Anyone switch to SS Amps over the years??

I have one solid state amp that I like mostly for nostalgic purposes. A Gallien Krueger 250 for those sweet Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time tones.
I’ve been playing Big Hairy Profiles free Kemper pack of this amp for killer Rush Power Windows tones! :)
 
I’ve just fallen head-over-heals for my Neural DSP into my “big monitor” set-up, which is a Crown K-2 through old JBL L100 speakers.

It’s the first modeling anything I’ve bought since a Line 6 ages ago. It was worth the wait - this kind of tech has finally arrived, IMO.

If I did solid state for live on stage, I’d use my fave modeler and a PA head + a full range PA cab.
 
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Hopefully. I think you'll like it once you get your hands on a properly working one. On my silver stripe Peavey Express which is very similar to the Bandit I have a Boss GT-1 that I run into the clean channel that sounds really great. Lately I've been 3 cabling using the gain channel from Peavey sending the signal to the GT-1 to use effects in stomp box mode (mostly delay, chorus and eq) and returning into the fx loop. I've ordered a Tubescreamer to stick in the front of this set up and see if I can get a bit more gain using this 3 cable method.

I hereby officially give up. The new one arrived today. The first was cutting out on the dirty channel, this one would go 5-10 minutes on the clean channel and then the sound would drop. Tried it with 2 guitars, 2 cables, 2 outlets...then took it back to GC.
 
I hereby officially give up. The new one arrived today. The first was cutting out on the dirty channel, this one would go 5-10 minutes on the clean channel and then the sound would drop. Tried it with 2 guitars, 2 cables, 2 outlets...then took it back to GC.
Just not meant to be… sometimes you can’t go home :(
 
I hereby officially give up. The new one arrived today. The first was cutting out on the dirty channel, this one would go 5-10 minutes on the clean channel and then the sound would drop. Tried it with 2 guitars, 2 cables, 2 outlets...then took it back to GC.
Damn. So sorry to hear that. My Peavey had a similar problems with the gain channel 2 years ago when I turned it on after years of it sitting around. Also a lot of the pots were scratching. I took it a guy to have a look hoping he could repair it. He couldn't but he took to another technician who was a 2 hours drive away. Second guy repaired it and got it sounding like new.
 
Well... time to go Quilter now. Peavey has been IT (and sentimentally, I still like Peavey SS stuff) but these days the real-deal quality AND unbelievable tone is all Quilter.
 
I have been wildly unsuccessful in switching to SS or modeling. There is something in my older Boogies that I haven't found in any other amps. The volume is a bit hard to tame but I've found a good compromise using a Two Notes Captor X when needed.

Mark IIA
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Mark IIB
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Captor X
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The Captor X has an attenuator that's not terribly flexible but it meets my needs. It might be the single most valuable piece of gear I own.
 
Another vote for Quilter here. I've used a ProBlock 200 live for the past 6 years. Lots of headroom, and with the right pedals, I can get a sound that works in a band setting. I still love tube amps, but the Quilter is lighter and more consistent.
 
I love the sound of Blackstar tube amps, but I've had issues with them as far as reliability. My current favorite is the EVH 5150III. It has all the gain I could ever need, and then some.

Having said that ...

I also love my travel set up, which is basically a Tech 21 RK Fly Rig with a pedal board that I run into the mixer. I also have a Boss ME80, which I haven't been able to use live yet, but sounds good for practice so far. And, I also have some amp sim suites. My favorite would be Amplitube 4, but I also like the Bias Amp stuff. I plan on releasing an EP soon, and all the guitar and bass tracks were done with those.

I have a funny story about a gig. After we were done, some dude came up and asked to see which amp I was playing. I showed him my Fender Mustang head, and he refused to believe that was the amp I had used because he "only liked tube amps, and he had heard one that night." He asked if I had a preamp, or anything else to mod the sound. I said no, and he left dumbfounded XD

Bottom line, use what works for you! :)
 
My favorite would be Amplitube 4
If you like Amplitube 4, you'll love Ampltiube 5. AT5 is sonically so much better than 4. I started using AT exactly 2 years ago after winning an iRig Stomp I/O in a raffle at Gus G's guitar camp. It had a free code for AT4 Deluxe. I knew nothing about amp sims but gave it ago and love it. IK Multimedia do fantastic offers all year around and I've purchased a lot of their amp collections. AT has been my go to for home recording. So easy to use and sounds so good.
 
If you like Amplitube 4, you'll love Ampltiube 5. AT5 is sonically so much better than 4. I started using AT exactly 2 years ago after winning an iRig Stomp I/O in a raffle at Gus G's guitar camp. It had a free code for AT4 Deluxe. I knew nothing about amp sims but gave it ago and love it. IK Multimedia do fantastic offers all year around and I've purchased a lot of their amp collections. AT has been my go to for home recording. So easy to use and sounds so good.
I'm planning on getting it eventually. I've heard great things about it!
 
