#1
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R.I.P Tube Amps.
The digital amp has finally come of age. Half the weight and one third the price. If you can't hear the difference, then there is NO difference.
Even RK, who has a couple of boutique signature valve amps with his name on them, is digging it.
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________________________________ Carvin SH 575, AE185-12 Faith Eclipse 12 string Fender RK Tele Godin ACS SA, 5th Ave Gretsch G7593, G9240 Martin JC-16ME Aura, J12-16GT, 000C Nylon Ovation: Adamas U681T, Elite 5868, Elite DS778TX, Elite Collectors '98 Custom Legend, Legend LX 12 string, Balladeer, Classical Parker MIDIfly, P10E Steinberger Synapse Taylor 320, NS34 Yamaha SA503 |
#2
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I would have to give them a try before making a judgement call. I have owned a few SS amps and currently own a Boss Katana 50, MK II, which is a fabulous amp. It sits right next to my Princeton Reverb tube amp. When I play them one after the other, the tube amp certainly has a warmth and feeling to it that the SS amp does not. The SS amp has more of a "sterile" tone, which works great for some things and not as well for others. I imagine that the tube tone could be replicated though, so again I'll hold off judgement to see what others say and to see what I think when I get to try one out. I think Mark Knopfler is now using a SS amp on tours, though I can't verify that.
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https://www.mcmakinmusic.com |
#3
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Circuit modeling is getting better and better. I mean, the little Hotone Nano Legacy amps sound amazing for what they do (they’re kind of one-trick ponies) at 5W and under a kilo. I have one of them that stays in a gig bag and is a fallback when other options fail (or when i don’t want to carry a full amp and can just go through the PA).
That said, I like the fuss and bother of a tube amp.. |
#4
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To me, tube amps still have something extra going on that I love.
That being said, solid state modeling amps have come a LONG way in the last 10 years. I love my Yamaha THR 10c that I keep in my living room to jam while I'm watching TV. It sounds great. But, when I sit in front of my actual tube amp, it sounds just a little better. Also, these things are $900. Tube amps are around $1500 new or under, so it's not even close to 1/3 the price. And, you can easily get a used tube amp for $900 or under.
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Guild CO-2 Guild JF30-12 Guild D55 Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway Walnut/Italian Spruce Santa Cruz Brazilian VJ Taylor 8 String Baritone Blueberry - Grand Concert Magnum Opus J450 Eastman AJ815 Parker PA-24 Babicz Jumbo Identity Walden G730 Silvercreek T170 Charvell 150 SC Takimine G406s Last edited by robj144; 10-18-2019 at 05:37 PM. |
#5
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Isn't the price more like 2/3 or 3/4 when you compare the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and the '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue?
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#6
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I'm looking at the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. I need to try one first. I have a Roland Blues Cube Stage that would be replaced. The TM Deluxe is a few pounds lighter and sounds great in ever review I've seen. Interested in trying one.
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#7
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Rip? Just like we heard ad nauseum for Line6, then AxeFX, then Kemper, yada yada.
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Sobell Model 1 Sobell six string archtop Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis Eastman John Pisano Gibson Johnny A Franklin Prairie State Collings D1A |
#8
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R.I.P Tube Amps
Bugera V22:
22 all-tube watts, switchable down to 15 for home practice/tonal variation... Two switchable channels, 3-band EQ + presence/mid-boost... Best built-in digi-verb I've heard to date... Infinium circuitry makes tube swaps a DIY plug-&-play deal, rather than a $100 visit to your friendly local tech - tailor the tone to your liking for a one-time investment of about $100+/- in a set of preamp/power tubes ... Turbosound speaker has a smooth, rounded British tonality - none of the nails-on-a-blackboard highs and nasal mids many UK-voiced speakers can exhibit in an open-back cab... Chassis and all removable panels are secured with machine screws (something that many boutique amps don't even do)... Enough grunt to fill a 600-700 seat house, clean as you need or dirty as you wish... $400 street - can be had for much less at your local big-box dealer during Holiday/Coupon Day sales... Do you believe in zombies...?
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#9
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I wonder how the amp responds to a player's dynamics and touch/feeel? Some tube amps are amazing for that quality and the digital/modeling amps were never quite there.
