Are Guitar Tube Amps Still Relevant?

[@SonicDriveStudio]

MANY thanks to all who sent in their contributions! Go check out their channels and websites! Cheers! Jon

[@NinecoreNeil]

Such a great video mate well done and thanks for inviting me to be a part of it ❤

[@SonicDriveStudio]

@@NinecoreNeil thanks mate!

[@steveclark9934]

Cool intro❤

[@sircusboy351]

Amazing content! Love hearing all angles and aspects. The humor.

[@ChernobylAudio666]

The smell of dust burning off the tubes.... that is something worth it by itself. But hearing it power up, and then having that tactile interaction... well worth having at least one tube amp!

[@StudioAmpCaptures]

For the smell of Tubes!!

[@void_snw]

Yes. Sonically they may have lost their definitive heir, being challenged by technology coming ever closer. But man, they're just awesome. The glow, the looks, the vibe. Like an awesome old racecar. They're not cost efficient, they're limited, but fuck they're awesome.

[@raytorvalds3699]

Well said, all of you. I couldn't agree more.

[@LonelyRocker]

Thanks for including me in this awesome story! We love our amps and EVERY guitar player needs to experience the sheer joy of playing through one!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thank YOU!

[@TONEWARSgearshow]

Thanks for doing this video and for including me. I love this concept!!!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thank YOU mate!

[@TheDannVal]

So thankful to be a part of this amazing group of people! Thank you, Jon! It is an honor and a privilege! TWO BAMPS!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks man!

[@Schizmatizmify]

I think Henning has the best insight here - it's not about how well you can simulate a tube amp, because you CAN simulate all that to near-perfection. The only thing is, when you use IRs, you are emulating the sound of a RECORDED amp & cab, which is affected by the mic used and the monitors etc etc. So it's not about digital being 'soulless' or whatever, it's just that you lose a little something with every extra step in the signal chain. When you play a real amp with a big transformer into a real cab, the sound goes straight from speaker to ears. Personally I think that's where the magic happens.

[@Thermion]

This is an awesome celebration of tube amps. Super honored to be a small part of it 🤘😎 Tubes are bae!!

[@RomanChugz]

15 years ago (I was 20), I saved up and bought a Dual Rec, my dream amp. However, it sounded terrible, because the speaker I had was cheap and probably it had worn out tubes. I sold it and used modellers for 15 years. Well, I just bought another Dual Rec and I play it the "SDS way" (load box + IR). IT SOUNDS SO GOOD I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! Feels like I wasted 15 years of my life hahaha

[@JaydenDonato]

I switched back to tube amps recently, even as a bedroom guitarist. I purchased a PRS MT15 with matching cab and your videos definitely helped me in making my decision. Thanks!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Awesome! Rock on!

[@amirtak9886]

If you have a little bit of mechanical and soldering experience, the mt15 can be modded to 50w for more headroom, and it pushes more air thru the cabinet.

[@southsidechoppers1]

It’s the real tone it has a set of lungs and it breeds and the best part about playing it you feel it because it’s alive. Get a 59 less Paul in a 1983 jcm 100 W Marshall head and cabinet with 25 W Celestion in V 30s and you’re there what a feeling💫

[@Relayer6a]

Without tube amps, solid state and digital wouldn't know what to try and sound like.

[@ajg4286]

thank you for supporting tube amps! i love them dont want them to disappear!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

I feel you! In a time where people are making claims about "the death of tube amps" I felt compelled to send something positive into the world!

[@BluGuitar]

I watched all my colleagues: great! Enjoyed it very much 😊! Greetings, Thomas Blug

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks for being in it! Really appreciate it!

[@amirtak9886]

Can't wait for the Amp X 😊

[@TheGooseChaseMusic]

Thank you for letting me be a part of this! I loved everyone's take!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks for your wonderful contribution!

[@NelderGuitar]

I’m a Fractal user who 100% wishes I could afford a wall of amps and pedals and rack gear. But I can’t so I do what I have to do to get by. I also listen to all my music on vinyl at home so it evens out? Lol

[@MaximusBakerGuitar]

The Fractals are incredibly useful for many applications. I have a couple glorious Marshall heads and cabs for the ultra saturated distortion. But I’ve been doing Joe Satriani songs lately and I need to use the Fractal 100% to change effects and amps to play the songs, too hard to do with a real amp head and too much gear involved to make it function in that way.

[@27retrodaze]

Very cool, Jon!! Great work, everyone!!

