Tube amps

[blenk]

been playing nearly 2 1/2yrs now got my 1st new amp (Vox AD30vt) after xmas last year and i loved it up untill rescently where i have starting to dis like it for differant reasons eg. i cant get feed back no matter how loud i put it when using the stored channels , i cant have a clean and distroted channel ans switch between them as the cleans to quite and the distortion is too loud when and i cant be arsed to change the volume every time i want to change channels, very little sustain coming from it.

so because of this ive been looking into the dual terrror and a 112 however i get this feeling that im just not ready for a tube amp and that im buying one for coz its tube amp, mabey trying one would solve this i dnt kno.

is there a stage you get to where you need(mabey that the wrong word, where its right) to get a tube amp, i play in a band but 2 of the members are away most the time as they are studying at uni. i just dnt know if its the right time to get one

[tony_clifton]

An amp is an amp, it doesn't really matter what technology it is based on. A tube amp might feel a little less fast-responding (you'll know what I mean when you play one). Most people like that anyway.

The only thing you need to know comparing Terrors to Voxes is that TTs are kind of dark, and can't do cleans like some other kinds of amps (especially voxes, fenders,...). On the other hand, their overdriven sounds are very, very good, way better then most of the competition in the same price range.

However, adding a slight hint of reverb on a TT with master volume maxed out and gain pretty low (before breakup, so your amp sounds clean and not very loud) doesn't sound too bad. Maybe just not what you would want if you love the chimey vox sound.


Regarding the right time... well, that's up to you... If your happy with your current amp, you might as well stick to it. If you are fed up with dialing in a sound and swichting etc., simple circuit amps might be a relief (but you'll obviously lose some versatility).

[Mrjones2004x]

I owned a vox AD30VT and thought it was great until got an epi Valve junior 5 watt tube amp. Boy what a difference! Now the vox had all the options but really lacked in sound in comparisant. Since then ive only owned tube amps. My TT is awesome, like said above the cleans are ok and can shine with the tone set higher or with an eq pedal but the overdrive is awesome all the time! Best ive heard in any low powered amp.
Also as you have never owned a tube amp remember this. If the Vox is loud enough the dual terror with blow your ear drums off. Seriously my TT is probably twice as loud as the vox if not more. Its hard to explain but a 30 watt dual terror will be so much louder than the vox ad30vt.

The TT is a great amp also just lacking the extra channel.

Also if you use effects then there is no fx loop on either of these amps but there are other low powered tube amps with fx loops like the blackstar ht5. (5 watts but again, very loud!)

Funny you never got feedback with that amp cos it use to squeel all the time when i used mine. i had the volume pretty high and on numetal settings with the gain turned up too tho lol.

[blenk]

i dont like the numetal channel on it and i very rarely use effects so a i wouldnt carre much for a loop but i do need 2 channels as in the band i do a fair bit of switching so it would defo have to be the DT, and i kinda understand the whole tube vs SS volume stuff.

id need to get some classic overdrive(foo fighters, EODM stuff) then some heavyier darker stuff(eg QOTSA)

[CD9266]

I have a Vox Tonelab SE pedalboard and it's really just the whole Vox Preamp in a pedalboard. I've found all sorts of issues with it, even though it did serve me well. One issue that I've seen that's happened to myself, friends of mine, and people I've known on the internet is that after a while, the sound of all amp modeling and some effects just kinda cuts out a bit, over distorts, and becomes useless. I like Vox stuff, but it's been a pain and I was very happy to move away to my RV50 and away from an "all in one" thing.

[Orphin]

The only thing you need to know comparing Terrors to Voxes is that TTs are kind of dark, and can't do cleans like some other kinds of amps (especially voxes, fenders,...).

Interesting. I found the darkness of the Oranges to be an advantage for clean sounds, but a disadvantage for crunch as it takes away a little of the punch I love in a Marshall. I guess it's all about taste rather than facts.

