solid state vs modeling vs tube | Guitar | Page 1

celest spoke Mar 27, 2023, 6:45 PM

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Solid state and modeling are one in the same.

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I have both high gain tube amps and fractal audio gear to cover both. My Axe fx is nice and portable for fly rigging when I had traveled. I can load it on a pedal board and go direct to house without needing a cab like a tube head does. Some new heads can now go direct as well though with cab clone tech built in or added.

hasty glacier Mar 29, 2023, 5:34 PM

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I have two tube amps. They are the best if you found that one killer sound.
Modeling amps will get you more sounds for often less money and are easier to record and you can plug straight into a PA - but you will also need a PA for band practices if you don’t have a cab and just buy a head.
I like being able to play my amp in a room so I can play with people with just a guitar and amp but there is no right or wrong here.

tidal bone Mar 29, 2023, 5:50 PM

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i never thought of it as a strict choice. one can play one tonight and another tomorrow night. one can have an expensive heavy vintage tube amp one loves at home and have a modeler on stage at a sketchy club

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you can has both

hasty glacier Mar 30, 2023, 3:33 PM

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Yup, you can definitely have both. and someday I may very well buy an Axe FX as well.

static jolt Mar 31, 2023, 4:04 AM

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I tend to think more about what speakers the amplifier has. I find that makes the biggest change in the tone. Now when it comes to feel I will always gravitate towards a tube amplifier.

shell spruce Mar 31, 2023, 9:15 AM

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Solid State

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Tubes have too many mids

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SS also sounds more extreme in most cases and I like that

hasty glacier Mar 31, 2023, 3:27 PM

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shell spruce Tubes have too many mids

the amount of mids varies greatly by amp design and in some cases which tubes are used. Simply having tubes doesn't mean it has mids

shell spruce Mar 31, 2023, 3:28 PM

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I meant that generally.

hasty glacier Mar 31, 2023, 3:29 PM

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Yeah, but you simply can't generalize that, it has nothing to do with tube vs digital and everything to do with the amp you bought

shell spruce Mar 31, 2023, 6:03 PM

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The only tube amps I have ever listened to and used my myself have tons of mids

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The only tube amps I can say I've heard that have low mids are Fender ones because of the tone stack

hasty glacier Mar 31, 2023, 6:33 PM

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Fenders have more low mids and less higher mids. Most Mesas are similar. Marshalls are the opposite. Also speakers can have a huge effect as well

shell spruce Mar 31, 2023, 6:57 PM

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True

tidal bone Mar 31, 2023, 8:03 PM

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I joke that I haven't heard a tube amp sound so good I want to carry it. Or maintain it

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But at home, why not?!

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On gigs? I don't have time, patience and resources to maintain 2 relatively heavy amps

tidal bone Mar 31, 2023, 9:47 PM

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Tube amps I mean. One and another backup

wintry agate Apr 2, 2023, 1:25 AM

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hasty glacier Fenders have more low mids and less higher mids. Most Mesas are similar. Marshal...

arguably, speakers make the single biggest difference in your sound

hasty glacier Apr 2, 2023, 1:25 AM

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wintry agate arguably, speakers make the single biggest difference in your sound

Especially for recording

wintry agate Apr 2, 2023, 1:26 AM

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oh yea thats even more noticeable. what speaker, mic placed where, what cab style,hell, what mic used etc.

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but just generally speaking, you can have the same head and put it through different cabs with different speakers and it will sound quite different

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speakers are often quite overlooked in tone

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to the point of the original question, i own solid states and tube, and ive used modeling with IR before. nowadays a lot of the IRs are just so good, cheap, and easy to use its really hard to argue with

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that said, my daily driver is a revv generator 120 with their 4x12 cab and i basically solely use it anymore. but i think thats more to justify the cost than the fact that its the "best" lol

celest spoke Apr 7, 2023, 10:48 PM

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The rev is really cool. Im waiting for an omega granophyre to come up for sale.

wraith rover Apr 12, 2023, 6:04 PM

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I was really wanting to like revv, because it's always in the same category of amps for high gain

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But I think revv and mesa sound gross

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I went with the victory super kraken

wintry agate Apr 12, 2023, 6:16 PM

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have a revv and i love the sound, but also adore victory amps. if i had to buy another one i would also buy the super kraken

#solid state vs modeling vs tube