[@MarcusW87]

Went to a show 3 weeks ago: Vexed, Aborted, Revocation and Carnifex. Revocation were the only guys using real amps, and they sounded the absolute best. Same goes for when I saw Goatwhore last year. The JCM Sammy was using moved A LOT of air, that was awesome. I almost always use a tube amp, because I play at home mostly and occasionally with some fellow musicians. It’s just plug and play, not fettling around. Just a great sound, always.

[@InvadersAmplificationHuy]

Thanks so much for this video. It's so great! - > "Merci beaucoup" !

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Merci! ;)

[@ianlahaye9476]

What a genius lot of amazing insight and perspective. Thanks for having me!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks buddy!

[@kaosamp]

THX Jon for this great opportunity, it was an honor!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks for being in it man!

[@taylolz]

I got my first tube amp the other day, the 5150 iii, and it's the best sound I've experienced in the 15+ years that I've played guitar.

[@taxo]

That's great man! Next step is a good non master volume old Plexi, orange, Laney or fender. Trust me, it's world shaking

[@berndgroters2745]

I couldn''t agree more about tube amps! I can clearly remember when I first played with a tube amp… It was back in '87 and setup was Washburn->OD Pedal->stereo chorus pedal->TWO Marshall full stacks! THIS experience changed my live! That raw power, the moving air that shakes you in the room isn't comparable to any digital solution! Don't get me wrong, I love amp-modelers and plugIns as well, but a tube amp IS the real thing! Now I'm an old fart, but I‘m happy with my Mesa Mark V through a Mesa 2x12 Roadking-cab! Thank you Jon for this awesome video and all the well known blokes who are celebrating our loved tube amps! ❤❤❤👍👍👍

[@artdonovandesign]

What a fantastic episode! Everybody was great to listen to. Yes, NOTHING could _ever_ be as great as Vacuum Tubes for guitar amplification. However, in 1970, when I saw Leslie West playing with the Vagrants ( Action House, NY), I admit I was impressed with his amps. He stacked two, solid state Sam Ash amps and the cleaness of the sound was tremendous. S.A. was the first in with solid state amps. If you needed a really clean sound with no distortion, this was the answer. But I was back to my 1963 Fender amps two years later when our p.a. system got good enough to mike them.

[@jonathanross1033]

Incredible video! Great community and perspectives. I think the real exciting stuff is when we don’t go so far in one direction analog vs digital but combine them. I think I saw In Flames used a wizard then topped it off with Nolly plugin on latest record. The analog base + digital is a chefs kiss but all starts with the tube amp

[@MaximusBakerGuitar]

I have 2 awesome Marshall heads along with real cabs and good speakers. I also have my Axe Fx. The differences between my tube amps and fractal’s modelers is the modelers lack some “sonic information” harmonics, analog noise, and high voltage moving through the circuits is why the tube amps have that “extra pleasant sound”. In a studio environment it’s noticeable. But playing live at a venue? It almost goes out the window because you have too many variables manipulating sound. Modelers easily win in the live scenario but come up just a tad short in the studio. A lot of people think the tube amp sound filling the room gloriously is only a tube amp thing, it’s not. It’s just really damn loud and the human ear get excited with that volume. If you power a modeler through an external power amp to a guitar cab and crank it to the same level it will have the same effect or even sound better.

[@MaximusBakerGuitar]

Mikko Logren has it down absolutely correct, he knows his stuff.

[@raytorvalds3699]

The smell of the tubes heating up dust, the sound they make when cooling down after playing. The feel of them interacting with your playing. It can't be beat. Digital sounds great these days too and even feels good. But a real tube amp still can't be beat. You need at least one. Or two.

[@BDMusic2021]

This is great! I love my helix, and for a while after I got it I felt hard pressed to justify ever using real amps and pedals ever again, but there’s nothing like the creativity and inspiration you get from the real thing, it just sounds different, not better or worse. Months after getting my helix I just bought my third tube amp, one of the new blackstars ht 100mkiii (thanks in part to your review), and honestly I feel like I have as much use for it as I do my helix. Thanks for this video, lots of fun here.

[@loganready1895]

I was always born and raised on boogies . Years have passed my friend talked me into the helix , John you even pursauded me through your videos to get one , fast forward , I am playing a rectifier roadster again and not going back :)

[@mfghans]

For me, in this digital world, nothing beats the feeling of turning knobs, plugging in cables, rearranging pedals; ie the physicallity of it. Just the setting up gets the creative juices flowing

[@eldoradoguitars6456]

Very cool Jon! Love this video!!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks!

[@johnfinlay4963]

this was fantastic . thank you🤘🏼

[@williambyrne6855]

Very cool reviews. Some quite hilarious, many insightful, the unexpected philosophical, but all together phenomenal. Thanks!

