Tube Vs. Solid State Amps

I have been a performing guitarist for a little over a decade and from the first time I played on stage and again this past week I am constantly asked the same questions. You know what they are: What kind of gear do you use? Really I have a… blah blah blah. So what do you think is better Solid State or Tube?

Ultimately, this (and essentially on some level everything musical) is a discussion of taste and preference. Country and blue grass lean towards the telecasters and steel guitars just as much as Metal and Deathcore enjoy seven string madness and blast beats. But in the end there are some facts that anyone amp shopping should keep in my mind.
I have played a lot of amps in both the Solid State and Tube realm. I won’t tell you what I currently use so that you won’t right me off as a waste of time based on brand name preferences.

Let’s start by breaking down the Pro’s and Con’s of Solid State and Tube amps.
Solid State PRO’s:

• They usually have fabulous clean sounds, crisp and accurate almost to a fault
• They are quick and responsive
• They can take more abuse because there are very few fragile parts
• They require less maintenance
• They can be used to ‘model’ other amplifiers with the push of a button or flip of a switch

Solid State CON’s:

• They have no warmth or emotion, solid state sounds cold and sterile (compare electric drums to acoustic)
• Built in distortion is terrible all low and mid priced amps. If you don’t have a huge wad to drop on a Solid State amp your distortion will be harsh and irritating rather than ballsy and ‘rockin’ (yes, some people like the harsh sound… keep it in the garage junior cause that won’t get you on a stage)
• Solid State amps tend to all sound the same no matter what they are, who is using it, or what guitar is plugged in. Their tone is static.

Tube PRO’s:

• They are best known for their exceptional warmth. The longer you “warm up” a set of tubes the better your sound quality and tone get. This is hard to quantify but we will look at some of the physics later.
• They have a tone variety. Each tube amp sounds different according the specifics of the manufacturer and tube combinations; as well as, the tube amps response to an individual player. There are arguable endless combinations of sounds that can be made by “tweaking” the tube combinations in the same model of amp.
• They have depth with fat and thick sounds that get fatter and thicker as the volume is turned up. A 30watt tube amp sounds HUGE next to 200 watt solid state amp.
• They possess supreme distortion. Tubes by their very nature distort sound in a natural and pleasing way. Whether you want an edgy rhythm or a screaming lead a tube can be meant to bend to your specifics.

Tube CON’s

• Maintaining a tube amp can be costly. Tubes must be maintained and replaced costing anywhere from $40 to $300, depending on the type and number of tubes you use. Since tubes are made of glass a shock to an amp head can crack. A slight pro to this is the fact that 8/10 problems that occur with a Tube amp are made from a dying or broken tube and can be fixed as easily as replacing a light bulb. Solid state is more likely to require some engineering skills.
• A strange con is the fact that to get quality sound from a tube amp the tubes need to be pushed in volume. This is great if you are a touring musician but it can be bothersome if you are practicing in a two bedroom apartment with irritable neighbors.
• If you have a bad back a tube amp will piss you off. They are heavier than their solid state counterparts. Plus it is advisable to get a road case to further protect your investment, probably adding fifty pounds. Do like me and get flight cases equipped with wheels. But, if you plan to add a 4×12 cabinet to your head, solid or tube, then invest in a gym membership while you’re at it.

The Myths:

The price of Tube amps has been slightly exaggerated. If you’ve got a couple hundred bucks to spend on an amp you can get a new tube amp. In all cases musical the more expensive the better. A vintage or boutique tube combo can run you two to five grand. There isn’t much point to buying a twenty year old solid state amp. You can get a bigger solid state amp for cheaper but the adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is typical when looking at the price tag on a both tube and solid state amps. I bought an 80watt Marshall Combo for about $450 dollars in 1998. In 2001 I bought a Mesa Subway Rocket 15watt combo for about the same price. On a personal note, that was the changing point for me and I won’t go back to solid state. Some of you look at the wattage and are saying “Wow, that’s a step down!” That little Mesa combo drowned that Marshall two times over.

Versatility:

This is not a myth so much as an observation. You can buy a Solid State amp that can model hundreds of sounds. The Line6 POD is very versatile and can give players a massive arsenal of sounds for a relatively good cost. However, you might notice that a lot of modeling solid state amps area trying to emulate and model vintage and boutique tube amps. Hmm? Curious.

As I stated in my opening paragraph, the ultimate decision is that of the player and his/her preferences. I encourage any respectable musician to go out and spend a lot of time researching everything that is out there. Avoid the August Mistake. What’s the August Mistake you ask? If you have ever worked in a music store inevitably every August there is a big end of summer, back to school rush. Every fourteen year old who spent his summer mowing lawns comes in with a sweaty Ziploc full of ten dollar bills and plans to become the next Cobain. So they blow a huge load of money on the biggest cab they can afford with the most wattage, not understanding that wattage is not some kind of awesome meter. No one with a 20watt tube amp is impressed when you say you’ve got a 100watt solid state mess and B.C. Rich Warlock. About the time these kids get a driver’s license they come back with half of their August Mistake gear and trade it in on something different because they have “matured”.

Truth be told if you are a real musician you will never mature. You are constantly immature and learning. Let the same hold true in your equipment.
This article is based on collective opinion of many musicians from forums all across the web. In my next article I would like to outline some of the Physics that make these opinions what they are. There is some truth to the PRO’s and CON’s based in the electronics of the Solid State and Tube configurations.