Hybrid amps - opinions?

[stevoc]

I just picked up a Kustom HV65 to play with. So far, it sounds really nice, but I haven't really given it a good working over.I was just curious what people thought about hybrid amps and give any advantages/disadvantages for them.

I have 45 days to play with it before I have to return or keep it.

[Spivonious]

By hybrid, you mean tube preamp, solid state power amp? I've never met one I didn't hate

[Rich#6]

I loved my marshall 8100 vavlestate head. I just bought a vox vt50 and out of 66 channels only like 2 and it already after 6 weeks is cramping out. grrr!

[markD]

i have hybrid amps that go the other way, tube power amp SS preamp. i really liked my marshall 3203 and i had an old musicman amp once that was like that. it was pretty cool.

[DonP]

I just bought a vox vt50 and out of 66 channels only like 2 and it already after 6 weeks is cramping out. grrr!

Which 2 do you like?

My VT15 is still solid.

[DonP]

Any time you use a stomp box in front of a JCM800, you have a hybrid. So it's not really too unusual.

[stevoc]

By hybrid, you mean tube preamp, solid state power amp? I've never met one I didn't hate

Yes, that's the setup.

[Rupe]

i have hybrid amps that go the other way, tube power amp SS preamp. i really liked my marshall 3203 and i had an old musicman amp once that was like that. it was pretty cool.

The 3203 is an awesome sounding head. Just goes to prove that power tubes are what create the warmth and "bigness" of a tone.

[stevoc]

So far, the kustom amp is sounding better to me than most solid state amps I've tried. The distortion and overdrive sound much more "natural" (if I may call it that) than the SS's I've had. (now, I have only had 6 or 7 different amps in my lifetime, so I don't have much to base these findings on).

I will compare the sound I get from the lead channel on the kustom amp to be similar to the sound I got from a Marshall DSL 401 amp I tried in a store a while back. Very nice sounding.

I've never had a tube amp, so I can't really compare this to a true tube amp. I know the 401 isn't a high end amp, but I really liked the sound of it when in the store. I wish I bought it way back when as it was going for 800.00 brand new. Since the store was going out of business, I could have probably talked it down some.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Any time you use a stomp box in front of a JCM800, you have a hybrid. So it's not really too unusual.

I used a Chandler Tube Driver with mine. Not a hybrid.

OK, I'm lying because I didn't have the stomp-box version, but they made one.

Anyway, I would not like that kind of setup (tube preamp, solid state power amp) because the power tubes are where the "real tube sound" comes from. Tube pre/SS post is just "gimmicky." If you're going to do that, might as well go full solid state.

[Newc]

I used a Fender RocPro1000 head and Carvin VE212 cabinet when I had a band, and not once did anyone in the audience (guitarist or non-guitarist) seem to care whether the amp was all tube or half-tube.

Just sayin'

[marcus]

I used a Chandler Tube Driver with mine. Not a hybrid.

OK, I'm lying because I didn't have the stomp-box version, but they made one.

Anyway, I would not like that kind of setup (tube preamp, solid state power amp) because the power tubes are where the "real tube sound" comes from. Tube pre/SS post is just "gimmicky." If you're going to do that, might as well go full solid state.

"Tube amp sound" comes from more than the power tubes. It comes from the preamp tubes, rectifier tubes, and output transformer as well. The power tubes don't color the sound much until they are really cranked anyway. For metal, preamp distortion is more important than poweramp distortion, so I don't see tube pre/ss power section amps to be gimmicky at all.

[Robert Hendrix]

I've got the Vox AD50VT 2x12 and like it alot. I really think it would do even better with some different speakers but that's a project for another day.

On the Valvestate side, I had a Marshall 200 BiChorus head that was really cool but it reeked of 80s tone. Not really a bad thing, but I've been playing a variety of covers and needed something with a little more versatility.

[Rupe]

"Tube amp sound" comes from more than the power tubes. It comes from the preamp tubes, rectifier tubes, and output transformer as well.

This is partially correct. Most tube amps still have solid state rectifiers. A rectifier ultimately effects the feel and response, not so much the tone. You are right about the trannies...an often disregarded element that has a huge effect on tone.

The power tubes don't color the sound much until they are really cranked anyway. For metal, preamp distortion is more important than poweramp distortion, so I don't see tube pre/ss power section amps to be gimmicky at all.

This is mostly wrong. Even at low volumes there is a noticable difference in tone (and feel) between tube and solid state power. A good tube amp will have a smoother, "bigger" sound in most cases. When they are cranked is when they start to add extra distortion and compression to the tone...sometimes desirable (Plexi Marshall, tweed Fender, etc), sometimes not (most high gain amps and tube power amps).

As for metal, you can do it both ways. If I crank my Plexi or even my old Deluxe Reverb, I can play classic metal all day long...or until the police show up Most modern high gain amps do indeed derive their drive from the preamp section, in which case the power section will ideally be designed to stay clean and not add any additional saturation. That said, they still sound better (to me and the other players I know at least) through tube power (I have tried running a pre-out onto a high powered ss power amp with less than satisfying results).

Is it gimmicky to have a tube pre with ss power? I won't go that far, but with ss and modeling technology these days for tone generation (not power), I would say there is nothing beneficial to it. The warmth and feel comes primarily from the power section, not the preamp.

[chrisolson]

I had a Trace Elliot Super Tramp that pretty much rocked for a 1x12 hybrid. I didn't keep it long though. I never cared for the Marshall Valvestate though.

I did have an old Randall head (all SS) that killed both of them!!