Tech 21 VT Bass 1969 head!

[Growly Lytes]

not all ss devices clip poorly. the vt is one that clips pretty darn sweetly. so it's not like it's out of the realm of possibility.

God really` i didnt know this i thought it was a no no for S.S.
Just before i sold off my Fender BXR200 i pushed it hard a few times to see what was going to happen sound wise & bro it sounded like it was going to explode & the heat climbed quickly ` plus the limiter was cutting out the sound for a second or two every 5 or 6 seconds when it was clipping & bro it sounded like the worst tube amp ever & its not a tube amp.
It sounded like a tube amp that is very sick & in distress !

 

[bongomania]

Edit: the post I was responding to got deleted.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Edit: the post I was responding to got deleted.

The plot thickens

 

[Growly Lytes]

Edit: the post I was responding to got deleted.

Why ?

 

[bass dan]

God really` i didnt know this i thought it was a no no for S.S.
Just before i sold off my Fender BXR200 i pushed it hard a few times to see what was going to happen sound wise & bro it sounded like it was going to explode & the heat climbed quickly ` plus the limiter was cutting out the sound for a second or two every 5 or 6 seconds when it was clipping & bro it sounded like the worst tube amp ever & its not a tube amp.
It sounded like a tube amp that is very sick & in distress !

Reminder to self........don't buy used gear from this guy.

 

[JimmyM]

Reminder to self........don't buy used gear from this guy.

i'd say it's more of an indictment of the fender bxr200 than growly.

 

[bongomania]

Why ?

That's what I'd like to know. But in fairness, the reason I was responding to that post was because I disagreed strongly with it--so maybe the poster wised up to the error of their message just a minute after hitting the "submit" button.

 

[thumpbass1]

Why is Tech21 trying to say that you can push this amp more than is capable of ??
It would sound like a heap !
Its S.S for Gods Sake have they heard a S.S clip or what ??

Yeah, most folks have! Some cat with the last name of Hendrix slammed his tube guitar amp rigs with some boxes full of germanium transistors doing the dirty work. Then there was that thing called the field effect transistor or F.E.T. that is still used to this day to warm things up in solid state state circuit designs. Of course then came the Mosfet version of the F.E.T. transistor.

I am a tube fan, but not everything solid state sucks.

 

[christw]

Yeah, most folks have! Some cat with the last name of Hendrix slammed his tube guitar amp rigs with some boxes full of germanium transistors doing the dirty work. Then there was that thing called the field effect transistor or F.E.T. that is still used to this day to warm things up in solid state state circuit designs. Of course then came the Mosfet version of the F.E.T. transistor.

I am a tube fan, but not everything solid state sucks.

How about Brian May and his little transistor amp that contributed to his signature tone? Perhaps a Roland Blues Cube which has fooled many a guitarist?

...or, dare I say it, a Tech 21 VT Deluxe!! Who'd have thought that SS can clip and sound good!?

Seriously guys, I'm going to put this head to the test ASAP. Mostly I'm hoping that it will live up to Tech 21's hype for it so I can go "HAH!" at several of you. Truthfully, I'm still skeptical but I'm certainly going with an open mind. If any of you are really feeling fiesty, send me a spare bassist and I'll do blind recordings of both and put it to the test. Or someone can bring one of these to my house and I'll DI and mic it.

 

[bongomania]

Yeah, most folks have! Some cat with the last name of Hendrix slammed his tube guitar amp rigs with some boxes full of germanium transistors doing the dirty work. Then there was that thing called the field effect transistor or F.E.T. that is still used to this day to warm things up in solid state state circuit designs. Of course then came the Mosfet version of the F.E.T. transistor.
I am a tube fan, but not everything solid state sucks.

Oh ho, he returns. This is the post that I was responding to yesterday, more or less.

What you are describing is TONE. What everyone else is kvetching about is LOUDNESS. They are not the same thing.

Yes, clipping is one way of describing the basis for the extra loudness of a driven tube amp, but the amount of compression (and thus loudness) provided by a sweating all-tube amp is far, far greater than what any clipped FET gain stage can provide.

Again, so it's clear to any reader, that statement is not in any way a description or comment about TONE.

 

[rpsands]

I'm gonna go ahead and say if they'd just slapped an ICE power module in a box with a VT pre they'd have made a fortune.

There will be a few people who love this amp; but it won't catch on. Just not in the cards. Sorry.

 

[christw]

I'm gonna go ahead and say if they'd just slapped an ICE power module in a box with a VT pre they'd have made a fortune.

