Looking for a simple tube amp

[dincz]

I am looking for at least 500 W solid state, or 100-150 W tube

?

 

[Matt B]

I built a weber 6S100 kit. 100w all tube. Sounds amazing. Learnt a lot. Was heaps of fun to build and cost well under 1000 incl shipping!

 

[MichiBass]

?

It's simple: I am looking for tubes, but also a good sounding solid state head does the job for me. BUT, when I choose tubes, I want tubes, no simulations or stuff.

 

[Dave W]

It's simple: I am looking for tubes, but also a good sounding solid state head does the job for me. BUT, when I choose tubes, I want tubes, no simulations or stuff.

You might as well cross just a power amp off the list then. Without a tube preamp you're not really going to get any sort of tube tone out of a SS power amp. Even then it would be debatable.

 

[mystic38]

This:

The Streamliner 900 has an all tube, 6 stage pre-amp and a 900w power amp... gorgeous tone, phenomenal power.

You are certainly not doing yourself any favours if you dont check one out !..

I love my Genz Benz Streamliner 900. 3 tube preamp and 8 lbs. 500W into an 8ohm cab or 900W at 4ohms. I got one barely used for $600 or so.

 

[SchizoidPunk]

I don't want a simulation, I want the real thing

x1000

 

[MichiBass]

I will get a Ashdown ABM 4 x 10 Cab. What do you think about the ABM 500 head?

 

[Downunderwonder]

It's not tubes.

I want a new Mercedes for five thousand, but I can't have one. What is it you want exactly? A tube preamp? It better be, because big tube amps cost big money. ADA tube pre's are fairly affordable.

Sansamp "tubes" are pretty darn convincing for $150, or less for the Behringer.

 

[kasbrey]

I have to agree with the Markbass TTE500/800 suggestion. This amp has all the good things of a great all-tube head without any of the negatives.

 

[dincz]

If I understand the OP correctly, he wants a solid state or a tube amp, but if it's solid state it mustn't sound like a tube amp

 

[gastric]

ADA tube pre's are fairly affordable.

These 1U preamps are pretty super duper awesome. I have a long clip of me jamming some basic rock riffs through various clean as well as dirty presets on a MB-1. Find the clip on this page here: http://cgraham.com/chris/music/sound_clips.htm

 

[Abrahampost]

You can find older silverface bassman 100 and 135s on a budget. I picked up a bassman 100 from 76 for under 500 that had been recapped and tubed and it has great tone, especially if you don't care about having loads of eq options. If I had to pick a 100 watt bass amp I would hold out until you find a ampeg v4... love the tone of those.

 

[Mr. Foxen]

Fair few British made 100w valve amps can be had within that budget. I'll be jamming a bunch on ebay later today.

 

[mokkat]

I'll give a heads up for the Hartke LH500/1000. They won't do grid, and they're "only" tube-preamp/SS power amps, but if you want wonderfully clear but tubey tone and the simple good ol' musical 3 knob tonestack eq you should definitely check one out.

I went from one of those medium budget recent Fender Bassman 250HD amps, with semi-parametric freq+boost/cut mids, compressor, contour, etc knobs for getting "your" sound, to a dead-simple LH500, and my tone is so much more detailed, warm and generally better now no matter what the knobs are set to.
Great clean and punchy tone with a bit of that musical warmth and natural compression

Friendly on that wallet too

 

[Moosehead1966]

I don't want a simulation, I want the real thing

Then be prepared to pay through the ding-a-ling...... Sorry, felt this thread needed this low-ball humour

Marc

 

[Korladis]

I built a weber 6S100 kit. 100w all tube. Sounds amazing. Learnt a lot. Was heaps of fun to build and cost well under 1000 incl shipping!

How does that do on bass?

 

[Korladis]

You might as well cross just a power amp off the list then. Without a tube preamp you're not really going to get any sort of tube tone out of a SS power amp. Even then it would be debatable.

Unless he gets a tube power amp.