Finally. Someone who's willing to take a newbie by the hand. From zero. As someone who's been banging away on a flat-top acoustice for 20-some years, I have no knowledge of any kind regarding electrified sound paths. This is perfect for me. Thanks so much.
Look folks, this is designed to be an entry level overview of tube amps, not a nerd level explaination of harmonics and bias. Grow up and stop watching my videos if you've got a problem with that.
It's funny because tubes distort gently, so even when you've got really loud clean tones, there's probably a bit of distortion in there that you can't hear, softening the tone a bit. Solid state amps can give you some spectacular clean tones, with really snappy response, tube amps, even when running really clean can tend to be a bit 'softer' feeling.
I just got my first tube amp, an 8505 MH, has to be the best sounding thing I ever had! What impressed me most, beyond the crisp and natural distortion are the dynamics. You can play really soft or really hard just by picking harder, and the amp responds to it much more than a normal amp would, it's almost hard to control without some compression. Just feels amazing to play.
For beginners like me who can't afford the extra costs associate with tube amps, Vox Valvetronix amps are a good place to start. They have a tube in the preamp stage and a bunch of different amp models and effects that give you a big variety of different tones right from the get go.
Something else that should be worth mentionning about tubes vs transistors is that tubes have much more dynamics - even when cranked into distortion, a tube amp will be much more able to cope with variations in attack and intensity than a transistor one. This is specially important for the guitar, which naturally has a lot of dynamics (the difference in intensity between the first attack and the sustain is very huge). So tube amps also tend to sound better even for clean sounds...
thank you so much for this video! so many players, including myself, own tube amps and don't FULLY understand what's going on with the signal. if i could just learn a little tube theory it might help me buy my next amp, speaker, or set of tubes
Thanks for the nice video, but I'd like to correct U a bit - tubes amplify the voltage and transistors amplify the current. so that's why U need the Output transformer to change the high voltage from the output tubes into the lower voltage for your speakers. Also, it means that tubes can work for 1.5 - 5 kOhm load effectivly, but our speakers are only 1-15 Ohms. So the output transformer makes a huge part of the tube sound.
@musiluna Ive had a hotrod deluxe for a little over a year. I play mainly blues and i love it. It can be quiet enough for bedroom use, but can get loud enough for gigs without even cranking the amp all that hard. It is super clean, and has a good headroom. Really just a great amp for the price
Interesting.. I replied, but it posted my last comment twice.. odd. Anyway. I think YT was still rendering the video. I watched a second time a few minutes later and it was spot on. I'm glad to see you doing something a bit different from the norm - appreciate the effort you are putting into these. Great stuff. Cheers.
Ahh... YT probably wasn't finished fully rendering the clip. Played it twice - perfect now. Love to see more on this stuff - appreciate you taking the time out to do something a bit different. Cheers.
@gr8bluesgtr Awsome job , man. Lots of people out there don't know a thing about how to get a good sound, or even what sound they like, so these vids are great. For those of us that want to dig deeper, there are plenty of good books out there that explain the complexities of tube amp design, and so forth.
Tubes were the only technology at the time. The difference between tubes and transistors is like the difference between incandescent light and florescent lights. Incandescent lights are less efficient but not nearly as harsh. Incandescent lights are closer to fire which is pleasing to stare at vs staring at fluorescent lights...can you imagine? Tubes are the that different to the ear! Having said that, with the heavy distortion of today's music, I can't imagine any advantage from tubes?
@djglukbh1 That's correct. Transistor amps are very linear so when you overdrive them (clip) they essentially turn the sawtooth wave form into a square wave. This produces a lot of odd-order harmonics, which cause the sound to be harsh. Tube & transformers cannot reproduce a good square wave. The clipped wave form is rounded (like a lower case m) producing even-order harmonics, thus sounding more pleasant. Other issues like poor damping and low slew rates add to the mix.
