Solid State amps

[karmablock]

The red knob Fenders are pretty great and inexpensive too.

[paulandpaul]

This whole album is Fender Pro 185. http://rivener.bandcamp.com/releases

Even tone snobs would like that amp, trust me. It's fantastic, "tube like" and very touch sensitive. Takes pedals fantastically well. It's very heavy, but most good, loud amps are.

http://www.musicgoround.com/p/375131/us ... -amplifier

[Iommic Pope]

Dudes in the Doom Room are really liking those new Orange solid state jobs.

[echoraven]

Fender 212r, if I'm not mistaken it's a 2x12. Has a built in spring reverb and it has a very natural sounding tone. Never tried it with pedals though.

[bigchiefbc]

My main concern with tube amps is the maintenance. I do know how to not die and can solder without any problem, I just want to have one less thing to worry about in the future.

Not really related to what you're asking for, but I just want to say that this concern is extremely, extremely overblown. I've literally never done a single thing of maintenance for my (all-tube) amp, and I've been gigging with it for 4 years now. YMMV, but I've never understood what all the fuss is about "maintenance" for tube amps.

[rfurtkamp]

If you like the red knob Fender stuff, you probably won't be happy with the Peavey SS stuff. The tone stack is radically different.

I'd go with a Jazz Chorus if you can find one cheapish ($500 used happens with regularity if you're patient).

Current production, look for a used Fender Mustang IV. Version 1 will get you what you want and be a ton cheaper most likely.

If you don't want to program it/run patches...just set the first patch as a Twin Reverb and go to town.

It does the Twin thing stupid well.

[ChannelingHemingway]

I've been really happy with my Epi Triggerman Combo since replacing the speaker (some sort of generic Eminence, iirc) with a cannabis rex. The onboard effects and distortion channel are rubbish, but it takes pedals like a champ and looks super cool. The combo is friggin' heavy for a 1x12, though, and they seem to be rarer than hens teeth.

They also made a 100w head and matching 4x12 cab.

[tremolo3]

My main concern with tube amps is the maintenance. I do know how to not die and can solder without any problem, I just want to have one less thing to worry about in the future.

Not really related to what you're asking for, but I just want to say that this concern is extremely, extremely overblown. I've literally never done a single thing of maintenance for my (all-tube) amp, and I've been gigging with it for 4 years now. YMMV, but I've never understood what all the fuss is about "maintenance" for tube amps.

Well, you must have been very lucky or you buy brand new amps.

I never buy new amps or guitars, maybe that's my problem. lol
In my short experience with tube amps, the "vintage" ones are way cheaper and more easy to get (and more easy to fix... I know) than new ones, unless you pay booteek prices for a handwired.


My 68 Twin needed a re-cap job after the 1st year I bought it, I was told by the shop that they made a clean-up job a few months before... BS maybe?
Fender 77 Champ, I think it has a faulty cap(?) somewhere that it farts with certain low frequencies.
My gf's Pro Jr. had a terrible hum after the few months she bought it and I had to try different tubes and make a small re-wire job here and there.

New tubes for your amp?
Time to re-bias.

Amp is making a weird noise and makes it unusable for recording?
Call the doctor, maybe it's time to get new tubes or new caps, or both.

It's not that Solid State amps don't need maintenance, but most of the time they just work out of the box and they are less prone to go bad for no reason.

[D.o.S.]

downside: they sound like shit.

[tremolo3]

And for the record, I do have a JC120 and I like it a lot. I just was checking what else is out there that I could be missing.

[tremolo3]

downside: they sound like shit.

Specially the Chinese ones, right?

[D.o.S.]

If it's not a tube amp made in a country that has a history defined by Imperialist Expansionism, it isn't an amp worth owning.

[PeteeBee]

I am always gassing for a Science, but this is mostly when I haven't had a chance to actually plug in and crank up my current amp in a while. Micro Terror at home leaves me wanting so much more, Peavey SS amp I use for band actually rules and has never left me wanting more. Not saying I wouldn't be blown away with something nicer, but I can always get the sounds in my head and I never have a frustration with the sound I can't dial out.

The big thing I do see is that I have a Rangemaster, RRR, and Fuck on at least 90% of the time. I think with a nicer amp I could do without all 3, or at least use them sparingly instead of as my base tone.

[voerking]

if you run across a Waller combo or head, pounce on it. i have the head & it's fantastic. i found it for $112 on ebay.

Also, the Fender Frontman series are solid & can be found for way cheap.

[blakestree]

Micro Terror at home leaves me wanting so much more

That is exactly what I'm moving to at home. A Micro Terror with an AC4. But, I don't see a damn thing wrong with getting your sound from pedals. To me, an amp doesn't have to be toneful, just present. Sometimes them tubez toanz can get in the way.