Amp A is my favorite here in the comparison. Way way more in all tones. Even the distortion was way better. The Amp B sounded boxy to my ears especially distorted. And I donno what's the tube and what's the solid yet. Thanks and all the best.
Your videos crack me up, your dry sense of humor is hilarious. The video content is good, but your delivery has me laughing every time. Even your time markers in the description, “beginning of video, middle of video, end of video” just awesome.
@@landonbailey ..? ...yes? back to Egypt? YES tha band? I did use almost those same hieroglyphs a while ago: wierd( thats the proper way to pronounce the word weird in finnish! weerd isnt it..! Rakkaudellisesti Sinun, Kimmo L
I got it wrong, Landon, I got it wrong. I am a massive Princeton fan, has always been a top 3 for me, but in the absolute crap headphones that I used (yes total blasphemy in the face of the work you put in to your videos, I’m sorry) I was shockingly impressed with the 85’s clean tones. One thing I never hear UA-cam icons like yourself mention is the massive difference in “feel” between solid state and valve amps. I’ve heard others say they don’t notice, but I will always remember the exact moment I plugged in to my first valve amp, and within seconds had a “Holy cow, I get it now!” moment. The connection between my fingers and the rig felt instantly more organic, adding dynamics felt innate instead of intentional. I know “feel” or “connection” would be a hard task to share in a video, but to me at least it is the number one reason I would shell out the extra cheddar (and take the extra back pills from lugging them) for valve over solid state/digital. But is it just me? Am I taking crazy pills? Did I invent the piano key neck tie? Let me know in the comments down below.
Man A has that instantly recognizable “Fender chime…” really nice clarity, scooped mids, and just really let’s you get that quack and twang out of that Tele and they also so great with strats. B sounded more mid heavy, thick, and full and definitely had more bottom end, which I usually like but IMO A was my preference for that signature Fender chime. Great review Landon, glad someone is giving these old Fender red knobs some exposure… they’re seriously hidden gems.
Though the decay are quite the same, the real difference is very obvious in the note attacks. A is more precise more hifi more true while B is more compressed more harmonic more clipping. By catching the attack part of the notes, this is quite easy to tell which is which. Both sounds good.
Great video thanks Landon. Which is better, tubes or SS? The answer is they're different. There's a reason that (most) people who're into hifi stereos don't use tubes - they distort. Also they need replacing every few hundred hours. However that particular type of distortion became synonymous with how electric guitars sounded back in the 50s and 60s because SS amps using power transistors instead of tubes weren't around. So now guitarists want tube amps and like the sound of tubes because that's 'what a guitar sounds like'. SS amps however are superior in most ways. They're cleaner and don't distort unless you overdrive them so 'cleans' really are clean. They last forever, no tubes to replace. SS amps are rugged and can take the knocks but try that with tube amps and you'll be buying more tubes... I toured with a band and the lead guitarist always had to have a spare set of 6L6s on hand (and to know where the closest supplier was in whatever town we were in so he could get another spare set). Also you pay a premium for tube amps because the vendors know they're selling something with history. I've got a soft spot for a nice Fender Super Twin or Twin Reverb but that's nostalgia talking. When I engage my brain I'll go for a SS amp set to clean every time and use pedals to get the sounds I want. I can buy the pedals with the money I save not buying tubes.
Hahah you played plenty of radiohead chords there, I love that you're a radiohead fan I can always spot those radiohead riffs and licks you play and it makes me enjoy the videos even more
The solid states of the late 80s and 90s were excellent amps. Very underrated. The sad thing is that nowadays the only mainstream companies offering quality, professional grade, stage-capable analog solid states are Peavey and Orange and Roland (their JC series anyway). Most other companies are just putting out cheaply made little practice amps with cheap tiny speakers. I thought the solid state sounded better here. In a side by side comparison you really hear how boxy and midrangey the smaller cabinet and single speaker sounds in the Princeton. I have a ‘66 Princeton as well as a 90s solid state Fender Sidekick 25. I would love to have a nice high powered twin solid state like that red knob.
Yes. I don't care about tube purism and like the interesting tones of a lot of older SS amps. I don't want a modelling amp - I have modelers for that I'm very happy with and I can always run into the power amp.
Definitely does! Super full sounding and sounds BIG. I mainly love that Fender chime, vintage tone, and scooped mids, but I like my Katana 50 for a more modern sounding amp and for any distortion tones.
I figured it out from the dirty tones and the reverb confirmed it. The tube dirty tones were too warm for me, but I don't usually like that warm Fender Blues tube overdrive. It has its purpose in certain cases though
Dude, I'm so glad you're honest in not really knowing the difference in solid state and tube...because I don't either, I just know they sound really different. I think it's your dry sense of humor that melds well with my own. All I knew is that I liked B more and I need to get a good tube amp.
Love both but A is my favorite. I like the brightness of it. I used to play nothing but tubes but that was with my LP and I liked that best at that time. Now being more of a Tele/Strat person I like the clean clear chimey tones.
Yes I guessed right it was obvious to me especially when you cranked up the reverb then it was really obvious. I have both Solid State and Tube amps and they are both great. At home by yourself you can notice the subtle differences in Solid State and Tube but playing on stage with a band you can't really hear as much of a difference. Most people really can not tell the difference unless they have really good ears. Thanks for your video, this type of thing has been done to death but you put a fresh spin on it, thank you Landon.
Remember the importance of speakers being broken in. The Deluxe 85 speaker has been well-used and it sounds great. The Princeton is a lot newer and its speaker has significantly less time on it. Hence the "boxy" comments from a few of the posters here. Awesome vid!
I used to play on tube amps when I got started playing and mostly play solid state amps now. I can't really tell a whole lot of difference, especially with pedals. Sometimes, I even use... modelers. As always, just use whatever it takes to get the job done.
The cleans i could not tell, the dirt, i knew, the reverb i really knew, but I will say I enjoy both - especially if you qualify them ie, red knob, amazing for the price , denim better be amazing with special speaker, special specs etc
I think b is tube. Ok I was right, the driven sound was very nice on the tube amp, a little easier on the ears. I don't know if I would pay a considerable amount more for a tube amp, and the cleans sounded more defined with the solid state.
Got it right B was definitely the tube and Sounded better. Solid state always have that square wave signal. Cleans you can tell it and especially with overdrive that harsh square wave comes out. Tube wave signal is smoother without that harsh wave signal of solid state. Thats what gives that warm feeling everyone talks about with tubes. If you ever get chance check out signal paths on a scope to see the big difference.
