Tube Amps Are A Dying Luxury.

For our band, using digital processors is new (except for the other guitar player). We’ve experimented throughout the years. I once used a POD XT Live. But always came back to some sort of amp.
Without intentionally following the trend, we just made the switch to digital and are about to get back into IEMs. The biggest reason? Efficiency. We’re primarily a cover band gigging on the regular. Just in what we have changed so far, our load in/out and set up/tear down times have dramatically decreased. Less trips back and forth to the trailer with heavy gear is nice. We provide our own PA too. So if everyone decides to go with IEMs, that’s 4 heavy wedges and a power amp we no longer need to deal with.
I will always have a passion for my tube amp rig and continue to use it leisurely at home. But the digital realm just makes more sense for what we do. The crowd can’t tell the difference anyway.

JCM800 > IBM486

i would love a tube amp and have dreamed or owning 1 for a long while but ive learned to love what i have and what the best $ value for little to no maintenance, so i love quality solid states (H&K Black spirit)and V-30's combined with good pedals like Diezel VH4, Revv G4, empress heavy menace.
As long as i have a good solid state head with v30's and a good distortion/preamp pedal im good to go.

A real amp (tube or not) and a real guitar cab are a absolute must IMO for any player to experience and own at least once to get a good organic feel of a sounds foundational origins in its purest form for the sound that they have emulated, i think that feel should be a wright of passage for any electric guitarist. it's like foody only eating simulated BBQ at a food place and then having some real low-n-slow ribs smoked cooked %100 with wood and fire.

Simulation for amps and cabs are amazing dont get me wrong they are nailing it but, i still go back and enjoy the real actual organic analog sounds from a real head and some v30's over any IR's and plugins cuzz it just feels real, hard to put it in words, but trust me guys get a real amp and cab (dosent have to be tube or boujie, just quality) i just think you ow it to your self's to have that experience at least once in ur lives.

Just like we will have a guitar that we just indulge in and buy cuz its meant to be enjoyed weather its a hobby or profession or a mix of both, the fact is we will treat our self's with a good great guitar, so to this subject i say treat ur self at least once new guys, to a real amp and cab.

Tones from classic amp sims are now considered vintage. Old POD 2.0s are getting re-bought and tarted up with new IRs and pedals, and the old Lepou stuff is on thousands of recordings.

All the "I don't care, tube amps will always be better" are missing the point. Kids simply can't afford a tube amp these days, nor would they likely have any place to play it, so they go with great sounding moddlers.

Tube amps are becoming like houses. Folk who bought them back in the day are berating the kids for not working hard enough if they can't afford one, but the circumstances in society these days make it many times harder to acquire.

Tube Amps 4ever!! The sound generated by them are a part, that makes me want to play guitar. Solid State or Simulated, just doesn't compare, but it's left up to the player and not necessarily The Consensus, that will determine the outcome. Today's technological revolution hype, isn't all what it's cracked up to be, when it comes to software, updates etc, etc, bull 💩, you are always having to keep up, when all you want to is "plug in and play", which is why I choose my "dinosaur" tube amplifier on any given day; there's no substitutions. But that's just me!!

Interesting debate where there is no right answer. For me the tube pros are:
1. Easier to service
2. I can build one
3. Have a certain juicyness and depth to the sound.
4. Can claim amplification by “highly engineered” lightbulbs
5. May perform double duty as a food warmer/ space heater
6. Promotes fitness via weightlifting
7. May provide a heartwarming experience of being next to the tubes
8. It glows
9. Can be designed to not give your audio signal any negative feedback, some of us don’t like negativity, too much and the life of the sound is squashed out lol
10. Tube amps hold their used value

Modern digital pros:
1. Lightweight
2. Amp and effects galore
3. Quality of sound has gone up
4. Less expensive than analog tube gear
5. Less stage noise issues
6. Miking not needed if run direct

There maybe more pros that I’m not aware of so comment away!