There will be a few people who love this amp; but it won't catch on. Just not in the cards. Sorry.

Yes, I am excited but I'm waiting to see the entry price. If it's close to the Landmark, I'm out. My VT and a power amp is a lot cheaper if I wanted to go that route, as a whole lot of people have said. Hell, two VT, and A/B blend box, and a more powerful power amp is just as much as the Landmark 300 at $650 so this VT better be an SVT killer if it comes in at the same bracket.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

I think price point will be a huge thing here.

Lots of people love the VT pedal already, so Tech 21 has got to really market this, rather than people just using the VT pedal through their own amp (Markbass, Ampeg, whatever) like they already do

 

[JGR]

What we need is just the rackmount preamp version of this. They seem to do pretty well with the RPM and RBI, so it would make more sense to go this route first.

 

[christw]

What we need is just the rackmount preamp version of this. They seem to do pretty well with the RPM and RBI, so it would make more sense to go this route first.

I totally agree. If a 1u version with two blendable/switchable VT were available, it would fly off the shelves. IMO, of course.

 

[andrew]

What we need is just the rackmount preamp version of this. They seem to do pretty well with the RPM and RBI, so it would make more sense to go this route first.

Hey Tech 21, listen to this man!

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I think price point will be a huge thing here.

Lots of people love the VT pedal already, so Tech 21 has got to really market this, rather than people just using the VT pedal through their own amp (Markbass, Ampeg, whatever) like they already do

That's the thing - I don't think anything will help this amp be a best seller or a must have since everyone who would want one already owns the VT or VT Deluxe and is, more likely than not, running it through a much more powerful amp. I think Tech21 is seeing potential $$'s where there's none to be had unless this head is sub $400. Somewhat surprisingly, its biggest competitor isn't going to be an actual SVT, but the VT Deluxe.

 

[thumpbass1]

Oh ho, he returns. This is the post that I was responding to yesterday, more or less.

What you are describing is TONE. What everyone else is kvetching about is LOUDNESS. They are not the same thing.

Yes, clipping is one way of describing the basis for the extra loudness of a driven tube amp, but the amount of compression (and thus loudness) provided by a sweating all-tube amp is far, far greater than what any clipped FET gain stage can provide.

Again, so it's clear to any reader, that statement is not in any way a description or comment about TONE.

I've been around both tube and solid state gear for a few decades. I've owned, and still own and use both topologies and know their differences. I know I didn't make any comments in this thread regarding perceived differences in regards to tubes versus solid state concerning output power and how these topologies respond when pushed, nor am I going to get into that. Yes I can tell the differences as far as how my ear perceives things. However some electronic science guys will come along and tell us musicians that watts are watts, but we know they lie! My comment was indeed about tone, and that I feel that not everything solid state is bad and nothing more. None the less I have played through loud tube and solid state amps and have usually gotten good results with either topology more often than not, and they performed within the expectations I have of their topology, and of the design specifications inherent to the particular model of amplifier in question. On an another note I have also played through some less than inspiring, and even bad sounding amps, both tube and solid state that was a result of bad design. At that point loudness wasn't the issue, yet they could get loud if that matters. As for the new Tech21 VT head I can't comment on it until I get to try one. I think I was clear that I'd be under no expectation that it would equal any all tube SVT head in terms of tone and response, let alone what other s.s. based tube emulation mojo it might be be able to pull off. However, it just might prove to be a darn fine s.s. approximation, and a lot of players could live with that. We'll all have to wait and see how it does at that task.

 

[Fuzzbass]

That's the thing - I don't think anything will help this amp be a best seller or a must have since everyone who would want one already owns the VT or VT Deluxe and is, more likely than not, running it through a much more powerful amp. I think Tech21 is seeing potential $$'s where there's none to be had unless this head is sub $400. Somewhat surprisingly, its biggest competitor isn't going to be an actual SVT, but the VT Deluxe.

I can see how the 1969 would appeal to those who want the simplicity of a consolidated bass head, rather than dealing with a floor pedal or modular rackmount system. And... while 300W is not enough for *me*, I believe it is for most.

 

[jasonbraatz]

I'm gonna go ahead and say if they'd just slapped an ICE power module in a box with a VT pre they'd have made a fortune.

There will be a few people who love this amp; but it won't catch on. Just not in the cards. Sorry.

This, and it's not like the ICE power stuff is expensive, either!

People don't buy an amp like this to hear the power section distort - the tone is in the pre. A ton of "digital" wattage, and higher headroom, certainly would be more useful than 300 "analog" watts.