"Nobody else makes videos like I do..." Halleluyah Brother! Soon as you hit the Reverb on the Princeton it was obvious which one it was. While I liked the Deluxe 85 overall in this AB test, if I had choose one of those amps to take home it would be the Princeton, cause Reverb!
If you don't want to have the big popping-sound use a spare 6.3 jackplug into the headphone insert when you switch it on and off then the sound gets nutralised and won't dammage the speaker.
I sold tunes of Deluxe 85’s, Princeton Chorus and Power Chorus during that time frame, never had one come back or have any failures. If these amps fail, your done, so if you are picking them up for $200ish your getting a solid amp. I just picked up a power chorus for $ 240, and a super 60 for $400, which is a tube amp( half of a twin ). Also the super 60 was the last Paul Rivera worked on before he left Fender. So folks who phoo phoo these amps from that time period, give your head a shake
Fender Princeton has a real warmth to it that is why I knew, I'm like you, I use fender 65 deluxe reverb 6v6 tubes and a Roland blues cube Artist 80w and sometimes a Fender blues junior THR 10w all have their uses really enjoy what you do good fun stuff best from UK
it has more high end (treble) always a dead give away, also tube distortion has second order harmonics, typically you don't get that from transistor amps unless it's been digitally modelled in, then when you you put the reverb on telling the difference is like childs play, the more expensive (tube) has a spring reverb tank in it and you can hear the springs vibrating vs the transistor which has no rumble.
Which one was A and which one was B? Fender Amplifiers Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/5RKjn Timestamps: 0:00 - The Start of the video 5:30 - The Middle of the video 10:59 - The End of the video Princeton Reverb Chilewich Denim Amplifier (Affiliate Links Below) Amazon (US) amzn.to/30ol88p Fender 65 Princeton Reverb: Amazon (US) amzn.to/30uEd97 Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2CjwS4d Thomann - bit.ly/3jkjJbC Fender 68 Custom Princeton Reverb: Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2Bc6acX Thomann - bit.ly/3eGeGP1
As a rhythm player in a band, I tend to like solid state and modeling amps for more clean overhead. They help me cut through a mix. Tube amps while having wonderful warmth tend to break up fairly quickly and I tend to get lost in a mix.
I just sold my Princeton and really want a Deluxe 85...this video convinced me that selling it was a good idea. That Deluxe 85 sounds excellent! I was really hoping the Princeton wasn't Amp A because the entire time I was loving the bright reverb and chime that the 85 has and not really feeling the reverb or overall tone of Amp B. I'll definitely be picking one up soon. Great video, man!
Landon, Great video. Fender’s solid state amps are very reliable and gig friendly. I agree, the overdrive/distortion channel is pretty weak...the best they’ll do is sound fuzzy. I used a Fender “Power-chorus” amp for many years and it never let me down. My only complaint was it didn’t have much low end (like tube amps do). Thanks again.
I’d go solid state. Better for rhythm in my mind or clean lead. I’ve gone off tube. Sold my Carvin Belair after $400 repair after it overheated. The tube sounded fatter but you can get an effects processor to almost sound the same.
I could not tell which was which in the sound samples without reverb. They sounded the same to me and both sounded good. But when you turned on the reverb I knew B was the tube amp. The reverb in the Princeton sounded beautiful and lush. Good comparison. Good video.
After the clean demo, i had it correct. I thought B tube amp sound much better clean. But, I thought the A solid state amp sound slightly better in the gain demo. A large retailer did a small tube amp shootout blind test but they snuck a Roland Blues Cube Hot solid state amp into the pool of amps. The tube amps ranged from $500 to $3,000 with common Fender and Marshall amps and a few boutique tube amps. The owner of the retail store picked the Blues Club Hot as his favorite. The difference isn't that great any more.
I've been playing gigs since the 80s and, for the life of me, I can't tell the difference between tube and solid state. I sold my last tube amp a couple years ago. Now I'm all solid state and modelers lol.
The solid state sounds very harsh, the tube one is warm and beauty, no competition... but it's a little bit "boxy", probably cause the 10" speaker (big difference). I played the Fender Deluxe 85 many times in the past, it's a pretty good amp... but I don't like how od pedals sounds on it... it's a common problem with solid state... anyway it's one of the best solid state amp I ever tried.
I got it right and liked both equally played clean but preferred the tube a bit more. I liked the solid state more with dirt. People say LPs sound muddy but the tube defined the mud in this case. From 5:30 to 5:54 I didn't care for either but for the dirt I preferred the ss.
The biggest diff is because the speakers are different. 12"vs 10". So this test is not pure. But I liked as usuall the solid state sound over the tube amp. I am a tube lover and built these amps myself. The only way I like tube more is the interaction with a Fuzface or a big muff. With these you can make the first gainstage of a tube amp smoking hot. That will not be the case with an SS amp. That sound terrible.
@@landonbailey Sorry to say but both princeton reverbs in your links carries a 10"speaker. So this princeton must be modded with a bigger speaker. The deluxe solidstate carries a 12"Fender spec design (=Eminence ). Besides that, the frequency curve of the celestion speakers differs from the eminence speakers. More midrange, more brittish. Maybe that makes the difference. To my ears the Princeton way to boxy and midrangy for a Fender. I once had a HotRodDeluxe and swapped the Fender design speaker for a Celestion vintage 30 . The amp lost his Fender tone completely and sounded like a Mashall! To much mid. Tryed it for some time and sold the amp.
A is the SS and is clearly the better (clearer) sounding amp to me. If you want tube distortion sound, just add a modeler. Together, they cost way less and probably last longer, not to mention tubes need replacing often and with the current supply chain shortages, good luck finding any. It's a wonder why nothing ss to replace them has been invented yet. Again, I have that same Fender Deluxe 85 since 1994 and love it! along with a Korg Toneworks AX1500G with enough amps/cab modelers and everything including a wah, don't need the heavy expensive tube amp. Save your money, get a nicer guitar, a real Fender Strat or Les Paul or whatever, you'll be just as happy if not happier.