You said tell you you're nuts.... you're nuts!! I just got my first ever tube amp and.... well my money is forever a slave to the next head lol I have a headrush. I've had other crate / randall solid heads (love both). But uhhhhhh.... yeah not giving up the tubes or just real amps for that matter. My next purchase??? A bad Cat Lynx... That one is just setting my pockets on fireeeee

You are incorrect. Tubes have their own sound and thus will be in demand for a very long time

"go the way of classic cars" maybe but unlike classic cars tube amps dont rot away or get crashed by teenagers :) A small tube amp- 15 to 30 watts with one speaker is hard to beat- you dont need effects and the point to point stuff will still be running at the apocolyps if tubes are still;l available and thats whazts going to determine how long they go. Ive been using small tube guitar amps in clubs sine 1977 and it was totally unusual at the time- most people were using half or full stacks or fender 100 watt twins. Anyway a couple years ago I was listening the an lp on my early 60s marantz tube stereo through a 2 way altec valencia and a couple mormon missionaries knocked on my front door which opens to my living room where the stereo is and thier eyes were bugging out of thier heads! "What is that"? I let them come in and listen- they said they never heard anything sound like that and I have to say I have had good solid state stereo stuff but the tube amp stereos Ive had blow solied state away- so hard to say, if people never hear tube gear they wouldnt miss it and maybe that will happen

There is a word missing here - psychoacoustics! Well, in fact, another couple of words - musical instrument ;-) OK, you can put me in the 'old category' but I am still a working musician and sound engineer - which does give me an advantage.

One of the first things I noticed when solid state amps came out was that when they were by themselves, you could get a 'great sound'. Then the rest of the band kicked in and - where did the sound go? If a tube amp was being used by someone, you could nearly always hear that and it wasn't necessarily loud.

It may sound like a cliché but the electric guitar AND the amplifier form a musical instrument and it is the interaction between the two that makes the magic. Can one honestly say that a modelling amp responds to the player the way a tube amp does? I would say, very rarely.

I do the sound for a prog metal band and the guitarist and bassist have opted for Kempers (they still use speaker cabinets) and 'retired' their valve amps. For all the modelling going on, there is nowhere near the guts and depth in the sound as with old-fashioned tube amps - and this is where the psychoacoustics part comes in. No, you can't measure it but something is definitely going on.

A lot of comments about IEM's and whereas, yes, they are useful in given situations, they are also responsible for musicians playing in their own little worlds and not creating a 'group sound' as in the bad old days - the difference between a bunch of musos together on the same stage and a 'band'!

At the end of the day, I think it is all down to 'horses for courses' and what suits you best. However, you can ask the question - am I a musician or a programmer? ;-)

i dont trust solid state amps anymore!!was looking for bass amps and i checked them all!!for every amp there are tons of forums posts where people are in trouble because their 1000$ amp just fried!!so ill stick with vintage point to point amps that are easier to repair!!(when you know electricity and how to solder of course!!)

Tube amps, Solid state, Digital modlers , I use them all and always have an amp on stage because an amp at volume interacts with your guitar. However my most used amps are a pair of roland 30 cubes, light ,versatile, great tone. I havent used my twin in years because of the weight. 130 lb with evs.

As a professional musician, this is my opinion. I gig with an Svt as my main amp. It sucks. It’s a hundred pounds by itself and the cost to maintain it is eye watering(just spent $800 to retube it with decent tubes). It sounds phenomenally good and is warm and responsive and all the other boomer amp buzzwords. There’s two reasons I will keep using it until my back can’t anymore:

I have yet to find a digital solution I trust in the long run. Digital amps are essentially computers and become basically worthless in 10 years time. My Aguilar db750 is currently apart for a blown up power amp that has been out of production for only 2 years, yet the parts are so hard to find it took an act of congress to source them. I have an Svt from the early 80s and had a 73. I can’t get fender to even provide schematics for mustangs from 10 years ago. Provided I can still get tubes those svts will still be working 20 or 30 years from now. Can the same be said for an axe fx?

I have stuck with tubes because I have never found another amp that responds as dynamically as the Svt does. I can almost use it as an extension of the instrument. On a recording I doubt there’s much difference in a model or the real thing, but having used both live there is a massive difference and if anyone has ever used both they’d tell you the same. It’s just a question of how much of it are you willing to trade off for the sake of making your life easier.

There's a real simple and cheap way to get the Tube market fired up. 12Ax7 pre amps before PA or solid state amp inputs. It's only a matter of time before tube preamp heads are a thing.

Theres this feel that you get with a tube amp that you dont really get with a modeler. It might sound sonically pretty much the same, but you cant replicate that feeling. Its almost like you can feel the energy of the amp coming through the guitar

I have a tube amp, the weight etc is not worth my nostalgia I prefer my solid amps.
And if my amp ever needs replacing ill get something digital.

I started playing live music in the all we had was hundred-watt heads and 412 cabinets. I will never play through anything--but tube amps even though now it's more like a 112 cabinet and 15 to 20 watts. Nothing beats plugging into an actual amp and having that raw 2 tone you just cannot get that from digital. It can come close enough to fool people but it's a different experience playing through an amp. Playing into a set of headphones with some plug-ins does not sound fun to me. Even effects Tumi analog is better I have a actual echoplex tube tape delay and even though there is a little bit of background noise it is so freaking cool. I have multiple tube amps and heads I build them it's all I want much like the guy driving around in the 1965 GTO, it's a totally different experience than driving an electric car.