@crisDAwog It's about taste... a good solid state amp,will deliver the best ultra clean sounds out there. That's why a lot of jazz guys favour them. James hetfield uses one for his cleans, and epic songs like Purple Rain and Message in a bottle are played on a SS amp. BB king uses one too, and he has a great tone. Also, recent developments in modelling and SS amps are succesfully replicating touch responsive tube distortion. I highly recommend you to try out amplitube 3 software
I always suggest to use a tube puller/inserter like the one from 'Arie Bergs' available on ebay.com.Easy to remove or insert 7-9 pin tubes with this tube extractor (rimlock, noval, B7G, B9A, etc...). This tool helps in removing those difficult to reach vacuum tubes, small bulbs, which may be recessed or placed inside an amplifier, radio or any kind of electronic equipment. It's very simple to use and safe for the technician and the tube.
@MITCHWILD you can get them practically at any music store. If they don't have them in stock I'm sure they can order them for you. guitar center, etc. there's plenty of them about and they don't cost an arm and a leg. worth the money when they need replaced
If constructed carefully both type work equally well. There are some drawbacks with tube amplifiers, 1. Thermionic noise ( whistles will make you crazy) 2. bulky size 3. fragile nature 4. spare parts scarcity etc. These all make them less desirable. Actually we all suffer from nostalgia.
@dkfone Blues juniors are great for what they are, and u are looking at one of the better versions, however, as a gigging musician, who has used both, i have to say i like the hot rod deluxe better for gigging. 1 - the clean headroom is much higher, especially if u put in different tubes and speaker 2. it has a stanby switch, fx loop, a better reverb, and channel switching ability (although i just crank the clean to 12, and use my volume knob on my guitar) for about $200 more.
Hi Anthony i spoke to you on stevie snacks about that riff from no time to change. well i have a bogner alchemist 1 x12 40 watt sounds beautiful when playing lenny, but im really struggling to get a great srv tone from the thing, even when playing it through a ts-808, if you have any tips to get that mary had a little lamb/pride and joy effect, that would be awesome!! cheers Andy
Hey, love your blues junior tone but want to no is the blues junior big enough for gigs or would a hotrod be better. Not big gigs, just gigs in pubs mainly. I have my eye on a blues junior texas red with vintage celestion speaker!
@kweerb8 Actually, I haven't I use a 31 year old Garnet Session Man combo, and the tubes are about 31 years old. I haven't changed them. Mine started cracking and losing volume just a short while ago, so I think I'll need to buy a new set if it continues doing it. I re ordered the two power tubes a few weeks ago and it seems to work okay for now.
@ gr8bluesgtr: is there a free book (or for pay if not any free available) on the internet that covers the contents you put out in this amazing series of clips in a more detailed view?
@mmim4 I don't think so. It depends on the level you are driving it, i think. As you would rarely use a 50W past 3 (believe me, it's loud), you wouldn't even notice.
i would like to add that tube amps have there place in music as well as transistor type amps nether can sound like the other but both have there qualities and faults i own over 12 amps now 5 of which are transistor(soild state) great vid thou
I know it is an old video. I think it is very understandable on a very low technical entry level. I know in essence the red line is correct, especially in order not be nerdy. Yet let me add something. Today, we know so much more about tube amps and the way they handle signals. Nowadays - if not already 20 years ago "nerds" did :) - we can speak in certainty about "circuit" design. Tube vs transistors alone do not explain amps and the difference between amps. No tube amp - let alone brand - sounds the same. The difference between transistors amps and tube is with hindsight more than the difference between two parts. We have come to a point where many solid state amps are designed like tube amps. And they do sound good. Many old transistor amps where made like non-guitar amps. They introduced common sense (hifi) circuitry around the transistors that made the amp a worse guitar amp. Once this is understood, the difference between solid state and tubes is getting thin. very thin..... Think of transtube circuitry, Quilter amps.... All analog solid state that is designed to add flavour and oddities in tube amps, throwing all ideal hifi design out. Once you look in detail, you see a transistor is NOT a perfect replicator of the base signal. It needs feedback and correction to be linear and without adding harmonics. Just as a tube. The Dallas Rangemaster is a perfect exampe: 1 simple tranistor stage that is not perfectly "biased", without a lot of correcting parts and that hits the rails often at full signal. It does not chop off abruptly, it adds tons of harmonics gradually. No wonder it is used back in the days so often. On the other hand, many tube (power) amps have feedback and chop off more abruptly than is acknowledged. And still they sound good. "Only soft clipping is good" is a myth.
