Groovy Guitar Amp

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by MJL21193

Hi Nigel,
I could probably appreciate the simplicity but it's not something I want to get into, I feel no attraction to tubes at all and I believe it can be done just as well with solid state.

As do I - I come from the valve era, so aren't impressed by their high distortion, high noise levels, and poor frequency response.

[Wherditgo]

I can respect a well designed solid state amp cause they can sound okay if well designed and built but you gotta be shittin me tube amps take solid state to town in many ways including tone volume prescence etc but thats really great your making an amp i know i couldnt

[Spasticteapot]

Do you have any samples? Quite a lot of the "guitar amp sound" is derived from pushing power output tubes into clipping, and I've yet to find a solid state amp I really liked that didn't have the benefit of a lot of DSP.

[MJL21193]

Some good reading here from a guy who knows a thing or two about the issue (Warning: file is large).

I didn't want to make this a tubes vs solid state thread - as I've said, I have zero interest in that archaic method of amplification and I am not charmed by its warm glow.

[gain-wire]

I respect your desire to not turn this into a tubes vs transistors thread, but let me add this (it's in transistor's favor anyway, even though I love both):
I own two traynor amplifiers: a DG30D and a YCV20.
The DG30D, as some of you may have guessed is a solid-state combo amp (12 inch Celestion) with digital effects and including reverb. I was not impressed by this before I listened to the amplifier. I must admit it has one of the best reverbs I've ever heard, including my yamaha FX-500 effects processor.
The distortion is good if kept under 8, and the Vibrato, Flanger and Chorus all sound decent even though you can't adjust anything.
I love this amplifier.

The YCV20 is obviously the tube amplifier, and it breaks up into nice crunchy distortion when I want it to, then cleans up. The spring reverb is thin and actually it feeds back if set past 5! Overall I really like this amplifier, the distortion channel's tone is nice if kept under 5 then it gets "flabby" distortion. The clean if pushed to the maximum sounds better, according to me.

I also love this amplifier.

It is true that tube amplifiers (including the YCV20) are VERY Dynamic, and that's what I like. BUT it depends on the type of music you play, if you don't need to be dynamic in your playing, switching from clean to overdriven tones, then a tube amp is useless.
It really depends on what type of sound you're trying to achieve, and that depends on what type of music you like to listen.

If you like KISS, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc, a solid-state amp will never give you the overdriven sounds like them.
But clean tones? Solid-state rules. In efficiency, weight (transformers) and harmonic distortion.
All I'm saying is that it depends what you want to hear (and feel).

[mondogenerator]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

As do I - I come from the valve era, so aren't impressed by their high distortion, high noise levels, and poor frequency response.

for home MUSIC REPRODUCTION i would have to agree---though in my experience with many SS amps, no 'IC based overdrive' or simulated valve sound is worth poop. yes valves CAN be noiser, but the overdirve and clean sounds take SS to the garbage tip. UNLESS youre a bass player and have a 1000W rig and 4x10+2x18 so you dont sound like a bee in a bean can at 115dB

and to the OP...eminence ARENT bad speakers...but they arent celestion green backs either---i would go for the latter in a SS amp IMHO

[MaxPlankton]

Wow..nice cab
Have you had a look at the Weber alnico budget range speakers?
I gotta get four 10" Weber's for my Fender Super Reverb
they're $40 each, THE 12'S might be slightly more

I love valve amps, but tranny amps can sound pretty good
I've got an old Pignose 30/60, it sounds great and can just about
keep up with a drumkit at a jam
I don't have the circuit, but they're worth a look for a valvey-sounding SS

Cheers, Max

[TechnoBeaver]

Nice Thread!

[mondogenerator]

maybe a valve front end, single or double channel; and a good solid SS output end would be a good alrounder......some SS amps DO sound gorgeous on clean sounds, if a little 'cool'.

either way...great looking cab (my fave colour!)

what speakers did you/will you use?

[chris661]

Originally Posted by mondogenerator

and to the OP...eminence ARENT bad speakers...but they arent celestion green backs either---i would go for the latter in a SS amp IMHO

I don't know how interested you are, but...
CELESTION|G10 GREENBACK 8 OHM|LOUDSPEAKER, GUITAR 10" 25W 8R | CPC
£55 for a 10" greenback.

Looking forward to seeing this finally up and running,

Chris