valvestate? tube amps? solid state? what the...?

[jaytee]

sorry to bug ya again but....

i am trying to sort out just what i want in an amp so i can make a more informed decision rather than just say "ok this one sounds ok to me!" and appear really stupid in a store...

electronics is so not my field...but i feel the need to understand at least some of this stuff....

basically i want to know what the main types of amps are and their pros and cons....

like whats the REAL difference between tube and solid state...and what IS valvestate?

and....whats the relationship between horn size and wattage? and amperage? how many factors should i be taking into consideration when i shop? when does it start to sound like a "little" amp....and whats a nice size for a regular person....
e.g. if i pick out a 20W amp am i screwing up? what if that 20w has a 12" horn rather than a 10"? will there be a big difference?

i kinda feel like im asking too much but...i hope you can help me out....

thanks!

--jt

[ESP_Viper]

Types of amps Solid state and tube. They are the two BIG categories. Tube amps are the original types of guitar amps. Without going into a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo background... tubes are an old technology, but they have gotten to be much better over the years. Tube amps are more desireable to guitarists because they distort well. A tube amp will be more dynamic to your playing, have a smoother distortion, and be louder than a solid state amp @ the same wattage (will explain later:)). Tube amps are generally more expensive, they are a lot higher maintenance than SS, and are more fragile.

Solid state amps are newer than tube. They were designed to replace tube... but they don't sound the same. A solid state amp gives a much more sharp distortion, normally not what a guitarist wants (comparing it to a tube amp). They are a lot more repliabe in the sense that there's no tubes to replace or that will burn out. Solid state is trying to mimic tube but can't do it. A new breed of solid state amps are making their mark... software amps. They are very close to recreating the tone and feel of a true tube amp. A good example is line 6 amps.

Valvestate is just the marshall model name for one of their solid state/ tube hybrid ranges.

Generally speaking... a tube amp will be louder than a solid state of the same wattage. Reason: a tube amp has more 'headroom'. Headroom is the ability to deliver lots of power at high volumes. So since a solid state has less head room, when it gets loud, the lows drop out (not enough power to produce them) and the highs and mids are all you hear. This is very painful to the ears and just plain sucks.

For bedroom playing, and small practices a 20 watt amp will be just fine. 20 tube watts will be a LOT louder than 20 SS watts.

Speaker size really only matters with bass response. A 12" speaker is the favorite size for guitarists. A closed back 12" cab has really good bass response. Open back cabinet gives less bass. A 20w amp with a 10 or 12 won't be much different. I'd say 12 is better, I love the 12".

An amp sounds little about when you go with a single 10 inch speaker. I know a ten and 12 arent much different, but at loud volumes the 10 just doesn't perform like a 12 as far as bass and projection go.

Shopping considerations: how many watts, is it tube or solid state. How good is it (if it is solid state). What kind of playing is the amp going to need to be able to do (shows, bedroom, practice, etc). What kind of tone do you want... metal, rock, blues, etc. How versitale are you looking for. Maximum versitility would have to go to software amps... they can have LOTS of sounds in them. I think software amps are the best choice... they are very close to tube tone, they are about the same price as tube amps, and they do a LOT of sounds that you'd need lots of expensive tube amps to do.


Wow, I said a lot, but I hope I helped you with most of your questions! Feel free to ask any other questions... that's why I am the gear moderator! :)

[jaytee]

thanks esp! this is exactly what im looking for....down to basics for somebody like me who is starting from scratch.....
this is the kind of information somebody like me looks for and all they find is a sales ad....lol....
i think ill be ok now....at least ill have a better idea what im lookin at and ill understand what the saleman means when he tells me about an amp :)

thanks!

--jt

[Coffee]

Another question for you Viper. I know the line 6 pod is setup for use in direct recording and such but could it also be used by plugging it into an old PA head like a traynor thus skipping the amp? (Not that I necessarily want to do it) And do you know if the Line 6 amps have a line out for recording or connecting to more power? Thanks.

[ESP_Viper]

The POD will do great going into a PA. It will actually play a lot better than going into a guitar amp. The best way to get good sound w/ the pod is do power it with an amp that has no EQ. Which would be a reference amp. If you run a POD into a PA make the EQ all the same. I believe the Line6 amps do have a line out. They call it a direct out for recording. All their stuff was designed to work in the studio or live very well. They have features that are for both situations. If you don't have a pod, check one it, they are really awesome.

[Sandman_96707]

jaytee - how can you be bugging people or asking too much? This is a forum, it's meant for people to ask stuff.

[ESP_Viper]

There can be asking too much on here even. But jaytee is not asking too much. I have run into people that do ask too much about too much.