Touring and Reliability

[IWillFlyOneDay]

I've heard that Solid-state amps are better to tour with because they're more reliable on the road...ie not having to worry about fixing tubes in a pinch....and most are rackmountable.
Would a solid-state amp be better for a touring band..especially smaller ones that have everybody's equipment piled into the same van?

Also, what's everyone's favorite solid-state amp?

 

[Jazzman]

If you are going out on the road, you must bring a backup head regardless of whether you use tube or solid state. I don't think you will have better luck with one or another assuming you take care of them a maintain them properly.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

i have a mesa/boogie 400+ and an ampeg cab. when we go on the road, even if it is for a weekend trip(and we arent with another band that also brings a head) i always grab my 2 space skb with 500 watt power amp. that way, if my amp craps out, i grab my sans amp pedal as a pre amp, and i just plug it in.

it's only been used once(knock on wood).

 

[fdeck]

Just a thought, if you tour with something completely generic, then you are only a Guitar Center away from a replacement in a pinch. There are also ways to carry a "virtual spare" such as a SansAmp to play through a spare channel of a spare PA power amp that you are also taking on tour.

But if properly taken care of while on the road, tube amps got us through the first half century of amplified music.

 

[shoot-r]

Many years ago.... the first two years out as a full time bassist I used an SVT hd. and SVT cab. The tube hd. didn't stand up well under a tour bus and constant use. Plus, back then there wasn't always a repair tech close. I traded off the SVT hd. and went with a GK800RB hd. through the same SVT cab. That was something like 24 or so years ago....I used that head last night! It's never went down!

 

[Jeff Bonny]

I like the Stewart Audio amps because they're extremely light, reasonably priced and sound good to me.

GK 800RBs served me well for the ten years or so I was working steady playing and traveling.