Question:
Hey guys, here whats happening:
I currently have a really crappy Crate 15w practice amp. I want to upgrade soon. Right now, I've been look at this. Has anyone used one before? I looked at tube amps, and I agree that while their overdrive sounds better, I couldn't get enough of a distorted sound without cranking it really loud. For playing rock and punk rock (Yellowcard, Simple Plan, 12 Stones, Incubus, etc...), would it be better for me to get a tube amp or the marshall solid-state? I mean, I liked the tube amp, but I sort of preferred the more dirty sound of the solid state. Is there something I could do to make a tube amp sound more distorted without having to crank it up? Also, someone said that you have to replace the tubes every few weeks. Is this true? Right now, I have a Boss DS-1 and SD-1 for distortion/overdrive, plus my amp's, so what would getting either the marshall or a tube (either Vox or Peavey) do to my sound? Also, for clarification, what exactly is an attenuator?
Answer:
Originally Posted by IceHawk Hey guys, here whats happening:
I currently have a really crappy Crate 15w practice amp. I want to upgrade soon. Right now, I've been look at this. Has anyone used one before? I looked at tube amps, and I agree that while their overdrive sounds better, I couldn't get enough of a distorted sound without cranking it really loud. For playing rock and punk rock (Yellowcard, Simple Plan, 12 Stones, Incubus, etc...), would it be better for me to get a tube amp or the marshall solid-state? I mean, I liked the tube amp, but I sort of preferred the more dirty sound of the solid state. Is there something I could do to make a tube amp sound more distorted without having to crank it up? Also, someone said that you have to replace the tubes every few weeks. Is this true? Right now, I have a Boss DS-1 and SD-1 for distortion/overdrive, plus my amp's, so what would getting either the marshall or a tube (either Vox or Peavey) do to my sound? Also, for clarification, what exactly is an attenuator?
hmm... here's the thing... i have heard good things about the marshall MG series (especially being solid state). i know i couldn't recommend it though. especially at almost $400.
i know what your talking about with the tube amps. they can be a bit tricky to be able to get enough gain, keep volume levels decent, and be able to switch between clean and distortion. attentuators certainly help and what they do is simple. normally, all the power from the power amp goes through the speakers. the higher the signal that goes through the power tubes, the more volume (or distortion) you will get. an attentuator is like a load limiter. you can bypass some/most/all the signal around the speaker. it acts as a dummy load and quiets down the amp. this lets you run the amp as far as you want (within reason), but now you can control the power level. the problem with this is that there isn't an easy way to switch from a distorted amp to a clean amp... without messing with both your volume and attentuator controls. i guess that it could be done digitally... but that would get tricky.
a tube amp with a distortion pedal might work to be OK. that would be the easiest fix to get more gain. also, what tube amp are you looking at (they arn't all created equally). some offer more gain than others... even though most will break up well at high volumes.
and no, you don't have to replace tubes every few weeks... unless either 1) you run the amp dimed every day for several hours or 2) the tubes arn't biased correctly - meaning that either too much or not enough volts are running through them to work correctly/efficiently. its usually said that power amp tubes will last 1-2 years and preamps last about 2x that. (correct me if i'm wrong).
what i would suggest to you is to either find a good tube amp or to get a vox valvetronix modeling amp. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...base_id/112941
the vox (AD30VT) has plenty of flexability,plenty of volume (30W, 10" speaker), plenty of tube-oriented overdrive/distortion, and has a very nice price tag ($240).
awesome amp... and the best thing about it is its tone. its got great high gain distortions (including 3 different marshall models). overdrives and distortions rock as well. AC15 and AC30tb very easy to maintain volume levels. 2 savable channels... easy to switch from cleans to distortion while keeping your volume levels in check. very flexable amp. i'd take one of these over 100 of the marshall MG series.
thats my $.02.
Answer:
can you connect a pod xt live on the vox ad30?
I mean ,If the amp is on clean and u'll use the pod as the effects, will ot still sound decent?
Answer:
Originally Posted by tht00 its usually said that power amp tubes will last 1-2 years and preamps last about 2x that. (correct me if i'm wrong).
More like 5x-10x that...
A good solution is to get a good high gain tube amp, like I'm currently looking for. The problem is that they're a bit hard to find at the lower prices, like the lower gain tube amps are. What amps have you tried? I've tried some Peavey Ultra/XXX/Triumph/Bravo style tube amps that can really crank.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Jester_T can you connect a pod xt live on the vox ad30?
I mean ,If the amp is on clean and u'll use the pod as the effects, will ot still sound decent?
This would probably do better as it's own thread, but how it will sound through any amp all depends on how you set it up.
