Tube amplifiers give you that sweet, sweet tone!

Ahh! Tube amplifiers, there is nothing like the warm sound and tone of one. They have always been the choice for working musicians. There's a lot of myth associated with them, almost a magical tone.

While maybe not mythical, they do sound different from solid-state amplifiers. I think the real reason we use valve amplifiers is that they sound better! I have a Marshall 50 watt lead that sounds so much better than the Fender 112 which is a transistorized amp.

Tube amplifiers come from an age when everything electric ran with tube power. Up until 1947 when the transistor was invented, tubes ruled the electrical world. From the 70's the silicon transistor became more and more pervasive and vacuum tubes declined in use.

I remember back then the tube tester display located in gas stations where you could go and plug in the suspect tube and see if it was any good or not.

The Soviets back then retained valve tube technology based on the fact that tubes would survive instantaneous overloads (read that as a nuclear explosion) whereas transistors would just melt.

Valves are desired by some users in the home audio market and in guitar tube amplifiers. They produce a warmer or more natural sound. You can buy replacement tubes at companies such as The Tube Store. Most high end guitar amplifier manufacturers rely on tubes for their power output. Most of the high-output transistor amplifiers are used for bass guitarists and audio sound systems.

I started out with a tube amplifier back when I began playing the guitar. It was an old audio amp my dad brought home from his business. It had an open back with the tubes all hanging out. I kept getting shocked every once in a while due to some grounding issues.

I graduated to a Univox 100 watt lead with two 4x12 cabinets. I only bought this because it was endorsed by Jimmy Page. The sound wasn't bad, but since I was a beginning guitarist, I had no idea what good sound was.

I sold this and went to a small transistorized amp called a Marlboro. Small, cheap and loud. I used a Foxx fuzz unit with it to get some semblance of the sound I was looking for.

After a few years, I got rid of the Marlboro and sprang for a 50 watt Marshall lead. This amp sounded better than the Univox and Marlboro. Trouble was I couldn't get the sound I wanted in a practice setting. It was way to loud when I turned it up. My search for this solution led me to the....

My favorite piece of equipment in my guitar setup!

Then I discovered the Power Soak built by Tom Scholz, founder of the band Boston. This is a power attenuator that allows you to run your amp at full volume but controls the decibel output. This is a great invention! You can play through your amps full capabilities without blowing out your ear drums.

As far as reliability, tube amplifiers have tubes (naturally) that will burn out eventually.

The pre-amp tubes can be replaced relatively easily. Just make sure you match up the base. You can go online to find the specs you need.

The power tubes are more problematic. They have to be bias properly to control the heat output. If you replace them without proper bias, they will just burn out prematurely. You can do this also but I would not recommend it.

Take your amp to a technician and let him do it. Don't play around with all that voltage, it could kill you.

Buy however many sets of matched tubes you need and take them to your favorite amplifier technician. Pay the man and off you go.

Some pros for tube amps:

• Tubes have warmth, thickness, fatness and plain sound better.
• Tubes will heat up (break up) and distort. Great sound!
• They color and compress the sound.

• They are, on the whole, more expensive than solid state amps.
• They are heavier (my Marshall 50 watt weighs a ton!) and more fragile. Since they contain glass tubes, you don't want to toss into the back of your truck and off you go.
• They need more maintenance. Tubes need replaced occasionally.

The only pros for transistorized amps are their reliability (no tubes to break) and some come with modeling functions to imitate a wide range of amplifiers.

It comes down to tone!

For beginning guitarists, it's difficult to discern the differences between tube amps and solid-state ones.

You don't need to concern yourself with the subtleties. These will play out as you gain more experience and your ear will then be able to hear the difference.

If you come across a good deal on a tube amp, by all means get it. Just don't get hung up on the sound initially between tube and transistor.

Build your chops and your signature sound will follow. Then and only then, go with a tube amplifier for all your tonal needs!

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