Tube-type guitar amps are not louder than solid-state

There is a common misconception that since tube-type amps don't require as many watts to output the same volume as a solid-state amp with double or more the watts, tube-type must be "louder".

Not really.

Understanding why solid-state has more watts compared to tube-type can actually be summed up in one word: Overhead. But it takes some explanation to understand what that means.

When a tube-type guitar amp has its volume increased, a change in sound occurs called "breakup." As the amplifier and loudspeaker get driven more, they become overdriven, and what you hear sounds like a "breaking up" of the tone.

The breakup noise heard from a tube-type amp is a good sound. Nearly all electric guitar players agree on this point. The natural breakup sound of an overdriven tube-type amp is pleasing to the ear - if you're okay with never being able to play "clean" loudly. More on that in a moment.

On a solid-state amp, its overdriven sound is terrible. When the amp is pushed to its limit, what you hear is best described as a jarring "flappy" noise. Guitar players all agree that this sound is just plain bad.

Solid-state amps have more watts to specifically avoid being overdriven at higher volumes. With a tube-type, its overdriven tone when pushed is desirable, so a lower wattage where you overdrive earlier is totally okay. With solid-state, its overdriven tone when pushed is awful, so a higher wattage where you overdrive much later is desirable.

In very basic terms, solid-state amps have more watts to give it more overhead so it doesn't overdrive as much when compared to tube-type.

I said above that it's not possible to play a tube-type "clean" loudly. That's the #1 drawback of tube-type. If you always prefer an overdriven sound when playing loud, tube-type always works. But for music styles where the guitar tone can't be overdriven or distorted when playing loud, solid-state is the better choice.

Fun fact: Many guitarists who prefer tube-type amps that need to play clean will purposely use a chorus effect, as that helps mask the overdriven breakup sound at higher volumes.

To note, guitar players do not want "clean" tube-type amps. What they want is something like the VOX AC30, or maybe a different tube head connected to a cabinet with Celestion speakers in it. These amps and loudspeakers get the breakup sound very easily when even moderately pushed, which is exactly how guitarists like them to be. That is the rock-and-roll guitar sound, after all.

Solid-state does in fact give you more control for the reason it will basically sound the same at any volume. When tube-type amps are pushed, the sound changes. When solid-state amps are pushed, the sound doesn't change but instead just gets louder. In addition, you can trust that solid-state will sound the same every time, all the time. With tube-type, those amps change in sound depending on tube temperature, how new or old the tubes are, and so on.

"But tube-type sounds louder to me"

Yes, it does. But that's because the overdrive happens sooner with tube-type, tricking your brain into thinking it's louder when it isn't.

You hear that distortion sooner, and your brain thinks, "This is louder!" It's not.

The 24-fret Strat exists, and it's a Charvel

"Gee, I wish Fender would make a 24-fret Strat..."

If you've ever wished that, your wish has come true in that you can get it with the Charvel DK24.

In reality, Charvel has been making 24-fret Strat style guitars for a long time now. How can they get away with such a Fender-looking guitar? It's because the parent company of Charvel is, you guessed it, Fender itself. This basically means that Charvel can borrow designs from Fender. More importantly, if Fender were to ever build a 24-fret Stratocaster guitar, the Charvel DK24 is pretty much exactly what the guitar would be.

The DK24 is a Dinky alder body (yes, Jackson, whose parent company is also Fender) that has a "speed neck" with rolled fingerboard edges, 25.5" scale length, jumbo fret wire, TUSQ nut, 1.6875" nut width, Stratocaster headstock, urethane neck finish, "caramelized maple" fingerboard with compound 12-to-16 inch radius. Pickups are all Seymour Duncan with the bridge being a super-hot SH-10B and the middle and neck being "flat Strat" style. Standard 5-way switch and master volume and master tone controls. The knobs are literally the same as on the Stratocaster. The bridge is a Gotoh custom 510. Tuners are Charvel die-cast locking.

The truss rod wheel at the butt of the neck. This makes for very easy adjustments. Nice.

The DK24 is totally a hot rod guitar, but done so in a very clean way. This is the guitar some guitar players (notably soloists) have been wanting Fender to build for years. Well, there's no need to wait for it. You want a Strat with hot pickups and a neck with 24 frets? There's no waiting because Charvel makes it right now.

Also, consider this: If this had a Fender decal on the headstock, it would be selling for over $2,000. But since it's a Charvel, it's way less than that. And bear in mind this Charvel is "as Fender as it gets" without being Fender-branded. Again, if Fender were to build a hot rod 24-fret Strat, it would literally be this guitar.

Guitar amp watts needed for smaller gigs

This one is written by request.

A reader on Facebook asked:

I'm just curious how many watts do I need for small gigs and band rehearsals? And cheap because I'm just starting out.

