Solid state vs tube amp

[JuJu Kwan]

I have to get a new amp after I get home in June. I'm leaning towards solid state, some tube combos weigh more than me. Solid state amps also seam to less expensive to maintain. I'm looking at a Roland blues cube. Any suggestions.

[Winston Psmith]

A lot of folks in here are dedicated to their tube amps, so you'll probably hear a lot of arguments in favor of tube amps. However . . .

 

I have one of the original 90's Roland Blues Cubes, the BC60 310, 75 watts with 3 10-inch speakers. Great warm sound, plenty of volume, and I don't have to re-tube it. The new Roland Blues Cubes are supposed to live up to the reputation of the originals, so I would feel confident about their sound and overall quality. If I were looking for a new amp, right now, those are the first ones I would check out.

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm very pro-tube amp, mainly because there are so few issues of compatibility. Some pedals don't get along with SS amps, and I'm a pedal-phile.

 

But a good SS amp will be slightly lower in maintenance hassle, lighter, and can be better than tubes at delivering certain tones. There's a reason so many jazz cats favor SS amps.

 

Like Winston says, a Roland like that should be a good buy. As I recall, Carvins- both tube and SS- are worth a look.

 

What's your budget?

[SEHpicker]

Although I prefer the tone and response of a tube amp - there are some very good ss amps out there. The Roland Cube is high on the list.

I have a 3x10 BC 60 Blues Cube sitting a few feet away from me like the one Winston mentioned - sounds good for clean tones and takes pedals well but it is NOT lightweight - 62 lbs.

But there are other Cube ss amps that are much lighter.

[JuJu Kwan]

I'm looking at the 60W 112. It's about 30 lbs and in my price range.

[CEB]

I've used both and had good luck with both. Music type plays into it also.

 

Budget plays into it big time.

 

My road rig in the 80s was 2 Bandit 65s in stereo. It was perfect. Band had a deal with Peavey. I had to use Peavey. I chose this route because if one went down I could pull the right side output cable from the Yamaha SPX90 and just run mono to the good amp. Never had to do that. The stereo chorus on slow Restless Heart type country stuff sounded great.

 

Today if I wanted to run solid state I would get a Quilter. You would be looking at about another $100-200 more than the Roland.

 

 

But personally I would not do this for 6 string. If I lost all my amps today and to replace them all with one amp I would get a Boogie Express 5:50 Plus..... Unless I knew I doing a country only then I would get the original 212 Lonestar Twin killer from Mesa Boogie. Don't do this they weigh a ton! I like tube power also

[Dannyalcatraz]

In the interest of getting good info out there, are there any kinds of pedals that don't work as well with Rolands or Quilters as they do with tube amps?

[Caevan O’Shite]

I have to get a new amp after I get home in June. I'm leaning towards solid state, some tube combos weigh more than me. Solid state amps also seam to less expensive to maintain. I'm looking at a Roland blues cube. Any suggestions.

 

While I definitely love a good tube-amp, I think those Roland Blues Cubes are great amps! They sound and- very importantly- feel very tube-y.

[Larryz]

I like my Roland Street Cube EX4 for a nice solid state amp. Runs on AC or on 8 double A batteries. Works great for a guitar and mic amp and even has room to add a keyboard...

 

For a tube amp I like my buddies Fender Hot Rod 112 Deluxe. Only weighs 40lbs and puts out 40watts. His Deluxe is about 10 lbs lighter than my Fender Hot Rod 410 Deville...both of them, are great sounding clean tube amps...

[JuJu Kwan]

Sometimes I wonder, in stadium with 50000 people, how many would know the difference between a $4000.00 hand wired boutique amp and $800.00 solid state amp. How many would know the difference between a $600.00 MIM Strat and a master built with $700.00 pickups. I put new pickups in one of my strats and I can tell the diffence but can the average music fan who is not a musician?

[CEB]

It depends. I've seen hand wired that was utter crap. Depends on who is doing the wiring.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Sometimes I wonder, in stadium with 50000 people, how many would know the difference between a $4000.00 hand wired boutique amp and $800.00 solid state amp. How many would know the difference between a $600.00 MIM Strat and a master built with $700.00 pickups. I put new pickups in one of my strats and I can tell the diffence but can the average music fan who is not a musician?

 

You are not wrong. But the more important matter is what is noticeable to the person playing through the guitar and amp; find what works for YOU, what does not get in the way and what hopefully enhances your playing experience and your own personal tone.

[CEB]

A couple of oldies but goodies:

 

It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.

 

They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head

 

The 2nd one could be taken to mean a couple of different things. I always took it to mean basically the same thing as the first one. The sound is a function of the thoughts of the player creating the sounds.

[Fred_C]

A couple of oldies but goodies:

 

It's not what you play through, it's what you play through it.

