Im giving up on tubes , whata a good ss amp

[rouss]

I want a medium powererd ss amp between 30 50 watts that has good cleanns and a tight bass. Taking pedals well is inmportant. My main peda is the catalinbread sft for stones tones ,. Any idea ??

[mhuxtable]

Trademark 30

[SixStringZombie]

Trademark 30

+1, most of the Trademark line from Tech21 is nice and take pedals very well.

If you don't mind "vintage" and can find one the old Lab Series L5 amps that were a Gibson/Moog venture are very renown as solid state amps. BB King and Ty Tabor (KingsX) both used them extensively.

I know you said medium powered, but here's a few others.

I had a Fender Cyber Twin SE for a while that was good. It does have a pair of 12AX7's in the preamp section just to warm things up a bit, but the rest is all solid state. Dial up a nice Fender clean or semi driven tone, put a pedal in front and its great. I used to use mine like that....dialed in on the Vibrolux model and put my fave dirt pedal in front.

The ultimate solid state amp though is probably the Roland JC-120. It has gorgeous cleans, but I didn't like it so much with pedals. Some guys get good tones that way though.For what its worth...supposedly Satriani used one with a Boss DS-1 for his first album.

[Bob Pollock]

Peavey Bandit/

[bettset]

www.pritchardamps.com (http://www.pritchardamps.com) yeah, price is high, but the technology in the amp will revolutionize amps once his patents expire :munch

[guitarjazz]

+1, most of the Trademark line from Tech21 is nice and take pedals very well.

If you don't mind "vintage" and can find one the old Lab Series L5 amps that were a Gibson/Moog venture are very renown as solid state amps. BB King and Ty Tabor (KingsX) both used them extensively.

I know you said medium powered, but here's a few others.

I had a Fender Cyber Twin SE for a while that was good. It does have a pair of 12AX7's in the preamp section just to warm things up a bit, but the rest is all solid state. Dial up a nice Fender clean or semi driven tone, put a pedal in front and its great. I used to use mine like that....dialed in on the Vibrolux model and put my fave dirt pedal in front.

The ultimate solid state amp though is probably the Roland JC-120. It has gorgeous cleans, but I didn't like it so much with pedals. Some guys get good tones that way though.For what its worth...supposedly Satriani used one with a Boss DS-1 for his first album.
The JC-120 is cool for what it does. I've had one for 25 years. If that's the ultimate SS then they still have a long way to go!

[harpinon]

Can we ask why you dislike tube amps?

[LJOHNS]

I second Tech 21. The TM 60 is great!

[AaeCee]

Retro Channel Amps, tube-like SS amps co-designed by TGP member and player extraordinaire Lance Keltner get great reviews. Hope to try one myself some day.

[Gearopenia]

yeah? what gives?

Can we ask why you dislike tube amps?

[Birddog]

I had great luck with my Fender Frontman head and a 4x12 cabinet years ago, before I went all-tube. Some great gigs and very good tones of which I still enjoy listening to the recordings today were performed on that amp. It was a very good clean pedal platform.

[weshunter]

Can we ask why you dislike tube amps?

+1 -- pretty much all solid state amps are just trying to imitate tube amps, so we need to know what amps you've tried and what you didn't like about them.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[rouss]

I have a f51 clone and I love it. By the time I got a tweed cab and the scumback speaker etc. It cost over a grand. It sound great but WTF. 1,200 for a 1 great clean tone and 1 great dirty tone. It gets dirty to early to take my catalinbread or tech 21 pedals well. So Im looking bigger at the deluxe reverb reissue.. Here we go again 600 buck to a grand . If Im going to use an amp as a bass for 160 dolar pedals I want the amp to just be reasonable (**** the perfect vintage tube break up) Ps- I like a really tight bass on an amp. Sometimes you have to go I hi end for that with tubes (mesa , hiwatt boutique)

[desceneisvals]

The JC-120 is cool for what it does. I've had one for 25 years. If that's the ultimate SS then they still have a long way to go!

Another vote for the JC-120.

[DaveG]

Roland Blues Cube 60... Discontinued, but still easy to find.

[doc]

Given that cost is one of the drivers of your decision and it sounds like you want to get your dirt from pedals, I'd look for an older USA made Peavey. Built like tanks, and any pawn shop should have one at very low cost. If you want to, you can replace the op amps in them with slightly higher end ones and replace the speaker to optimize them a little.

[Stratofuzz]

http://www.quilterlabs.com/
Saw this last night at NAMM (actually Guitar Geek show) but didn't get to play through one.
It's designed by the guy behind QSC-Patrick Quilter.

