Tube Amps for Mandolins?

[infotrad]

Are there any advantages to using a tube amp for a mandolin (versus a solid-state amp)? Is it possible to get a nice warm sound using a tube amp, say, like with a stereo tube amp, or are tube amps really just designed for distortion like guitar tube amps?

If tube amps are a possibility, any recommendations?
If not, any recommendations for a good amp in general?

Cheers,

Traci

[Lee]

Unlike a solid-state amp a good tube amp has what is called "tube sag". I'm not versed in electronics but the tube sag occurs when the rectifier tube can't delivery adequate voltage or wattage or something quick enough, unlike a solid state amp which is pretty instaneneous. Tube sag is usually thought of as undesirable. But for a mandolin it actualy helps buffer that zingy zippy pinginess, especially in the upper register. The tube amp you chose should have a rectifier tube to take advabntage of this effect, though some tube amps will use a solid state rectifier and claim it works similarly.
A tube amp can be driven hard into distrotion; what is called natural tube distortion. A solid state amp does this electronically. You'd chose either amp to have the clean tone or distortion tone you desire.
But to answer your question; if you're playing a solid body electric mandolin with a magnetic pick-up a tube amp is generally more desirable than a solid state amp, although some people will disagree.
Ben Fargen makes very fine tube amps. Dr.Z amps are highly regarded. Top Hat Amps are wonderful. Some of the Fender tube amps are great. For about $600 you can buy a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue which has reverb and tremolo. It will distort but at a rather high volume.
Why do you mention a stereo amp?

[mandroid]

I have #a '60's Fender Vibro Champ that doesnt get much use, Sell for $300 (ive seen mandolin brothers selling one for $600)
nice small amp.
Tubes: 5Y3 #rectifier, 6V6 amplifyer , #2 12AX7's for preamp stage.,all new tubes,
#+ups(west coast)
PM?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif
My Instrument source used with this: 8 string Fender FM61se, pickup:EMG select stacked humbucker ,
with a little treble rolloff.. it's a nice jazzy sound...
even at 11 its still good and bluesy sounding..

[bdisp]

From an early '60s garage band rock-n-roller turned flatpicker when I met Clarence White to mando player.....are ya'll still with me.......I say this;

I have several vintage tube amps I've collected over the years. My collection is 99% original, 2-prong cord, the kinda stuff that makes the vintage "brethren" drool. Tube amps "color" the signal where solid state amps "report" the signal. My old Tele sounds fab thru my blonde Twin. My RIC-12 sounds best thru my SS '68 Vox Sovergn...with a touch of compression ala McGuinn. To each thier own.

When I reproduce acoustic signals it's SS all the way. This is not to say I don't eq/process the signal. I don't want the "color" of tubes.

All the old WSM, F&S, Monroe, insert other old GREATS here, were recorded using tube tech, including tube mics. Remember the Cold War? The BOMB couldn't take out the tubes. There were so many milatary spec tubes produced in the 50s. Where do you think the NOS tube market comes from? It ain't because of Mom's GE Hi-Fi.....

My $.02.............

[jmkatcher]

I don't really like the sound of my acoustic (w/pickup) through my tube amp, but my electric sounds wonderful. Even clean, which is how I play most of the time, it's such a rich thick sound. I was actually quite skeptical about the tube difference until I A/Bed a fancy modelling amp with a cheap tube amp, and the latter won handily.

[infotrad]

jmkatcher: When you say your electic mandolin, are you referring to a solid-body mandolin?

Being a newbie in the mandolin world, coud you tell me how the sound of an acoustic mandolin w/pickup sounds versus a dedicated solid-body electric one?
Thanks

[infotrad]

Reply to lee957 and any other possible respondents:

Regarding my original question on the respective merits of tube vs solid state ampls for mandolins, I smeone told me (if I heard correctly) that a tube preamp/a ss power amp combo might be good.

Being an "audiophile", my (audible) perception of tubes amplifiers is that they reproduce the sound as well as solid state ones (e.g. Contac-Johnson-tube and Arcam-ss, both of which I own and do well with all types of music: jazz, rock, classacal, punk)... so I thought that the inherent qualities of audio tubed amps could be carried over to mandolin amps (acoustic mando's w/pickup; e.g. Fishman). But maybe I'm being too picky here.

But I do appreciate lee957's comments (although I didn't quite understand everythig... it's good start)

[Garrett]

Does anyone know what amp Tiny Moore used?

[Klaus Wutscher]

I actually remember that mandojeremy mentioned that Sam Bush is using a custom tube preamp for his Gibson. You may not want to use tube guitar amps for acoustic mandolin; however, tube preamps might be another story.

[Lee]

Go visit www.fenderforum.com. #Plenty of people there who are very knowledgable about tube amps vs. solid state. #
Somehow, and I can't explain, your magnetic pick-up and the tube amp couple together as a unit such that the tube amp becomes part of your instrument. #Just like Bob said above; the ss amp "reports" what it sees, it doesn't interact.
Traci, the solid-body electric mandolin is as much different from an acoustic with a pick-up as Eric Clapton "Unplugged" sounds different than Jimi Hendrix "Live at Woodstock". Got the picture?

[mandogrouch]

When I do play through an amp I have a 2 channel SS which I play an acoustic and an electric (solid body) into. I preamp both of them; the acoustic goes through an ART preamp while the electric goes into a Hughes and Ketner "Blues Master" tube preamp. On the SS amp I set everything clean w/a little reverb. The results are a clean sound for the accoustic (mainly attributable to the AKG pickup) and a soft tube thing for the electric. The Hughes & Ketner has plenty of gain if needed. The nice thing about this arrangement is that the same set up works through a PA with similar results.

It seems that if you want a clean accoustic sound from your accoustic you might want to consider a SS amp. I was thinking that alot of the amps that are marketed as "accoustic" amps were solid state, but I'm not sure.

[gremlin]

I prefer carvin tube amps for everything from metal to accoustic, basicly because they have a lot more headroom and are more versitile for whatever music I am playing that night. I have played a virety of instruments through a carvin full stack from electric and accoustic guitars, to mandolins, bass guitars,doghouse basses,used it for Pa, keyboards,even banjo and fiddle. and it seems to take it all in stride and will give up a useable sound for anything plugged into it...... hmmmm where are those bagpipes he he he he:p

[PlayerOf8]

I believe Tiny played a blacktop Fender Twin. I saw Jethro play through a very Tweed Bandmaster.

george