I don't know if you can say the jukebox was only around for a short time I assumed they were invented a hundred years ago in the 1920s but it turns out they were invented in 1889. So the jukebox has been around for a minute.

damn kids...
you miss the point
digital doesn't move enough air to remove clothing.

I think it will be just like vinyl and cds. Yes we know they probably sound better. Much better?...well variables decide that in all situations but hands up who literally streams music now or just has flac files etc etc. Convenience will be the popular option so modelers will eventually be the norm.

Tube amps wield voltage, lots of voltage, when you operate a tube amp it commands respect, but you can suck equally bad on a SS amp.

Watch for used amps, as there are a lot of good deals to be had if you look and don't be picky. Don't say "ew, it's not Marshall" or "ew, it's not Mesa". Look for old Carvin X100Bs, Peavey 5150 (doesn't have to be block letter, according to James Brown the designer, they sound the same), Peavey Classic 50s. I've had good tone with grungy no-name tube amps that you have to crank to get them to distort, and it sounds amazing when they do. Experiment, have fun, don't be a brand-name snob, and you can get a decent tube amp.

Switched from my proper tube amp to digital and it's been fine. The technology is definitely there now. And the practicality is best. I can play at midnight at a reasonable volume (to my ears through headphones) and then slide my "amp" under my bed afterwards. If I ever have to travel the "amp" and board can fit in a carry-on suitcase and still light enough to carry onto a train no problem.

If I have a worry it's that the business model of digital is to model existing amps, so are we freezing time? Just modeling JCMs and Twin Reverbs and AC30s forever? Digital introduces a whole new world of sound but its applications are purely in replicating those tube amps of old. If guitarists ever progress beyond that, then the tube era will truly be over. But I don't see that happening for a long time.

in my opinion, i disagree bro.

Tube amps are proof of a player/venue who is willing to make their own mark on music. Show me someone who says a digital board is "better", then I'll show you a lazy musician. Preference is one thing, as is certain environmental restrictions...but learning how a room impacts your sound, and how that changes from place to place, and STILL knowing how to control/dial that tube amp in, is what marks someone who understands their craft.

I'm 40 and totally find with tube amps dying. Eventually they will be like classic cars. The tech out there now is just WAY more convenient and extremely close in sound. Even the cheaper options for amp modeling or amp sims is incredibly close.

It depends on what your useage is really. If you want to sit alone in your room then use that pc software. If you would like to play with other living human beings, jam with friends, play an occasional party etc. Then you need an amp of some sort. You cant count on putting a laptop or other device through someone's PA not to mention their PA may suck. And why do I want a solid state amp that almost, sort of, sounds like a tube amp? Why use a computer to mimic a tube amp when you can just buy a tube amp? It will sound better and youll be happier. There are some very good tube amps that are budget friendly out there, and there is always a second hand market. If you are a pro muscian who plays venues with the best PA's and can afford to constantly shell out for the latest software etc then maybe that's a diferrent story. But that doesnt apply to the vast majority. The assertion that tube amps are "an expensive luxury" is flawed based on false logic. Tube amps do not need to be expensive and good sound is not a luxury.

I'll never give up my tube amps. I love them too much. I have a Tone King attenuator so the home volume thing is not a problem. That being said, should the unfortunate day come where tube amps are no more I think I'd be okay with my Katana Artist Mk II combo amp. It sounds really good and would ease the pain of no more tube amps. If Boss stays the course with a Mk III and later on Mk IV, etc. then things will get even better for the tubeless.

At this point, I use a Roland Cube and don't give a fuck. None in the audience will notice.

Since over 50 years many guys talk(ed) about the end of tube amps.

dude. tube amps aren't going anywhere. there's no comparison to digital modeling; tubes FEEL better. some people delude themselves into thinking they can do better digitally, but then they quietly go back to the real thing when they figure out what they've lost. digital has its place, and what it does well it does exceptionally well, just like tubes and their capabilities. yes, tube amps are heavier than ss counterparts, but this is a false argument because you don't have to gig with a full stack, and most touring professionals don't even though they've got roadies -- they bring their little combo amps and mic them up like a reasonable person! and when comparing a lightweight tube combo amp to a slightly lighter solid state combo amp, this is where it becomes obvious what a non-issue this is. of course if you buy a full stack and have to lug it around so people know what a badass you are, you'll have back probs later. that's on you though, it can be achieved so much more easily with a combo and a mic. guitar speakers are too directional to be useful as sound reinforcement anyway.

