Tube or Solid State?

[Terrorstorm]

Tube for me...

went from Solid State to Tube, then back to Solid State cause I thought there won't be too much difference, but now since playing in a band I FEEL the difference and I want a tube amp again.

 

[The 0x]

Take a wild guess for which one I picked...

 

[greenboy]

Modeling or switchable/blendable tube/SS pre running into a pro power amp with plenty of watts.

 

[seamonkey]

The Sweet, Warm, Ballsy, Growl, of SS.
What goes in - comes out the same - only louder.

 

[greenboy]

Take a wild guess for which one I picked...

It's hard to tell through all the bong smoke. Or was that shot with an old tube camera? ; }

 

[Risen Ashes]

I'm all about tube but I'm in shape and can lift my 85 pound SVT II I'm allabout the warmth of tubes and driving tubes for clean bass...If it's a pain and you can't check out amps that have tube pre-amp and solid state power amps...Peavey, Mesa-Boogie...or if you go Solid state go Gallien-Kruguer.

 

[KingOfAmps]

Is Diebold running this poll? I can't believe it's this close!

 

[jasonbraatz]

All tube, all the time.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[DanielleMuscato]

If money were no object, I'd use my Line6 Bass POD xt Live and a Powersoft DIGAM K20.

1 rack-space, 2 channels @ 5200 watts/side @ 4 ohms (9k watts/side @ 2 ohms) of ultra-clean power, oh, and did I mention that it's only 26.5 pounds? Too bad they're $10k...


My next choice would be a Crown I-Tech 8000.



Dave

 

[NKUSigEp]

I voted all-tube but I'm a fan of the tube pre/SS power setup. Most SS power amps are able to reproduce a wider range of frequencies, put out way more power, have a lot of cool functions like a low or high cut, are more efficient, and allow more hookup options; generally speaking.

If you're looking for a new sound, just switch out the preamp. If you're playing and the power amp overheats or breaks, just run the preamp through the DI. No need to ditch the whole amp.

 

[The 0x]

It's hard to tell through all the bong smoke. Or was that shot with an old tube camera? ; }

It's a camera phone!

 

[rodl2005]

ALL tube 4 me !!!! Surprise surprise!

 

[PMC89]

what about hybrids!!!

 

[Mystic Michael]

Where's the "No preference" option? Poll is meaningless without it.

That would be the every-popular "carrots" response...

 

[A9X]

Which solid state? Discrete's or opamps?
Make that distinction and for a gigging rig I'd choose discrete SS, then tube, then opamp.
For fixed location, tube.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Tube for me because I like that deep low punch. However I do think solid state amps are more verstile in sound choices.

Id argue with you there, there are plenty of very versatile tube amps

Remember, the tubes are only one component, how versatile the amp is really does rely on other factors!

I'd pick a tube amp, i can play any genre i want with my SVT, and it sounds damned good!

 

[Energy]

Tubes are for cavemen.

Well, I'm a caveman then. And a proud one, too.
I compared my 200 Watt tube amp (which weighs 55 lb, btw.) to several well-acknowledged SS amps, and it's still unsurpassed.

 

[lawsonman]

All Tube,All the time.

 

[bassforce]

all tube!
Solid states are for girls who can't lug around their own blocks of lead

 

[Phalex]

Solid state for me. Tubes are great if you are running them in saturation, but I think distortion on bass sounds like, distortion. I love a clean bass tone.

That being said, if I'm not using tubes for distorted tones, what sense does it make to have an amp that requires maintenance?? I like an amplifier that the lead singer can drop off the tailgate of the truck when we load in and will probably work just fine without extensive and expensive repair. Tubes have a tendency to go microphonic at the wrong time, (Like the middle of the third set) where as transistors just seem to work.


Just one old man's opinion.