On the fence about getting a tube amp... Opinions/Exeriences would be great

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by Wadge

Hmmm, maybe one day but I don't see it happening any time soon for me. With me thinking of going the IEM route, I seem to be headed the other way.

The tube preamp/DI mentioned earlier would be ideal in that situation.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by J2Kbass

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I've been playing through a markbass tube 800 head for the last 2 to 3 years and I have no complaints.

However, on multiple occasions I have run tube amps( ALL TUBE ) with my bass and cab and the sound was SUPERIOR( IMO ) to my Markbass head. I've tried out multiple ampeg tube heads and orange tube head (ad200b mkIII). Loved them all.

I have been tempted to pull the trigger but here are my concerns -


1.) Weight - I have had back issues for a while and I CAN'T own an 80+ pound amp. 50 or less is more doable. The lighter the better. The Orange AD200b is right on my limit.

2.) Reliability - Being that I haven't owned any tube amps I have no personal experience but I seem to consistently read about tube amps having more issues - needing replacement tubes, etc...

It seems to me that the only "upside" to tube amps is the sound. Which is worth a lot in my opinion. Is there something else I'm missing?

Can anyone share there opinions/experiences on tube amps that would alleviate my concerns? Is there a boutique(or brand name) amp that I'm unaware of that could make me less hesitant?

Thanks again for your input.

Some of this has been mentioned, but here goes.

First, the LMTube is probably the LEAST tubey hybrid out there. I hear virtually NO impact of the little micro tube in that head. Nice head, but if you are looking for anything like 'all tube' tone, that is the last place I'd go.

The 'tubiest' hybrids IMO are:

1) Mesa Walkabout
2) Genz Streamliner
3) Orange Terror
4 Aguilar TH500 (no tube in it, but warm as heck... similar to the DB750).

Any of those will give you a much stronger dose of tubes without breaking your back. If you want 'tube distortion' primarily, you can stick with your Markbass and buy a pedal. For the Ampeg SVT overdriven vibe, the VT pedal is great.

[throbbinnut]

Want to hear what tubes can sound like in a band setting? To me this is proof that all-tube is worth it. 100 Watt Ampeg V4B, Ampeg 2x15, outside, not running bass or guitars through the PA, plenty of volume, and great big fat sound that actually makes me sound not as horrible as I actually am...

http://youtu.be/6GjUVoyI9JU

Chris

[KJung]

Originally Posted by throbbinnut

Want to hear what tubes can sound like in a band setting? To me this is proof that all-tube is worth it. 100 Watt Ampeg V4B, Ampeg 2x15, outside, not running bass or guitars through the PA, plenty of volume, and great big fat sound that actually makes me sound not as horrible as I actually am...

http://youtu.be/6GjUVoyI9JU

Chris

I think you play quite well, and your tone is GREAT!

I do think that, in the mix, the OP could get close to that tone with the VT pedal and his current head, with the appropriately voiced cab. Not all the way, but pretty close IME, given that he doesn't want to deal with the weight.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

You know the speaker cabs were duff for a fair period, dark speakers, not having the 'right' tone. Still sold plenty. Isn't really the tone I'm talking about anyway. That's from the circuit. Its the being able to run them on 10 all night every night that you'd head towards with less component compromise.

Um, it was me who did the research to find out the duff years for the cabs in the first place And who can run an SVT on 10 and not get fired unless they're in a doom band?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by KJung

I think you play quite well, and your tone is GREAT!

I do think that, in the mix, the OP could get close to that tone with the VT pedal and his current head, with the appropriately voiced cab. Not all the way, but pretty close IME, given that he doesn't want to deal with the weight.

My opinion on that is if weight is a priority, don't even bother with a tube amp.

[jnewmark]

I know the purists are gonna jump all over me, but, a good compromise I have discovered is the old Music Man heads , specifically the HD150 head. SS preamp and 4 6L6GC power tubes, coming in at just 40 lbs. I immediately noticed the tone difference between this head and my SS heads; just a different flavor of good ! It has the warm tone right from the get go, and a roundness that I can't really explain. And it seems to be loud enough for a small, Roots/Blues band with no PA support. Mine was in great shape when I got it, so, just a new quad of tubes and I'm good.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by KJung

The 'tubiest' hybrids IMO are:

1) Mesa Walkabout
2) Genz Streamliner
3) Orange Terror
4 Aguilar TH500 (no tube in it, but warm as heck... similar to the DB750).

Any of those will give you a much stronger dose of tubes without breaking your back. If you want 'tube distortion' primarily, you can stick with your Markbass and buy a pedal. For the Ampeg SVT overdriven vibe, the VT pedal is great.

Agreed with all of the above, and will add Mesa's M-pulse 600 for warm and clean, and their BB750 for warm and "dirty"...


- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

My opinion on that is if weight is a priority, don't even bother with a tube amp.

