I must have the worst luck in the world. I had an Ampeg SVT3 and a Portaflex PF50T and both were stolen. I have mourned the loss of my babies long enough though! So here is my dilemma. I'm not sure exactly what type of amp I want next. I really loved both of those amps. I'm not worried about wattage. I just thought I'd throw the question out there and see what yall preferred and why. I also don't have to have an ampeg. I have found a couple of Peavey VB2s and like those. Anyway, I sure would like to hear your input! Thanks!
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Hybrid or all tube?
- Thread starter shababy32
- Start date
That's a good question! I can tell u I don't need an all tube 300 watt amp, and 20 watts isn't enough. Ideally I guess 100 watts would be nice if it's all tube. My SVT 3 I think was 200 and it was nice.
I used to be all-tube. When they hybrid thing hit, I only found I likes MOSFET amps with tube preamps.
All that changed with the Mesa TT. I get all of the tubey bloom I need with that amp. And it does SO MUCH MORE than a truly convincing "vintage tube tone" that it's not even funny.
It really is a remarkable thing to behold. I sold my late SLM era SVT when I got it. Sure, the SVT sounded amazing. But so does the TT and it weighs a few pounds and has a zillion OTHER sounds in it as well. I never use my old Walkabout and rarely use my Ashdown LB30 these days (or my heavily modded all-tube Fender PA100 rat rodded for bass).
All that changed with the Mesa TT. I get all of the tubey bloom I need with that amp. And it does SO MUCH MORE than a truly convincing "vintage tube tone" that it's not even funny.
It really is a remarkable thing to behold. I sold my late SLM era SVT when I got it. Sure, the SVT sounded amazing. But so does the TT and it weighs a few pounds and has a zillion OTHER sounds in it as well. I never use my old Walkabout and rarely use my Ashdown LB30 these days (or my heavily modded all-tube Fender PA100 rat rodded for bass).
Hybrid won't sound like a tube amp. Now, since I personally am not a fan of tube bass amps, I prefer hybrids. But since you are a fan of tube amps, as quite a few people here are, you really should go all tube to get that sound. The power section matters a lot more than the preamp.
I have a VB2 and it's a killer. Doesn't leave home right now because my current gig doesn't warrant it but I'm dying to get it on a stage.
DB 751.
Match it with an Ag cab and you are golden.
Still a heavy beast at around 60lbs but nothing better when it really counts, imv.
Failing that, you can do ok with a valve stage with class D power where the weight issue forgives the lack of sheer presense but can be an acceptable compromise.
Match it with an Ag cab and you are golden.
Still a heavy beast at around 60lbs but nothing better when it really counts, imv.
Failing that, you can do ok with a valve stage with class D power where the weight issue forgives the lack of sheer presense but can be an acceptable compromise.
PF20T, use the transformer DI out to whatever size power amp fits your needs, into whatever Portaflex speaker(s) fit your needs. Great tube tone and flexibility.
IMHO it really should be about finding the sound and feel you want rather than arguing about tube VS solid-state.
If you want to argue tube VS solid state, then you need to identify and understand what characteristics make an amp sound either tubey or solid state. Then you need to figure out the exact recipe (mix of qualities) that you are looking for. The idea is each amp will have sort of a unique recipe where different qualities are present in different amounts.
I have sort of lost count, but I think my amp collection currently numbers 29. About 1/3 of my amps are either solid state or hybrid designs. The rest would be considered all tube by most people. I can tell you that Hiwatt style tube amp sound way different than an SVT. In other words, both amps are tubey in a unique way. Also, both sound considerably different than an Orange AD200B. IMHO the Orange actually sounds a lot like a vintage Fender if you crank up the (master) Volume control, but the AD200B has a way higher gain preamp than any stock vintage Fender. I would say my Trace Elliot V-types, Sadowsky SA200s, Mesa D180, and Aguilar DB359 are also sort of Fendery, but they all have a unique sound.
I actually love my tube amps, but if I am honest, I am more of a solid state guy. I prefer lot's of clean headroom and the ability to change volume to meet the requirements of the gig without the sound getting squishy or distorted. Essentially if you have a tube amp and want to run it on the edge to get a certain feel, then you are somewhat locked in and can't really adjust your volume to meet the needs of the situation. One way some people deal with this is to have two similar amps with different power ratings. For example you might get an Ampeg V4B and an SVT. They are not voiced exactly the same, but are very close.
Another concept I suggest you consider is the importance of the amp/cab pairing. If you have 5 amps and 5 cabs, you are likely to find that one cab and one amp stand out as far better than the others overall. But you may find that your favorite combination does not include either the amp or cab you think is best.