I’ll give it to Fender the Tone Master Deluxe is as tube like but not I’ve ever heard and the thing weighs like 8 pounds it’s insane. That being said I don’t own one and wi continue using tube amps just because they’re so cool
theres no delay I have a blues deville 410 and it's too much volume at the point where I get good tone out of the tubes.. no golden tone at bedroom playable volumes.. perfect when I jam with a band. so I'm going to the guitar shop after christmas to test out the blues jr and the vox tv .. I need less power and all the golden delicious tone of that deville at high volumes.
hmmm... so basically the primary reason for the popularity of tube amps is because of distortion. how about other factors like clean sounds and pedal compatibility? which is better?
I just got a Blues Junior and you really have to be knowledgeable about how to set your EQ levels for the tone you're looking to get. Otherwise you end up like most people thinking "this isn't at all what I expected it to sound like."
bassically music is about sound tube amps piss on solid states trust me i own a line 6 essentially tube amps are much more articulate dynamic warm thicker touche responses tube amps own solid state amps any day
bassically music is about sound tube amps piss on solid states trust me i own a line 6 essentially tube amps are much more articulate dynamic warm thicker more touche responses tube amps own solid state amps any day hands down!
hahah only broke kids with no money will argue with you why there is no difference between tubes and solid state. do you self a favor guys BUY A TUBE AMP. i bought a VOX AC30 and have been in heaven!
I'm sorry but this is a load of rubbish. I've tried a few standard electric amplifiers and none of them compare to my valve amplifier. The tube amplifier wins every time for audio quality. By the way the sound quality has got nothing to do with distortion
Finally. Someone who's willing to take a newbie by the hand. From zero.
As someone who's been banging away on a flat-top acoustice for 20-some years, I have no knowledge of any kind regarding electrified sound paths.
This is perfect for me. Thanks so much.
Look folks, this is designed to be an entry level overview of tube amps, not a nerd level explaination of harmonics and bias. Grow up and stop watching my videos if you've got a problem with that.
It's funny because tubes distort gently, so even when you've got really loud clean tones, there's probably a bit of distortion in there that you can't hear, softening the tone a bit. Solid state amps can give you some spectacular clean tones, with really snappy response, tube amps, even when running really clean can tend to be a bit 'softer' feeling.
I just got my first tube amp, an 8505 MH, has to be the best sounding thing I ever had!
What impressed me most, beyond the crisp and natural distortion are the dynamics. You can play really soft or really hard just by picking harder, and the amp responds to it much more than a normal amp would, it's almost hard to control without some compression. Just feels amazing to play.
For beginners like me who can't afford the extra costs associate with tube amps, Vox Valvetronix amps are a good place to start. They have a tube in the preamp stage and a bunch of different amp models and effects that give you a big variety of different tones right from the get go.
Something else that should be worth mentionning about tubes vs transistors is that tubes have much more dynamics - even when cranked into distortion, a tube amp will be much more able to cope with variations in attack and intensity than a transistor one. This is specially important for the guitar, which naturally has a lot of dynamics (the difference in intensity between the first attack and the sustain is very huge). So tube amps also tend to sound better even for clean sounds...
thank you so much for this video! so many players, including myself, own tube amps and don't FULLY understand what's going on with the signal. if i could just learn a little tube theory it might help me buy my next amp, speaker, or set of tubes
about time....good stuff, well done. Even us guys that started as kids in the late 70s can get something outta this.
