Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
A solid state amp is basically modern electronics, it's transistor chips and circuit boards and the sound is more digital and restrictive to a specific fidelity and sound range than anything because of digital signals. A tube amp has glass vacuum tubes, is generally considered warmer, analog, fuller with classic tone and ability to be pushed with more natural compression. The classic sound of an electrical guitar overdrive is what you get when tubes are naturally overloaded. Solid state components can only emulate this.
Solid state, if used with a modeling amp has it's benefits in much more range and variety of applications because it's like a modern computer, you can just program it to create whatever sound you want...but whatever sound that is will simply be a simulation of what the guitar would really sound like with a tube amp. It's also more reliable, lightweight, cheaper, etc.
But actually solid state amps as technology gets better are actually very good and some sound as good as many tube amps and the distinction is mostly to your ears so just try both out and see what you like. Get a crappy/cheap one (yours right now is probably solid state) and it will just sound like a guitar with a microphone going to a loudspeaker...add effects and it will be like your guitar going through a crappy synthesizer.
|
Bang on!
There are some amps that are solid state that sound really good for what they meant to do. Roland Jazz Chorus have amazing clean tones and are solid state. If you are on a budget I would take a Roland Cube or Vox Valvetronix over a Marshall MG or line 6 spider every day.
A new company called Blackheart have some interesting looking amps that I cant wait to try out.
http://www.blackhearteng.com/
that little 1 watter looks cool