 

They say that tone is all in the fingers...I say it is all in your head

 

 

 

The 2nd one could be taken to mean a couple of different things. I always took it to mean basically the same thing as the first one. The sound is a function of the thoughts of the player creating the sounds.

 

Agreed.

[JuJu Kwan]

CEB & Fred_C, English is my third language so I'm often misunderstood. Let try to put what I was trying to say in a smipiler form. Can the average music fan tell the difference btween amps or the difference between guitar? Average being the key word.

[Fred_C]

Short answer:

 

Buy a Roland Cube.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Can the average music fan tell the difference btween amps or the difference between guitar? Average being the key word.

 

Many wouldn't notice much difference, if at all. If it's good enough that the player- the performer- is happy enough and can deliver a decent performance and sound on, then it is usually more than good enough for the average listener.

 

Please yourself, and you'll be more likely to please others, as well.

[CEB]

CEB & Fred_C, English is my third language so I'm often misunderstood. Let try to put what I was trying to say in a smipiler form. Can the average music fan tell the difference btween amps or the difference between guitar? Average being the key word.

 

Probably not. IF it sounds good to you then go with it.

[Bluesape]

Short answer:

 

Buy a Roland Cube.

 

Yup - I'm very happy with mine...

[Fred_C]

Short answer:

 

Buy a Roland Cube.

 

Yup - I'm very happy with mine...

 

Me too! Great little amp and very affordable.

 

The salesman who sold me my Cube 40XL said "you're gonna' love this amp" and he was right!

[Dannyalcatraz]

Let try to put what I was trying to say in a smipiler form. Can the average music fan tell the difference btween amps or the difference between guitar? Average being the key word.

 

Absolutely not. Most will be able to tell whether something sounds good to them, but that's about it.

 

I'd say that most gear issues are a matter of personal preferences (ergonomic and aesthetic) and the phantom issue of worrying what others will think,

[Larryz]

Sometimes I wonder, in stadium with 50000 people, how many would know the difference between a $4000.00 hand wired boutique amp and $800.00 solid state amp. How many would know the difference between a $600.00 MIM Strat and a master built with $700.00 pickups. I put new pickups in one of my strats and I can tell the diffence but can the average music fan who is not a musician?

 

I think you would want to craft your sound whether it be on a SS amp or on a tube amp. If you are playing to 50,000 people out there in the stands, they are going to mic your amp and send the sound out to the far corners of the earth. Just make sure you like the sound that is coming out of your amp while you are in front of it. It should sound good to you no matter where you play it...The days of having to fill a stadium with your amp are coming to an end.

[Bartholomew]

I'm looking at the 60W 112. It's about 30 lbs and in my price range.

 

 

I have a Roland Cube COSM 60 watt - 1x12 from a few years back and also a Fender vintage tube amp that I can no longer carry.

 

Prefer tubes personally - I can get a pretty good sound with the Cube playing alone BUT with a full band on a stage it just doesn't have the "feel" of a tube amp.

 

Also doesn't really take it's place in the mix like a good tube amp - has kind of a skinny sound with lots of volume but poor projection.

 

The people in the crowd may not hear the difference but I do... Sound engineer on the gig can make any amp sound good IMO if he has decent PA gear and good ears.

[Winston Psmith]

I'm looking at the 60W 112. It's about 30 lbs and in my price range.

 

 

I have a Roland Cube COSM 60 watt - 1x12 from a few years back and also a Fender vintage tube amp that I can no longer carry.

 

Prefer tubes personally - I can get a pretty good sound with the Cube playing alone BUT with a full band on a stage it just doesn't have the "feel" of a tube amp.

 

Also doesn't really take it's place in the mix like a good tube amp - has kind of a skinny sound with lots of volume but poor projection.

 

The people in the crowd may not hear the difference but I do... Sound engineer on the gig can make any amp sound good IMO if he has decent PA gear and good ears.

 

There's a world of difference between the black Cube series amps, with the Amp Models & Effects built in, and the Blues Cube series. I used to sell both, and got to spend long hours sitting in the Guitar store, trying them out. I finally came home with a Blues Cube.

 

The Cube amps are loaded down with digital effects. They're more like Roland's answer to Line 6's modeling amps, like the Spyder amps. Decent SS amps, especially if you don't want to fool with a bunch of MFX menus, or pedals underfoot. Just grab a knob and add a little more Phaser, or Delay, that's about it. If I were looking for a compact, affordable, all-in-one amp rig for a solo guitar act, the Cubes would be high on that list. If I hadn't already moved to KB amps for my MIDI rig, I very likely would have gotten a Cube amp; I would not have made it my first choice for a Guitar amp, however. That would have to go to the Blues Cubes.

 

The Blues Cubes are straight-ahead Guitar Amps, no modeling, no digital effects. They've voiced to sound, and 'feel', like real tube amps, complete with Spring Reverb tanks. Word has it that the 90's Blues Cubes were designed to emulate the sound of the Fender Bassman amps. I can't swear that my BC60 310 gets me that exact tone, but it's close enough for Rock.