[llldavid]

if i were you i think i would get a combo there cheaper and if your not sure your ready for a tube amp its less of a commitment if you wanna call it that. just go to a store try out a bunch of different amps and pick one or you can get preamps generator i had a boss gt-8 with great preamps on it and i could get anywhere from mesa to vox tone through a crate and it could even run two preamps at a time! though it was pretty complex never figured out how to use it to its full extent

[blenk]

if i were you i think i would get a combo there cheaper and if your not sure your ready for a tube amp its less of a commitment if you wanna call it that. just go to a store try out a bunch of different amps and pick one or you can get preamps generator i had a boss gt-8 with great preamps on it and i could get anywhere from mesa to vox tone through a crate and it could even run two preamps at a time! though it was pretty complex never figured out how to use it to its full extent

im sick of the whole moddeling stuff as ive settled on one preset for my dirty channel and the rest are redundant along with the effects as i now have an RP90 aswell which has effects on (altho i very rarely have that plugged in unless im using the wammy or tuner)

[flea]

I don't understand why you wouldn't be "ready" for a tube amp. Just play a bunch of different amps, and see which you like best, and don't worry with whether or not it's tube. I probably won't ever go back to SS, but that's just me. It's not that big of a difference besides a little more maintenance which also allows for you to shape your tone more with different tubes.

[nguideau]

+1 to the idea that it's not a matter of being "ready" for a tube amp -- it's about playing lots of amps, whether they are tube or solid state, and choosing the one that meets your requirements for:
- Styles/tones
- Headroom
- Crunch
- Features (e.g. channels, reverb, etc.)
- Price point

There's no reason to worry about having a tube amp from a maintenance perspective. To me, the best rule(s) to follow when owning a tube amp, if you're concerned about maintenance, is to find a good tech! Find one that a) the manufacturer of your tube amp considers "authorized" so you don't void your warranty and b) find one that has EXPERIENCE with the type (or similar types) of amp you have. For example, there are lots of techs out there that have worked on Marshall and Fender amps for decades, and know those circuits inside out, but don't know Orange circuits at all -- so when they are working on an Orange amp, they can be prone to making a mistake because they apply their Marshall/Fender knowledge to an amp that's just plain different.

Yes, some people are snobby about tube amps, and will say that you shouldn't have one if you're not in a band, or if you're not playing it at full power, etc. etc. But the bottom line is that if you have the cash, and it's a hobby you enjoy, there's no reason not to get a tube amp (or solid state amp) -- simply find the gear that makes you happy as a player, buy it, and enjoy!

[Randy Bass]

I have a Vox AD50VT that is easily the best solid-state/hybrid amp that I own and probably the best that I've played through. My other SS/hybrid amps may not be considered great, however: Orange Crush 30R (SS), Marshall VS102R (hybrid), Marshall VS30R (SS), Marshall MG100RCD (SS), Crate PowerBlock (SS), Crate GX15 (SS).

I have no trouble getting great-sounding feedback with the Vox, which was a surprise to me at first. It really sounds best on the UK 70's and UK 80's settings/presets. The rest of the preset models don't really work for me. It is closed-back and has really punchy lows and it's very loud for SS.

I have the same problem (design flaw) with respect to channel-switching. When you switch channels/presets, the volume drops and you have to bump the gain or volume knob to "reset" the volume. This means that it is totally useless as a two-channel amp for playing live. I would be afraid to play it live anyways because of its' fragile feel and unreliable reputation. It's funny how tube amps have become more reliable than solid-state amps in some respects thanks to foreign manufacturing and excessively-complicated SS circuit/modeling designs.

I think that anyone is "ready" for a tube amp considering that they were the only choice available for guitarists until the 1960's. People weren't that much smarter back then (were they?). The concept of a tube amp requiring maintenance, biasing, etc. can be imposing at first, but it's worth it to most people. If you get a tube amp, I think you should start out with a Class A or self-biasing amp so that you don't have to worry as much about finding a tech to work on it or bias it for a tube change. The Dual Terror, AD30 and Rocker 30 would fit the bill as far as Orange products are concerned. However, if you want a clean channel that is really clean, the Oranges are not necessarily your best choice. You can get cleaner sounds from 50 or 100 watt solid-state amps without spending a lot of money.