One of the more affordable solid-state amplifiers is the Fender Champion 100. Very loud. This thing has twin 12-inch loudspeakers, and oh yes, it can push a lot of volume. It is easily as loud as most half-stack amplifier setups. It's also weighs 40 pounds (18kg) so it's not exactly a lightweight. This is a beefy amp.

Do you need 100 watts? In my experience, no. With solid-state you can get away with 60 and still be heard, but for anything lower than that, you end up with solid-state distortion - which is a sound you absolutely do not want.

I personally use a Line 6 Spider V 60. Previously I had a 100-watt Fender Frontman 212R, the predecessor to the Champion 100. The big Fender for me was just too big, too darned loud, and very annoying to lug around. The Line 6, while having only one loudspeaker and being 60-watt compared to 100-watt, suits me better.

Then again, for regular gigging it is better to have too much volume available rather than too little. There would never be a problem getting enough volume out of the big Fender. But with the smaller Line 6 60-watt, there might be.

Tube-type?

Not as many watts are needed for tube-type to push volume compared to solid-state, but to explain why that is requires a whole other article that I'll write later. For now, I'll just say I don't recommend tube-type for those starting out for one reason. Cost.

An example of this is the Fender Super Champ X2. Great tube-type amp? Yes. But at the time I write this, it's $50 more than the Champion 100 and not even half as loud. There is absolutely no way the 1x10 Super Champ will out-loud the solid-state 2x12 Champion. Not a chance. You want the most volume for the money, you get the Champion amp.

And then when you see the price of the Spider V 60, that's when you really start seeing the value of solid-state over tubes. Tube-type amps just can't compete pricewise when compared to solid-state.

Generally speaking, tubes always cost more than solid-state does and that's pretty much the way it's always been.

Used?

Given the fact new solid-state amps are so low in cost these days, you really don't save much buying used.

Granted, if you do come across an a solid-state amp with 60 watts or greater that's in good shape for real cheap, as in under $125 cheap, you can take a risk and buy one of those. But I wouldn't personally do it.

How many watts needed for certain gigs?

How many watts to go with depends on the rehearsal or gigging space.

For smaller rooms where sound can bounce off the walls, 60 watts is usually just fine.

For larger rooms, the amp may need to be lifted off the ground (such as stacking it on top of a box) for it to be heard, and you should be able to get away with 60 watts.

For larger rooms with wider open stages or outdoor gigs, at that point you need larger loudspeakers that can push more air, so 100 watts would be needed...

...if a drummer is present.

Fighting with the drummer

The one person you're fighting against for sonic space is always the drummer.

This means if you're playing solo as a street performer, you absolutely do not need a 100-watt amp. In fact, you can easily get away with a little 25-watt solid-state amp in a street performer environment.

But with the full band, it's the drummer that's the loudest thing in the room. Always. That's the guy you need to out-loud to be heard. If you have a drummer that really bangs the skins hard, you'll need to go for the 100-watt amp.

Parts guitars can look awesome

Some guitar parts out there look so darned good that "parting together" your next guitar may be what you want to do.

When you start seeking out guitar parts, you come across some really amazing stuff. It's amazing enough to where I may seriously consider putting together my next guitar from ready-to-install parts.

Above is one such example of how cool things get when you seek out Stratocaster type guitar bodies. Some have amazing appearances to them.

As for what I would go with, I like Telecasters and would love a fiesta red body or maybe vintage cream or maybe even gold. This is stuff I normally can't get from Fender or Squier with regular production models.

Will I part together a Telecaster using custom parts in the future?

I just might.

The coolest Ibanez guitar of 2018

And would you believe it's under $400?

Believe it. The Ibanez AX230T in Metallic Forest is it, and wow does this guitar get a lot of things right.

First, you see something ordinarily only seen on "Black Beauty" Les Paul Custom guitars, three humbuckers. If you look closely, you'll see the bridge side pickup has the adjustable poles positioned back while the other two are positioned front. This is correct.

Second is a Bigby-style vibrato system with "butter knife" arm. Also cool.

All the controls are placed out-of-the-way of the player so you never hit them while strumming. Very nice.

Green guitars are usually awful, but not this one. It's just the right shade and the metallic flake along with the pearloid pick guard really sets it off right.

Block inlays and bound fingerboard. Easy to miss, but it's there.

The front strap button is at the PROPER position at the tip of the top horn. No neck dive here.

Roller bridge? YES! This keeps the string in tune better.

I mentioned the Black Beauty Les Paul above. If you can imagine that with a Bisgby vibrato, that's basically what this Ibanez is - except it costs WAY less yet you still get a quality guitar.

This is without a doubt the coolest Ibanez of 2018. Yes, there are plenty of more expensive Ibanez models out there, but few as cool as this one.