What are solid state amps used for?

[Baderup99]

Today it seems like any good guitarist who has his own tone and everything down owns and uses tube amps. It also seems like everyone would rather have tubes over solid states. So what areas are solid state amps better than tubes and in what situations would somene choose to use a solid state over a tube?

[DeathMonkey]

Solid State has been well regarded for clean tones for decades. The Roland JC120 is a Gold Standard - THE sound of 80's clean. Companies like Polytone also make great SS clean amps, mainly for Jazz players. The other end of the spectrum is for uber-tight metal stuff, like the Randall stuff Dimebag used to use, or the Marshall Mode 4.

Pritchard makes boutique Solid State amps that sound pretty bitchin - mostly mid gain stuff from what I've heard.

[chetatkinsdiet]

I don't mind using my little Marshall Lead 12 (SS amp) in the bedroom. It really doesn't sound half bad.

m

[absrec]

Line6 amps don't sound that bad. Although they are software "models" of tube amps, but technically speaking, they are not tube amps.

-Aaron

[bluestarbass]

I use my little marshall to record sometimes, its pretty trebbely, but sometimes in a good way. I can tell you when your playing live and you dont have your own roadies moving around a solid state amp is alot easier and cheaper. I played bass quite a bit out for a while and I gave up a tube amp for a solid state amp for portablity and price. I cant justify having to replace $300 worth of tubes twice a year, and I really dig my ampeg solid state.

[Blast9]

POWER AMPS: At the typical guitarists' pocket price point , solid state amps are more linear and flatter than tube amps.

Cheaper to produce (no output xformers or expensive to make tubes)

I'm guessing at the high-end/audiophile end $$$ of the price bracket, there are tube amps with those characteristics.

Flat = good for monitoring.

Flat = boring for guitars.

GTR AMPS

Peavey, Pearce and Randall spring to mind as successful solid-state gtr amp designs from the past. (Or successfully-marketed anyway)

Tech 21/sansamp and line 6 use flatter response pwr amps for their modelling stuff, althoigh there is a company that does a tube power amp/speaker combo for Pods etc

[Nu-tra]

I like the hybrid set up especially for bass.

Tube preamp with solid state power for bass is my favorite. The bottom is way more defined to me. I also like 1970's solid state stuff like the "Acoustic" bass and electric guitar amps... Their amps were solid state but they sure didn't sound it. I would rock a solid state amp just to be a dick lol. I think solid state was supposed to be a relief from tubes because it was marketed as more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

[chetatkinsdiet]

Originally Posted by Nu-tra

I like the hybrid set up especially for bass.

Tube preamp with solid state power for bass is my favorite. The bottom is way more defined to me. I also like 1970's solid state stuff like the "Acoustic" bass and electric guitar amps... Their amps were solid state but they sure didn't sound it. I would rock a solid state amp just to be a dick lol. I think solid state was supposed to be a relief from tubes because it was marketed as more reliable and cheaper to maintain.

Yeah, the bass player for Uriah Heep really liked those old 70s Acoustic 360 amps as well....until one killed him.

Actually, that's the only one that I liked, but of course, you had to stand about 75 feet in front of it for the waves to develop properly. Man, they were cool though.

m

[Tapeworm]

Solid state amps are often used by touring musicians who can't afford to repair a tube amp when it breaks down on the road. A $250 repair job might break the bank if your traveling by van from town to town.

[Blast9]

Originally Posted by chetatkinsdiet

Yeah, the bass player for Uriah Heep really liked those old 70s Acoustic 360 amps as well....until one killed him.

Actually, that's the only one that I liked, but of course, you had to stand about 75 feet in front of it for the waves to develop properly. Man, they were cool though.

m

lol

[8th_note]

Sunn made some solid state amps that are still coveted by some metal guitarists for their gritty distortion characteristics. The Beta Lead is an example. I've recorded a couple of these and they are mean sounding.

[RCM - Ronan]

Solid state guitar amps win for convenience but never for tone. There are a few classic clean tones popular from the 80s that have an interesting nostalgia value and have their place, but when it comes to tones with depth and character that really sit well in a mix, especially with any amount of gain, I have never heard a solid state amp that that I would describe as particularly good.

As a disclaimer, there are some tube amps out that sound awful.

[max cooper]

The good Music Man amps had S.S. preamps.

[hangman]

I think Solid state amps can be pretty cool. for example, the Sunn Concert lead is a great solid state guitar amp. I don't know if i'd ever say it was Better than any tube amp, but I've seen people use them in bands, and they kept up with tube amps, and sounded good.
though if you ask me if I'd put away my tube amps and use a concert lead i would likely be disinclined to oblige. All I'm sayin is that there are some good ones, and for people that really don't take advantage of the strengths that tubes offer, Solid state is great.
As it is... very few companies make Quality solid state amps. most of them are designed as entry level amplifiers. with a few obvious exceptions (the really pricey line6 stuff,Roland jazz chorus, a lot of solid state bass amps) but I think because of this fact, people tend to lump Solid state amps into one big group, which is a little unfair. i've seen plenty of great sounding bands use Roland jazz chorus amps.

[hangman]

Originally Posted by 8th_note

Sunn made some solid state amps that are still coveted by some metal guitarists for their gritty distortion characteristics. The Beta Lead is an example. I've recorded a couple of these and they are mean sounding.

totally, those things sound super mean. better than any dual rectifier!