The important thing is really to find out which amp will give you the right sound to complement the style(s) of music that you play. The Orange sound is not for everyone, so you should try a few different brands/models to see what you like. The Dual Terror would be much better in my opinion than a comparable 30 or 50 watt head from Marshall or Mesa, but it will not give you the tight modern sound of either of those amps. I also would not rule out other solid-state amps that are less complex than the Vox. You would be surprised at how much better solid-state amps can sound when they have more power and larger/better speakers. I think the basic point is that you are ready for a BETTER amp than your Vox, not specifically a tube amp or an Orange Amp or what have you.

[llldavid]

if i were you i think i would get a combo there cheaper and if your not sure your ready for a tube amp its less of a commitment if you wanna call it that. just go to a store try out a bunch of different amps and pick one or you can get preamps generator i had a boss gt-8 with great preamps on it and i could get anywhere from mesa to vox tone through a crate and it could even run two preamps at a time! though it was pretty complex never figured out how to use it to its full extent

im sick of the whole moddeling stuff as ive settled on one preset for my dirty channel and the rest are redundant along with the effects as i now have an RP90 aswell which has effects on (altho i very rarely have that plugged in unless im using the wammy or tuner)

haha im not gonna lie i got sick of it too but it worked for a good cheap tone

[fiveightandten]

A good player sounds good through any amp. A bad player sounds bad through any amp. Different amps will just color the tone of the player differently.

What's important is that you find something within your budget that you feel compliments your playing, or something you feel completes what you're trying to sound like. Tube or solid state.

That being said, I bought my 1st tube amp about 12 years ago, and i'll never own another solid state amp as long as I live. There's just no need to. Then again, I also refuse to own a car with an automatic transmission, I still manually dial peoples' numbers on my cell phone, and a I refuse to buy a GPS. Sometimes people have strong reasons for pretty irrational things. Musicians are at the top of that list.

-Nick

[Van Cleef]

i made the switch from 15 years of playing bass over to 6 string guitar a few years ago... my first guitar amp was a Vox ad50vt and it was a great starter amp - it also sounded so much better than any of the other hybrid amps i tried... like it crapped all over them

you can set it up as a 2-channel amp if you dial in your own settings and combine that with manual mode etc...

but anyway

then i got an orange rocker 30 and every now and then i like to bi-amp it with the vox for stereo panning goodness... it's also an ok backup amp

i did about 8 gigs with it and it's gutless and needs to be mic'd - those things just don't have any cut-thru on stage even if they seem 'loud enough'

perhaps do what i did - work out your budget and go and play a bunch of valve (that's what we antipodeans call 'tube') amps and find one that sings to you... then buy the fecker and rejoice verily

[professor plum]

i dont like the numetal channel on it and i very rarely use effects so a i wouldnt carre much for a loop but i do need 2 channels as in the band i do a fair bit of switching so it would defo have to be the DT, and i kinda understand the whole tube vs SS volume stuff.

id need to get some classic overdrive(foo fighters, EODM stuff) then some heavyier darker stuff(eg QOTSA)

if you put the money saved getting a regular TT into decent pedals (a nice boost and a fuzz) and the regular TT's single tube-pre, you can slam it sufficiently to get a bunch of different sounds, and have some portable pedals to grab if you are stuck playing a venue with a shitty/mandatory backline.

it gives you more versatility in the kinds of sounds you can get in a bunch of different situations... (gig with you amp, practice space amp,gig where your taking the subway and can only grab a guitar and a pedal, ect.)
and more options on getting exactly the tones you want (figuring out the amp you want and then choosing from a million pedal options out there to get some more sounds) vs. being totally happy with what just the amps pre-amp/power amp combo gives you. hope that helps -plum