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#21
Kelly Lee said:
I know you said you knew Trace Elliot tube amps but most people overlook the Valve series (Twin, Quatra, Hexa) of amps. They are somewhere in the middle tonewise between the V-type and the SMX series of heads. Its definately more hi-fi compared to the V-type or Ampeg SVT amps.

BTW, I love my QutraValve and just thought I should mention them. :D
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Good point!
 
#25
So after all my tube amp woes, I'd about sworn off them (other than the malfunctioning units I'm stuck with).

Talkbass to the rescue. Darnit. Rockbobby points me in the direction of a tech, and I manage to cure one of my amps with Mesa SP12ax7 preamp tubes.

So why darnit? I just bought another of the nasty beasts.

There's a tube amp that I think hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and it'll be on its way to me soon enough. I hope it works, and I don't hate it. I've been told it's HEAVIER than the Peavey Classic 400. And higher wattage, but that doesn't necessarily mean louder.
 
#27
Fealach said:
So after all my tube amp woes, I'd about sworn off them (other than the malfunctioning units I'm stuck with).

Talkbass to the rescue. Darnit. Rockbobby points me in the direction of a tech, and I manage to cure one of my amps with Mesa SP12ax7 preamp tubes.

So why darnit? I just bought another of the nasty beasts.

There's a tube amp that I think hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and it'll be on its way to me soon enough. I hope it works, and I don't hate it. I've been told it's HEAVIER than the Peavey Classic 400. And higher wattage, but that doesn't necessarily mean louder.
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Do tell...is it the Fender 400?
 
#30
Fealach said:
So after all my tube amp woes, I'd about sworn off them (other than the malfunctioning units I'm stuck with).

Talkbass to the rescue. Darnit. Rockbobby points me in the direction of a tech, and I manage to cure one of my amps with Mesa SP12ax7 preamp tubes.

So why darnit? I just bought another of the nasty beasts.

There's a tube amp that I think hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and it'll be on its way to me soon enough. I hope it works, and I don't hate it. I've been told it's HEAVIER than the Peavey Classic 400. And higher wattage, but that doesn't necessarily mean louder.
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I know one aswell, well, i think it'll be heavier, cant remember the name, some around here'll probably remember, 600watts and its about $10,000 new
 
#31
You're thinking of the Phil Jones tube head, I forget the name. I'd love to have the money to buy one of those... to spend on something else. Really, I don't doubt that it's superb, and costly to manufacture, but I can't see how it'd convince me it was worth that much more than anything else. I like nice stuff, but heck, that's 3 times what my truck cost.
 
#33
James Hart said:
I've always dismissed them because of it's output being 135 watts each out of 3 channels.... but then again,that might be cool.
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Same here. I almost bit once or twice on a Fender PS 400, but I prefer the option of throwing all of my tube watts into one (or two) cabs, if I want to.

Still, that is a classic amp, and a monster in all regards!

Tom.
 
#34
Mesa 400+....mmmmmm, yummy!
Aguilar db750-yoow!

Vintage Fender stuff is nice if you can work with 50-100 watts.

Music Man HD 130 is nice.

Plenty of good hybrids: I have an eden navigator I like. I have a couple of swr's I like. BBE b-max-t is nice, but the regular ole bmax does a creditable job of tube "emulation" without the 12ax7.

Just ordered an Thunderfunk, which by all accounts is rich and creamy without a preamp tube as well...

Man, it's a great time to be choosing amps.
 
#36
Since this is a general tube amp discussion I will give props to my old Ampeg V-4B. Ok so it may not be "clean" loud enough for lots of folks. I personally love to run it all the way in the red. Then its loud!! Crazy distorted loud. :D Its clean tone is a thing of beauty though.
 
#39
metron said:
Since this is a general tube amp discussion I will give props to my old Ampeg V-4B. Ok so it may not be "clean" loud enough for lots of folks. I personally love to run it all the way in the red. Then its loud!! Crazy distorted loud. :D Its clean tone is a thing of beauty though.
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yeah, those are nice and CRAZY heavy! i have the "new" V4b and sadly not quite the same thing if i don´t crank it all the way! i have a/b them and while i could get about the same sounds there was still something missing(and not just the weight)

other tubeamps
HI-WATT 100 and 200
peavey festival 110
marshall superbass

but i you want clean´n loud i´d say (as many other) mesa400+,svt or any of the big trace-elliot´s(v8,quattra,hexa)
 
#40
I've never heard a v-4b, but I'd like to. Better not to though, I have too many amps as it is, and I'd probably want one. "But this one sounds different!" as an excuse only holds up for so long :).

My Mesa isn't working yet, but now I know where to take it. The SVT2Pro I had would have been a new model, it was bought new last year and hadn't been in the store terribly long. The big reason I've stuck with the Mesa has been sentimental attachment, and knowing I couldn't in good conscience sell an amp that wasn't working right except for dirt cheap "as-is."

I'd say the Ampeg was more flexible tonally. Not that the Mesa's a slouch what with all the pull switch pots and switchable graphic, plus the 2 different preamp voicings. The Ampeg did a better scooped tone, the selectable midrange is a feature I like on any amp. Clean, it had ... I dunno, sort of a "smokier" tone than the Mesa. Capable of some real sweet overdrive, crunchy but smooth. When the Mesa breaks up, it's harsh and nasty. Mesa has more headroom, seems to stay pretty clean at just about any volume shy of earthquake. The Ampeg seemed a little groggier, less articulate--but that's not a bad thing if you want a big monstrous tone. The Ampeg I had was louder than my Mesa, but my Mesa may have been ill at the time I had both.

Mesa had more cab options, 2-4-8 ohm jacks where the Ampeg switched from 2 to 4. Don't remember all the features of the Ampeg, never used a DI on either amp or an effects loop on the Ampeg. Heard the Mesa DI was poor. One thing I loved on the Ampeg was the light on the back by the bias adjustment knob for user bias adjustment made easy.

I did love its tone. It was certainly close enough to "that SVT sound" for me (the Mesa couldn't touch that tone) but capable of more. Some of the reasons it went and the Mesa stayed:

I needed money for better cabs. The Mesa was old, thought it might be needing work, and the 2Pro was brand new, so it would get a better price.

Attachment. My brother was the 1st owner of the Mesa, it had changed hands between us a couple times but neither of us ever wanted to see it leave the family.

Fate. The same time I was preparing to sell off a tube amp for some cabs, another Ebayer was looking for a tube amp and had some great cabs available.

If it were possible, I'd still have all my big tube heads. It's hard for me to part with something with tubes in it. Except the Aguilar DB359. Not that I'm slamming that one, it was great at what it did, just what it did wasn't my style.
 

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