage tube amp to distort" is also a highly subjective personal preference/goal and by no means a universal qualifier for what constitutes desirability of tube amp sound
And to clarify. If in fact these so called "electronic tricks" otherwise known as analog circuits do get "consistent great sound at lower volume levels" then that would be in my opinion, all the more reason to consider a modern tube amp
Also a number of modern tube amps have tube driven effects (usually a physical spring reverb and sometimes tremolo ) on board, which are in fact totally analog, and in my opinion, are far better and more "authentic" (whatever that means ) or more accurately "desirable" sounding than any digital onboard or pedal sound
3) Beyond solid state being usually lighter weight, the rest obviously totally subjective spearheaded by what "great" actually means
Just Sayin'