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.
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So, to recap...
Tube amps=accurate sound.
Solid state amps=sound versatility.
My main factors behind another amp is more sound quality/price...like most others I guess. Getting some good ideas from all of you though (that blackheart 1 watter would be cool to have a look at), thanks a bunch.