I actually started with solid state amps and kept blowing them up.
From there I went to a Bassman and a Boogie Mark III, both of which I still have.
Mrs added a Boogie Mark V and an MDT.

I did get a Fishman SoloPA for acoustics and it does a great job. If I’m desperate I can toss a V Twin baby tube in front and add a pedal for electric character.

And I haul a Kemper on vacations. I just use it to play sounds I don’t play at home through headphones. If I didn’t already have great tube amps, I could get by with this.
 
I only have two amps, both ss. Mesa Rosette and Quilter microstack.

Man! I've been so intrigued by the Quilter "MicroPro" stack lately. That seems so flexible & versatile (is that redundant?). It looks like you have the 1x8 + the 1x12???

My old-school dream of this same-type setup was always the Peavey TransTube Bandit + separate 112SL cab. But alas, good luck finding those (the 1x12's that actually match) and plus that's a pretty heavy/bulky stack. I still long for the quilter micro stack.
 
I love the sound of Blackstar tube amps, but I've had issues with them as far as reliability. My current favorite is the EVH 5150III. It has all the gain I could ever need, and then some.

Having said that ...

I also love my travel set up, which is basically a Tech 21 RK Fly Rig with a pedal board that I run into the mixer. I also have a Boss ME80, which I haven't been able to use live yet, but sounds good for practice so far. And, I also have some amp sim suites. My favorite would be Amplitube 4, but I also like the Bias Amp stuff. I plan on releasing an EP soon, and all the guitar and bass tracks were done with those.

I have a funny story about a gig. After we were done, some dude came up and asked to see which amp I was playing. I showed him my Fender Mustang head, and he refused to believe that was the amp I had used because he "only liked tube amps, and he had heard one that night." He asked if I had a preamp, or anything else to mod the sound. I said no, and he left dumbfounded XD

Bottom line, use what works for you! :)
I keep a Tech 21 RK Flyrig in my gig bag in case I have amp trouble. Truthfully, the last time I had amp trouble was 12 years ago when a stage hand knocked over my Tech 21 Trademark 60 and then dropped a spotlight on it. I had to remove the head and send it back to Tech 21. It cost me $30 to have a new input jack put on it. Unfortunately, I had to borrow a Line 6 to play the musical for 2 weeks. never again for a Line 6.
 
I keep a Tech 21 RK Flyrig in my gig bag in case I have amp trouble. Truthfully, the last time I had amp trouble was 12 years ago when a stage hand knocked over my Tech 21 Trademark 60 and then dropped a spotlight on it. I had to remove the head and send it back to Tech 21. It cost me $30 to have a new input jack put on it. Unfortunately, I had to borrow a Line 6 to play the musical for 2 weeks. never again for a Line 6.
My first amp head ever was a Spider II ...

It wasn't a terrible amp, but I would never get one ever again! The Helix stuff is ok (if you're willing to spend hours tweaking it), but I still prefer real amps when playing live :)
 
I have been wildly unsuccessful in switching to SS or modeling. There is something in my older Boogies that I haven't found in any other amps. The volume is a bit hard to tame but I've found a good compromise using a Two Notes Captor X when needed.

Mark IIA
Gm61N5ch.jpg


Mark IIB
QRJcAdoh.jpg


Captor X
bIEa9cil.jpg


The Captor X has an attenuator that's not terribly flexible but it meets my needs. It might be the single most valuable piece of gear I own.
Glad I’m not the only one. I also have the captor x at home. I got it after “work from home” became a long term, now permanent thing for my other half. I find the low setting works fine for me in most cases, otherwise I plug headphones in. I just don’t want to not play my real amps. I feel in the minority these days.
 
Glad I’m not the only one. I also have the captor x at home. I got it after “work from home” became a long term, now permanent thing for my other half. I find the low setting works fine for me in most cases, otherwise I plug headphones in. I just don’t want to not play my real amps. I feel in the minority these days.
I can feel that way, and I do see more digital gear out there all the time, but the majority of players, especially pros, are still getting their tone via glowing glass. I think there will always be a healthy contingent of real amp players, even when digital takes the lead. I use both, and the experience of a real tube amp is still its own thing.

Even the best digital models, like the highest resolution photograph, are not the real thing. I think digital will eventually go it’s own way, creating its own tones. There will always be both. It’s odd for me to realize that there’s a generation of players out there who’ve never played on a great tube amp. The models are all they know, and they like it that way. Ch-ch-ch-changes!
 
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