Solid State Amps(?)

[wyldbil]

On a similar note, and in my quest to get reliable volume and tone...

I am strongly looking at the Carvin SX-300 head, which is a three-channel 100 watt solid state unit, VERY cheaply priced.

Is the thing about needing 300 solid state watts to equal 100 tube watts true or is it an old wives' tale?

Does anyone have experience with this particular Carvin?

Please discuss...

[Scottcrud]

Unless that is a brand new model it's a 3 channel 100 watt amp and it won't be loud enough for you if you have a slightly loud drummer. And it is absolutely true about a 50 watt tube amp burying a 150 watt SS amp. I've used them both. I did use a 350 watt peavey SS power amp with my Boogie Studio Preamp and that was more than loud enough.

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?...r=SX300H&CID=GA

[tomteriffic]

I've observed a similar phenomenon, although it's really hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. That said, everything else being equal the inherent compression in a tube power section probably accounts for the greater apparent loudness despite the lower power rating.

[Guest Buck Dharma]

My 18 watt Alamo tube amp is louder than my 60 watt Marshall Valvestate combo. Sounds way better too.

[BadgerDave]

My 100 watt Line6 DuoVerb is loud as hell! Louder than my 80 watt Bogner.

It also sounds great (though you may get conflicting opinions on that). Before pulling the trigger on that Carvin, try to find a Duoverb to check out. I paid $400 for mine, new. I know Dave's has one (2-12 combo) that they can't move at $575. They may be willing to deal.

I can't figure out why these didn't catch on. IMO, the best sounding solid state amps ever made.

[Brooks]

i dunno about the price, but i'd look into the new tech 21 3 ch 300w head thats out.

i love my TM10, great tone for a SS amp.

[BCR Greg]

Randall has some killer solid state heads that are LOUD and sound great.

[jwhitcomb3]

I've observed a similar phenomenon, although it's really hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison. That said, everything else being equal the inherent compression in a tube power section probably accounts for the greater apparent loudness despite the lower power rating.

I think that compression is 75% of why people prefer tube amps to solid state amps...and also why tube amp fans have to crank their amps to get "the tone".

Trouble is most stomp box compressors aren't designed to give you a subtle compression, they have really high ratios and low thresholds and are just supposed to squeeze out sustain.

It wasn't until I started using a compressor plug-in with real time graphic displays that I was able to really "get" compression. Then I bought a rack mount compressor with a great display and found I could tweak a great "tube" feel out of many solid state amps with the right compression settings. It also helps a tube amp at lower volume settings.

The trick is to just reduce the peaks without crushing the dynamic range. You have to have the full range of compressor controls to do it right: threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain. A multi-band compressor is even better!

-Jonathan

[hardheartedbill]

IMO SS is a better choice for Metal , I used to get some badass tone from a Marshall 9002 preamp and valvesate pwr amp into an old Hiwatt cab , mondo thump and gain. I would also second Brooks suggestion, look hard at Tech21

[kurtsstuff]

Solid state is good for reliability but if they do break down ya might as well throw em away as it'll be as much to fix em as buy a new one..I'm a tube guy through and through cuz they just sound better...oh wait ...let me dial in a little more mids..dammit...it sounded great yesterday...maybe if i put a new pre amp tube in V-1...nope....well shit....maybe it'll sound good tommorow....lol!

[Brooks]

IMO SS is a better choice for Metal , I used to get some badass tone

also, the older marshall valvestate heads are killer amps, at least the one i tried in the early 90's, pantera thump for days.

[tafkathundernotes]

Hey Bill;

Check this one -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...7306607639&rd=1

[Scottcrud]

I tried one of those 300 watt Tech 21 heads, doesn't sound that great at all, but I did not like the Marshall Mode Four either, neither had much in the Balls department. The Valvestate is a cool amp, but not real loud, and they have reliablity issues.

[kurtsstuff]

I could almost live with a Line 6 HD 147....but....I sold it...

[JohnnyB]

Is the thing about needing 300 solid state watts to equal 100 tube watts true or is it an old wives' tale?

It somewhat comes down to how the amps are engineered. And it's sort of a psycho-acoustic trick.

Distortion is usually expressed as THD (total harmonic distortion), but there are many kinds of distortion that are lumped together in this category. Tube amps can have levels of THD that would set your teeth on edge from solid state, because tube distortion is more euphonic than SS distortion. Secondly, tube & SS amps' distortion curves are very different. SS amps tend to have a low, flat distortion curve up to their rated power, at which point the distion climbs from .1% (or thereabouts) to 45-50% or more with the increase of just a few dB.

Tube amps, on the other hand, have a more agreeable form of THD to start with, and the distortion curve is more linear -- the distortion figure sort of tracks the power rating until it reaches saturation -- overdrive.

Since the tube distortion is more euphonic and comes on gradually, a tube amp can be well above its rated power, running at 20-30% distortio (I'm guessing), and still sound somewhat clean. Once an SS amp gets to 20-30%, it's painful to hear.