[@andrewmanara5289]

Really selling this well. Great vid, as always :)

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thank you!

[@ankigonzalez]

This is a great video! Love the intro. An ode to the Tube! For those who love the Tube a must seen video!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Cheers man!

[@barryprosser1370]

Love it! Great work everyone. 🤘🤘🤘

[@felinekaiju4517]

Much respect!, Jason Tong!. Love his passion, knowledge and willingness to teach. And Thomas Blug, the man's made it all, his voice is definitely one to listen to. I think running a modeller through a tube power section or an A/B power amp. Playing them through a cabinet that's not frfr gets thebbest of both worlds.

[@felicsitepu5535]

Watching this video feels like we sing an anthem together across the globe celebrate our beloved baby called tube amplifier.Thanks!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thank you! It's a love letter for sure!

[@enuxs]

To be honest: Almost all the tones most of us love so fuxXin' much have been created with guitars, tube amps, pedals, guitar cabinets and mics. I have a Kemper Profiler and a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III and I like them, but if I want the feeling of being kicked in the butt - some kind of physical and musical experience - there's nothing on the planet like some of these fire breathing monsters called tube amps. ❤ Also I would miss all these knobs, and range of control, channels, switchers, which are part of every individual character of such a pleasure machine. 🥰 As I mentioned, I also use modeling and profiling sometimes, but it is not for me, that a wedding players rig looks exactly the same like the one of a dead metal guitar player. 😄 BTW: Interesting what Henning sayed with trying to fill the room with notes which you maybe do not need so much when enjoying the tone of a tube amp. 👍

[@flecht]

To me it looks like convincing the convinced. On topic, I still remember the time I bought my VOX AC30cc2 15 years ago. It clearly showed me how flawed my articulation was and its lack of gain was simply adding salt to the injury. I still have it and love it for this particular reason, but over the years and few mods (Alnico Blues and more) later I learned how to deal with most of its shortcomings (treble booster FTW) and now I can use it in almost any style. One of you guys was even telling something about selling more clean/crunchy pedal platforms and I can really understand why. It's incredible how boosted AC30 can stand its ground when paired with hi-gain amps in (not so modern) metal. That said, you guys are the reason I finally switched to Rockerverb 50 MKIII in December. I simply needed more low end for my band which I couldn't get with AC30. To add something in context of 'digital vs tube', my bandmate mostly relies on Tonex for his tone and although his Orange tone is near it still lacks some depth.

[@timkesteloo9812]

Awesome stuff Jonnie!!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks man!

[@Airtrooper719]

The intro tone is absolutely gorgeous

[@elus1ve0ne64]

This is awesome ! 🤘😎

[@MaxPowersTastyTones]

Thanks for the dance! ❤

[@Greg-rd8qr]

That was great! Love tubes amps!!

[@RobinErhage]

Great video!!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks!

[@currysean6070]

Thankyou for saying that. Mesa boogie mark 4. I had a mark 3 I got for my graduation present from my mom and dad. By far the best amp I ever owned. I owned the mesa stilleto, VHT deliverance 60 which is also bad ass, fender dual showman from the 80's that had red knobs, and a few more and the mesa at the time had that low end that you could feel in you face and chest and had a certain sound to it when you would do pinch harmonics and your higher strings had a certain sound. I wish I knew the terms in English for what sounds I was hearing. I miss that amp so much. Somebody else needed it more than I did obviously.

[@misterringer]

"without amps to model, what would happen to the modelers? " - fair point, BUT, we can already digitally model circuits and electronics independently. What's to stop us form fully creating an amp digitally? (In fact I think it's already been done by L6 and probably others).

[@burtosu86guitar]

I agree, about everything it has been Said. I have a lot of plugins and capture but, when I play the Dual Rectifier.......🤘🤘🤘

[@cmd_f5]

Great stuff! I generally find myself content with plugins, but every time I think of my DSL I miss it. I'm gonna get another one and I regret selling the setup I had. Cheers

[@taxo]

Henning Pauly got it all, expressed my thoughts and even things I didnt know I felt. At 24:33 theres a very, very valid point.

[@Tanax13]

DIgital modelers (Axe FX 2 more specifically) made me go BACK to analog amps and I got my first two tube amps (ENGL FB25 and Savage120MK2), I previously had a transistor amp. Not because the AxeFX sounded bad, but mainly because I absolutely HATED the workflow of dialing in my tone using a program at the computer. Using a mouse to "twist" a digital knob is incredibly awful UX. Tactile feel of twisting physical knobs on the amp is just unbeaten for me. I love the idea of modelers. The sound and flexibility is amazing, as well as the price. But I don't think I will stop using tube amps now. I don't need a wall of amps, but I do want more amps for sure! A tasteful choice of various amps that has the sound I need. This is also a fun (albeit expensive) part of the experience, buying and crafting your rig instead of just having access to "everything". This will make/force you to learn about everything in your rig in a way that digital doesn't.