The solid state A did sound better, but your 1985 Fender Deluxe 85 Solid State amplifier is a whole different animal, designed during the Paul Rivera Fender era and made in the USA. This is a heavy weight versus light weight fight here. A versus B = 85 versus 15 watts, larger enclosure versus smaller enclosure, 12" versus 10" speaker. A better test might be against something like a newer tube amp 68 Custom Series Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Sonic 60, or any Fender Twin Reverb (with one of the two 12" speakers disconnected, to leave one in play. It would probably be okay at an 8 ohms load and still utilize enough of the TR's 85 watts. Tube watts are three times acoustically louder than solid state watts as a rule of thumb). This video shootout definitely won't be "the final one", ha. Gigging folks will probably have to have at least one solid state amp combo or head in their arsenal these days anyway as an occasional backup, due to present supply chain issues with tubes, sad. The main reason I am listening to videos like this. So, this old 1985 Fender goes on my list of possibilities. I am probably covered having a Marshall Valvestate 8008 rack mount stereo amp, with a linear and valvestate switch, that I can push with various pre-amps I have, and using my various speaker cabs. Just assessing a solid state or modeling combo for smaller gigs. Fender does make the best sounding solid state amp combos for reasonable cost in my experience over the decades. You just need a basic good Fender clean, and you can use pedals or other effect devices from there to get the rest, but I am exploring various options. A lot of choices these days, no doubt. The best thing is go to music stores as you can, take your most suitable guitar for various genres and put the amps through their paces to find what works best for you within your budget. Enjoy!
This isn't a fair comparison for most brands because Fender's red knobs and general 90's solid state Deluxe stuff is imo absolutely amazing for solid state
I preference A the entire time and had no which was which. But to my ears played over my high end sound system A sounded way better to me. That being said there are a few ways to make this test more accurate. First black out the video to remove any visual clues. Secondly, using a dual voice coil speaker hook each amp to the same speaker and leave it in the same place for both A and B comparisons so that the room isn't influencing the sound based on placement of the speakers. Also leave the mic in the same exact position with the same exact setting for both tests. Level match the amps with a 1kHz test tone and make sure the amps are set to flat frequency and reverb off. Also guitar pots should be left alone and should be identical for each test. Record a loop of playing guitar then play that same loop through both A and B comparisons so that your playing isn't a factor.
The clean had me thinking B was tube. A just sounded a little like it was "cutting off" almost like a noise gate or something during the strumming pattern part, it just had this weird digital sound whereas the B amp always followed through and sounded a little more compressed - but it's hard to judge when the EQ profiles are so different between the two. The crunch/drive tone was harder to tell, but all I can say is A sounded way harsher, more treble heavy which is what I've experienced with all my Fender solid state amps over the years. B was just warmer in EQ profile, but if you adjusted the EQ on both to match each other it would be really hard to tell. I think the clean strumming demo would be the giveaway to trained ears. Bottom line? They both sound good enough for recording or gigging. Nobody would boo you off stage for either of these amps. I hate the tube vs solid state argument in modern times.
Tbf, I'm a solid state apologist but I feel like it was kinda obvious. However I feel like a lot of the time the difference is down to the speaker choice more than anything, esp. with some of these older fenders that are fairly high quality Solid State amps. I can't imagine how much this would rip with a speaker swap.
This topic / debate has been going on since the 80s and I seen it within my own music shop back then , especially when many music shops were either closing down or merging into larger partnerships to survive. That said, tube is better, hands down. They are getter better at digital but they haven't caught up enough yet. However, use of amp simulation in line with tube amps does work out pretty good.
I have been told that there are bad solid state amps. That may be true but I have heard an awful lot of solid state amps that sound pretty good and even better in the hands of a good player.
by the way the eq on a Deluxe is pretty great, the gain channel does not suck. you just may have to play with it for a while. somebody said to turn the limiter all the way up, you may have to if you're using it loud Landon does the 85 have the blue special design speaker? ( like mine)
The way I look at it is this.... I love guitars and gear...I am a Fender fan for sure, I own 4 very very nice Fender guitars, so I had to get a very very nice Fender amp ... which is a Tube/Valve Amp.... 65Deluxe Reverb LTD Ed Western Wheat (basically brown Piasley Tolex and a wheat grill with an Alnico Celestion Creamback ....... sooooo smooth) And I Love it!!!!but even though it's only 22W ... man Is it LOUD!!!!! this is why I also got into Solid state amps. Boss Katana Air, Boss Waza Air (not really an amp... more so headphones) and Positive Grid Spark40. Long and short of it ... they all sound great they all work how I need them to and for whatever situation I need them to... But that tube amp...... JUST WOW! I now need to go to my local shop and get the matching Princeton
That Princeton is a killer amp...I could tell the difference but again...if i played the solid state amp I'd boost the mids with an EQ pedal and get a closer sound to a tube amp...eq's are amazing for changing the sound of amps or guitars in my view...The solid state amp is more scooped...the Princeton has tons of mids...the reverb is much deeper in the Princeton too ....great little comparison ...I think if you played both those amps in stereo you'd have a great wall of sound
'Nobody else makes videos like I... like i... uh...uh... yup' lol Solid-state is tight and bright while the tube's fuller; yeah i got em right! My solid-state's a 22-watt Ibanez IBZ10G w/an 8-inch speaker and my tube's an '84 Carvin X-60 w/12-inch Celestion.
It is personal preference really. Not sure that the real sounds come through UA-cam with all the digital processing done before we receive the sound, not to mention that each amplifier has its own personality due to capacitors and resistor types as much as whether using solid state or tube, but it was an interesting, maybe amusing, video none the less
And thus is my Butterscotch Fender Player Telecaster.... which I will now hug....A is the tube amp?....shoot, I got it wrong, but it's hard to tell with my tiny little phone speaker, lol
I feel like the EQ of the amps are the biggest difference here. Even set to the same settings, different amps have different sounding EQs. I feel like the solid state could have sounded much more similar if you just boosted the mids a lot more
Found the solid state sounds better on clean and the tube sounded way better on crunch. The clean was sparkly on the transistor amp, and the drive was round on the tube one, even without knowing which is which, the difference is noticeable
This video really impressed e with how fine the solid state Fender could sound. It may be from the 80s but it sounds timeless. It fairs better sonically than much of the competing gear that was on sale at that time.
With a good transistor compare to a valve one, it's sometime difficult to tell the difference... but, there is one way to know which one is the tube : Ask you one question : which one would be the best to get out of the mix when you play in a band ? The answer is the valve amp at 90%. And it's very important you know 😎😎 Apart from that, thanks a lot for this video. A french musician.
Oh my gosh, the Deluxe 85 was my dream amp in the early 90s. Finally got one and used it for a year or two. It was much better in my dreams, so I got rid of it, but now I kinda miss it.
