eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
you said replacement sacs -- LOL ....... Excellent Punk Band Name
Get tubes now
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Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
I've been thinking this recently. Prices are going up no matter what.
I just paid for a matched quad of Tung Sol 6L6GC-STR tubes as replacements for the quad in my JSX, the amp that has done the most work in the last couple of years. AU$160 + $12.50 express post, which is the pre-covid price
I just paid for a matched quad of Tung Sol 6L6GC-STR tubes as replacements for the quad in my JSX, the amp that has done the most work in the last couple of years. AU$160 + $12.50 express post, which is the pre-covid price
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
My opinion is the tube amp is going away just like the carburetor was taken over with fuel injection. Much of the music today is being made with SS devices, this will take over the market, and it's happening at a very fast rate. You have guys playing tube amps, while they are recording with SS equipment, monitors, synthetic drum tracks, you get the picture. SS is the future embrace it, it's here.
Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
I just sold my Fender Twin Reverb last week for a tidy profit.
That leaves me with only the Silkyn. It has two 6L6 wchich I have at least 4 extras and I have a whole box of NOS and good used 1950's 12AX7's that I pulled from old radios.
The only tubes I care about for real are the EL84's I use for my old tube stereo!
That leaves me with only the Silkyn. It has two 6L6 wchich I have at least 4 extras and I have a whole box of NOS and good used 1950's 12AX7's that I pulled from old radios.
The only tubes I care about for real are the EL84's I use for my old tube stereo!
gball
Ambassador of Boogie
I've played 5 of the 6 listed (never heard of that first one TBH) and it's not even close. Not for me. Sorry.
Iron1
AmbassaDOOM of Red VVinter
My grandfather died holding something like 117 vacuum tube patents. He was convinced in the 80s we could make an SS amp that could perfectly emulate tubes, and he figured tubes would be completely obsolete before the turn of the century. Sadly, he and I never got a chance to build an amp before he died fairly suddenly while I was in High School.
For years I played a bought-brand-new 1997 Marshall Valvestate VS265 2x12 Combo and I probably got more compliments on my live tone with it than any other rig I've ever had.
I’m not a tube snob. I’m equally comfortable playing tube amps, solid state amps and processors. I have some of each. I’ve played live with them all. I actually first played on SS amps and processors before getting a single tube amp, so I have no particular axe to grind for tubes.
But, tubes are not going away. In fact, many anachronistic things never actually go away. Carburetors have not gone away; they just aren’t put into production vehicles. But, you can still buy them new. Check out Summit Racing; you can get all kinds of carbs. You can still get rebuild kits for OEM carbs. You can even still get brand new breaker points for a breaker ignition. You can even still buy buggy whips!
None of these things have “gone away”. They’ve just become less prevalent and more niche-oriented. Tubes may follow the same path. But there are literally millions of tube amps out there. There will be tubes made for them as long as there is someone willing to buy them.
There simply is no need to “embrace” anything. We’re talking music here. This is not some philosophical dilemma. It’s just music. If a person prefers tubes there is no reason to stop doing so. If someone prefers a Kemper, there is no reason to change.
The idea that a person should embrace SS (or any other music tech) simply because that is what is done in the recording studio is a non sequitir.
Can we say Ham radio amps are using,wait for it ,Tubes and Solid state. Ive used both.WAIT tubes look cool as hell glowing through a old vintage Heath Kit tube amp. Lile Smitty said ,tubes or carberators arnt going no where.Hell Gibson is making 62 JRs and Iommi Specials at a resonable price so NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.
Now, mind you, I’m not “defending” anything. I’m certainly not defending carburetors! I mean, they were fun to tweak on back in the day. But, I’m fine without them. In fact, I don’t even want my next car to be gasoline-powered. I’d rather have a straight-up electric vehicle. That’s right; a computer on wheels, baby! I’m fine with that. I just disagree that carbs have “gone away”. They just aren’t installed on new cars.
Same with tubes. A factory may close here or there, but I fully expect they will still be made by someone. To be honest, I could see one of the major music outlets like Sweetwater or someone expanding their business to meet the demand. Stranger things have happened. Who would have imagined that a music instrument manufacturer, like Yamaha (that’s why their logo has three tuning forks) would eventually make golf carts and motorcycles, as well?
Who knows? But, I’m not wringing my hands over this.
Either way, Man....
I like how my tube amps sound, but I'm tired of pedalboards and all of the extra stuff.
Just having an amp that would allow me to run without a pedalboard would be great...
I like how my tube amps sound, but I'm tired of pedalboards and all of the extra stuff.
Just having an amp that would allow me to run without a pedalboard would be great...
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Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
Kemper...you need to come by and play through mine someday. I take it you didn't play through Don's. I'm not sure he has!
Kemper...you need to come by and play through mine someday. I take it you didn't play through Don's. I'm not sure he has!
I'm not sure the Kemper would work for me in what I do, playing out and also teaching.
Sp8ctre
Ambassador of Steel
Why? It sounds great and it's super portable.
And this is exactly the motivation one should have. What works for you!
And, I might add, what you like.
I think too often we get ourselves tied up in needless debates about our musical choices and feel the need to validate those choices with value statements to justify those choices or preferences.
Quite simply, what works musically for one person is only relevant to another person to the extent that it helps inform a decision. One is not “right” and the other “wrong”. We each pick what we prefer and owe no one an explanation.
What I have used...gigged with...recorded with....and what I want....is an ultra scarce 1995-1998 Marshall Valvestate Bi-Chorus '8200' Head.
As you can imagine, these are hard to find, so I've resorted to looking for more modern alternatives.
Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
One of the biggest recent breakthroughs toward capturing that tube magic is Hughes & Kettner’s Spirit Technology. According to head of product development Bernd Schneider, the company “started tracking and replicating every single process in a tube circuit. We replicated exactly what goes on in a tube amp.”
It’s not just technology that’s changed, as player requirements have evolved along with it. Schneider says of the new breed of solid-state amps: “Sonic versatility is much more important today than it was decades ago. Players want an amp that can do it all - one-stop solutions on which you can play any kind of music at any volume level.”
Solid-state amps provide a lot of benefits for the gigging musician. They can push out a lot of sound in a fairly small format that can cut right through the mix and don’t have to be at ear-splitting volumes to get great tones.
It’s not just technology that’s changed, as player requirements have evolved along with it. Schneider says of the new breed of solid-state amps: “Sonic versatility is much more important today than it was decades ago. Players want an amp that can do it all - one-stop solutions on which you can play any kind of music at any volume level.”
Solid-state amps provide a lot of benefits for the gigging musician. They can push out a lot of sound in a fairly small format that can cut right through the mix and don’t have to be at ear-splitting volumes to get great tones.