Anyone here into tube amps?

[Constantine]

Does anyone here use tube amps for their listening pleasure? Which ones do you have?

 

I'm looking for a good entry($200-300ish) tube/hybrid amplifier for my desktop setup. I've had the Maverick D1 before and I enjoyed it while I had it and I was wondering if anyone knew any small form-factor tube amps in the market. (I'm running out of desk space because of the multiple monitors )

[beebskadoo]

I have a Bugera V22 tube Guitar amp. It's lovely and tube and it sounds better than the majority of solid state amps

[mr moose]

Does anyone here use tube amps for their listening pleasure? Which ones do you have?

 

I'm looking for a good entry($200-300ish) tube/hybrid amplifier for my desktop setup. I've had the Maverick D1 before and I enjoyed it while I had it and I was wondering if anyone knew any small form-factor tube amps in the market. (I'm running out of desk space because of the multiple monitors )

I am, I am actually quite mad about them just not for headphones/home hifi.  Tubes take the stage in guitar amps, old radios/stereograms and history.

[beebskadoo]

I know I might get some troll that tells me tube amps only color the soud and don't make things sound better bla bla bla, well with electric guitar, that 'off white' sound that a tube amp delivers is very desirable. Tube amps are just so much better at blues/rock/jazz guitar than solid state.

[mr moose]

I know I might get some troll that tells me tube amps only color the soud and don't make things sound better bla bla bla, well with electric guitar, that 'off white' sound that a tube amp delivers is very desirable. Tube amps are just so much better at blues/rock/jazz guitar than solid state.

exactly,  there are no guitarists that don't use some form of effect for their guitars, in fact those that don't use valve amps 9/10 times use some form of valve amp modelling  to get that warm sound.

 

You'll only cop flak if you try to suggest they are awesome for headphones without actually stating you like/understand the sound they have.

[beebskadoo]

exactly,  there are no guitarists that don't use some form of effect for their guitars, in fact those that don't use valve amps 9/10 times use some form of valve amp modelling  to get that warm sound.

Acoustic guitar is solid state all the way. very 'glassy' sounds on electric through a piezo bridge, solid state all the way. solid state amps tend to handle more effects pedals while retaining an 'uncluttered' kind of sound but high end Tube amps can do the same (you'll pay a price though)

Nothing sounds like a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall or a Strat through a Fender Blues Deville or a Gibson Es-335 through a Vox AC30. unfortunately I can't afford all of those guitars so I just go to the local guitar Center and 'try' them out

[mr moose]

Acoustic guitar is solid state all the way. very 'glassy' sounds on electric through a piezo bridge, solid state all the way. solid state amps tend to handle more effects pedals while retaining an 'uncluttered' kind of sound but high end Tube amps can do the same (you'll pay a price though)

Nothing sounds like a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall or a Strat through a Fender Blues Deville or a Gibson Es-335 through a Vox AC30. unfortunately I can't afford all of those guitars so I just go to the local guitar Center and 'try' them out

I can't afford them either, so I make my own, including the amps.

[mr moose]

Sorry OP, seem to have derailed your thread.

[beebskadoo]

I can't afford them either, so I make my own, including the amps.

A luthier eh? hope you aren't trolling

So what guitars/amps do you have and how long have you been playing?

[Constantine]

Sorry OP, seem to have derailed your thread.

 

Haha, no worries. This isn't my first audio forum. I've never been on an audio forum where the threads have stayed on topic.

 

On your topic, I agree with tube guitar amps. Nothing sounds sweeter than that warm 3rd order harmonic distortion

[beebskadoo]

Haha, no worries. This isn't my first audio forum. I've never been on an audio forum where the threads have stayed on topic.

 

On your topic, I agree with tube guitar amps. Nothing sounds sweeter than that warm 3rd order harmonic distortion

oh I see, Agree with @mr moose but don't agree with me jk

[mr moose]

A luthier eh? hope you aren't trolling

So what guitars/amps do you have and how long have you been playing?

 

Not trolling:

 

this is one I made from a single solid piece of western red cedar,  dual humbuckers and super slinky strings. It has a really mellow slack sorta sound to it.

 

This ones made from laminated solid vic Ash (local gum tree, eucalypti family).  Has a seymour duncan TB6 which allows me to play anything from country through to really deep heavy thrash.

 

 

SS amp I made a while ago, 100watt using 2 50 chip amps bridged with a kit and point to point bass, mid and treble pots.

 

 

 

 

I just mess around, but have been doing it since I was old enough to hold a guitar.

[beebskadoo]

Not trolling:

 

this is one I made from a single solid piece of western red cedar,  dual humbuckers and super slinky strings. It has a really mellow slack sorta sound to it.

 

This ones made from laminated solid vic Ash (local gum tree, eucalypti family).  Has a seymour duncan TB6 which allows me to play anything from country through to really deep heavy thrash.

 

 

SS amp I made a while ago, 100watt using 2 50 chip amps bridged with a kit and point to point bass, mid and treble pots.

 

 

 

 

I just mess around, but have been doing it since I was old enough to hold a guitar.

wow sir, I commend you for your craftmanship. the first 2 look really cool! what kind of stuff do you play?

[mr moose]

 

And this is my latest amp project, it is a 30 watt valve head,  you can't see the valves because they are on the other side of the chassi so you see the glow through the cloth front, here you can see the two output transformers on the left and the mammoth mains transformer on the right.

 

I play everything.

[StitchMonkey]

Not sure you could still find one but I discovered a 5.25 bay amp with a visible tube just the other day.  It would save you the desk space, plus I am a sucker for bay devices. 

[EmoRarity]

Not sure you could still find one but I discovered a 5.25 bay amp with a visible tube just the other day.  It would save you the desk space, plus I am a sucker for bay devices. 

I'm willing to bet that thing is gross. 

[StitchMonkey]

I'm willing to bet that thing is gross. 

 

 

Define gross in this context?

[EmoRarity]

Define gross in this context?

Disgusting. Grotty. Gruesome. Heinous.

[StitchMonkey]

Disgusting. Grotty. Gruesome. Heinous.

 

So some how this thing is to you unsanitary?  How?  I was not sure if gross was intended to refer to the music quality. 

[EmoRarity]

So some how this thing is to you unsanitary?  How?  I was not sure if gross was intended to refer to the music quality. 

Where did you get unsanitary from? Contextually those all would point to unpleasant.  

[mr moose]

I am willing to bet that it is a average/poor sounding experience.  Looks are subjective so I won't comment on that.

[StitchMonkey]

Where did you get unsanitary from? Contextually those all would point to unpleasant.  

You used them to define gross.  I was trying to  figure out if you meant gross like an unclean bathroom, or gross as a judgment of the sound quality, your definition leans much more to bathroom than a descriptor of the sound produced.

 

Disgusting is often synonymous to unsanitary, same with grotty.  I would use heinous and/or gruesome to describe an infected wound, which is unsanitary.  So really I am not sure why you think unsanitary is such a jump here.  If that is not what you mean, what do you mean.

 

Do you mean that is physically gross to the touch?  And if so,  how would it be gross, but also not unsanitary? 

[EmoRarity]

[mr moose]

 

Do you mean that is physically gross to the touch?  And if so,  how would it be gross, but also not unsanitary? 

I think the over all product look, and possible performance just doesn't appeal to him.  And TBH I can't see it appealing to many people save a few neo-retro hardware moders.

[EmoRarity]

I think the over all product look, and possible performance just doesn't appeal to him.  And TBH I can't see it appealing to many people save a few neo-retro hardware moders.

(Its the idea, and possible performance that are disgusting, though I have a retro case it would look potassium in)