[@JPTRFX]

...forgot to add that carrying around tube amps are basically a free gym membership

[@BlueSkiesBlackDeath]

😅

[@PerfectCircle91]

That's big iron for ya lol!!! Tube amps are a magic all their own nothing "feels" like a tube amp with that REAL smooth overdrive that ONLY tubes can do.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have actually used my 1 by 12 cabs like weights to exercise 😅

[@roadfordays]

All I can hear in that intro is "Two bamp. Two bamp. Two bamp."

[@MartialBoniou]

Great job!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks! Couldn't have done it without everybody involved!

[@willman100]

Great video. Great channel. I also dig the channel from the Lonely Rocker.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks! Dan is great!

[@Stratman5150]

Fun video, very enjoyable! I'm super glad I've held onto to my Peavey 5150 and Marshall DSL 50 after all these years. I bought them both new and love them, especially the 5150, it's been everywhere with me. But I will say, lately I'm simply having a blast with my Tonex. It's been absolutely perfect and sounds/feels amazing. My best advice to anyone after all these years is just use what ever inspires you to play more and puts a smile on your face. Don't get too hung up on tube vs. solid state vs. modeling etc...

[@godoftone]

Well said! I use both and enjoy each for their unique characteristics.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

I like the part where that one dude said tube

[@burtosu86guitar]

Same 😂

[@zanthraxus]

That and the strategically placed cup ;)

[@WholeLottaBulldog]

Loved your part John 😂😂

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Cheers, guys!

[@DeanBaco]

Dialing in a tube/valve amp is a skill that is a bit forgotten these days, I'm afraid. Every amp does have it's limits, of course, but finding the sweet spot for YOUR sound is an awesome moment. You'll never forget that and it will put a huge smile on your face. It's totally not the same as choosing a preset, not at all. But I get it, those amps (or most of them anyway) are expensive, very expensive even. But, who says you need a wall of amps (they do look cool, I know), finding YOUR sound is a great adventure, so to speak, and it can be a long journey. I'm lucky to have played loads of amps in my 30+ years of playing guitar, but nothing feels better or puts a bigger smile on my face than plugging into an amp with a (preferably, lol) 4x12 and play. Digital tech is awesome, for sure, but I can't say those put a big smile on my face. Yes it's practical, but not very fulfilling, if you know what I mean. I know a lot of guitarists these days have maybe never experienced the tube/valve amp in a room experience, I'd say, treat yourself to this experience, you'll have a great time. The choice of lower wattage (and smaller/lighter) amps is bigger than ever. One of these, a 2x12 and maybe some pedals can make you find your voice, your sound. Try it, you might like it :)

[@markdonatelli5742]

Tube amps are still KING, but as someone who plays gigs and often relies on public transportation, the practicality of carrying a modeler and gig bag in a small backpack is undeniable not to mention under 5 minute setup and breakdown after the show.

[@philipmarsh3522]

Toob amps definitely sound better if you listen with your eyes. I think Boston and Def Leppard kind of puts the “which sounds better” argument to rest long time ago. But … I still like toobs. I can’t hear a difference between my boutique hand-wired marvel and a profile of my boutique hand-wired marvel, but I still like playing it.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I still own several tube amps, digital modelers and software plugins. My first choice is tube amps, especially for my own enjoyment; but I've been using software plugins more and more; I even built a computer rig just for guitar, with a remote touchscreen, audio interface and MIDI floor controller. I use several plugins for guitar, however my main plugin is PolyChromeDSP McRocklin Suite - great workflow, sounds amazing, easy to use once you understand it - tone shaping and sculpting. That said, for creating unique guitar tones, my fav plugin is BlueCat Audio's Axiom, because it contains their Destructor plugin. Destructor is the most extensive tone shaping and sculpting plugin I've ever used. At the surface it's like most plugins with familiar heads, cabs, speakers, etc. wrapped up in factory presets...but the real magic happens when you go into Destructor's advanced editors. My tube amps aren't going anywhere, and this year alone I purchased two tube amps so far. For me it's not either or, it's both.

[@dylanjastle]

I really appreciated this video! ALTHOUGH. The first person featured is obviously listening with his eyes and not his ears. I don’t think the resurgence of vinyl has anything to do with the warm sound. It’s the novelty of the physical media. I also don’t think he could pick out a tube amp vs a digital emulation of said tube amp in a blind test. For sure not in a mix. I love my tube amps. But modern digital representations of them are just about identical to them in a recording situation. Play and record music how you want! But listen with your ears and not your eyes. It might save you some money and hassle.

