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SS Amp with an effective Valve Pre-amp


Count Bassy

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From my, admitedly limited, experience of modern SS amplifiers with Valve Pre-amps, the valve pre-amp has negligible effect on the tone. I currently have a Carvin BX something or other, but to be honest I can't tell the difference between the Valve in or by-passed. I've also read comments here and elsewhere about the Markbass Valve premps being "Very subtle". I'm comparing here with the wonderfull Marshall DBS system, or even their B150 Combo; both of these have blendable valve pre-amps that really make a difference, to the extent that it is actually useful to be able to blend between the two.

Are there any modern SS amps out there where the Valve Preamp has a noticable/useful effect?

 

 

 

 

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Any of the Mesa Boogie 'Simul State' series (Walkabout, Big Block, Titan V12, M-Pulse) have valve pre-amps which are designed to be very close to the front end of an all tube amp. Most of these Mesa amps have about 3 12AX7 pre amp valves in the preamp. Most of them also have valves in the output section as well, which is great in the sense that it reacts like a valve amp but not so great in the sense that the EQ settings at lower volume settings can sound a lot more different when playing at louder volumes.

I have the Walkabout and Big Block which behave more like a classic all valve amplifiers in terms of pre amp overdrive than my Trace Elliot V6 which actually is an old valve amp.

There are quite a lot of hybrid amps where the 'valve' component consists of a single preamp tube forming part of a 'drive' circuit which is separate from the pre-amp. Amps like Ashdown ABMs and EBS Fafner/TD650 have these types of designs. To my ears these amps sound less like like an all valve amp, but they sound close enough once you familiarise yourself with the amp and have the benefit of having loads of clean headroom. 

 

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I run a EBS Valve Drive in front of my solid state amp and it does a magnificent job of making it sound right valve-y. The VD (fnarrp) can be voiced as more modern or vintage via the footswitch so you can go full on jack Bruce or keep it more in check on the modern setting. I've used it as an 'always on' and then complimented it with another drive (Aguilar THDI) basically using the two gain stages very effectively. You can get a proper big drive sound this way which doesn't have to be heavy metal crushing.

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The Fender Bassman 500 and 800 heads have valve pre-amps and SS power amps.  They also have a Vintage channel where you can use old school cut-only EQ with Gain and Master to push the two 12AX7A pre-amp tubes.  Or you can use the modern active Overdrive channel, with blendable overdrive and cut/boost EQ and Gain & Master to have even more tone control.

Their retro Fender blackface boxes look like they weigh a ton, but they are only 17 lb.s for the 500 and 18 lb.s for the 800!  I love my 500 with a Bassman Neo 115 cab.

 

IMG_20161130_092356.jpg

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On 31/01/2020 at 12:49, MartinB said:

Modern, but not in production: Genz-Benz Shuttle for sure - and I assume the Streamliner as well, since it has three pre-amp valves and was marketed as the more valve-y option

This ^.

The valve pre-amp makes a very marked difference to the tone / grit / drive / alternative cliche to taste.

 

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I use a Carvin BX500 and as you say, there is very little difference with valve on or off. I believe that the valve they used was a little polite. The opposite to what a lot of people said about the Orange Terror. May be worth experimenting with some different makes?

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For full on valvey goodness, the closest I've come is using the valve emulations on the helix. Some are very good and add that bit of sparkle and feel.

I've never really found a x1 valve pre amp that worked. They just seemed to add a tiny bit for me, but no extra 'feel'.

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3 hours ago, chris_b said:

My Ampeg SVT-3 PRO was a great sounding amp and bombproof. I played mine several times a week for nearly 9 years with no issues, and they can be had pretty cheaply these days.

Decent amps those, and you can get different sets of valves that “change the flavour” of the sound. I went for the higher gain set with mine and it was very nice.

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Definitely +1 for the Walkabout (and the M-Pulses, tho not as much), in the smaller/lighter Class D corner the Streamliner blooms nicely, and the Magellan does a very nice valvey sound, without having a valve in it. That Genzler bloke knows what he's doing...

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