Tonal expression is from the fingers, not the amp!
Dec 31 '01 (Updated Mar 08 '02)
The Bottom Line Tube or solid state amps: whatever you prefer! Tonal expression is from the fingers, not the amp!
Many say that the real difference between tube amps and solid state amps is tube TONE! And I agree, BUT...this is simply a matter of preference. For practical reasons and for logical reasons, perhaps even for scientific reasons as well, many choose solid state amps over tubes.
FOR PRACTICAL AND LOGICAL REASONS:
If all you need is a bedroom practice amp, you may be better off with a very versatile solid state or modeling practice amp in order to enjoy playing a variety of music styles and to practice your chops until you have a better idea of the kind and style of music you prefer. A small practice amp such as a Tech 21 Trademark 10 or a Vox pathfinder may be all that you need. Or perhaps a small practice tube amp such as an Electar Tube 10 may only provide you with one or two sounds to work with and maybe that's all you need, it really depends on you, what you want and what you ultimately prefer!
Another consideration is a tube amp does require "warming up" the tubes before you play. Perhaps for many this is only a small inconvenience in order to enjoy "tube tone." But for others who simply like to plug and play, solid state or modeling is the only way to go. Another advantage of a solid state or modeling amp is the fact that you can get liquid distortion at very low volumes. In order to enjoy that smooth overdrive sound of an Electar Tube 10 you have to crank up the volume and you may find that a 10 watt tube amp is still very loud for a bedroom practice amp. To get that smooth overdrive sound in your bedroom at low volumes, even with a 30 watt tube amp, you will need a hotplate!
FOR SCIENTIFIC REASONS:
Today, tube amps are surrounded by such excessive disinformation that the small, but real, sonic advantage that tubes have to offer is lost in all the hype. The argument that tonal expression comes from the amp is simply not true. Tonal expression is from the fingers, not the amp!
The fact is that the audible difference between a tube and a solid-state amp emerges only when they are “clipped.” Everything changes when you clip (overdrive) the amps. It only becomes clear and easy to hear the difference between typical tube and solid-state amps when they are in overdrive.
It is also easy to see the difference on an oscilloscope trace, a typical tube amp can be seen to clip with a softly rounded waveform, while typical solid-state amps clip with razor-sharp edges. The waveforms are different therefore it goes to reason that the harmonics will be different as well.
Those harmonic differences account for the harsh, piercing and obnoxious sound of the solid-state amp when clipping, compared with the smooth mellow soothing sound of a tube amp clipping. So before clipping occurs, what’s the difference? Both waveforms look the same! No real harmonic differences to talk about. So theoretically, the clean channel on a tube amp should be the same as the clean channel on a solid state amp!
If you don’t agree, go to a music store and tell a salesman or technician that you would like to do a sound comparison between one tube amp and one solid state amp side by side. Of course the more models you compare the better opinion you will have of both amp types. Compare clean channels only! Set the EQ’s straight up on both amps to see if you can really tell a difference between the clean tone of a tube amp and the clean tone of a solid state amp. If at all possible compare the clean tone of a Fender Stage 160 to any other tube amp. Remember, you don’t want a solid state amp to clip as most will agree that this distortion is not very satisfying to the ear...unless of course you’re into harsh and obnoxious sounds.
FOR RELIABILITY REASONS:
So, if one would take the clean channel of a solid state amp and keep the volume below any audible clipping, then use a suitable stomp box to provide distortion, would this setup not provide a variety of distortion sounds similar to a tube amp in overdrive? Would the quality of my stomp box make any difference? Do professional musicians who record with tube amps fool their audience with solid state gear when playing live? Of course they do! Tone is in the fingers, remember! One of the most important aspects of performing live is equipment reliability...
Most importantly, pre-clipping frequency equalization and post-clipping EQ are absolutely critical adjustments. Once you have your favorite stomp box set up, it is the precise combination of pre and post clipping EQ that mostly determines how an amp sounds. The biggest “secret” of the best sounding guitar amps lies in the pre-clipping EQ.
So, get yourself a solid state amp with a clean tone you like and then add the best stomp box or the most suitable preamp unit you can find and voila, you have variety, you have versatility and you have reliability in a simple relatively inexpensive setup.
When electronic engineers make a solid-state amp produce the same waveform as a tube amp when it clips - including everything to do with duty-cycle modulation of course, then they will have successfully simulated a tube amp with solid-state components. Modeling amps have come a long way in just a few short years. Technology is taking over, it’s just a question of time!
WHY CHOOSE SS OR MODELING OR TUBE?
One of the principle reasons for wanting a solid state or a modeling amp is for the opportunity to enjoy oneself with a variety of smooth and hi-gain distortion sounds at LOW volumes.
If you can afford the best money can buy then go for the best tube amp or the best modeling amp you can find. If you are on a budget get something useful, be it a tube, solid state or modeling amp, that is reasonably priced with the sounds and tone you prefer.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY...
Although I agree that no modeling amp can replace a good tube amp, not yet anyway, I also haven't found a tube amp that can replace my modeling amp, either!
Technology is moving forward...5 years ago, if you wanted Fender Tweed, Marshall plexi and Mesa hi-gain rectifier sounds you needed to buy 3 amps. Today, if you need and want those three sounds and you like tubes only, then go buy those three tube amps. But if you can't afford those three tube amps, you have the option today, to get those three sounds with a modeling amp. Nowadays, some higher end modeling amps are just as expensive as one of those valve amps.
Furthermore, it is possible now to get a small 150 watt PA system (power mixer and speakers) for less than 1000$! Currently, you can get a Hughes and Kettner Tubeman guitar preamp or a Tech 21 Sansamp TRI-AC for $200 to $300! Both these units can be used for home recordings and live sessions and you have versatility on a level you could only dream about 5 years ago. So, for less than the price of one of those cool valve amps, you could get a complete PA system that could also help out at band practice - add other guitars and vocals to the mix for instance - and with a floor model guitar preamp stomp box, you could sound like you own all three cool tube amps: a Fender Tweed, a Marshall plexi and a Mesa hi-gain rectifier.
Even if I did own those three valve amps, I still wouldn't have the versatility and ease of use of a good preamp stomp box unit like the TRI-AC or the Tubeman.
So if you want to save for a true valve amp, that's your choice. If you want, you can save for all three of those cool tube amps. But you also have other options today. As I have described, for the price of a good tube amp you can accomplish much more...
Technology is providing interesting options we did not have several years ago. To say that these options are not desirable or are not useful in any way is absurd. I love my tube amp! No modeling amp can replace it yet! But I haven’t found a tube amp that can replace my modeling amp either! Embrace technology, use it to your advantage...and don’t give up on tube amps either!
If all you care for is tubes, then fine, stop criticizing everything else and enjoy your tube amp. For everyone else, just appreciate the limitations of technology now and search those options to find what you prefer and start enjoying yourself.
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