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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Torgus" data-source="post: 5480352" data-attributes="member: 571636">show me the testing.if tubes were better we would still be using them in our cars and home theaters. They would still be used in recording studios and high end equipment. The only people i can think who still use them religiously are guitarists. Tubes artificially 'color' the sound. it's their nature. many people like the 'warm' 'colored' effect tubes add to music.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_sound" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_sound</a>The advantages of a Solid State Amplifier.* They usually have fabulous clean sounds, crisp and accurate almost to a fault.* They are quick and responsive to your playing.* They can take more abuse in moving since there are very few fragile parts.* They require less maintenance.* They can “Try” and emulate other amplifiers at the push of a button.Tube amp disadvantages.* Maintenance Costs - If you play every week, tubes will last a little over a year before they start to loose their tone. They need to be replaced and that will cost anywhere from $80 to $250, depending on the tubes and the amp. Since they are made of glass, they can also break if the head is dropped, or if they go from cold to hot too fast. I should also point out that 9 times out of 10, if something goes wrong with the amp that it is usually a tube and can easily be fixed by simply replacing the bad tube. Most touring musicians bring spare tubes with them on the road.* Purchase Price - No doubt about it, a nice tube amp will cost you. The Marshall TSL100 is my favorite all tube head, and probably one of the best sounding and most versatile tube heads ever made. A new Marshall TSL100 is going to cost you $1799, and that’s not chump change.* Volume - This might not seem like a negative point to many, however it is. Tube amps need to be played loud, pushed, in order to sound their best. Many tube heads will get way too loud in a rehearsal studio and drown out everybody else, requiring a power break or VPR as in the TSL. If you’re not planning on playing festivals, I would recommend a 50 watt head or combo amp. The 50 watt heads and combo amps can be turned up to their sweet spot while still not drowning out the drummer and vocals. Of course, I make this suggestion knowing full well that I only use 100 watt heads. My poor band.* Versatility - Many of the older tube heads are not very versatile as compared to a solid state head. They have one sound. Today, several tube heads come with 2 or 3 channels for more versatility; clean, crunch, and lead. Usually this is more than enough for a band, however there is something to be said about the 100’s of sounds you can get from a LINE 6 POD.* Weight - HOLY COW! Tube heads and amps are heavy beasts. They were originally built to take the abuse of the road, and that has never changed. They are heavy bastards and require some serious lifting. Add a 4x12 cabinet and you can forget about the gym membership.ngsm13 stfu n00bixcube i'm entitled to my opinion and everything i'v stated are true facts about tube amps. Transistors are more practical, more reliable, and can produce huge amounts of power with relative little weight or money.</blockquote>

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