Topmusicanswers
- What do I need to know about tube amps?
- What is special about a tube amp?
- How do I choose a tube amp?
- Are tube amps really worth it?
What do I need to know about tube amps?
Get an amp with twice the wattage than you need. This way, you should have enough headroom. But, if you're playing mostly clean tones – you could need a bit more to ensure you've got enough headroom before your clean tones start to break up. For home use, most tube amps are probably going to be too loud.
What is special about a tube amp?
Just like our ears, musical instruments and just about everything else natural, tube amplifiers have the least distortion at the lowest levels. This is why a tube amplifier can sound great played softly, while with transistor amplifiers people are usually needing to turn it up to have it sound best.
How do I choose a tube amp?
The most important thing to keep in mind in your search for a tube amp is that YOUR opinion of the tone of an amp is the most important opinion of all. By all means, listen to the input of others to help guide you, but in the end, you need to make your decision based upon how good an amp sounds to YOU.
Are tube amps really worth it?
In many cases, tube amps do not require the amount of maintenance that they have a reputation for. As long as you properly take care of your gear, owning a tube amp is simple and very well worth it for the tone.
