Is it necessary to have a Full tube amp?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by dave64o

I'd bet my house that, in a blind test, your friend would fail to correctly identify tube or solid state amps the vast majority of the time. Seems like that's always the result for for most people when accepting that kind of challenge. Certainly some people CAN consistently tell them apart but, from what I've seen here and on other forums, most people fail most of the time in that kind of test, regardless of the "topic". The funny thing is that you always see the same kinds of excuses time after time, too.

Almost 74% on here could tell the difference between a REDDI and a VT. Granted, most folks probably couldn't, but I don't do lowest common denominators on my gigs

OK, sometimes I use a cheap SS rig...but it's more a factor of weather and schlep factor....still have the REDDI for the house, though!

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

Yes.


Rezdog

[spankdaplank]

With modern circuit design and emulation technology, the sonic differences beween SS and tube amplifiers seems to be less and less these days.

For me, the quality that always keeps me coming back to tube amplifiers is the response to the nuances of my playing. I have yet to think of an adequate analogy. Maybe it's like the difference between bouncing a ball off a wall to play catch with yourself and actually playing catch with another person.

What I'm trying to say is that when I dig in with a tube amp it seems to give something back; the strings on my bass seem be more flexible. The relationship and interaction between what my fingers are doing and what comes out of the speakers feels more complex to me.

After gushing all that crap, let me say I own a tube amp, a hybrid amp and a solid state amp and enjoy each one for their own characteristics.

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Almost 74% on here could tell the difference between a REDDI and a VT. Granted, most folks probably couldn't, but I don't do lowest common denominators on my gigs

Via a digital recording through computer speakers mind. Not even close to actually playing through something yourself. The other bit is about how you care about what your audience hears, more, or less than they do.

[baddarryl]

I recently saw Marshall Tucker and that guys SVT made me cry about when I sold mine! Nothing like it (I am sure his old P Bass helped too!). Gee? Every time I think that, I look on stage and it is an SVT.

[Blankandson]

The Randy Jackson Markbass (ss / tube) sure fooled me. It sounded really good.

[BogeyBass]

Originally Posted by Ukiah Bass

A small tube amp can go a long way, especially if you pair it with a big efficient cab.

For sure,

in a side project I was using a Model T reissue.

Nothing really special just a quad of 6L6 running very close to the edge of breakup or just plain breaking up.
Most the time just nice and warm i dont like to much distortion

Ran it through a ampeg 810 sounded amazing.

hustled a deal one night at a show. headliner lets us play a few songs. Already had a 810 there but had to run through some markbass thing. After 2 songs the drummer and guitar both complained about my tone, was nothing close to what we we use too. borrowed a distortion pedal and didnt get any warm love out of it all .

All I got was sizzle but some what closer to want we were use too. Next song the dam markbass went into shut off. turn off turn on, back up...shut off again about another minute. Drummer stops, guitar feedbacks...me stopping myself from putting my foot right through that mark bass piece of ####.

class D suck it Model T reissue never ever ever shut down in the middle of a show. and a 100watt head kicked the living krap out of it tone wise and volume. That thing had to have been 300 watts or something and all it did was sound like krap and shut down. 5 6 7 worthless knobs of EQ nothing.

you can stick a 12ax7 in front of whatever you want, nothing touches a tube output into a big old cab.

Give me a 3 band EQ and a quad of 6L6 or 6550 and that is tone for daysssss.

[Mr. Foxen]

If that was a Little mark 2 (common one), then it wasns't class D.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

Via a digital recording through computer speakers mind. Not even close to actually playing through something yourself. The other bit is about how you care about what your audience hears, more, or less than they do.

Right. That's my job, isn't it?

[groovaholic]

Originally Posted by mhandley16

Is it necessary to have an all-tube amp? ...What I mean by this is a full tube preamp and full tube power section.... What are your opinions?

"Necessary" is a tricky word -- is it even "necessary" to play bass? Personally, no; I do so entirely for my own entertainment.

But I'd be miserable if I didn't play bass, so to me, the choice of an amp MATTERS.

I've owned solid state amps, tube pre/SS power racks, and all-tube monsters. Which do I prefer? They are both good, and I've had amazing and crappy amps of both types.

Running clean, you won't HEAR that much difference, but you will feel it.

Recorded, a POD or SansAmp can do a totally usable and believeable simulation of an SVT.

It's when you want to push a little more drive and grunt that those DIFFERENCES between tube and SS amps really become apparent.