Answer:
The Marshall series isn't much of a step up from Crate 15Watters...
The Peavey Classic 30 is pretty high gain. It can be found for around 350 dollars on ebay. Stick a TS-9 or 7 in front of that, and I'm sure you can get the sound you're looking for.
And what tht00 said...
Answer:
I don't find that the Classic 30's have nearly enough gain for me... I much prefer the Ultras/XXX's etc.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Jester_T can you connect a pod xt live on the vox ad30?
I mean ,If the amp is on clean and u'll use the pod as the effects, will ot still sound decent?
umm... probably not. you'd be running an amp modeler in front of an amp modeler. even if you'd only use effects, i still wouldn't try it. the vox ad30s color the tone a lot. it sounds natural when your using a guitar. absolutely no problem there... but try running a CD player through it. that tends to mud up and just sound 'off'. i was able to do it by using the 'modern marshall' model and setting the gain to about .5 and the volume up. that stayed pretty clear. this is definitely a 'guitar only' amp. (a line in would have been nice). running something like a POD in front of it is only asking for bad tone...
Originally Posted by Rainer. A good solution is to get a good high gain tube amp, like I'm currently looking for. The problem is that they're a bit hard to find at the lower prices, like the lower gain tube amps are. What amps have you tried? I've tried some Peavey Ultra/XXX/Triumph/Bravo style tube amps that can really crank.
this would probably be your best bet.... if you can find one. much better than the marshall MG.
Answer:
Originally Posted by IceHawk Hey guys, here whats happening:
I currently have a really crappy Crate 15w practice amp. I want to upgrade soon. Right now, I've been look at this. Has anyone used one before? I looked at tube amps, and I agree that while their overdrive sounds better, I couldn't get enough of a distorted sound without cranking it really loud. For playing rock and punk rock (Yellowcard, Simple Plan, 12 Stones, Incubus, etc...), would it be better for me to get a tube amp or the marshall solid-state? I mean, I liked the tube amp, but I sort of preferred the more dirty sound of the solid state. Is there something I could do to make a tube amp sound more distorted without having to crank it up? Also, someone said that you have to replace the tubes every few weeks. Is this true? Right now, I have a Boss DS-1 and SD-1 for distortion/overdrive, plus my amp's, so what would getting either the marshall or a tube (either Vox or Peavey) do to my sound? Also, for clarification, what exactly is an attenuator? The MG series is fine for an entry-level rock guitarist. They'll grind out some great low-volume grunge for you at a decent price. Tubes are always going to sing and attack with more vibrance than the solid state, though. For just a little more than you're planning on spending now, you can probably snag a DSL401 (swipe, copy & paste to your browser)
http://search.ebay.com/dsl-401-amp-m...jsZ1QQfromZR40
and you'd get your tubes, and that "marshall" sound you're looking for. Also, on the stomp-boxes, if you're covering at low-volume those are fine. But to really "put the puck in the net", is suggest you get gear in the same family as you are trying to emulate. Hope it helps.
In His Grip
David
Answer:
Originally Posted by Rainer. I don't find that the Classic 30's have nearly enough gain for me... I much prefer the Ultras/XXX's etc.
I would take a Classic 30 over a Ultra or XXX anyday! Those tops are some of the worst sounding amps I've heard for that kind of money. You can always get yourself a mean pedal to throw in between a Classic 30.
Answer:
Originally Posted by tht00 the vox (AD30VT) has plenty of flexability,plenty of volume (30W, 10" speaker), plenty of tube-oriented overdrive/distortion, and has a very nice price tag ($240).
awesome amp... and the best thing about it is its tone. its got great high gain distortions (including 3 different marshall models). overdrives and distortions rock as well. AC15 and AC30tb very easy to maintain volume levels. 2 savable channels... easy to switch from cleans to distortion while keeping your volume levels in check. very flexable amp. i'd take one of these over 100 of the marshall MG series.
thats my $.02.
if you want solid state, the valvetronix is your best shot. those marshalls are just fair. ive played the smallest one in that series a lot(my guitar teacher has me play through it). i havent heard anything bad about the valvetronix. i think a nice modeling amp can sound pretty good.
also, i would consider buying a tube amp that has no bells and whistles(just eq), and then buying a nice distortion pedal. like a jekyll and hyde. or a rat.
Answer:
Originally Posted by snakecraig I would take a Classic 30 over a Ultra or XXX anyday! Those tops are some of the worst sounding amps I've heard for that kind of money. You can always get yourself a mean pedal to throw in between a Classic 30.
I'd never buy one for the $1000 they sell at new, but it's all up to personal preference.