Some cool innovations-really like how the master volume work; sounds the same no matter what volumes. Reverb can be assigned pre and post tremolo.

A guy playing lap steel used one on stage; For clean to dirty tones it sounds really good.

[weshunter]

I have a f51 clone and I love it. By the time I got a tweed cab and the scumback speaker etc. It cost over a grand. It sound great but WTF. 1,200 for a 1 great clean tone and 1 great dirty tone. It gets dirty to early to take my catalinbread or tech 21 pedals well. So Im looking bigger at the deluxe reverb reissue.. Here we go again 600 buck to a grand . If Im going to use an amp as a bass for 160 dolar pedals I want the amp to just be reasonable (**** the perfect vintage tube break up) Ps- I like a really tight bass on an amp. Sometimes you have to go I hi end for that with tubes (mesa , hiwatt boutique)

So this is a cost vs versatility thing, right? That's certainly a good reason to bail on tube amps IMO.

Maybe try an 11 rack with a tech 21 power engine. Less than $1000 used and it'll fo everything - no need for pedals or anything.

Fwiw, I can get every tone I need out of a 5e3 and a m13 and I both gig an record pretty frequently. I wouldn't give up on tube amps, but if you're dead set in it, go with a modeling rig over regular solid state.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[guitarjazz]

I have a f51 clone and I love it. By the time I got a tweed cab and the scumback speaker etc. It cost over a grand. It sound great but WTF. 1,200 for a 1 great clean tone and 1 great dirty tone. It gets dirty to early to take my catalinbread or tech 21 pedals well. So Im looking bigger at the deluxe reverb reissue.. Here we go again 600 buck to a grand . If Im going to use an amp as a bass for 160 dolar pedals I want the amp to just be reasonable (**** the perfect vintage tube break up) Ps- I like a really tight bass on an amp. Sometimes you have to go I hi end for that with tubes (mesa , hiwatt boutique)
You don't want to know what a decent violin bow costs. Gear is an investment. The Boogie I bought new in 1983 still sounds great and works fine. Never had a problem other than replacing a few tubes.
You'll end up with a nice collection of solid state amps before it's all over and you'll probably wish you'd stuck with tubes....for two reasons:
1. They sound better.
2. They'll hold their value much better than a solid-state

[Rockyrollercat]

+1 on old Peavey with speaker upgrade. I have a Studio Pro 40 that has a good clean tone and takes pedals really well. I bought it new in the 70's and it's still going strong.

I always wanted to get two Frontman 100's and stack them for a cheap 200w 4x12.


RRC

[modernp]

Jazz Chorus duh.

[DetroitDonny]

I heard Retro Channel is good. about 900.00 bucks for the head. SS

[Pearly Gator]

Peavey Transtube Studio Pro works for me. The Fender M80 series also has great cleans and loves pedals. Both are rugged, dependable and gig worthy.

[guitarjazz]

Jazz Chorus duh.

Don't you mean Jazz Chorus ugh?

[Teleman]

Peavey Trans tube Bandit. A great platform for what you want to achieve.

[k9blek]

So get a cheaper tube head. Blackstar HT-20 is a great sounding little amp and has plenty of volume for live performances. Cheap and I've never had a problem with mine. Great clean tones and rockin' drive. Takes pedals well too. I also like the Jet City JCA 22 H altho I don't own one (yet) !

[The Kid]

Lab Series L5

[Dashface]

You don't want to know what a decent violin bow costs. Gear is an investment. The Boogie I bought new in 1983 still sounds great and works fine. Never had a problem other than replacing a few tubes.
You'll end up with a nice collection of solid state amps before it's all over and you'll probably wish you'd stuck with tubes....for two reasons:
1. They sound better.
2. They'll hold their value much better than a solid-state

Yeah, I've got to agree with this OP. Your reasoning for going with solid state doesn't make any sense. You still have to pay money for solid state amps and most will agree they're never going to sound quite as good. It's not like you're going to find a solid state amp that does all the things you're looking for for $150. Just because they're solid state doesn't mean they're free. Many of the ones mentioned in this thread as "good" ones are still more than four or five hundred bucks - and you can get a lot of tube amp for that money these days.

If you want to use pedals you need a good clean sound and lots of headroom. If you want a good clean sound and lots of headroom... IMO you need a tube amp with a bit of horsepower. Solid state ain't gonna do it.