Right off the top it was sooo obvious to me that B was the Princeton; especially with the brightness of a tele. BUT, I actually preferred the SS reverb...weird eh? (I can say that...fellow Canadian here). I have 2 Bassbreaker amps (15 & 30r) that I love...great cleans, killer drive channels and a digital reverb that is super musical...to my ears at least...I guess I’m not a spring reverb guy..thanks for the video...keep ‘em coming..always entertaining
Good to know and good video. I see those old Fender Solid State's on Craigslist for around $200.00 bucks. I like a clean tone so I might be interested in one . Princeton's are $$$. Not a huge difference .
Hi Landon, is not easy to say what is better. Both are really nice. In my taste, A sound better in some configuration and B in other, so...better two than one!
From Leo: No doubt there is been some pretty marginal solid state amps since the 70's. We forget, that there were some marginal tube amps then also, mostly because they have been already thrown away. The good amps solid state amps in the 80's and 90's were analog technology and the more stable silicon transistors. The good ones were pretty good, and capable of very good tones. They were also dependable, as is your deluxe 85. Similar to this generation digital amplifiers, at first most of them sounded pretty bad, and have already been trashed. As time goes on, they are sounding better and better, and some actually sound good. There is still an instinctive tone to tube amps that makes them easy to love. Sadly, a series of great tube Amplifiers will be hard to keep going because the supply of Compactron series C10 tubes are dried up. With only Chinese and Russians making tubes, it might be a good time to stock up on a couple extra sets of tubes if you have an amp you love.
Amp A has a bit more treble than amp B, to my ears. Other than that, they both sound fine. :-) Your communication sounds like me when I don't get enough sleep Ha ha! :D ...Interesting video! Thanks! :-)
I dig you man honest I do...yore way better than most "standup" comedians,!!!! and the art e facts of the products involved are just ever so fluently approached and analysized..!!!
Great video. Couldn’t tell a lot of difference on my phone but personally I like my tubes with a Strat or tele. Humbuckers on my tube amp or ss make no difference to me.
I did get it right. The difference was more obvious to me on the clean tones and even more when you turned the reverb up. I am otherwise a solid state user and advocate but here the tubes won.
I’ve been playing a fender Deluxe 85 since I was a sophomore in high school and I gotta say the pop sound when it turns off is awful. Only complaint though. I love the tones and I think the gain and boost on it aren’t that bad.
They are both digital because the signal is converted to digital by you tube processing. The same thing happens if there are any digital pedals or effects in the signal chain. It just comes down to what do you like best and experimentation of the different possibilities... Love your channel!
Okay I (mentally) called it. B definitely felt like it had more energy behind it. Especially on the reverb section, it was definitely noticeable. That said however, I thought A sounded quite nice as well in its own right, and I actually preferred A over B in the second sample.
My take is clean is clean. It's just flavour of the brand's signature eq + speaker design for the tone ( none is better but if you're looking for a princeton BF tone then there's not much alternative then the real deal ) . When overdriving THEN you should hear the difference as one is tube OD vs solidstate OD. Solidstate usually sounds very "linear" as if you had an FX going on which increases it's volume/attack /FX very proportionally (I hit it gently = I get a small Mix of the FX in ...etc). Tube is more organic in the response, not only the amount of OD changes as you hit harder but the way it delivers it as well. A bit like it's gradually hesitating in spitting/farting until it goes more and more and more rather than just the volume of the OD ( like a miss and hit vs something dimming gradually). It's tone changes as well as you hit harder, the famous even -> odd harmonics. Here honestly I couldn't distinguish both amps until the reverb (the spring reverb was a dead giveaway lol). I believe you used OD pedals ? As this would explain why there is no difference to be heard (both sounded SS Overdrive).
A was nicer clean, B was a bit meatier dirty, and the reverb on B was unreal, like a cavern. massive. i'd take A for the lower price, and use pedals for crunchy dirt. but only after i learn to play the geetar.
B is the Princeton, gorgeous amp by the way. I must say that I totally agree with you it's been done a lot of time but never .... Pfff. Thanks for another fantasic video. Ps: Hockey night in Canada shirt rocks !
I got them right and I wouldn’t consider myself a valve snob, the SS amp was good but I felt it sounded a bit harsh . When you played the reverb on the tube amp it sort distorted ever so slightly which gave it away.
Amp A is my favorite here in the comparison. Way way more in all tones. Even the distortion was way better. The Amp B sounded boxy to my ears especially distorted. And I donno what's the tube and what's the solid yet. Thanks and all the best.
Your videos crack me up, your dry sense of humor is hilarious. The video content is good, but your delivery has me laughing every time. Even your time markers in the description, “beginning of video, middle of video, end of video” just awesome.
👍😝🎸
@@landonbailey YOU ARE LAME as HELL! Just tell us WTF it is and quit playing these childish games Homie!
@@landonbailey ..? ...yes? back to Egypt? YES tha band? I did use almost those same hieroglyphs a while ago: wierd( thats the proper way to pronounce the word weird in finnish! weerd isnt it..!
Rakkaudellisesti Sinun, Kimmo L
Dude, That crackle at 00:37 almost had me looking around the damn house looking for an electrical outlet on fire or something...lmao
B, the tube. Easy to spot: more deep, warmer, rounder. I go for the tube, no doubt.
same
Audience dont care.. only guitarist care
@@bewusstsein3527 I'm not a guitarist 😁😁😁
True, but I like the solid-state more (more bite)
Solid state sounded brighter clearer to my ears. . I thought tubes were supposed to produce richer sounds
I got it wrong, Landon, I got it wrong. I am a massive Princeton fan, has always been a top 3 for me, but in the absolute crap headphones that I used (yes total blasphemy in the face of the work you put in to your videos, I’m sorry) I was shockingly impressed with the 85’s clean tones. One thing I never hear UA-cam icons like yourself mention is the massive difference in “feel” between solid state and valve amps. I’ve heard others say they don’t notice, but I will always remember the exact moment I plugged in to my first valve amp, and within seconds had a “Holy cow, I get it now!” moment. The connection between my fingers and the rig felt instantly more organic, adding dynamics felt innate instead of intentional. I know “feel” or “connection” would be a hard task to share in a video, but to me at least it is the number one reason I would shell out the extra cheddar (and take the extra back pills from lugging them) for valve over solid state/digital. But is it just me? Am I taking crazy pills? Did I invent the piano key neck tie? Let me know in the comments down below.
They both sound great ! It just depends on what sound you want , I chose A for solid state .
Almost impossible for me to tell on my iPhone but I’m gonna go with B - tube based on Reverb. And I too, love your wit!!!