Thanks for the nice video, but I'd like to correct U a bit - tubes amplify the voltage and transistors amplify the current. so that's why U need the Output transformer to change the high voltage from the output tubes into the lower voltage for your speakers. Also, it means that tubes can work for 1.5 - 5 kOhm load effectivly, but our speakers are only 1-15 Ohms. So the output transformer makes a huge part of the tube sound.
@musiluna Ive had a hotrod deluxe for a little over a year. I play mainly blues and i love it. It can be quiet enough for bedroom use, but can get loud enough for gigs without even cranking the amp all that hard. It is super clean, and has a good headroom. Really just a great amp for the price
Interesting.. I replied, but it posted my last comment twice.. odd.
Anyway. I think YT was still rendering the video. I watched a second time a few minutes later and it was spot on.
I'm glad to see you doing something a bit different from the norm - appreciate the effort you are putting into these. Great stuff.
Cheers.
Ahh... YT probably wasn't finished fully rendering the clip. Played it twice - perfect now.
Love to see more on this stuff - appreciate you taking the time out to do something a bit different.
Cheers.
@popomczowzow the next video in this series may answer that question.
Really well explained. Nice video. When the next one??
operational amplifiers are a kind of circuit that can be (and has been) built from either tubes or transistors.
@gr8bluesgtr Awsome job , man. Lots of people out there don't know a thing about how to get a good sound, or even what sound they like, so these vids are great. For those of us that want to dig deeper, there are plenty of good books out there that explain the complexities of tube amp design, and so forth.
Tubes were the only technology at the time. The difference between tubes and transistors is like the difference between incandescent light and florescent lights. Incandescent lights are less efficient but not nearly as harsh. Incandescent lights are closer to fire which is pleasing to stare at vs staring at fluorescent lights...can you imagine? Tubes are the that different to the ear! Having said that, with the heavy distortion of today's music, I can't imagine any advantage from tubes?
Amazing waiting for a detailed explaination of the amp's working
Great series and explanations! Thanks
@gr8bluesgtr
I think it was a great basic lesson. Just what I needed, thank you!
@djglukbh1 That's correct. Transistor amps are very linear so when you overdrive them (clip) they essentially turn the sawtooth wave form into a square wave. This produces a lot of odd-order harmonics, which cause the sound to be harsh. Tube & transformers cannot reproduce a good square wave. The clipped wave form is rounded (like a lower case m) producing even-order harmonics, thus sounding more pleasant. Other issues like poor damping and low slew rates add to the mix.
@crisDAwog
It's about taste... a good solid state amp,will deliver the best ultra clean sounds out there. That's why a lot of jazz guys favour them. James hetfield uses one for his cleans, and epic songs like Purple Rain and Message in a bottle are played on a SS amp. BB king uses one too, and he has a great tone. Also, recent developments in modelling and SS amps are succesfully replicating touch responsive tube distortion. I highly recommend you to try out amplitube 3 software
Man I love this video; (and the series) So informative - Im gonna subscribe to you only cause of that
I always suggest to use a tube puller/inserter like the one from 'Arie Bergs' available on ebay.com.Easy to remove or insert 7-9 pin tubes with this tube extractor (rimlock, noval, B7G, B9A, etc...). This tool helps in removing those difficult to reach vacuum tubes, small bulbs, which may be recessed or placed inside an amplifier, radio or any kind of electronic equipment. It's very simple to use and safe for the technician and the tube.
U are the man bruh. I play in downtown Dallas. Hopefully I can take this somewhere
Great video. 5 stars.
@MITCHWILD
you can get them practically at any music store. If they don't have them in stock I'm sure they can order them for you. guitar center, etc. there's plenty of them about and they don't cost an arm and a leg. worth the money when they need replaced
thanx, it was a good little introduction, nice job, and very helpful, again thanx!!
Bad Ass, I just LOVE your videos!
Could u tell me what all u use to record with? Audio and video is really good.