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#10
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I do love my tube amps no doubt. Not sure I’d NOT have one. But, that being said...my Vox MV50 Clean with the Nutube technology is unreal. I have it on my live rig. Fits on my pedal board, has a line out and cab out that can be used simultaneously, built in attenuation, an eco switch that shuts it off if unused for x amount of minutes.
It’s VERY responsive to picking style. It’s RIDICULOUSLY loud if need be. Running any of my Gretsch guitars through it produces awesome tones. I’m a huge fan of this “new” technology. Not to mention the “tube” life. Here’s a bit from Vox... The MV50 is equipped an all-analog pre-amp circuit that features Nutube, a revolutionary new vacuum tube that produces authentic tube tone at a fraction of the size. By taking advantage of this incredible new technology, VOX’s engineers were able to design a true, miniature tube amplifier. Beyond the inclusion of Nutube, the pre-amp circuit in the MV50 features a staggering number of analog components that effectively reproduce the dynamic character of a traditional tube amp. Paired with this innovative pre-amp circuit is a reliable and efficient Class D power amp that has been specifically designed for the MV50. From warm, natural cleans to dynamic overdrives, this power amp has been engineered to respond to the nuances of your guitar and, of course, your technique. I still love my lacquered Tweed BJ, but these little Vox heads are truly amazing.
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2023 Martin GPC-11e 2023 Fender Players Tele Limited Edition - Oxblood 2022 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60’s - Unburst 2021 Fender Strat American Pro II - Black 2014 Gibson ES-335 Memphis Dot - Cherry 2013 Gibson Les Paul 50’s Tribute P90 - Tobacco 2012 Yamaha FS720 TBS |
#11
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Last week’s hoedown was four guitar players, two with Quilters. They sounded great.
I was stuck with a 1965 Black Face Princeton Reverb I first played through in 1969. It sounded great, Whatever.
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rubber Chicken Plastic lobster Jiminy Cricket. |
#12
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Tube amps will never die!
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#13
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Of course, what do modelers do? They model the analog topology of tube amps! How dead can tube amps be when thus next generation is designed to reproduce them? I'm not sure tube amps will die in this generation merely because this generation is profoundly attached to them.
Look at me: I have several tube amps but the majority of my recording sessions are executed on digital modeling platforms. Yet I'm definitely having trouble getting rid of my tube amps. Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website) |
#14
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I'm not so sure about that! The Line 6 amps from 20 years ago were 'interesting'. The Fender modelling amps from 10 years ago were close. The Kemper amps closer still. Now technology is now on par with valve amps. We can expect in the future that this 'technology' will improve and cost LESS.
You can now turn up to a gig and know with near 100% certainty that your amp will work when you flick the power switch. Finally as demonstrated by the Captain, you can now lift your new Fender Twin amp with just...ONE finger. The writing, as they say, is on the wall...
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________________________________ Carvin SH 575, AE185-12 Faith Eclipse 12 string Fender RK Tele Godin ACS SA, 5th Ave Gretsch G7593, G9240 Martin JC-16ME Aura, J12-16GT, 000C Nylon Ovation: Adamas U681T, Elite 5868, Elite DS778TX, Elite Collectors '98 Custom Legend, Legend LX 12 string, Balladeer, Classical Parker MIDIfly, P10E Steinberger Synapse Taylor 320, NS34 Yamaha SA503 |
#15
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I seriously doubt tube amps will die before I do, but I also doubt I’ll ever buy one again. My primary amp is a Roland Blues Cube Hot, which is conceptually very similar to these new Fenders. Just a simple, great sounding solid state amp, voiced like an old Marshall, small enough to fit on a table in my man cave, and with power scaling that makes it sound great at low volume. I rarely ever take it out of the house anymore, so the weight isn’t an issue, but the size and low volume sound quality matter a lot. I don’t need or want multiple models, just one that sounds really good to me - once I dial in the basic sound I like, I rarely touch the amp, just use my guitars and a few pedals in front to change the sound as needed...
-Ray
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"It's just honest human stuff that hadn't been near a dang metronome in its life" - Benmont Tench |