In many cases, tube amps do not require the amount of maintenance that they have a reputation for. As long as you properly take care of your gear, owning a tube amp is simple and very well worth it for the tone.
Is it worth buying a tube amp?
In summary: tube amps CAN be worth it depending on the application. They are fragile, hot and heavy, use gobs of electric power, require maintenance and cost more per Watt. OTOH, transistors will never replace the funk of Fender, the thump of Ampeg and the scream of Marshall.
Are tube amps good for home use?
Tube amps are loud. Really loud. A 50-watt tube amp is plenty powerful enough for use in a band, and way more than you could ever need for bedroom-level jamming. Many players solve this issue by using solid-state amps for practice, and coping with their tube addiction while playing with the band.
Whats the deal with tube amps?
Tube amps are generally more responsive and beloved by artists who play more traditional rock music. “When you play chords or pick notes, its the way the tube amp responds to it, the way a note returns to you after you play it,” Heins said. “With certain tubes, they kind of have a sag—people call it spongy.
Is tube amp better than solid-state?
Tube amps are generally more expensive in initial cost and to operate (because you need to replace the tubes occasionally), and solid-state amps are generally less delicate and more reliable. Many players, however, feel that tube amps yield a warmer, more musical tone and more musical-sounding distortion.
Why are tube amps louder?
Tube amps are often perceived as being louder than solid state amps and this is because they actually are. Also, the full, smooth and fat over-driven tone of a cranked tube amp are less harsh and more agreeable to the ear, making them more tolerable to listen to at high volume than solid state amps.
Which tube amps is best?
The best tube amplifiers to buy in 2021 at a glance:Matchless Laurel Canyon 112r.Fender 68 Custom Pro Reverb.Fender 68 Custom Vibro Champ.Tone King Gremlin Head.Carr Super Bee.Supro 1696RT Black Magick.Bartel Roseland.Black Volt Amplification Crazy Horse.More items •20 May 2021
Whats the difference between a tube amp and a regular amp?
The physical difference between a solid-state amp and a tube amp is that a solid-state machine derives amplification from electronic transistors, while a tube amp uses vacuum tubes (also known as valves). As such, solid-state amps are more popular with bassist and keyboard players than with guitarists.
How long do tube amps last?
So, how long do guitar amps (solid-state, tube) last? A solid-state amp usually lasts more than 30 years even if you play it every day. Tube amps have a similar lifespan, but they require additional work like re-tubing every 2 years.
How long should you warm up a tube amp?
20 to 30 minutes If they are not warmed up properly, the tone of your playing will not be as good as it ought to be. As a rule of thumb, your tube amp needs to be warmed up for 20 to 30 minutes at least before you can start playing your guitar.
How much does a tube amp cost?
Tube amps are expensive because they adopt pre and power tubes as their primary amplification source. Each tube costs roughly $50 and can have up to 4 of them within a single unit. Secondly, these amps have more expensive components, larger cases, and more complex circuitry than solid-state amps.
Are tube amps too loud?
No. However they do SOUND louder. A solid state amplifier of the same power as a tube amp may distort at the same signal level as the tube amp, but the distortions are not subtle, and we hear them as distortion, not as a slightly louder sound.
Do tube amps sound better loud?
Tube amplifiers sound better because of the euphonic distortions they add to the music, as well as plenty of other reasons Ill cover below. The ways that tubes distort when pushed to the edge are much more musical than the artificial sounds that come from transistor amplifiers when overdriven.
Does a tube amp Need to warm up?
As a rule of thumb, your tube amp needs to be warmed up for 20 to 30 minutes at least before you can start playing your guitar. Most of the time, tube amps have warm up specifications included in their instructions for use.
Is it bad to leave a tube amp on for a long time?
Tubes deteriorate with use, so leaving a tube amp on shortens tube life. Many tubes produce a significant amount of heat. This heat can be drying and damaging to other parts of the amp. Tube amps can be hazardous when left on and unattended.
What can you not do with a tube amp?
A few more pointed do nots: Never, never, never run the amp with no speaker plugged in. This can cause major damage. Do not flip the power switch off, then back on rapidly.
Is amp more important than guitar?
As far as tone is concerned, the amplifier is more important. A good guitar through a crappy amp will have a greater likelihood of sounding lousy than a less-good guitar through a fantastic amp.
Why are Fender tube amps so expensive?
Tube amps are expensive because they adopt pre and power tubes as their primary amplification source. Each tube costs roughly $50 and can have up to 4 of them within a single unit. Secondly, these amps have more expensive components, larger cases, and more complex circuitry than solid-state amps.