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Enough Tubes. Let's Talk Solid State! Name Your Favorites and Why?

#101
acoustic has ALWAYS made huge sounding SS gear. I've had a load of others(Sunn, Peavey, ampeg,) that did the job, but didn't amaze me. Then there's the ones that just stunk(GK, Carvin, Mesa Boogie) and the so-called "hi-fi"(Ashdown, EA) that left me flat, as well. I DO look forward to trying and probably owning the Fender Bassman 500 OR a Rumble...sounds like the 500 has the weight and sound that'll suit me to a tee...AND! it looks freakin' COOL~
 
#102
I run a hybrid Hartke LH1000. My practice amp is true SS though, a Behringer BXL3000A. 1x15. That thing could handle my small shows haha.

I haven't played a true tube amp live on stage, just at GC, right now they're nothing special to me, just pricey. I'm still a newbie to gigging and this is my first real amp and I'm extremely happy with it. So are my bandmates and our fans.

So far I've been able to avoid having GAS, I've only bought what I need to get the job done and be told I sound good.
 
#107
For my really large gigs I shoot from the DI to the FOH. The DI could be my Sans Amp PBDR or MXR M80. Next I'm grabbing an Ampeg SCR DI.

For local gigs I play through a Hartke LH500 into two 2x10. In the '80s I played through a Peavey Mark IV into a Peavey 2x15 Black Widow. In the '90s a Trace Elliot combo, but I don't remember the model.

As I approach 50, not there yet, I'm starting to see the value in a micro head I can just toss into a backpack and go. Haven't tried any out. But if I can get a solid clean tone for both Rock/RnB and Jazz, I'd be a very happy camper.
 
#108
Neon Blues said:
Hey folks,

Of course, I am a big tube fanatic but I also love a lot of Solid States. There's been a ton of Tube Talk lately, let's talk solid state.

What's your pick of the litter and why?
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Behringer BLX900h 90 wts. combo I use for practice and a Behringer BLX 4500 450 wts I use for gigs with a home built 2x15 ported cab.. Both are great and 2 channel with a built in EQ. They both Rock the House.
 
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#110
DwaynieAD said:
I also like my Gk 700rbII that i got at a flea market for 75 bucks.
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Damn, that's a killer deal!! I lucked out and got my 800RB for $400 shipped off the classifieds here, I know they sell for cheaper, but mine is a later one that's in excellent condition, probably the cleanest I've seen for used ones, the former owner must've taken exceptional care of it!!!

After reading through so far, I'm not surprised about the love GK gets, I never gave them a chance because I played through a GK 1001 for 6 months and never bonded with it, I just found it too clean/sterile for my tastes....

About 3/4 months ago I finally tried out an old beat up 800 and I was in love within minutes!!


This last March I had an audition with a power metal band and played through the 400RB that is the backline at this local rehearsal place.... No wonder Duff used a 400 for "Appetite..."!! Through 1 Genz Benz 4/10 it kept up with 2 guitarist and a loud drummer with minimal effort or volume and sounded amazing unlike certain other SS amps I had in the past, though I will point out I've only owned 2 tube amps(SVTII non-pro and still have a Fender PS300)but the 800 truly has the same"liveliness/character" that reminds me of tubes!!;

The only difference I could hear between the 400 versus 800 was the increased treble and headroom with the 800, where the 400 is warmer and the 400 gets grindy much easier....


Both sound lively and have a nice juicy tone, I really dig the mid contour and "hi boost" on it, it remind me of the ultra hi/low switches on an Ampeg..... also seem the compress heavy handed fingerstyle much like the Ampeg I once had!!

So in the next few years I might get possibly a 400 as well or another 800 as a backup(not that id need another, but just in case:))

The RB series made me a believer!!
 
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#111
I used to have a peavey Mark IV that thing was great but too heavy. Now I play a littleMark III. Maybe I have a thing for Roman numerals.

Honestly I don't have the money to experiment too much so I have to find things that just work.
 
#113
IMHO, the winning formula here is the designers focus on the sound of the pre-amp part of the amp.

The amp part, the power part, being more of just straight gain. This formula works and scales from low to loud volume.

The pre-amp is consistent, and the best place to focus on the sound.
Good for recording and FOH from the DI output. :)
 
#114
Scooberto said:
All I have ever played is SS. But I have to pick my current amp. The Acoustic B600H. It's loud, tough, and has always been reliable. I have a B410 that I use with it, but I'm on the hunt for a 4 ohm cab that can handle at least 600 watts. I have a friend who runs his B600H with an Ampeg 8x10 Classic. I love how big that amp sounds. Tube amps are awesome but they make me nervous as they are fragile.
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I have the same amp and I really like it too. Only puts out 450w@4ohms though.
I'm going to build a pair of 4 ohm cabs to go with it eventually... then I'll be able to unleash the power! :D
 
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#115
I can find a usable sound on most anything, but in my old-age and laziness I go for features, like a tuner, compressor and whatever else it might offer.


I also end up with stuff I find a good/great deal on.


Enjoyed giggin a TC Electronic BG500 115 combo ‘till it got stolen, and at the moment I’m using a Line 6 LowDown HD400 head which weighs I think 20lbs.



line-6-lowdown-hd400-593573.jpg
 
#117
Wow. A lot of GK love in here and well deserved too. My fav is the 800 mbf. Absolutely nothing but praise for this amp. I can't imagine loving an amp more. Nice n tight and damn loud on the solid state side and I can switch over to the tube pre if I want. Mostly leave it on solid state or gain A. Sometimes fun to switch it up a bit though. So not entirely solid state. Another Class D hybrid.
~! just thought of a complaint with the mbf. Sometimes late at night I'll have to play through headphones and I don't like that you have to unplug the speaker cable from the amp to get it to send the signal through the headphones. Just a small pain and some people may not even have to mess with it but there it is.
I've also had genz benz 12.2 which was great but weird that it was almost two different amps in box. 1200 watts but you could only run 600 at a time into each cab. So if you only had one cab you're only getting 600. I was unaware of that when I bought it but it didn't bother me at all. Just thought it was weird.
Before that had a Ampeg SVT 7 Pro. Great sound but had it fail on me twice and never trusted it again. Sent it in for repair then sold it on here I think for $400 with full disclosure. Kept in touch with the guy and he says it's still going strong so that's good. Sound was killer on that.
All three were Class D.
 
#118
BioWeapon said:
I have the same amp and I really like it too. Only puts out 450w@4ohms though.
I'm going to build a pair of 4 ohm cabs to go with it eventually... then I'll be able to unleash the power! :D
Click to expand...
Hells yeah! I didn't realize that it went down to 450 watts @ 4 ohms, but that's fine by me, that should be plenty of power for the music that I play anymore. I've always wanted to build a cabinet but I'm more of a wood butcher and less like a carpenter.
 
#119
I'm an old middle-aged dude who's played a bunch of amps over the past 40 years. My favorite of the bunch is the Reiner Amplification Studio 1200. It has an all-tube front end, and a solid state power section that's 1200 watts into 4 ohms. It weighs 15 pounds tops, and sounds absolutely glorious. No baked in tone, just beautiful clear tone with a little extra magic from the tube front end.

It's a "boutique" amp, and therefore expensive, but absolutely worth it.

20150308_000904.jpg
 
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