solid state guitar amp recommendations?

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VoidNote
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by VoidNote »

Roland JC120 perhaps.
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milo
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by milo »

I've always loved my Crate amps.

Probably you should just spend some time at a guitar store playing on different amps and see what your ear likes. This is a job for experiential learning, I think.
merlyn
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by merlyn »

Javes wrote:can anyone recommend an amp to me, either old or new https://waveadvice.com/tube-amp-heads-buyers-guide/ ?
If you're looking for a solid state amp, why did you post a link to valve amps? By 'solid state' do you mean 'clean'? Solid state means transistors, which are not in fashion for making a guitar louder at this particular juncture. :)
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by Musicteacher »

milo wrote:I've always loved my Crate amps.

Probably you should just spend some time at a guitar store playing on different amps and see what your ear likes. This is a job for experiential learning, I think.
Hey, I had (and still have) a Crate amp, too!

Though I don't use it anymore, my ears don't stand a loud sound these days, and for softer playing amp simulations sound better (IMHO).

In the 90ties, affordable amps that were loud enough for rehearsals and small venues, often had a tube preamp and solid state main amp.
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by milo »

Musicteacher wrote:Though I don't use it anymore, my ears don't stand a loud sound these days, and for softer playing amp simulations sound better (IMHO).
Yeah, I bought my Crate in the 90's when I was in high school, and used it in several garage bands for both practices and gigs. It cost about $300 brand new. It is entirely solid state, and had a nice chorus efect that unfortunately no longer works.

About a decade ago I used it on a few digital recordings, putting a microphone to it, but I found that there was less noise on the recording and reasonable tone fron using a software amplifier. And the software has only gotten better since then.

Now I only use the amp when I'm having a jam session with the kids. (Having teenage kids that play music with you is a lot of fun!)
AnnWa
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by AnnWa »

You better spend some time at a guitar store trying out different amps and decide what type is more likable. I personally use Roland JC120
Last edited by AnnWa on Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
zoco
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by zoco »

Buy a higher watt one with a large cabinet and two 12 inch speakers in it. This is a known way to get most warm sound form a solid state.

I would not say this before but after trying several brands i now say that the better brand do give better sounds.

If you think you have found one then dig deep in reviews. There are big differences in quality and sound among solid states. Differences between different types from the same brand, were one is known to be very good, and others are cursed.

Go try different ones in a store. You can't hear which one gives the best sound from a website or a review. And it is always fun to go to a store and meet other musicians or hear them playing.

And at the end listen to no one. Buy what YOU like and fits YOU. :mrgreen:
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by ufug »

Just saw this long thread over on Talkbass re: "Songs that featured solid-state guitar amps".

It's not an answer to your post, but you might find some ideas/inspiration there. It's a more decent discussion than you'll usually find on the topic--bass players have their preferences, but we're not as invested in debating tubes vs. solid state as guitarists are. :lol:
listenable at c6a7.org
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by zoco »

ufug wrote:debating tubes vs. solid state as guitarists are. :lol:
Indeed ufug. Thats such a stupid discussion.
There simply are bad amplifiers and good amplifiers both among tube and ss ones. There are lots of good solid state amplifiers which can compete with tube amplifiers.
I have heard tube amps which sounded horrible even after the tubes were replaced. Those you find most at the old guitarist adoring tube amps meanwhile still holding on to their 50 years old tube amplifier which actually already died 20 years ago but is held alive at any cost.
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Re: solid state guitar amp recommendations?

Post by Musicteacher »

@ufug : I do not want to register in yet another forum, but I read through the first few pages and have the impression, that one of the most famous solid-state amps in rock history is not listed there: The "Deacy Amp", a transistor amp that was used by Brian May of Queen on many of his studio-recordings. Maybe you want to post that there.

Here a sound demo/review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPjenUMuNBk Even nicer sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBTWbnF4poM

Explanation: https://hackaday.com/2017/05/08/a-queen ... deacy-amp/
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