Man A has that instantly recognizable “Fender chime…” really nice clarity, scooped mids, and just really let’s you get that quack and twang out of that Tele and they also so great with strats. B sounded more mid heavy, thick, and full and definitely had more bottom end, which I usually like but IMO A was my preference for that signature Fender chime. Great review Landon, glad someone is giving these old Fender red knobs some exposure… they’re seriously hidden gems.
I don't think I've ever heard Fender and chime used together. usually Vox chime
Though the decay are quite the same, the real difference is very obvious in the note attacks.
A is more precise more hifi more true while B is more compressed more harmonic more clipping.
By catching the attack part of the notes, this is quite easy to tell which is which.
Both sounds good.
Great video thanks Landon. Which is better, tubes or SS? The answer is they're different.
There's a reason that (most) people who're into hifi stereos don't use tubes - they distort. Also they need replacing every few hundred hours. However that particular type of distortion became synonymous with how electric guitars sounded back in the 50s and 60s because SS amps using power transistors instead of tubes weren't around.
So now guitarists want tube amps and like the sound of tubes because that's 'what a guitar sounds like'. SS amps however are superior in most ways. They're cleaner and don't distort unless you overdrive them so 'cleans' really are clean. They last forever, no tubes to replace. SS amps are rugged and can take the knocks but try that with tube amps and you'll be buying more tubes... I toured with a band and the lead guitarist always had to have a spare set of 6L6s on hand (and to know where the closest supplier was in whatever town we were in so he could get another spare set).
Also you pay a premium for tube amps because the vendors know they're selling something with history. I've got a soft spot for a nice Fender Super Twin or Twin Reverb but that's nostalgia talking. When I engage my brain I'll go for a SS amp set to clean every time and use pedals to get the sounds I want. I can buy the pedals with the money I save not buying tubes.
Damn! Edited out a typo and lost my 'heart'!
I got it B was warmer, fuller. They both sound good.
Hahah you played plenty of radiohead chords there, I love that you're a radiohead fan I can always spot those radiohead riffs and licks you play and it makes me enjoy the videos even more
Cool, thanks!
The solid states of the late 80s and 90s were excellent amps. Very underrated. The sad thing is that nowadays the only mainstream companies offering quality, professional grade, stage-capable analog solid states are Peavey and Orange and Roland (their JC series anyway). Most other companies are just putting out cheaply made little practice amps with cheap tiny speakers. I thought the solid state sounded better here. In a side by side comparison you really hear how boxy and midrangey the smaller cabinet and single speaker sounds in the Princeton. I have a ‘66 Princeton as well as a 90s solid state Fender Sidekick 25. I would love to have a nice high powered twin solid state like that red knob.
Yes. I don't care about tube purism and like the interesting tones of a lot of older SS amps. I don't want a modelling amp - I have modelers for that I'm very happy with and I can always run into the power amp.
Definitely does! Super full sounding and sounds BIG. I mainly love that Fender chime, vintage tone, and scooped mids, but I like my Katana 50 for a more modern sounding amp and for any distortion tones.
Deluxe 85 has a single 12" speaker
I figured it out from the dirty tones and the reverb confirmed it. The tube dirty tones were too warm for me, but I don't usually like that warm Fender Blues tube overdrive. It has its purpose in certain cases though
Dude, I'm so glad you're honest in not really knowing the difference in solid state and tube...because I don't either, I just know they sound really different. I think it's your dry sense of humor that melds well with my own. All I knew is that I liked B more and I need to get a good tube amp.
😁🎸👍
Love both but A is my favorite. I like the brightness of it. I used to play nothing but tubes but that was with my LP and I liked that best at that time. Now being more of a Tele/Strat person I like the clean clear chimey tones.
Yes I guessed right it was obvious to me especially when you cranked up the reverb then it was really obvious. I have both Solid State and Tube amps and they are both great. At home by yourself you can notice the subtle differences in Solid State and Tube but playing on stage with a band you can't really hear as much of a difference. Most people really can not tell the difference unless they have really good ears. Thanks for your video, this type of thing has been done to death but you put a fresh spin on it, thank you Landon.
Remember the importance of speakers being broken in. The Deluxe 85 speaker has been well-used and it sounds great. The Princeton is a lot newer and its speaker has significantly less time on it. Hence the "boxy" comments from a few of the posters here. Awesome vid!
I used to play on tube amps when I got started playing and mostly play solid state amps now. I can't really tell a whole lot of difference, especially with pedals. Sometimes, I even use... modelers. As always, just use whatever it takes to get the job done.
The cleans i could not tell, the dirt, i knew, the reverb i really knew, but I will say I enjoy both - especially if you qualify them ie, red knob, amazing for the price , denim better be amazing with special speaker, special specs etc
I think b is tube. Ok I was right, the driven sound was very nice on the tube amp, a little easier on the ears. I don't know if I would pay a considerable amount more for a tube amp, and the cleans sounded more defined with the solid state.
Got it right B was definitely the tube and Sounded better. Solid state always have that square wave signal. Cleans you can tell it and especially with overdrive that harsh square wave comes out. Tube wave signal is smoother without that harsh wave signal of solid state. Thats what gives that warm feeling everyone talks about with tubes. If you ever get chance check out signal paths on a scope to see the big difference.
"Nobody else makes videos like I do..." Halleluyah Brother! Soon as you hit the Reverb on the Princeton it was obvious which one it was. While I liked the Deluxe 85 overall in this AB test, if I had choose one of those amps to take home it would be the Princeton, cause Reverb!
The equalization of the two is very different when compared, which hinders the comparison.
Listening up to the reverb comparison, my guess is "A" is the Fender Princeton Reverb and "B" is the Fender Deluxe 85 Solid State.
...and I was not so correct, lol.
If you don't want to have the big popping-sound use a spare 6.3 jackplug into the headphone insert when you switch it on and off then the sound gets nutralised and won't dammage the speaker.
I sold tunes of Deluxe 85’s, Princeton Chorus and Power Chorus during that time frame, never had one come back or have any failures.
If these amps fail, your done, so if you are picking them up for $200ish your getting a solid amp. I just picked up a power chorus for $ 240, and a super 60 for $400, which is a tube amp( half of a twin ).
Also the super 60 was the last Paul Rivera worked on before he left Fender.