[hangman]

Originally Posted by chetatkinsdiet

Yeah, the bass player for Uriah Heep really liked those old 70s Acoustic 360 amps as well....until one killed him.

Actually, that's the only one that I liked, but of course, you had to stand about 75 feet in front of it for the waves to develop properly. Man, they were cool though.

m

aww man those are Rad too! I know dudes that have Accoustic amps laying around their studio as a go to for a great bass sound.
those amps sounded nice, and were REALLY simple inside.

[tINY]

For a while, there were "MOS-Valve" power amps that were made for guitarists. These were really nice, but the typical guitarist will buy a combo amp and a bunch of noisey pedals....

Putting a pre-amp, processor, and amp in a rack is something that hasn't really caught on with guitarists for some reason.




-tINY

[chrispick]

Originally Posted by DeathMonkey

Solid State has been well regarded for clean tones for decades. The Roland JC120 is a Gold Standard - THE sound of 80's clean.

It's funny how people forget this. I can remember people coveting those amps back in the day.

[DeathMonkey]

Originally Posted by rcm

Solid state guitar amps win for convenience but never for tone. There are a few classic clean tones popular from the 80s that have an interesting nostalgia value and have their place, but when it comes to tones with depth and character that really sit well in a mix, especially with any amount of gain, I have never heard a solid state amp that that I would describe as particularly good.

As a disclaimer, there are some tube amps out that sound awful.

See, I can't agree with this blanket statement.

B.B. King and Ty Tabor used the Gibson L series solid state amps, Vox had the Super Beatles, Dime used Randalls, David Torn and others used SS Pearce amps, John Fogerty used SS Kustoms, John5 uses a Marshall Mode 4, Allan Holdsworth used a Yamaha DG-100, Vernon Reid endorses the Roland Cube... there are a ton of really good sounds that have been done with solid state amps.

I prefer tube amps myself, as well, but to reject SS amps out of hand is to miss out on a ton of cool stuff.

Check out: Solid State Guitar Amp Forum - Index for interesting discussions on SS amps.

[FossilTooth]

I agree that there are plenty of killer Solid State bass amps.

However, IMO Gallien Kruegers are not among them! Yeck. If you ask me, they are an exaggeration of what's wrong with lame solid state. Ashdowns on the other hand, are pretty cool.

I've never really loved any 100% SS guitar amps. The JC-120 does deserve and honarable mention, but I don't think "love" would be the word for my tastes.

I do have a weird sparkly 60's SS baldwin amp with a big ol' racing stripe on it. It's pretty cool. Probably the vibeyest SS amp i've ever played... but it keeps breaking on me!

[yeloocproducer]

Certain solid state amps are the secret weapon of a few very, very well respected bands and producers I know. They can be incredibly angry sounding (square wave distortion) and give things a freakish edge. Most of them suck, but some of the earlier 60s/70s designs can be cool in the right context.

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by absrec

Line6 amps don't sound that bad. Although they are software "models" of tube amps, but technically speaking, they are not tube amps.

-Aaron

Depending on what you're looking for out of your tone. I've never warmed up to their boxes at all but a lot of players seem to like them, though I usually am not on those guys' wavelength, musically, either. But no slag on 'em. Just don't care for the sound of them. (I put in a half day with a Pod XT a while back [and it's still around here, somewhere, a pal parked it with me] and, I dunno, just not for me. But the IDEA is a great one.)

FWIW, for years I kept buying transistor guitar amps because I kept thinking there was no real reason why you can't make a decent sounding one. But I never found one that worked for me. BTW... I really hate the Roland guitar amps. I learned to hate them in the 80s when I was doing a fair bit of engineering and folks would bring them in all the time. I just hate the sound and I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hate the Jazz Chorus's cliche sound (not that you can't get away from it somewhat by avoiding that built-in chorus -- but as the last guy I talked to about that amp said, "If you don't like the chorus, why would you even get one in the first place?" Good question.)


I do like solid state bass amps, though.

[nandoanalog]

Solid state amps are good for mixing and mastering. If you`re mixing or mastering, you don´t want an amp that makes stuff sound better.

I don`t know a single guitar solid state amp that sounds good. Some might have cool clean chanels though...

I also like solid state bass amps. I mean... I like bass amps with a good tube pre and a massive solid state power amp.

[allphourus]

[quote=tINY;1364784]

For a while, there were "MOS-Valve" power amps that were made for guitarists. These were really nice, but the typical guitarist will buy a combo amp and a bunch of noisey pedals....

Right now I'm Using a rig set up like this;

Boss CL50 compressor into Messa Boogie TriAxis into Fender silver face master volume 120wtt Twinreverb, via line/recording out to another CL 50 set for limiting into Roctron Intellifex split to stereo to a BBE Sonic Maximizer into a Mossvalve 500 Power amp into two Bagend Cabs with Gauss 12's.Best of both worlds?

[Unclenny]

I put my Fender Deluxe 112 Plus on top of my Crate Blue Voodoo to get my Pod Pro closer to eye level. That way when I power up the studio the cool red lights on the Pod make it look like all kinds of high tech stuff is happening.

Then I crank up the tube amps.

[Wayne]

Pearce G2r here. I'll go clean to creamy or anywhere in between. It's a beautiful thing, not a tube in sight.
I had a local tube boutique builder looking at it at a gig scratching his head. "That's solid state?"