NZGuitars.com

Happened upon this guy's demo of a Vox AC30 VR and thought he was getting some really good tones. Reminded me that before the Internet and TGP etc. I happily gigged a GK250ML and, a bit less happily, a Marshall Valvestate (just one ECC83). I also had one of those HH things with the red/silver perspex panel that lit up green and thought that was OK. I didn't care that they weren't valve.

What's your experience of solid state amps? Shite or OK?

Most of my tones are in the clean- boost- moderate OD spectrum.

When I push a solid state amp, there’s a character I liken to tinfoil that usually appears. I’ve checked, not everyone hears it but it bugs the hell out of me.

Best SS I’ve ever heard is my BK Butler Tubeworks. It’s really good with most things but it won’t play nice with my Duesenberg.

If you want a big clean tone, the JC120 is awesome.

Actually, I can get some great sounds from my ZT Lunchbox too. Keep forgetting how good that little thing is.

I've got mates in a few bands who live on solid state stuff. It never changes or fluctuates, they're durable and lightweight and the sound works for them. That's all gear has to do, of any price or design, is work for the user.

Slowy wrote: If you want a big clean tone, the JC120 is awesome.

I forgot about that one.

Might be a redundant consideration in a digital world. Nevertheless, and despite advice to the contrary, I'm thinking about getting the Vox. In the context of a seven/eight piece band I'm not sure the nuances will matter (and I can just leave it at the rehearsal space).

Nothing wrong with the tones in this:

Pedals are solid state. Most of us put those in front of valve amps and like the result.

ive always had valve when i was tuning low as they have that low end grunt-like petrol vs diesel if you will. Since going to E standard i find SS does just fine,katana was a big eye opener for me.

Kris wrote:ive always had valve when i was tuning low as they have that low end grunt-like petrol vs diesel if you will. Since going to E standard i find SS does just fine,katana was a big eye opener for me.

I'm modding my Katana to include an extension cab socket. Nothing wrong with it as is. I just want to hear it through other speakers.

No toobs in my house and to be honest apart from the social stigma I'm super happy with my Katana and THR10, both are excellent for playing and recording thru, never missed a beat.

I had a Marshall MG101CFX, that was the only SS amp I’ve owned that sounded pretty damn good. The rest just sounded really sterile/harsh and when you turned them up they sounded worse rather than better!

Katana was not too bad, but mine was quite noisy and again seemed sterile to me.

I have been using the clean channel on the Katana and getting all my dirt and distortion from discrete pedals the last few weeks to give the clones I made a run. Sounds good to me fwiw. If I gigged I think I'd go this way for simplicity, as no punters would give a crap.

I might also add an external speaker jack to the Katana 50, just to hear it through a quad.

While I'm thinking about it, I think what I like most about solid state amps is the consistency of tone, at home volumes or at a gig volumes it sounds the same, and fluctuations in temperature or time of the month don't seem to affect it like I've experienced with toob amps, that random why does it sound different today feeling, hmmmm....

I like what I'm hearing from this one, BJFE's SS take on a Supro. Except that at US$600 I can get an actual Supro...

I think the speaker cabinet makes a big difference.
A friend once rehoused a Fender frontman SS amp into a head and we played it at practice through our 2x12 cabs not knowing what it was and it sounded great!

Slowy wrote:Most of my tones are in the clean- boost- moderate OD spectrum.

This is where SS amps fall short. That 3d ring/ natural compression that i often miss when i plug into transistor amps. The joy of varying one's pick attack and riding the vol knob to get diff shades of od. Ahh and the wonderful smell and sight of glowing tubes lol!

But yeah when i still was gigging, when i was too lazy to bring my own amp, id just play whatever was in the venue (which 99% of the time were transistor amps, back in the Phil). Didnt mind a bit as well. Im pretty sure most of the audience didnt care too lol.

IMO of course and YMMV.

Check out Pete Thorn’s interview with Doug Aldrich.
Baroni Lab 120w amp with Fx loop in a pedal.
Great grab n go option.