Agreed - if you primarily play PA supported gigs like I do, the Streamliner really shines here: it's DI has a great tube sound thru a good PA...


- georgestrings

[KJung]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Agreed with all of the above, and will add Mesa's M-pulse 600 for warm and clean, and their BB750 for warm and "dirty"...


- georgestrings

+1

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Um, it was me who did the research to find out the duff years for the cabs in the first place And who can run an SVT on 10 and not get fired unless they're in a doom band?

That's exactly why I said 'You know'. And I was asking you about it previously exactly because people assume that saying 'Ampeg' on is enough, and disregarding the fact that some of them sound duff, even people in the pro backline hire trade, and people who book gigs and have to sort the backline requirements. You don't have to be in a doom band to be a loud idiot with your rig, it just helps. The guy I was asking about that stuff for only used to be in a doom band, not even sure what they count as now (Om), and theeir sound engineer isn't in a doom band, they are prog, and cranks his SVT (6146 one, ANTA if anyone wants to look them up).

[jgroh]

I just bought my first tube amp ever, an SVT-CL, and have been using a Markbass LMII for the last 5 years. I have used tube preamps before with SS amps and I have to tell you, this thing is a different animal. The tone is killer. The volume is nuts...for being 300 watts compared to my 500 watt LMII, it blows the MB out of the water. I had been using both a Pork Loin and Sansamp RPM and I will be selling both because I get that tone from the amp. It is heavy and it can stink at 2:30 am to lug it around, but for that tone Ill do it.

[mpdd]

one of the reasons i like my mesa tube head so much is that it weighs way way less than my old sunn tube head and all of my friend's ampeg all tube svts

[Ukiah Bass]

I recently acquired a tube amp. Something I've wanted for years but had previously experienced only with solid state + tube alternatives such as an SIB Fatdrive, or hybrid amps like the SL900. I can now attest if you love tube, there truly is nothing as good as an actual tube amp. You won't regret it!

As for weight, my tube amp is light. It's about 16 pounds - an Old School Amps Model One-B that does 20 watts @ 4 ohms. That's all the power I need for the majority of my winery and restaurant jazz gigs. However, if there is a need for more power, I tap the line out jack into a 2-pound EA Micro's effects loop return jack and get 350 watts @ 8ohm and 550 watts @ 4ohm. Killer combination and you can't beat the weight!

Here's info on the Model One:
"Old School Amps" hand wired, all-tube, practice/small gig amps

Here's the sub-19lb. Model One and EA Micro stack.

[Pep]

I really like the suggestion earlier of a "tube" preamp and one of the newer lightweight power amps. That's about as close as you'll get to a "tube" setup.
I'm playing through a Peavey MAX Bass Preamp and a Carvin DCM 2000L. You can stay under 40 lbs withe a preamp, lightweight power amp, power conditioner and an SKB rack.

The Neo loaded cabs are lightweight as well.

[kasbrey]

I've owned and played through a number of all tube amps.

The TTE 500 sounds and feels like an all tube amp at 13lbs.

No drawbacks.

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by Pep

I really like the suggestion earlier of a "tube" preamp and one of the newer lightweight power amps. That's about as close as you'll get to a "tube" setup.
I'm playing through a Peavey MAX Bass Preamp and a Carvin DCM 2000L. You can stay under 40 lbs withe a preamp, lightweight power amp, power conditioner and an SKB rack.

The Neo loaded cabs are lightweight as well.

I've used one of those pres with my Matamp power amp (SS), made a good sounding rig, but not a very valve sounding one. I paired it with a Peavey power amp at one point to, if I were doing it again, I'd use an IPR.

[Stumbo]

Buy an efficient cab or two along with your 50-100w tube head and you'll be good.

[nicoli]

For all you guys saying a tube pre with a s/s power section is tube tone, do you actually own that rig and believe it? I run a SVP Pro with 5 tubes in the preamp into a s/s poweramp and although I like the sound, it's not even close to all tube tone.

My all tube Marshall head is a completely different sounding rig. They're not even close. Same with SVTs and YBAs when I play them, not even in the same ballpark as a hybrid setup. If it's tube tone the man is after, I've yet to hear anything but the real thing that sounds like the real thing.

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by nicoli

For all you guys saying a tube pre with a s/s power section is tube tone, do you actually own that rig and believe it? I run a SVP Pro with 5 tubes in the preamp into a s/s poweramp and although I like the sound, it's not even close to all tube tone.

My all tube Marshall head is a completely different sounding rig. They're not even close. Same with SVTs and YBAs when I play them, not even in the same ballpark as a hybrid setup. If it's tube tone the man is after, I've yet to hear anything but the real thing that sounds like the real thing.

+1 - not trying to be contrarian here, but I've played through more than a few tube pre's and hybrid amps in my day (hell I own one), and although they may have a nice sound to them, they definitely did not capture the sound of a tube power section that's being driven hard.