If constructed carefully both type work equally well. There are some drawbacks with tube amplifiers, 1. Thermionic noise ( whistles will make you crazy) 2. bulky size 3. fragile nature 4. spare parts scarcity etc. These all make them less desirable. Actually we all suffer from nostalgia.
this was very informative, learn someting new everyday..
@dkfone
Blues juniors are great for what they are, and u are looking at one of the better versions, however, as a gigging musician, who has used both, i have to say i like the hot rod deluxe better for gigging.
1 - the clean headroom is much higher, especially if u put in different tubes and speaker
2. it has a stanby switch, fx loop, a better reverb, and channel switching ability (although i just crank the clean to 12, and use my volume knob on my guitar)
for about $200 more.
Hi Anthony i spoke to you on stevie snacks about that riff from no time to change. well i have a bogner alchemist 1 x12 40 watt sounds beautiful when playing lenny, but im really struggling to get a great srv tone from the thing, even when playing it through a ts-808, if you have any tips to get that mary had a little lamb/pride and joy effect, that would be awesome!! cheers Andy
thanks for your reply! how about pedal compatibility in general? which is better?
Thank you, a very helfpul information!
Hey, love your blues junior tone but want to no is the blues junior big enough for gigs or would a hotrod be better. Not big gigs, just gigs in pubs mainly. I have my eye on a blues junior texas red with vintage celestion speaker!
@kweerb8 Actually, I haven't I use a 31 year old Garnet Session Man combo, and the tubes are about 31 years old. I haven't changed them. Mine started cracking and losing volume just a short while ago, so I think I'll need to buy a new set if it continues doing it. I re ordered the two power tubes a few weeks ago and it seems to work okay for now.
Great vid, learned alot! : ]
Hello just asking does the number of tubes in a preamp affect the tone ? And why I see preamps with many tubes and others with a single tube ?
@ gr8bluesgtr: is there a free book (or for pay if not any free available) on the internet that covers the contents you put out in this amazing series of clips in a more detailed view?
Pretty much everything used tubes back then, even early computers used tubes.
I agree with all of this, but what explains the fact that a tube amp's clean sound also sounds better than a solid state amp's to a lot of people?
@mmim4 I don't think so. It depends on the level you are driving it, i think. As you would rarely use a 50W past 3 (believe me, it's loud), you wouldn't even notice.
this dude is a bad ass.
@darkragnarok21 hell yeah. I have three tube amps and a tech 21 and the Tech is amasing! :)
Weren't tubes from the old radios used for the first tube amps?
jeesus this was informative its 1 am i need to sleep gah.
i would like to add that tube amps have there place in music as well as transistor type amps nether can sound like the other but both have there qualities and faults i own over 12 amps now 5 of which are transistor(soild state) great vid thou
I know it is an old video. I think it is very understandable on a very low technical entry level. I know in essence the red line is correct, especially in order not be nerdy. Yet let me add something. Today, we know so much more about tube amps and the way they handle signals. Nowadays - if not already 20 years ago "nerds" did :) - we can speak in certainty about "circuit" design. Tube vs transistors alone do not explain amps and the difference between amps. No tube amp - let alone brand - sounds the same. The difference between transistors amps and tube is with hindsight more than the difference between two parts.
We have come to a point where many solid state amps are designed like tube amps. And they do sound good. Many old transistor amps where made like non-guitar amps. They introduced common sense (hifi) circuitry around the transistors that made the amp a worse guitar amp. Once this is understood, the difference between solid state and tubes is getting thin. very thin..... Think of transtube circuitry, Quilter amps.... All analog solid state that is designed to add flavour and oddities in tube amps, throwing all ideal hifi design out.
Once you look in detail, you see a transistor is NOT a perfect replicator of the base signal. It needs feedback and correction to be linear and without adding harmonics. Just as a tube. The Dallas Rangemaster is a perfect exampe: 1 simple tranistor stage that is not perfectly "biased", without a lot of correcting parts and that hits the rails often at full signal. It does not chop off abruptly, it adds tons of harmonics gradually. No wonder it is used back in the days so often. On the other hand, many tube (power) amps have feedback and chop off more abruptly than is acknowledged. And still they sound good. "Only soft clipping is good" is a myth.
