I'd like to make a few more observations about tube gear and why I love using it.
1. Benchmark Musicality.
Tubes amplifiers are so inherently musical that other technologies merely try to replicate their sound. Modelers and solid state amps don't even try to get into new sonic realms or possibilities. Why? They're certainly able to. I've got synthesizers that do all kinds of new things with transistor and modeling technologies.
I think the answer is that the sound of the electric guitar became a mature artistic sound 50-60 years ago. And the technology used to attain a big part of that sound - tube amplifiers - became the benchmark of what good guitar tone is all about. That benchmark is so fully associated with the guitar music we listen to that we're no more likely to depart from it than an orchestra is likely to use electric oboes.
The body of work that makes up the guitar music catalog was achieved with a certain technology, and to date, the type of sound used in creating it hasn't been replaced. Maybe that changes down the road, but we haven't seen it yet. If all a modeler does is replicate an existing sound, while it might be a cool gizmo, it's not creating a new musical result.
2. Authenticity.
The tube amplifier is not only the best sounding way to achieve that benchmark musicality, it is the most authentic way to achieve it.
Why do people still buy wooden acoustic guitars (or electric, for that matter) when there are plenty of lovely alternatives to wood? It isn't just the way the instrument looks. You can buy a solid color wooden guitar, just as you can buy a solid color carbon fiber or fiberglass composite acoustic guitar, like a Rainsong, or an Ovation Adamas.
Like tube gear, wooden gear has plenty of drawbacks. For one thing, it cracks easily. It absorbs and releases moisture. It's not as stable as a composite. You have to baby it with humidifiers, or dehumidifiers; you have to make seasonal adjustments. So why do we not only tolerate, but desire it?
The answer, of course, is that it's the sound we want, the sound we're used to over centuries of listening, the most authentic way to achieve that certain musical expression on the instrument that we enjoy so much.
Authenticity matters in the creation of music.
3. Simplicity.
Why deploy solid state or modeling gear when the simplest and most effective path to getting good tube tone is to use a tube amp? Why be forced to settle for 'it's almost as good'? However convenient modelers and such can be, they can't be said to sound better, or be better at making music with, than what they're merely modeling.
And have you noticed that the simpler an amp's design is, the more responsive it can be, and the more transparent?
I believe that the simplest solution is, in this case, the most elegant solution.
4. Appreciation of Vintage Tech.
This may be a personal thing, but I'll tell you what, I get a certain pleasure out of using this vintage technology. I love that I can tweak the tone not only with different tubes that I can install myself, but simply by altering the controls on my guitar, or with my picking hand.
What a beautiful, glorious technology tube amps embody...an older technlogy that can be used to create art, and appreciated for the sake of its musicality and elegance.
1. Benchmark Musicality.
Tubes amplifiers are so inherently musical that other technologies merely try to replicate their sound. Modelers and solid state amps don't even try to get into new sonic realms or possibilities. Why? They're certainly able to. I've got synthesizers that do all kinds of new things with transistor and modeling technologies.
I think the answer is that the sound of the electric guitar became a mature artistic sound 50-60 years ago. And the technology used to attain a big part of that sound - tube amplifiers - became the benchmark of what good guitar tone is all about. That benchmark is so fully associated with the guitar music we listen to that we're no more likely to depart from it than an orchestra is likely to use electric oboes.
The body of work that makes up the guitar music catalog was achieved with a certain technology, and to date, the type of sound used in creating it hasn't been replaced. Maybe that changes down the road, but we haven't seen it yet. If all a modeler does is replicate an existing sound, while it might be a cool gizmo, it's not creating a new musical result.
2. Authenticity.
The tube amplifier is not only the best sounding way to achieve that benchmark musicality, it is the most authentic way to achieve it.
Why do people still buy wooden acoustic guitars (or electric, for that matter) when there are plenty of lovely alternatives to wood? It isn't just the way the instrument looks. You can buy a solid color wooden guitar, just as you can buy a solid color carbon fiber or fiberglass composite acoustic guitar, like a Rainsong, or an Ovation Adamas.
Like tube gear, wooden gear has plenty of drawbacks. For one thing, it cracks easily. It absorbs and releases moisture. It's not as stable as a composite. You have to baby it with humidifiers, or dehumidifiers; you have to make seasonal adjustments. So why do we not only tolerate, but desire it?
The answer, of course, is that it's the sound we want, the sound we're used to over centuries of listening, the most authentic way to achieve that certain musical expression on the instrument that we enjoy so much.
Authenticity matters in the creation of music.
3. Simplicity.
Why deploy solid state or modeling gear when the simplest and most effective path to getting good tube tone is to use a tube amp? Why be forced to settle for 'it's almost as good'? However convenient modelers and such can be, they can't be said to sound better, or be better at making music with, than what they're merely modeling.
And have you noticed that the simpler an amp's design is, the more responsive it can be, and the more transparent?
I believe that the simplest solution is, in this case, the most elegant solution.
4. Appreciation of Vintage Tech.
This may be a personal thing, but I'll tell you what, I get a certain pleasure out of using this vintage technology. I love that I can tweak the tone not only with different tubes that I can install myself, but simply by altering the controls on my guitar, or with my picking hand.
What a beautiful, glorious technology tube amps embody...an older technlogy that can be used to create art, and appreciated for the sake of its musicality and elegance.