So folks who phoo phoo these amps from that time period, give your head a shake
Fender Princeton has a real warmth to it that is why I knew, I'm like you, I use fender 65 deluxe reverb 6v6 tubes and a Roland blues cube Artist 80w and sometimes a Fender blues junior THR 10w all have their uses really enjoy what you do good fun stuff best from UK
Knew A was SS and B was tube the whole time. I liked how both sounded. Buuut..I preferred the sound of the solid state.
I like "A" more
Don't care about tube vs ss. The Red Knob had more clarity and I liked it.
it has more high end (treble) always a dead give away, also tube distortion has second order harmonics, typically you don't get that from transistor amps unless it's been digitally modelled in, then when you you put the reverb on telling the difference is like childs play, the more expensive (tube) has a spring reverb tank in it and you can hear the springs vibrating vs the transistor which has no rumble.
@@123Andersonev fwiw. Solid state amps also have spring reverb. This amp in Particular.
@@123Andersonev i have the same 85 deluxe amp it has a big spring tank in the bottom so your theory and ear is bullshit
@@123Andersonev the deluxe 85 was designed to make the speaker respond like a tube amp and it does have a spring tank, it's not digital
Which one was A and which one was B?
Fender Amplifiers
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/5RKjn
Timestamps:
0:00 - The Start of the video
5:30 - The Middle of the video
10:59 - The End of the video
Princeton Reverb Chilewich Denim Amplifier (Affiliate Links Below)
Amazon (US) amzn.to/30ol88p
Fender 65 Princeton Reverb:
Amazon (US) amzn.to/30uEd97
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2CjwS4d
Thomann - bit.ly/3jkjJbC
Fender 68 Custom Princeton Reverb:
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2Bc6acX
Thomann - bit.ly/3eGeGP1
As a rhythm player in a band, I tend to like solid state and modeling amps for more clean overhead. They help me cut through a mix. Tube amps while having wonderful warmth tend to break up fairly quickly and I tend to get lost in a mix.
Thanks for sharing!
You must have used low wattage tube amps....I promise ....tube amps can give great head room...just got to get in the 100 RMS or more class...
I just sold my Princeton and really want a Deluxe 85...this video convinced me that selling it was a good idea. That Deluxe 85 sounds excellent! I was really hoping the Princeton wasn't Amp A because the entire time I was loving the bright reverb and chime that the 85 has and not really feeling the reverb or overall tone of Amp B. I'll definitely be picking one up soon. Great video, man!
I've a few for sale over the years. usually $200-400 range
Listening on studio monitors, I thought it was pretty clear which one was the tube amp ... that being said they both sounded good, just different!
Landon,
Great video. Fender’s solid state amps are very reliable and gig friendly. I agree, the overdrive/distortion channel is pretty weak...the best they’ll do is sound fuzzy. I used a Fender “Power-chorus” amp for many years and it never let me down. My only complaint was it didn’t have much low end (like tube amps do). Thanks again.
I’d go solid state. Better for rhythm in my mind or clean lead. I’ve gone off tube. Sold my Carvin Belair after $400 repair after it overheated. The tube sounded fatter but you can get an effects processor to almost sound the same.
I could not tell which was which in the sound samples without reverb. They sounded the same to me and both sounded good. But when you turned on the reverb I knew B was the tube amp. The reverb in the Princeton sounded beautiful and lush. Good comparison. Good video.
After the clean demo, i had it correct. I thought B tube amp sound much better clean. But, I thought the A solid state amp sound slightly better in the gain demo. A large retailer did a small tube amp shootout blind test but they snuck a Roland Blues Cube Hot solid state amp into the pool of amps. The tube amps ranged from $500 to $3,000 with common Fender and Marshall amps and a few boutique tube amps. The owner of the retail store picked the Blues Club Hot as his favorite. The difference isn't that great any more.
I've been playing gigs since the 80s and, for the life of me, I can't tell the difference between tube and solid state. I sold my last tube amp a couple years ago. Now I'm all solid state and modelers lol.
do what works best for you!
The solid state has a state... that is solid. lmao I died there
The solid state sounds very harsh, the tube one is warm and beauty, no competition... but it's a little bit "boxy", probably cause the 10" speaker (big difference).
I played the Fender Deluxe 85 many times in the past, it's a pretty good amp... but I don't like how od pedals sounds on it... it's a common problem with solid state... anyway it's one of the best solid state amp I ever tried.
the Princeton has a 12" Celestion alnico. 😝
@@landonbailey oh sorry, my fault! it sounds a little bit boxy anyway... strange!
I'm saying A. is solid state and B. Is tube. I prefer a though.
Landon don't look back at the amps when the letter comes up at the beginning
😜🎸👍
I have solid-state Princeton 112 Plus. and slave an Orange Dark Terror tube head through the Princeton's power amp input--best of both worlds.
I got it right and liked both equally played clean but preferred the tube a bit more. I liked the solid state more with dirt. People say LPs sound muddy but the tube defined the mud in this case. From 5:30 to 5:54 I didn't care for either but for the dirt I preferred the ss.
thanks for watching!
The biggest diff is because the speakers are different. 12"vs 10". So this test is not pure. But I liked as usuall the solid state sound over the tube amp. I am a tube lover and built these amps myself. The only way I like tube more is the interaction with a Fuzface or a big muff. With these you can make the first gainstage of a tube amp smoking hot. That will not be the case with an SS amp. That sound terrible.
the Princeton has a 12" Celestion Blue
@@landonbailey Sorry to say but both princeton reverbs in your links carries a 10"speaker. So this princeton must be modded with a bigger speaker. The deluxe solidstate carries a 12"Fender spec design (=Eminence ). Besides that, the frequency curve of the celestion speakers differs from the eminence speakers. More midrange, more brittish. Maybe that makes the difference. To my ears the Princeton way to boxy and midrangy for a Fender. I once had a HotRodDeluxe and swapped the Fender design speaker for a Celestion vintage 30 . The amp lost his Fender tone completely and sounded like a Mashall! To much mid. Tryed it for some time and sold the amp.
should be Digital amp vs solid state/tube amp!
A is the SS and is clearly the better (clearer) sounding amp to me. If you want tube distortion sound, just add a modeler. Together, they cost way less and probably last longer, not to mention tubes need replacing often and with the current supply chain shortages, good luck finding any. It's a wonder why nothing ss to replace them has been invented yet. Again, I have that same Fender Deluxe 85 since 1994 and love it! along with a Korg Toneworks AX1500G with enough amps/cab modelers and everything including a wah, don't need the heavy expensive tube amp.
Save your money, get a nicer guitar, a real Fender Strat or Les Paul or whatever, you'll be just as happy if not happier.