To some extent the amp and cab can interact. The interaction can be negative, for example one cab my sound great with four of the amps, but absolutely horrible with the 5th. The interaction can also produce gestalt: essentially the results exceed the expected summation of the parts. You might also use the word serendipity.
Nothing wrong with research and talking to experts, but I suggest that you use this to expand your understanding so you can make a better decision. Be careful about subjective hype as it only tells you the person loves a product, and it is not clear what they love or why. It's actually fairly hard to talk about tone quality in an objective manner...but ideally you should rely more on objective facts than subjective opinions. A million people could love a bass rig, and you may hate it.
IMHO the best thing to do is go try a bunch of rigs. Eventually you will find a few that just feel and sound right, even though you may not be able to objectively describe why. If possible, don't be in too much of a rush; enjoy the hunt. The idea here is if you are going to rely on subjective opinions to make the decision, it should be be your own subjective opinions which are formed with first hand experience.
If you want to argue tube VS solid state, then you need to identify and understand what characteristics make an amp sound either tubey or solid state. Then you need to figure out the exact recipe (mix of qualities) that you are looking for. The idea is each amp will have sort of a unique recipe where different qualities are present in different amounts.
I have sort of lost count, but I think my amp collection currently numbers 29. About 1/3 of my amps are either solid state or hybrid designs. The rest would be considered all tube by most people. I can tell you that Hiwatt style tube amp sound way different than an SVT. In other words, both amps are tubey in a unique way. Also, both sound considerably different than an Orange AD200B. IMHO the Orange actually sounds a lot like a vintage Fender if you crank up the (master) Volume control, but the AD200B has a way higher gain preamp than any stock vintage Fender. I would say my Trace Elliot V-types, Sadowsky SA200s, Mesa D180, and Aguilar DB359 are also sort of Fendery, but they all have a unique sound.
I actually love my tube amps, but if I am honest, I am more of a solid state guy. I prefer lot's of clean headroom and the ability to change volume to meet the requirements of the gig without the sound getting squishy or distorted. Essentially if you have a tube amp and want to run it on the edge to get a certain feel, then you are somewhat locked in and can't really adjust your volume to meet the needs of the situation. One way some people deal with this is to have two similar amps with different power ratings. For example you might get an Ampeg V4B and an SVT. They are not voiced exactly the same, but are very close.
Another concept I suggest you consider is the importance of the amp/cab pairing. If you have 5 amps and 5 cabs, you are likely to find that one cab and one amp stand out as far better than the others overall. But you may find that your favorite combination does not include either the amp or cab you think is best.
To some extent the amp and cab can interact. The interaction can be negative, for example one cab my sound great with four of the amps, but absolutely horrible with the 5th. The interaction can also produce gestalt: essentially the results exceed the expected summation of the parts. You might also use the word serendipity.
Nothing wrong with research and talking to experts, but I suggest that you use this to expand your understanding so you can make a better decision. Be careful about subjective hype as it only tells you the person loves a product, and it is not clear what they love or why. It's actually fairly hard to talk about tone quality in an objective manner...but ideally you should rely more on objective facts than subjective opinions. A million people could love a bass rig, and you may hate it.
IMHO the best thing to do is go try a bunch of rigs. Eventually you will find a few that just feel and sound right, even though you may not be able to objectively describe why. If possible, don't be in too much of a rush; enjoy the hunt. The idea here is if you are going to rely on subjective opinions to make the decision, it should be be your own subjective opinions which are formed with first hand experience.
I think the future is in brands like darkglass. Check out the features of an alpha omega 500.
but hybrid vs tube… i go tube. I love the glow!
Who still records music? Sample is the future.
I used a lot of an SVT 3 PRO with a 610 cab, that tube gain is amazing. If it was mine and it was stolen I would buy another one, but if you want changes you should try the D class, neither hybrid nor full tubes, in short, Mesa! I have a D800+, it's not the most powerful, and power isn't your priority, but I think it's one of the most SVT 3 like amps I've ever played, and it also offers pure D class sound. It all depends on your sound, your taste, of course, something that only you know. There are many equivalent amplifiers on the market, it's not difficult to choose. Good Luck.
A "tube" is just a checkbox marketing gimmick in a hybrid.
Listen with your brain and ears and you'll be surprised how many great amps don't have that checkbox - there's no tube - they just sound like they do when you want them to.
Listen with your brain and ears and you'll be surprised how many great amps don't have that checkbox - there's no tube - they just sound like they do when you want them to.