Guide to Solid State VS. Tube Amplifiers

A newcomer to guitar amplification might experience a bit of buyer shock when looking at potential amp candidates. There's a lot of things to consider, and normal buyer wisdom applies here. However, when it comes to guitar amplification there's one question that divides all amplifiers and guitar players alike: Is it Solid State or Tube? I'll explain the differences between them and then equip you with some information to help you buy the proper amp.

First, what's the difference between them? Without getting too heavily into the nuts and bolts of it, a solid state amplifier perfectly recreates your playing with immaculate detail, unmatched by tube amplifiers. However, this is also it's undoing. This perfection also causes your tone to sound ''sterile''. This is where tube amplifiers come in. Basically, your guitar signal on a tube amp is run through a tube preamp before you hear it. What are tubes exactly? Vacuum tubes were prevalent on electronics in early radios and mixing boards. The tubes saturate your tone with discrete harmonics, creating ''imperfect'' sound waves. The human ear is actually more receptive to imperfect sound waves because those are what we hear in every day life. As such, tube amps are unanimously agreed upon as the better sounding of the two types of amplifiers.

But solid states do provide a unique tone. And though tube amps are warm and soft sounding, solid states still provide crystal clear clarity that just can't be achieved with tube amplifiers. When it comes down to it, try both and see what you like better. I must say, however, that the majority of the guitar recordings you've heard from the 1950s to now have been tube amplifiers. Many professionals simply won't consider solid state. A few big time players have used solid state though, so don't write it off.

Now, there's a few things you'll need to note. Tube amplifiers will cost more money, and there's no way around it. In addition, they'll require some maintenance. How often depends on how often you play. Vacuum tubes can get worn out and worn down, and they'll need replacing. They aren't expensive, but they aren't cheap either.

As for the amps themselves, if you're an at home musician expect to pay about two hundred to five hundred dollars for a versatile tube amplifier. This includes volume, features, and durability. If you try them both and decide you like solid state more, you'll get a really good bang for your buck. You can get a half stack at around five hundred dollars these days. Whatever you choose, good luck!