The Traynor YBA-3A Super Custom Special would seem to be one of the larger production tube bass amps. Pretty heavy and pretty loud.
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Tube amp question from a SS guy
- Thread starter ChrisAlan
- Start date
It's not like they wouldn't pass that expense on to the customer.
Then again, the higher the selling price, the lower the number of units sold.
Then again, the higher the selling price, the lower the number of units sold.
2 things Chris:
1- i used to use anywhere from 575 SS watts to 1100 SS watts for my loud projects.. I now have the same or MORE volume with a 100 watt V4B or a 200 watt Orange thru the same cabs... and my 300 watt Fender Pro NEVER gets above 3.5 on the master!
2- I also used to NEED a graphic EQ on a solid state, and for some reason my tube amps with BASS, MID, and TREBLE are more balanced and TONEFUL!!.. tubes seem to alleviate the need for micromanaging your EQing somehow.
btw.. when it comes to Tube amps in production, Ive been really interested in the ASHDOWN BTA's and the 427... but i think they would be OVERKILL on power, and would probably snag the BTA 200 anyday over the 300 or 400 if i had a chance.
1- i used to use anywhere from 575 SS watts to 1100 SS watts for my loud projects.. I now have the same or MORE volume with a 100 watt V4B or a 200 watt Orange thru the same cabs... and my 300 watt Fender Pro NEVER gets above 3.5 on the master!
2- I also used to NEED a graphic EQ on a solid state, and for some reason my tube amps with BASS, MID, and TREBLE are more balanced and TONEFUL!!.. tubes seem to alleviate the need for micromanaging your EQing somehow.
btw.. when it comes to Tube amps in production, Ive been really interested in the ASHDOWN BTA's and the 427... but i think they would be OVERKILL on power, and would probably snag the BTA 200 anyday over the 300 or 400 if i had a chance.
Yeah, I'm EQ'ing out the ying yang currently, using an outboard 21 band.
I'm having to take pics of the settings after each gig at each new place so I can get it right for the next time there.
Too many settings to deal with when adjusting for the room.
I'm having to take pics of the settings after each gig at each new place so I can get it right for the next time there.
Too many settings to deal with when adjusting for the room.
Thinking solely from a design standpoint, it would seem difficult to design a 600-Watt tube amp (for instance) that would not cost more than twice as much as a SVT, because the SVT already has the advantage of high production volume. It would also be twice as big and heavy. Then you would have folks saying to themselves: Why not simply run two SVT's side by side?
Solid state amps are a whole nother ball o wax. The trend has been that as they have gotten more powerful, designers have found ways to make them more efficient so they don't grow proportionately in size and price. Also, SS amp makers can overcome the production volume problem thanks to demand for power amps in PA systems.
Solid state amps are a whole nother ball o wax. The trend has been that as they have gotten more powerful, designers have found ways to make them more efficient so they don't grow proportionately in size and price. Also, SS amp makers can overcome the production volume problem thanks to demand for power amps in PA systems.
yes, they wouldn't sell enough of them to make it worthwhile.....guys that need power like that can simply add another unit to their rack......guys are complaining that svt's are back-breaking heavy,and a two man lift amp trade off for 500 watts just doesn't add up...the desired power can be accomplished with 2 svt's or multiple smaller amps...multiple amps at least allows flexibility in case one fails.....a mega amp failure means you're out of options unless you have two,or a di.....
Chris, If you sometimes prefer your bass tone on the dirty side (like me) just keep in mind that a tube powered amps peak output can be quite a bit higher than the amps advertised clean output rating.
If your interested here's more info on peak output:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283409&highlight=
If your interested here's more info on peak output:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283409&highlight=
Sliderbass
Dr. Bass, The best cabinet you'll NEVER own!
Good evening, ChrisAlan...
Maybe some misconception here...
The idea of more powerful amps, generally, is to have clean sound louder. Overdriven tubes have to be exactly that: overdriven, to get that sound. A low power amp will overdrive more easily than a high power. I have a Hiwatt DR203 (yes, I know it's a PA amp..!), and it's clean up to window-breaking levels. To overdrive it, one would have to be in the next county.
If I want an overdriven sound from my amp, I am better served by my Fender Bassman 50 head than the Hiwatt, but for clean, field-filling bass, the Hiwatt can't be beaten.
As to 'pleasing to the ear', that too is easily explained. An SS amp, by it's use of transistors, stays 'linear' until there is no more voltage left, then it 'clips'. This sounds pretty awful (think FuzzFace...). A valve amp will 'round off' before clipping, so at overdrive wattage, there is not the aggressive clip that SS has. They mostly put out much more than their rated wattage, which is usually an expression of power at 'normal' distortion levels. When they go higher, which they can, the distortion is harmonically more 'musical'. An SS will simply clip instead.
That doesn't detract from your academic question on highest wattage amps, but those monsters are not for overdriving, quite the opposite, imho...
Hope this helps...
What's the full model name?
The only other "2" name I could find was the "B2-RE" and it's solid state.
I'm probably being dense or blind......
The only other "2" name I could find was the "B2-RE" and it's solid state.
I'm probably being dense or blind......
there have been a number of tube bass amps that are as loud as an SVT without the 90 lbs of brutality that comes with it. The Mesa Tube heads as well as the early traynor tube heads come to mind. From what I have read elsewhere, and been told by my amp tech, its the output transformer that is the problem. You are into serious custom shop territory when you want a 600+watt output tranny for a tube amp. Not to mention teh power supply tranny. Though a nice toroid and some SMPS stuff may help there?
I still think that the size/weight concern would become a problem after 400 watts. Sure, Ampeg has made a business of selling 90 pound amps. But how well would a 180 pound amp sell?
I recently made the move from a 750W SS head to the Ampeg SVT 2Pro. At first, I was disappointed with the power of this rig, but after learning to push the input gain and some mids, I am convinced it is every bit as loud as the 750W amp was and somehow has more room filling presence. I like the EQ and have been using it quite a bit. VERY happy with my tone...