The Transistor, a Quantum Mechanics research discovery.👽👽👽. But nothing will ever replace Tubes vis-a-vis Guitar Amplifiers.🙂🙂🙂
is it ok the have different tube brands preamp and power tubes?
I’ll give it to Fender the Tone Master Deluxe is as tube like but not I’ve ever heard and the thing weighs like 8 pounds it’s insane. That being said I don’t own one and wi continue using tube amps just because they’re so cool
theres no delay
I have a blues deville 410 and it's too much volume at the point where I get good tone out of the tubes.. no golden tone at bedroom playable volumes.. perfect when I jam with a band. so I'm going to the guitar shop after christmas to test out the blues jr and the vox tv .. I need less power and all the golden delicious tone of that deville at high volumes.
It's a custom made guitar called the "Legend". There's more info about it at StevieSnacks (dot) com
do tube amps use alot of electricity?
Yes it does
what is biasing? i'm buying a used classic 30 with a bias pot added. what is that doin?
@pfarina so ah 50w or 100w tube amp make a noticable dif in the electric bill?
With 100W there is more tubes inside, i think, and the bill goes higher
@Strat0Blues I have the nos. It sounds ok when it distorts but really not that great. It's not a sound I would ever use
@Stratomacaster i dont get any delay
hmmm... so basically the primary reason for the popularity of tube amps is because of distortion. how about other factors like clean sounds and pedal compatibility? which is better?
It deoends on wich sound you want from the guitar. About single coil pickups tubes amp could be better to have a fatter sound
I think a 5W tube amp uses in fact around 40W
After playing tube amps for the last 10 years or so I could never ever ever ever go back to ice pick solid state.
Engineers made the transistor to be more linear and cleaner to realize that people like their music harmonically distorted and colored.
If anyone wants a amp that sounds great and isn't tube the Tech 21 Trademark amps are great.
when my blues junior distorts, it doesn't sound nice or smooth...why is that?
I just got a Blues Junior and you really have to be knowledgeable about how to set your EQ levels for the tone you're looking to get. Otherwise you end up like most people thinking "this isn't at all what I expected it to sound like."
Really? I don't see any delay... anyone else?
Tube - me sounds like hot !
Transistor - me sounds like bot !
@kweerb8 That almost sounds like a dying power tube. Take it to a mom and pa music joint and get them to look at it.
@gr8bluesgtr ahhhhhhh
I appreciate the info on this video, really I do!! But the heavy editing is annoying.
bassically music is about sound tube amps piss on solid states trust me i own a line 6 essentially tube amps are much more articulate dynamic warm thicker touche responses tube amps own solid state amps any day
Everything back then used vacuum tubes. But oddly enough, vacuums didn't..
Yeah yeah .. I know.. Just sayin..
Cheers.
woah.. Didn't know Anthony was doing cool gear videos Kung Fu / Ninja movie style.. lol..
i.e. -> The sound is a bit off.
Great video though.
Cheers.
Omg you look like Hedo Turkoglu!
bassically music is about sound tube amps piss on solid states trust me i own a line 6 essentially tube amps are much more articulate dynamic warm thicker more touche responses tube amps own solid state amps any day hands down!
How 'bout OP AMPS
Very good explenation. i give a hundred but you can only give a 5 on you tube.
hahah only broke kids with no money will argue with you why there is no difference between tubes and solid state. do you self a favor guys BUY A TUBE AMP. i bought a VOX AC30 and have been in heaven!
Joshua Rugg what’s so funny about kids with no money?
Manuel Robles just a scumbag
Holy shit edit much?
I'm sorry but this is a load of rubbish. I've tried a few standard electric amplifiers and none of them compare to my valve amplifier. The tube amplifier wins every time for audio quality. By the way the sound quality has got nothing to do with distortion