Until they master replicating the sonic thump a valve amp produces ill give digital a miss for now. Purely personal opinion.

It’s definitely becoming a renaissance of sorts.

Analog stuff is pretty cool, Solid state/digital and Hybrid are definitely gonna become the standard,

Valves will still exist but for boutique and higher end consumer stuff, basically for those that can afford them (+ some exceptions)

I get it and know I might be in the minority; but I can’t stand digital amps for live gigs. They sound one way at home and totally different in every venue I play. Many of which aren’t that wonderful. 😬 My tube amps are easy to tweak and the maintenance isn’t that bad. I love the way tube amps play ‘with’ me as I dig in and back off to get different t tones. I can’t get that from digital.

At home, doing some basic tracking, I’ll use digital, but live, I can’t imagine ever not using my tube amps.

I totally see the other side, but that’s my two cents. Keep up the good content.

I have a Mesa Boogie Mark 2 B combo that is sitting in my closet I am 63 with a bad back I have been using my new solid state Amp it's a Line 6 200 watt Catalyst and I love it because it only weighs 41 pounds and all I use is the clean sound of the Amp and my Boss ME-30 and it sounds Awesome I have tried a Fender tone Master. Orange. Crate. Katana. And my favorite one is the Line 6 Catalyst 200 watt it sounds Awesome I run The XLR out to the PA and Rocks the House 😎🎸✌️

This makes me feel old.. But I think you're right. I still will never get rid of my amps or cabs

No one of these players have a killer tone. I f you want a professional tone, you need a tube amp, a real cab and a good mic.

100%

All the digital stuff gets really close. But playing on tubes gives a satisfaction(or feel if you wanna call it that) That I've never experienced from anything digital. In the context of a whole band yea no one notices the difference in guitar tone, but playing alone i will obsess all i want about my tone lol

Here’s the other thing. With a little bit of basic electronics and physics, and really just a few essential safety precautions, you can build a tube amp for far less money than any vintage or hand-wired boutique amp. And you’re a co-creator of your sound by either servicing, modifying, or flat out building your own gear. Can you do that with a modeler, profiler, or plugin?

I have been thinking about getting into the Synergy Amps with the different modules. I think the first two modules I wanna get are the Peavey 6505 and the Soldano SLO. But you are right in a touring aspect who wants to carry around all of that stuff.

I’ll never go back to SS . Tube pre amps, tube power amps for home audio using studio Altec Lansing speakers. It’s all about reproduction, imaging, sound stage.

I think that they will be around but they are going to be so astronomically priced that they will be merely aimed at the connoisseurs of days gone by. With the digital technology that is ever evolving, the gap in tube signal chains and modelers of that chain are closing quickly.
There will always be fanboyism for tubes, but like I said they will be boutiquely priced an unobtainium to most non-gigging players unless they settle for something like a Super Champ mini stack or combo (really not bad choice).
Are there specific nuances that digital recreations don't capture, sure, but to the untrained ear it is very minimal and with the use of a 10 band EQ pedal could be nearly dissipated. Just my opinion.

Hmm.. I don't think they can be seen as a jukebox, because they actually sound better, but if any of my crap wouldn't persuade - a Rock show and feedback from our 4 x 12's "comes in a package"

Fluff, I started collecting guitars and it's already hard to keep adding them to my collection. Minimum wage part time job, bills to pay and other things take priority. I can see myself buying a tube amp maybe when I have a stable full time job, but for now it is a distant dream. I love how they sound though, the 5150s are incredible. Just not in my budget as of now haha. Thanks for the insight. 👍

tube amps are outdated and overrated, move on boomers

A friend of mine has no amps, just uses plug ins

I’m sad and scared, don’t tell me my 300lbs of tube heads are becoming obsolete 😢😢😢 lol

I have my Mesa Dual and JCM 900 with several sets of tubes for changing out. Im good. I'm happy with my SS amps and amp modelers.

My Marshall 20watt jcm 800 tone is killer ad a Hot Mod v2 and it will sustain all day. It's LIGHTWEIGHT, and easy to carry and still has the big EL34 tubes that all the other smaller amps don't have. I take my 2x12 Marshall 1936 cabs to venues. It's easy TO CARRY TOO. From me playing out a few times a month the feel and tone can't be beat. Isn't playing live about having fun? A modeler isn't anywhere as fun as a tube amp to play.