Skipping out in owning a tube amp?

[DancingForFables]

I feel it's time soon for me to upgrade the current gear I have. I currently own a Line 6 Spider IV and while I feel tones I get from it are satisfactory I feel like I could be getting a better sound. I've contemplated getting the Peavey 6505+ 112 combo because it seemed like a very solid amp for the money, however I've stumbled across the Pod HD Pro as well. I feel like that the Pod would be better suited for my needs as it would be quieter for at home playing and would have a diverse sound for the variety of music i play with people. Also it'd probably be easier for me to record with as well. However, I feel like though if I get the Pod I would be missing out on having the "tube experience". I'm leaning for the Pod HD Pro right now, but I want some outside opinions before I have it set in my mind. What are you guys opinion? Thanks in advance

 

[Rick]

You should get a tube poweramp to go with the HD Pro.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

^second. Or a small tube combo amp if you're not playing live

 

[DancingForFables]

Oh yes that is definitely an option. This might be a question that gets asked a lot, but how big of an impact does the poweramp have on the sound? Could the poweramp you buy make or break the tone you get?

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

I wouldn't say that it'll make or break your sound, but the power section of any setup definitely has a hand in your overall tone, which is part of the appeal of tube power amps in the first place.

For example, Matrix power amps are known for how "flat" they sound and how little they affect the signal going into them, while tube power amps like the Mesa 50/50 or VHT 2:50:2 color the sound and react more like a regular tube amp, with the additional flexibility of presence and/or resonance controls. The same applies to using a tube head or combo's power section.

 

[DancingForFables]

Thanks for clarifying, and yeah a small tube amp such as the Blackstar HT-5 I've been thinking about as well, but I wasn't sure how well they would sound with having a smaller speaker; I have heard good things about them though.

 

[darren]

I have essentially two rigs... my digital modeling rig, which i use most of the time, and my tube rig, which i've used live a few times, but for the most part, it's for jamming at home and for studio use.

Use whatever suits you best. If you like the tones you can get out of the POD HD, then go for it. Don't get hung up on the mystique of the "tube experience"... it's just another flavour.

 

[decreebass]

Thanks for clarifying, and yeah a small tube amp such as the Blackstar HT-5 I've been thinking about as well, but I wasn't sure how well they would sound with having a smaller speaker; I have heard good things about them though.

I was gonna recommend the HT-5 as well; GREAT amp. Loud, great OD... No complaints from me. I have a Mesa Mark V and I'm STILL keeping my Blackstar. So that shows you how nice of an amp it is I have a pretty in depth review on youtube. Search "ugly bunny blackstar" if you're at all interested.

EDIT: The current Blackstars have 12" speakers - I have the HT-5RS (it has the reverb and it's a mini-stack: Head + two 1x12 cabs)

 

[abandonist]

For death metal I'm gonna recommend a solid state pushing a couple hundred watts. Maybe a Randall. If it's good enough for Gorguts...

 

[Dayn]

I think you made your own argument well enough. Is everything else you mentioned really worth trading for just the 'experience' of a tube amp?

If you're upgrading, you might as well get the best workhorse you can get for your circumstances. You can always get a tube amp later, so why not versatility right now for all your needs?

Disclaimer: I'm one of those people who got an HD500 with a Mackie HD1221 for a speaker.

 

[Given To Fly]

You don't necessarily need to buy a tube amp today, but I think its something every guitarist should experience at some point. Here's how I would make the decision:
1. What do you really want? Throw out logic and practicality.
2. What do you really need? Bring back logic and practicality.
3. See where if either of these amps provide a substantial amount of your wants and needs.
4. Then decide what you really want.

By the way, the 6505+ does have an XLR Record Out jack so you could record with it that way, or, you could mic it up when no one is home. I won't lie though, tube amps make sound...lots of sound!

Lastly, at the risk of sounding like an old codger, there isn't anything quite like a good tube amp.

 

[decreebass]

Lastly, at the risk of sounding like an old codger, there isn't anything quite like a good tube amp.