The solid state A did sound better, but your 1985 Fender Deluxe 85 Solid State amplifier is a whole different animal, designed during the Paul Rivera Fender era and made in the USA. This is a heavy weight versus light weight fight here. A versus B = 85 versus 15 watts, larger enclosure versus smaller enclosure, 12" versus 10" speaker. A better test might be against something like a newer tube amp 68 Custom Series Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Sonic 60, or any Fender Twin Reverb (with one of the two 12" speakers disconnected, to leave one in play. It would probably be okay at an 8 ohms load and still utilize enough of the TR's 85 watts. Tube watts are three times acoustically louder than solid state watts as a rule of thumb). This video shootout definitely won't be "the final one", ha. Gigging folks will probably have to have at least one solid state amp combo or head in their arsenal these days anyway as an occasional backup, due to present supply chain issues with tubes, sad. The main reason I am listening to videos like this. So, this old 1985 Fender goes on my list of possibilities. I am probably covered having a Marshall Valvestate 8008 rack mount stereo amp, with a linear and valvestate switch, that I can push with various pre-amps I have, and using my various speaker cabs. Just assessing a solid state or modeling combo for smaller gigs. Fender does make the best sounding solid state amp combos for reasonable cost in my experience over the decades. You just need a basic good Fender clean, and you can use pedals or other effect devices from there to get the rest, but I am exploring various options. A lot of choices these days, no doubt. The best thing is go to music stores as you can, take your most suitable guitar for various genres and put the amps through their paces to find what works best for you within your budget. Enjoy!
This isn't a fair comparison for most brands because Fender's red knobs and general 90's solid state Deluxe stuff is imo absolutely amazing for solid state
what would be more fair? I don't really think fair exists in general :)
I preference A the entire time and had no which was which. But to my ears played over my high end sound system A sounded way better to me. That being said there are a few ways to make this test more accurate.
First black out the video to remove any visual clues.
Secondly, using a dual voice coil speaker hook each amp to the same speaker and leave it in the same place for both A and B comparisons so that the room isn't influencing the sound based on placement of the speakers. Also leave the mic in the same exact position with the same exact setting for both tests.
Level match the amps with a 1kHz test tone and make sure the amps are set to flat frequency and reverb off.
Also guitar pots should be left alone and should be identical for each test.
Record a loop of playing guitar then play that same loop through both A and B comparisons so that your playing isn't a factor.
The clean had me thinking B was tube. A just sounded a little like it was "cutting off" almost like a noise gate or something during the strumming pattern part, it just had this weird digital sound whereas the B amp always followed through and sounded a little more compressed - but it's hard to judge when the EQ profiles are so different between the two. The crunch/drive tone was harder to tell, but all I can say is A sounded way harsher, more treble heavy which is what I've experienced with all my Fender solid state amps over the years. B was just warmer in EQ profile, but if you adjusted the EQ on both to match each other it would be really hard to tell. I think the clean strumming demo would be the giveaway to trained ears.
Bottom line? They both sound good enough for recording or gigging. Nobody would boo you off stage for either of these amps. I hate the tube vs solid state argument in modern times.
Hard to tell but guessing B is solid state because of fizzy distortion of B plus I love As reverb. Cleans were close though.
Tbf, I'm a solid state apologist but I feel like it was kinda obvious. However I feel like a lot of the time the difference is down to the speaker choice more than anything, esp. with some of these older fenders that are fairly high quality Solid State amps. I can't imagine how much this would rip with a speaker swap.
This topic / debate has been going on since the 80s and I seen it within my own music shop back then , especially when many music shops were either closing down or merging into larger partnerships to survive. That said, tube is better, hands down. They are getter better at digital but they haven't caught up enough yet. However, use of amp simulation in line with tube amps does work out pretty good.
I have been told that there are bad solid state amps. That may be true but I have heard an awful lot of solid state amps that sound pretty good and even better in the hands of a good player.
I agree!
by the way the eq on a Deluxe is pretty great, the gain channel does not suck. you just may have to play with it for a while. somebody said to turn the limiter all the way up, you may have to if you're using it loud
Landon does the 85 have the blue special design speaker? ( like mine)
yes is does!
The way I look at it is this.... I love guitars and gear...I am a Fender fan for sure, I own 4 very very nice Fender guitars, so I had to get a very very nice Fender amp ... which is a Tube/Valve Amp.... 65Deluxe Reverb LTD Ed Western Wheat (basically brown Piasley Tolex and a wheat grill with an Alnico Celestion Creamback ....... sooooo smooth) And I Love it!!!!but even though it's only 22W ... man Is it LOUD!!!!! this is why I also got into Solid state amps. Boss Katana Air, Boss Waza Air (not really an amp... more so headphones) and Positive Grid Spark40. Long and short of it ... they all sound great they all work how I need them to and for whatever situation I need them to... But that tube amp...... JUST WOW! I now need to go to my local shop and get the matching Princeton
That Princeton is a killer amp...I could tell the difference but again...if i played the solid state amp I'd boost the mids with an EQ pedal and get a closer sound to a tube amp...eq's are amazing for changing the sound of amps or guitars in my view...The solid state amp is more scooped...the Princeton has tons of mids...the reverb is much deeper in the Princeton too ....great little comparison ...I think if you played both those amps in stereo you'd have a great wall of sound
'Nobody else makes videos like I... like i... uh...uh... yup' lol Solid-state is tight and bright while the tube's fuller; yeah i got em right! My solid-state's a 22-watt Ibanez IBZ10G w/an 8-inch speaker and my tube's an '84 Carvin X-60 w/12-inch Celestion.
It is personal preference really. Not sure that the real sounds come through UA-cam with all the digital processing done before we receive the sound, not to mention that each amplifier has its own personality due to capacitors and resistor types as much as whether using solid state or tube, but it was an interesting, maybe amusing, video none the less
Paused at 3:15. I haven’t heard amp B yet but I can tell you for sure that amp A is solid state. It sounds so transistory.
And thus is my Butterscotch Fender Player Telecaster.... which I will now hug....A is the tube amp?....shoot, I got it wrong, but it's hard to tell with my tiny little phone speaker, lol
I feel like the EQ of the amps are the biggest difference here. Even set to the same settings, different amps have different sounding EQs. I feel like the solid state could have sounded much more similar if you just boosted the mids a lot more
I bought a fender deluxe 112 the other day on Reverb and for a solid state it sounds great and can't argue about the $70 price I paid
nice!
