Open E Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 Can’t afford a tube amp so what is the warmest and closest class d amp to a valve head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goonerjoe Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 Orange Little Bass thing has a compressor that does a great tube amp impression. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubbybloke68 Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 Genz Benz streamliner , think there’s one in the classified. Very nice amps and you can pick them up quite reasonably nowadays . 😊 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 4 minutes ago, tubbybloke68 said: Genz Benz streamliner , think there’s one in the classified. Very nice amps and you can pick them up quite reasonably nowadays . 😊 They do sound very tubey but there's a reason for that! Does a tube preamp with Class D amp count as Class D? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 Orange Bass Terror, very tubey - well there is a tube in it after all. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubbybloke68 Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 1 hour ago, tubbybloke68 said: Genz Benz streamliner , think there’s one in the classified. Very nice amps and you can pick them up quite reasonably nowadays . 😊 There’s a 600 in the classified for 220 quid, a steal for that price, and no I do not have anything to do with the seller. Just saying….x 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 What makes a tube amp sound like a tube amp is the natural soft knee compression of the power tubes. Using a compressor, preferably in the effects loop, will get a SS amp close. 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 The 900 Liner is a great amp! The amp designer still services them. And despite living in Nova Scotia I sent mine off to California for some spa time. I felt the amp was well worth investing in. It’s like a brand new amp. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 12 hours ago, Downunderwonder said: They do sound very tubey but there's a reason for that! Does a tube preamp with Class D amp count as Class D? Ok I’ll bite - yes 🤓 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 12 hours ago, Downunderwonder said: They do sound very tubey but there's a reason for that! Does a tube preamp with Class D amp count as Class D? As far as I can gather, "Class D" refers to the power amp rather than the preamp. So completely agree with @Merton. No doubt someone will be along with a more in depth explanation of why I'm wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 7 minutes ago, Skybone said: As far as I can gather, "Class D" refers to the power amp rather than the preamp. So completely agree with @Merton. No doubt someone will be along with a more in depth explanation of why I'm wrong. You’re right.Class D is the power amp design; traditional solid state and valve heads tend to use class AB power amp topology. Class D is more often than not linked with an SMPS (switch mode power supply) as opposed to the traditional power supply found in valve and class AB heads, and that’s actually where most of the weight saving comes from 🤓 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 It was a question for the OP to consider. GK did some, Ashdown too, looking at the size of some or they may have stuck with A/B. They are all a bit heavier for the tube preamp and extra case so figured it may count in his choice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 (edited) I settled on my Demeter (model details in signature) as the answer to this question but it’s not an especially practical solution for the OP considering price and scarcity. Like the GB Streamliner which I owned immediately before that, it has a valve preamp. Edited December 16, 2023 by JapanAxe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHM Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 A Rumble with the vintage button in gets you a long way there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killerfridge Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 The old TC electronic RH450/750s do an excellent emulation of a tube power section Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 Aguilar Tone Hammer? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbasspecial Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 Alternatively just buy a valve amp. I recently picked an Ashdown Little B*stard from FB marketplace for just £220! Looks and sounds fantastic. That’s cheaper than getting an Orange Bass Terror. Mine was a steal but £300 will probably get you one. Do it. You won’t regret it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 A 300 watt tube amp is large and very heavy. And has that unique sound. Many 300 watt Class D heads will fit in the pocket of a gig bag. Some class D heads also have tube preamps , but they are not quite the same thing. Some Class D heads have no tubes whatsoever but manage a somewhat tubey sound through manipulating various gain stages. Some say preamps with a tube rectifier have the most convincing tube sound. Those preamps are few , larger , and more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 16 minutes ago, msb said: Some say preamps with a tube rectifier have the most convincing tube sound. To some extent that's correct. Part and parcel of tube sound is power supply sag. The reason why a tube pre doesn't give the same result as power tubes is that pre tubes don't draw enough current to give the same degree of power supply sag as power tubes. A rectifier tube will help, but still won't give the same result as tube rectification of a power tube voltage rail. The popular consensus is that Fender ruined their amps when they made the change from a rectifier tube to solid state diodes. From a technical standpoint SS diodes work better than tube, but technically better doesn't always sound better. Mesa and others addressed this with dual rectifier amps, allowing the user to choose either tube or SS rectifiers. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 26 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said: .......but technically better doesn't always sound better.... Ain't that the truth 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 2 hours ago, Dan Dare said: Aguilar Tone Hammer? Plus 1 for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 (edited) I’ve found amps with a real tube preamp are more convincing than the ToneHammer. edit … however the TH is certainly a nice sounding amp. Edited December 16, 2023 by msb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 3 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said: Part and parcel of tube sound is power supply sag. This short article about tube rectifiers and power supply sag is an interesting read (well it was to me anyway!) https://reverb.com/news/does-a-tube-rectifier-really-make-an-amp-sound-better 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 Nice article , thankyou. I had been reading that tube rectifiers sound a bit warmer , and solid state rectifiers were a bit more defined. I have a tube pre with a tube rectifier but I’m no scientist. I just like how the overall thing responds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted December 17, 2023 Share Posted December 17, 2023 Laney Digbeth. The most convincing tube sound out there. It also plays like a tube amp, the more you dig in the more valve like it reacts. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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