This. It's not even quite so much about sound, either; it's feel AND sound - it's a total experience.

I never played a tube amp until earlier this year and I'm kicking myself for not doing it 15 years ago when I started playing. The me from 15 years from now will be pissed that the me from now is beating up a 15 year old kid, but I'll deal with that when I get to it...

Bottom line, tube amps are awesome. And the circuitry has evolved considerably so they're not nearly as fragile as everyone makes them out to be. And yes... They're LOUD

 

[shadscbr]

The difference between a tube amp and modeler is like a beautiful woman giving you a massage, VS using an electric vibrating back massager...the same idea, but very different feel

Shad

 

[decreebass]

The difference between a tube amp and modeler is like a beautiful woman giving you a massage, VS using an electric vibrating back massager...the same idea, but very different feel

Shad

That is a curious analogy...

 

[Discoqueen]

I went from a peavy vyper 75 to a 5153 50 watt and I don't think I'd go back to soild states. I love the... activity in a tube amps tone. It kinda breathes. I've never played through modeling things, though, so I can't say how the compare! You could get a small tube amp like a tiny terror or mini recto and depending on how you EQ have tons of tones, me thinks.


Posted from Sevenstring.org App for Android

 

[fatpicks]

Check out the new Engl Ironball .. Can go from super heavy to head phones. Nothing wrong with modelers...still love tube amps, but an Axe II is damn tempting.

 

[WhiteWalls]

First of all I can assure you that the HD is the real deal. I'm not gonna say it's as good as the Axe-Fx but for its price it's unbelievable what it can do and more importantly, how authentic it can sound if you put enough time in learning how it works. It also has many parameters for power amp and cabinet emulation which the previous series did NOT have and they help tremendously if you're in search of a "real" tube feel.

I absolutely understand wanting a tube poweramp to mantain the tube sound and feel, but in my experience the Pod HD does a great job at making solid state amps sound very tube-like if that's what you want, so I wouldn't bother with the extra cost, weight and mantainance that tube amps need.

 

[UV7BK4LIFE]

The difference between a tube amp and modeler is like a beautiful woman giving you a massage, VS using an electric vibrating back massager...the same idea, but very different feel

Shad

And they react differently when you push the front end hahaha

 

[jimwratt]

Well, the area where modelers tend to fall short is in capturing the full phenomenon of a cranked tube amp moving air in a room. Having the experience of using a tube amp will definitely change the way you approach tweaking a modeler and will likely result in you having an easier time getting tones.

Just being able to move around the room when you're playing can help you understand all of the ingredients of a good tone. Having started with a Line 6 amp, I was very shocked at how brittle my first Marshall sounded when I was right up against the speaker. As I moved out into where an audience would be, all the smoothness was there along with the clarity I had been trying to get for years with modelers. When I listened back to my modeler tones, I found them unrealistically dark.

Modeling amps have difficulty filling out a room unless you really know how to work with them as well as an intimate understanding of how they should fill out a space sonically. If you have that knowledge, then I wouldn't say that one is superior to the other. They're appropriate for different skillsets but are aimed at the same thing.

In short, my recommendation is to get the modeler but make sure that you get some tube amp hours under your belt so you chase the right things in the right way.

 

[Mordacain]

Oh yes that is definitely an option. This might be a question that gets asked a lot, but how big of an impact does the poweramp have on the sound? Could the poweramp you buy make or break the tone you get?

I personally say it does in general.

Specifically, you can use the Pod HD to model the sound from the power amp as well or just the preamp.

My favorite way to use my HD500 was in preamp mode, fed into the DT25 head.

I also used the same presets briefly into my Mesa 50/50 and it rocked pretty hard for that as well.

I'll diverge from the general consensus in that I was pretty contented with the Higain tones I got from my Pod, but was let down a bit by the Clean tones. I made some great clean patches, but I could never quite nail the huge bottom, top-end shimmer and sparkle and overall dimensionality from the Pod that I dialed in easily with my Mesa Quad Preamp or my Hot Rod Deluxe.