Amp A was SS. Amp B was the tube.
Found the solid state sounds better on clean and the tube sounded way better on crunch. The clean was sparkly on the transistor amp, and the drive was round on the tube one, even without knowing which is which, the difference is noticeable
This video really impressed e with how fine the solid state Fender could sound. It may be from the 80s but it sounds timeless. It fairs better sonically than much of the competing gear that was on sale at that time.
Don't know which one is what, but I mostly preferred B over A. You should include some neutral samples w/o any effects (and some shredding samples).
With a good transistor compare to a valve one, it's sometime difficult to tell the difference... but, there is one way to know which one is the tube : Ask you one question : which one would be the best to get out of the mix when you play in a band ? The answer is the valve amp at 90%. And it's very important you know 😎😎 Apart from that, thanks a lot for this video. A french musician.
I finally figured out who looks just like you...Latka.!! Keep up the great work young man 👍😎🎸
😝👍
Thanks, B was clearly tube
I would say B was tube based on the dirty but both sound great!
Oh my gosh, the Deluxe 85 was my dream amp in the early 90s. Finally got one and used it for a year or two. It was much better in my dreams, so I got rid of it, but now I kinda miss it.
ah cool! It was always solid when I played live. almost sold it a couple times, but glad I kept it. how much did they cost back then?
Right off the top it was sooo obvious to me that B was the Princeton; especially with the brightness of a tele. BUT, I actually preferred the SS reverb...weird eh? (I can say that...fellow Canadian here). I have 2 Bassbreaker amps (15 & 30r) that I love...great cleans, killer drive channels and a digital reverb that is super musical...to my ears at least...I guess I’m not a spring reverb guy..thanks for the video...keep ‘em coming..always entertaining
Good to know and good video. I see those old Fender Solid State's on Craigslist for around $200.00 bucks. I like a clean tone so I might be interested in one . Princeton's are $$$. Not a huge difference .
Hi Landon, is not easy to say what is better. Both are really nice. In my taste, A sound better in some configuration and B in other, so...better two than one!
B definitely sounded better. Warmer. Although solid state has mad strides in sound, Nothing, to me, sounds better than a tube amp.
Nice shirt hey, B is my choice sounding warmer and natural, I currently own a VOX VTX 20 Hyrbid with a 12x7 Pre-amp tube,
From Leo: No doubt there is been some pretty marginal solid state amps since the 70's. We forget, that there were some marginal tube amps then also, mostly because they have been already thrown away. The good amps solid state amps in the 80's and 90's were analog technology and the more stable silicon transistors. The good ones were pretty good, and capable of very good tones. They were also dependable, as is your deluxe 85. Similar to this generation digital amplifiers, at first most of them sounded pretty bad, and have already been trashed. As time goes on, they are sounding better and better, and some actually sound good. There is still an instinctive tone to tube amps that makes them easy to love. Sadly, a series of great tube Amplifiers will be hard to keep going because the supply of Compactron series C10 tubes are dried up. With only Chinese and Russians making tubes, it might be a good time to stock up on a couple extra sets of tubes if you have an amp you love.
Amp A has a bit more treble than amp B, to my ears. Other than that, they both sound fine. :-) Your communication sounds like me when I don't get enough sleep Ha ha! :D ...Interesting video! Thanks! :-)
Cool, thanks!
It's obvious that Airbag is the track and the '85' is A , and Tube is 'B', though I feel neither were dialed in or properly recorded
Bones was a give away. That amp is probably the one used on the record.
rokin tune
I dig you man honest I do...yore way better than most "standup" comedians,!!!! and the art e facts of the products involved are just ever so fluently approached and analysized..!!!
Anyone who says that A sounds better dirty needs to get their ears checked. Appreciate the video Bill murray jr.
Great video. Couldn’t tell a lot of difference on my phone but personally I like my tubes with a Strat or tele. Humbuckers on my tube amp or ss make no difference to me.
I did get it right. The difference was more obvious to me on the clean tones and even more when you turned the reverb up. I am otherwise a solid state user and advocate but here the tubes won.
I’ve been playing a fender Deluxe 85 since I was a sophomore in high school and I gotta say the pop sound when it turns off is awful. Only complaint though. I love the tones and I think the gain and boost on it aren’t that bad.
Thanks for making this vid, straightforward demo vids are something i always appreciate
They are both digital because the signal is converted to digital by you tube processing. The same thing happens if there are any digital pedals or effects in the signal chain. It just comes down to what do you like best and experimentation of the different possibilities... Love your channel!
Mind: blown ?
Hahahahaha you're delusional
Bro you kept on looking at the amp you were playing so I knew immediately which one was which.
Okay I (mentally) called it. B definitely felt like it had more energy behind it. Especially on the reverb section, it was definitely noticeable. That said however, I thought A sounded quite nice as well in its own right, and I actually preferred A over B in the second sample.
A solid State, B Tube
I preferred the tone of A.
My take is clean is clean. It's just flavour of the brand's signature eq + speaker design for the tone ( none is better but if you're looking for a princeton BF tone then there's not much alternative then the real deal ) . When overdriving THEN you should hear the difference as one is tube OD vs solidstate OD. Solidstate usually sounds very "linear" as if you had an FX going on which increases it's volume/attack /FX very proportionally (I hit it gently = I get a small Mix of the FX in ...etc). Tube is more organic in the response, not only the amount of OD changes as you hit harder but the way it delivers it as well. A bit like it's gradually hesitating in spitting/farting until it goes more and more and more rather than just the volume of the OD ( like a miss and hit vs something dimming gradually). It's tone changes as well as you hit harder, the famous even -> odd harmonics. Here honestly I couldn't distinguish both amps until the reverb (the spring reverb was a dead giveaway lol). I believe you used OD pedals ? As this would explain why there is no difference to be heard (both sounded SS Overdrive).
A was nicer clean, B was a bit meatier dirty, and the reverb on B was unreal, like a cavern. massive. i'd take A for the lower price, and use pedals for crunchy dirt. but only after i learn to play the geetar.
B is the Princeton, gorgeous amp by the way. I must say that I totally agree with you it's been done a lot of time but never .... Pfff. Thanks for another fantasic video.
Ps: Hockey night in Canada shirt rocks !
👍🎸
I got them right and I wouldn’t consider myself a valve snob, the SS amp was good but I felt it sounded a bit harsh . When you played the reverb on the tube amp it sort distorted ever so slightly which gave it away.
I liked the overall sound of amp A better but the reverb in amp B was much better.