...Plus, one of your arguments is that "$1200 for one great clean tone and one great dirty tone" is too much... You're not looking at this the right way. Remember, you can use whatever pedals you want with that $1200 clean tone - which will mean you'll have a ton of dirty tones, modulated tones, etc to play with for your money. And the vast majority of us here spend lots of money on just one tone all the time... Some of us (like myself) have gladly paid $1200 for one distortion sound, for example (hello, P1!) and been glad to do it. It's just plain not going to be any more economical for you to go solid state. That is not the reason to leave tubes behind. It sounds to me more like you don't want to spend $1200 on an amp, period. If that's the case, fine - there are lots of great tube amps for under $500 especially if you're going used... But really you don't have to go solid state just to save money. Because you won't.

[LarryN]

I'll echo the older Peaveys. Bandit 65, Special 130 or Studio Pro 40. They sound beefier than any of the later ones. I've tried them all.

[Pietro]

You should definitely check out modeling amps from Fender, Peavey and Line 6 if you want ow cost and versatility.

They won't "carry" like a tube amp for a lot of reasons, though.

[Frank Speak]

Here's what *I* would likely get if I were in the market. Modeling amps, Trademarks, etc... all sound like a solid state amp (not a good thing, IMO). This amp actually sounds like a tube amp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFPPLJe5vdg

[Tmac1957]

I would agree on the Lab Series L5. It has been a workhorse for me, had it for over 30 years and it keeps on producing...side by side with a tube amp for my stereo output

http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb411/Tmac1957/Instruments/LabSeriesL5.jpg

[neastguy]

my friend had an L5.. granted I was just a teenager, but I remember it weighing a ton and a half

[TS808]

I bought a Vox AC30VR (Valve Reactor) about a month ago. It's a solid state amp with a 12ax7 in the power section (yes the power section, not the preamp) to give it a tube "feel". Probably the best solid state amp I have ever owned. I'm really surprised how good this amp sounds.

[markszabo]

If you don't mind "vintage" and can find one the old Lab Series L5 amps that were a Gibson/Moog venture are very renown as solid state amps. BB King and Ty Tabor (KingsX) both used them extensively.

This. It's a 2x12 combo, 100W, but can get whisper-quiet and sound the same as if it were roaring. I have one and can testify that it takes pedals very, very well.

And if you happen to have a Strat Elite laying around, you can pretend to be Ty Tabor :)

(<----guilty)

[axuality.com]

+1 on old Peavey with speaker upgrade. I have a Studio Pro 40 that has a good clean tone and takes pedals really well. I bought it new in the 70's and it's still going strong.

I always wanted to get two Frontman 100's and stack them for a cheap 200w 4x12.


RRC

I did it for you. I had 3 of them for a 300 watt 6x12. I used a Line 6 Pod, and I had sims of Deluxe Reverb, Marshall Plexi and JC120 that were out of this world. (esp. the Deluxe)

And it was LOUD.

It never had the 'life' that tubes give, but man did it have the tone. Those Frontmans (the 212 and the defunct 65 watt) are really outstanding. And they sound like a Fender amp!

[rybass]

I've been through a lot of tube and SS amps. I still own both but prefer my Sunn Beta Lead for versatility. Great cleans with a very distinctive drive. If that isn't your taste it takes pedals better than any tube I've ever owned. I have an easy time getting it to sound like most popular tones out there with an EQ pedal and a couple drives.

It has two channels that can be mixed, independant reverb for each, independant loops for each channel and a shared loop. It's my go to amp for my own sound and to sound like others.

BTW I still love tubes but I don't pick them for versatility. I pick them for the one sound that particular amp does well. If I could have only one amp it would be the Sunn.

[dspellman]

You might just run a modeler into a SS power amp. The power rating on a SS amp is a LOT less important, since you're not pushing the power section into distortion. So you can work with an amp that's much more powerful -- a 100W tube amp would translate into a 300-400W SS amplifier. Volume isn't an issue; you're simply going to turn it up or down as needed, whereas on a tube amp you might not get the sound you're after at a low volume without the aid of attenuators and other gizmos.

[pacomc79]

Lab Series is worth a look.

[barron]

A modeling amp might be in your future. Hopefully you will be able to try before you buy. Either they will speak to you or they won't.

[pepi]

Step over to the 'Dark Side' :p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/Pepi4/gollum-lotr-1-1.jpg

[tele_jas]

I second Tech 21. The TM 60 is great!

My vote as well

[jcarpenter]

Fender Ultimate Chorus Amp.

[teleman1]

Mustang III, IV or V. Check them out!

[Tommy Biggs]

The Tech 21s would be my choice. I don't care so much for those little menus on some of the others.
I like the weight and convenience of SS amps too, but would not give up on tubes. You'll be back.