 

In short, if you want a stripped-down modeling amp, get a Cube. If you want a Guitar Amp, with no added BS, get a Blues Cube.

[DocPate]

Nice little primer -

 

reverb.com/news/a-power-tube-primer?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rn032115&_aid=newsletter

 

ThANK God I don't buy tubes anymore. Prices are thru the roof!

 

 

https://tubedepot.com/products?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=12AX7

 

http://guitarplayersforum.boards.net/thread/28/amps?page=2&scrollTo=353

[Fred_C]

I'm looking at the 60W 112. It's about 30 lbs and in my price range.

 

 

I have a Roland Cube COSM 60 watt - 1x12 from a few years back and also a Fender vintage tube amp that I can no longer carry.

 

Prefer tubes personally - I can get a pretty good sound with the Cube playing alone BUT with a full band on a stage it just doesn't have the "feel" of a tube amp.

 

Also doesn't really take it's place in the mix like a good tube amp - has kind of a skinny sound with lots of volume but poor projection.

 

The people in the crowd may not hear the difference but I do... Sound engineer on the gig can make any amp sound good IMO if he has decent PA gear and good ears.

 

There's a world of difference between the black Cube series amps, with the Amp Models & Effects built in, and the Blues Cube series. I used to sell both, and got to spend long hours sitting in the Guitar store, trying them out. I finally came home with a Blues Cube.

 

The Cube amps are loaded down with digital effects. They're more like Roland's answer to Line 6's modeling amps, like the Spyder amps. Decent SS amps, especially if you don't want to fool with a bunch of MFX menus, or pedals underfoot. Just grab a knob and add a little more Phaser, or Delay, that's about it. If I were looking for a compact, affordable, all-in-one amp rig for a solo guitar act, the Cubes would be high on that list. If I hadn't already moved to KB amps for my MIDI rig, I very likely would have gotten a Cube amp; I would not have made it my first choice for a Guitar amp, however. That would have to go to the Blues Cubes.

 

The Blues Cubes are straight-ahead Guitar Amps, no modeling, no digital effects. They've voiced to sound, and 'feel', like real tube amps, complete with Spring Reverb tanks. Word has it that the 90's Blues Cubes were designed to emulate the sound of the Fender Bassman amps. I can't swear that my BC60 310 gets me that exact tone, but it's close enough for Rock.

 

In short, if you want a stripped-down modeling amp, get a Cube. If you want a Guitar Amp, with no added BS, get a Blues Cube.

 

Winston,

 

While it is an undeniable fact that the Blues Cube is a superior amp, it is my understanding that it is voiced to emulate a "Tweed" amp. This voicing is highly desirable for a Blues/Rock/Country guitarist. IMO as a "Jazzer", the clean channel of the Cube amps is designed to emulate the highly respected tonal qualities of the venerable JC-120 and does an admirable job of accomplishing this goal. I can't speak to the quality of the other models because my Cube 40XL is permanently set to the "JC CLEAN" channel. Hell, if anybody should know what the clean tone of the JC-120 sounds like, it's probably Roland. In addition, my amp switches from an output of 40 watts down to 2 watts, while maintaining that beautiful, lush, pristine, clean tone. Great for practicing.

[Dannyalcatraz]

The Blues Cubes are straight-ahead Guitar Amps, no modeling, no digital effects.

 

How do they sound with distortion or fuzz effects? IOW, the kind of pedals that give certain SS amps fits.

[CEB]

Yep the weakness of SS amps is often the preamps. My dual Bandit 65 rig handled pedals well but they did NOT like the Dimarzio X2N

 

Not sure if anyone here is familiar with that pickup. It is somewhat hot.

[Winston Psmith]

The Blues Cubes are straight-ahead Guitar Amps, no modeling, no digital effects.

 

How do they sound with distortion or fuzz effects? IOW, the kind of pedals that give certain SS amps fits.

 

My idea of a Clean tone has a good bit of hair on it, and I love using my Blues Cube with Overdrive effects. My two mainstays are a Maxon SD9 Sonic Distortion, not exactly a subtle OD, and a N.Y.C. Big Muff Pi. FWIW, you can get some very nice Amp drive, using the Lead Channel, and switching the Rectifex (tube emulation) circuit from Diode to Tube.

 

@Fred C. - One of the most useful aspects of the Cube series amps is that nice, clean JC model. No question about the "Tweed" origins of the Blues Cubes: the Bassman was also part of that Tweed series, at least until 1959/60? when the first Brown Bassman amps appeared.

 

My impression was based, at least in part, on Roland's choice of Brown Tolex for the amp covers, as well as the 75-watt three 10-inch speaker design of the BC60. It was just one speaker short of the classic Bassman configuration, with a higher output.

[Larryz]

My idea of clean is Joe Pass clean...