Tube Amps
Tube amps use glass vacuum tubes to shape the sound and deliver
the signal to the speakers. The size and type of the preamp and
power amp tubes affect the
volume and tone the
amplifier can produce. Tube amplifiers generally produce a warmer, fuller
tone than solid state amplifiers. There's a downside to tubes
though; they get hot in use, they wear out, and they're
expensive. Prior to the 1960s, all amplifiers used vacuum tube
technology. Solid State Amps
These amps use transistors to shape the sound and deliver the
signal to the speakers. Like computers and other modern electronic
products, a circuit board houses the many transistors (on "chips") and
connections necessary for the amplifier to operate. Solid state
amplifiers are reliable with no tube maintenance or expense. They are
the most commonly used amplifiers. Tube-like sound without a tube in sight!
As technology advanced from tube to solid state,
many
guitarists felt that the solid state amp didn't respond to their playing in the same way that the tube
amp had; to them the new amps sounded "lifeless." As a
result, amplifier manufacturers refined and tweaked for years to make
today's solid state amps offer tube-like tone, response, and feel
without using tubes. For instance, Peavey's TransTubeŽ
technology utilizes exclusive solid state preamp and power amp design
to create the warmth, dynamic range, and "push back" of a tube
amplifier. Although more expensive, tube amps are still available
for today's most discriminating player. Check out Peavey's
Classic series or Crate's V-Series or Blue Voodoo. Many companies offer hybrid
amplifiers,
combining a tube preamp to shape the sound with a solid-state power
amp to deliver power to the speakers. |
Tube Amp
Peavey's Classic Series amps
are true all-tube amps that feature vintage
tonality with
the added capability of contemporary sounds.
Solid
State Amp
Peavey's TransTube vacuum
tube emulation gives
players
the old tube
amp sound they
want without a tube in sight!
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