Better or worse is 100% subjective, but different is undeniable.

Personally, I like a BIG amp sound, so I have a Peavey Classic 400 (all tube) and a Carvin B1500 (all SS).

They are both heavy (Peavey 95#, Carvin 40#) but they give me two different flavors of awesome, and I couldn't honestly tell you which is my favorite.

So forget what's IN the amp and just find something you love the sound of.

If you're playing for your own fun, play the amp that is most gratifying to YOU.

And plugging in will tell you a lot more in a lot less time than reading TalkBass.

[R Baer]

Tube power sections sound and behave it a different manner than solid state, plain and simple. Different doesn't mean better, so it's a matter of opinion, but I've yet to hear a solid state power section that acts and sounds like an all tube amp. Putting tubes in the preamp simply does not recreate the sound of a tube power section. There are haters out there, and of course fans of digital modeling, but if you like the sound of an all tube amp, then go for it. There's nothing else like it!

[BogeyBass]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

If that was a Little mark 2 (common one), then it wasns't class D.

well what ever it was dont know dont care . The word "little" is really a good name.
and ive been to numerous open mics when searching for new players and seen a few, well heard... a lot of yellow ones shut down.

I could redesign the panel layout easily by running it over with a truck lol

opps off topic ummm yah tubes.. yes

[mpdd]

the tube amp provides the harmonics and od i need without any pedals, plus you can get some nice guitar type tones on the d and g if you use ghs bass boomers

[Steve Dallman]

I ran an SVT from 1975 until 1983. I loved it, and ran it into a couple EV TL cabinets. I played in loud, hard rock bands with no PA support, usually with a 64P bass, with Dimarzio P pickup and an onboard Baxandall preamp I built. I never got even a hint of distortion with that rig. I then got into the biamp thing for several years, using SS power amps for the lows, and tube amps for the mids and highs, as well as a tube preamp I built. For years recently I used a GK1001RB but never bonded with the tone...just not right in the low ends, but a Sansamp helped.

After the GK died a miserable death, I bought a PF-500. Dang if it doesn't cop the feel and tone of my old SVT, as best I can remember it. Plus, I can pull a great grind from it, if I want it. Between the FET preamp, the compressor and gain staging, it has been just great. Tubes? I love tubes. I have lots of tube amps. I have built tube amps and preamps. But I don't need the weight now that I have reached geezer status.

[RockBobby]

Yes & No. I like both. If I wanted to lug my V-4 or 2000S around I prolly would be slightly happier, but I settle mostly for my GK 800RB with a VT pedal in front of it. I always used to struggle with 1000 watt SS amps, 300 watt tube, 8-10, 2-410s, 18 + 410, you name it but my old band was WAY louder and I found the louder you need to be, the less tone options you have.

Get both and use them in your situation.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

Tube amps are less fussy on bad power

That's actually been the opposite of my experience. If I know I'm playing a gig with crappy voltage, I will always take a SS amp.

[JoeWPgh]

I'm all for tubes in the preamp. Tunes in the amp power amp are just fine if that's your sound. I would never want to go back to a tube power supply/rectifier.

[majortoby]

It seems like more and more, amp builders are learning how to build a pre that really cops the sound of a driven power section, so perhaps this will affect the nature of "tube" amps in the future?

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Almost 74% on here could tell the difference between a REDDI and a VT. Granted, most folks probably couldn't, but I don't do lowest common denominators on my gigs

OK, sometimes I use a cheap SS rig...but it's more a factor of weather and schlep factor....still have the REDDI for the house, though!

I could tell too, but in a live band mix, I very much doubt I could. But I lug a 85lb tube amp around sometimes too. I need my head read.

[Calaverasgrande]

depends on what you expect out of your amp. If you are into precise and clean, get a solid state amp. If you are into piledriving distortion get a tube amp.

Also, the power amp section has different distortions and colorations than a tube preamp. An amp with only a tube pre or only a tube power amp wont sound the same as a totally tube amp.
IME you dont notice the differences unless you take your amps to the edges of their performance envelope. Same as you won't notice the difference between a sportscar and sedan if you dont drive fast.
I also think the eq and other sound shaping facilities on an amp make a huge difference. For example I find that the simple old fashioned EQ's sound best most of the time. Now if I desire a more extreme modern active bass type sound I dig solidstate all the way. I really like the combo of a GK head with a Stingray!