Is it realistic to have a tube amp at home?

[Byrdman]

I have been reading this thread off and on since the beginning and I have not read every post, just pick up wherever.

IMO, you can never go wrong wanting to play with a tube amp but with mine, they really shine at higher volumes and at lower volumes, many SS amps sound better and have more features.

Also IMO, from what you describe from your needs, a Catalyst or Katana would sound better at lower volumes.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Read the whole thread, did not deliver

 

[spawnofthesith]

On topic: get a mark V

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I have been reading this thread off and on since the beginning and I have not read every post, just pick up wherever.

IMO, you can never go wrong wanting to play with a tube amp but with mine, they really shine at higher volumes and at lower volumes, many SS amps sound better and have more features.

Also IMO, from what you describe from your needs, a Catalyst or Katana would sound better at lower volumes.

thanks, makes sense! Some say a tube amp is possible at lower levels, some say it doesnt. But I have heard less arguments why it should work compared to the people who have a well thought out process why it won't work. So I am leaning more towards skipping the tube amp and buy a hollow body (or semi) for the living room.

 

[Byrdman]

On topic: get a mark V

Head version with at least 2 x 412's, but 4 x 4x12's will almost get you exactly where you want to be

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Head version with at least 2 x 412's, but 4 x 4x12's will almost get you exactly where you want to be

Everybody has a different form of beautiful. I wouldnt want that amp in my living room.

 

[Byrdman]

Everybody has a different form of beautiful. I wouldnt want that amp in my living room.

LOL.. I was just being sarcastic

BTW, I have one of the Blackstar Fly's for my couch amp I play with my semi-hollow body and for a it's purpose, it sounds pretty good. You can pick them up used for $20-$30 around here.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

LOL.. I was just being sarcastic

BTW, I have one of the Blackstar Fly's for my couch amp I play with my semi-hollow body and for a it's purpose, it sounds pretty good. You can pick them up used for $20-$30 around here.

So perhaps a Yamaha THR in combination with a nice (semi) hollow might be a good way to go :) The Yamaha I already have.

 

[Byrdman]

So perhaps a Yamaha THR in combination with a nice (semi) hollow might be a good way to go :) The Yamaha I already have.

Yep, you can never go wrong getting another guitar

BTW, Gretsch just came out with a Billy Duffy Signature White Falcon - https://gretschguitars.com/features/billy-duffy

If money were no worry and I had $4K laying around, that would be the hollow body in my collection.

 

[Sleezy E]

The only reason I can see to have a tube amp at home is if you already own a set of balls.

If yours have been lost, stolen, in your wife's purse, or shriveled up into little raisins... then NO... probably not a good idea.

 

[JiveTurkey]

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Yep, you can never go wrong getting another guitar

BTW, Gretsch just came out with a Billy Duffy Signature White Falcon - https://gretschguitars.com/features/billy-duffy

If money were no worry and I had $4K laying around, that would be the hollow body in my collection.

4000? Like .. 3 zeros???

;-)

 

[toneseeker911]

Didn’t read the whole thread, but just get a fractal audio device. Indistinguishable from toobs.

 

[PLX]

The only reason I can see to have a tube amp at home is if you already own a set of balls.

If yours have been lost, stolen, in your wife's purse, or shriveled up into little raisins... then NO... probably not a good idea.

 

[laxu]

I'll summarize my post first, because attention spans: Stick with the Yammy, or get an acoustic.

Just like any post from anyone on any forum, this is my opinion based on my experience.

I've never played a Yamaha desktop amp, but I do have a Spark GO and a Roland Mobile Cube that can do the job of any-room practice. Not as dynamic as my Stomp can be through studio monitors or headphones.

I don't like headphones either but sometimes they're necessary so I got a good pair of open-back headphones that sound very natural. My headphones never leave my room/desk. Also in my room, my 5153 Stealth is 50w but can get quieter than my 15w MT15 and still sound okay. I only say okay because louder is more better, so I actually prefer headphones and modeling/profiling if worrying about my kids sleeping.

If I'm in the living room and want to play at off-practice times when there are guests, family, or nothing else to do - - I worry less about tone and dynamics and would rather use something small/portable. I'd probably be more inclined to play an acoustic instrument rather than compete with conversations using any permanently set-up speaker sitting across the room, it needs to be next to me, but at that point I'd rather have an acoustic or play electric unplugged.

I agree with this completely.

Can you use a tube amp at home? Sure, if it's a well done, modern master volume amp. Or you have invested a good chunk of money on a proper reactive attenuator. Or you can simply play it at louder volumes.

Take it from me, chasing the home tube amp experience is a fool's errand where you can spend a helluva lot of money, but if you can't play it loud enough, not even the world's best attenuator/reamper will make it truly satisfying.

For OP's usecase, the Yamaha is the right tool. It's the case where they don't want to be loud, and might want to use headphones. The Yamaha is spot on for this, and is a good sounding little box.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I agree with this completely.

Can you use a tube amp at home? Sure, if it's a well done, modern master volume amp. Or you have invested a good chunk of money on a proper reactive attenuator. Or you can simply play it at louder volumes.

Take it from me, chasing the home tube amp experience is a fool's errand where you can spend a helluva lot of money, but if you can't play it loud enough, not even the world's best attenuator/reamper will make it truly satisfying.

For OP's usecase, the Yamaha is the right tool. It's the case where they don't want to be loud, and might want to use headphones. The Yamaha is spot on for this, and is a good sounding little box.

Thanks for coming in and giving some advice. And especially the bolded part is really helpful. Maybe just practice the hell out of the Stomp + monitors and Yamaha.. and once in a blue moon I might get to play a real nice tube amp :)

And get myself a (semi) hollow. Probably a Epi Casino or 335. Those are really nice.

 

[Orvillain]

Take it from me, chasing the home tube amp experience is a fool's errand where you can spend a helluva lot of money, but if you can't play it loud enough, not even the world's best attenuator/reamper will make it truly satisfying.

The thing is....

If you can play a modeller at home, or a solid state amp at home, and get some level from it from a speaker.... then you can do the same thing with a modern valve amp. Just pick the right one.

If you can't do it for a valve amp, but you can do it for a modeller or a solid state amp, then you're really doing something wrong.

If you're headphones-bound, there are ways to get your valve amp plugged into a loadbox and to then feed your headphones with an IR applied to it.

Today, there are no barriers to using a valve amp at home, that don't also applied to the other bits of kit.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

The thing is....

If you can play a modeller at home, or a solid state amp at home, and get some level from it from a speaker.... then you can do the same thing with a modern valve amp. Just pick the right one.

If you can't do it for a valve amp, but you can do it for a modeller or a solid state amp, then you're really doing something wrong.

If you're headphones-bound, there are ways to get your valve amp plugged into a loadbox and to then feed your headphones with an IR applied to it.

Today, there are no barriers to using a valve amp at home, that don't also applied to the other bits of kit.

As a way to be able to communicate on-line with each other, what DBs are you talking about here?

 

[Orvillain]

As a way to be able to communicate on-line with each other, what DBs are you talking about here?

Before we go there, are we talking full-scale, RMS-weighted, measured in LUFS, SPL, what?

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

Before we go there, are we talking full-scale, RMS-weighted, measured in LUFS, SPL, what?

Idk