[@JamesJones-th3ml]

I have a nice tube amp! I also live where I can't play too loud! I went on a mission... I searched for the best amp sims for a computer. Not the Kempers and such but for a PC that I built myself. I made sure I had the fastest processor available with 10 cores plus dual thread which shows up as 20 cores at 5 gigahertz per core!!! HAHAHAH when I built this PC... I did find a few SIMS that with a really fast interface you can simulate the true feel of the tube amp for home recording. Zero or near zero latency interface is a must! Bet you probably never heard of S-Gear or Th-U or even Soft tube. BUT these amp sims they sell for rock and metal with this interface is pretty darn close! I tried the Neural DSP and a few others but the highs didn't sound right plus the CHUGGGGG was off...I can get a recording tone out of both my real amp and the amp sims that almost sound exactly the same. I didnt just try a couple I really searched for what I wound up buying.... Now I can play live or at my home without worry about the COPS!!!!!! hahahaha Thats all it was about. I had a few visits in my day from johnny law for loud music...

[@RezqRabbitVT]

I've played many digital modelers and don't get me wrong they sound amazing. However almost exactly 1 year ago, I got my first tube amp, and I can't go back. The tone and the air getting pushed from my cab is just a feeling everyone needs to experience. An amazing and well done video as always!

[@UltraRonin79]

Tube amps are awesome, but there is nothing "magical" about them. It's a simple circuit powered by vacuum tubes. The "magic" is really in the feel and the interaction between the player and the amp. The fact is that current high end modelers are quite adept at producing the exact same frequencies and dynamics in a RECORDING setting. Even guitarists with discerning ears struggle mightily to tell the difference in pre-recorded tracks. Live, I still very much prefer the feel of a tube amp...but in the studio modelers are more than adequate and far more convenient.

[@jimsimmons2674]

This is the missing link no one talks about when comparing Modelers to Tube Amps,most modelers are played through studio monitors or FRFR powered speakers and i never got the best tone out of a modeler this way i always got much better tones going through a clean solid state amp or tube amps clean channel or effects return into a 4x12 cab!It is more about what you play your modeler through that makes it sound good or bad! Not all tube amps sound good on there own but if you have one with a decent clean channel you can play your modeler through that channel or the effects return and have the best of both worlds!I have a Marshall DSL40C and it sounds ok by itself but if i run my modelers through it is sounds much better!Some tube amps do sound better then modelers but not all of them,modelers need a special amp designed for them that have a Modeled Power Amp Tube Section and then modelers will sound much closer to the real tube amps there modeled after!

[@lukzriffs1564]

This is awesome John ❤❤🙌

[@ClaimedEagle]

Peavey JSX Owner. My GT1000 sounds amazing and has more tools, but my tube amp is really expressive to my playing. That feeling alone makes me want to play my amp. My GTK sounds amazing, but nothing beats the feeling of sound squishing. Natural compression from tubes

[@soad11dude]

@5:00 Micheal Nielsen "Dimebag said when feeling down to just strum a big open G chord... and soak it in" Cool, sounds like a dimebag thing to say. @5:30 "and you kinda need a tube amp for that" .... yes. Because dime was known for playing nothing but tube amps -_- Amp knob plug-ins are around 50$. (on sale for 35$ right now) Metallurgy by line 6 is 150$. (on sale for 90$ right now) Helix native, which has pretty much anything a player needs, is 400$. (on sale for 240$) 6505MH + a 2x12 cabinet = 1300$ Not everyone can afford a tube amp AND a place to crank it up. I'm sure everyone dreams of it. But It's like telling a young person to buy a house when it's financially impossible for them.

[@prasanthselvadurai3450]

You don't necessarily need to crank a tube amp to enjoy it. However amps that sound good at low volume do come at a high cost, like a diezel etc

[@soad11dude]

@@prasanthselvadurai3450 Right. I know Diezels aren't the only ones that can sound good at low volume (the Tubemeister40 I rented had a 1W mode). The VH4 (6100$) and Herbert (5850$) are only for doctors and lawyers in Canada. So I'll never get to touch one.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

@soad11dude any ENGL can sound amazing at low levels, many Oranges, Peaveys etc

[@Margilio5150]

Synergy SYN-1 and early modules may be a good option, they sound and feel different compared with digital or solid state distortion/preamp pedals.

[@serfinusa9532]

nothing beats boiling off electrons into a glass contained vacuum. tube amps not only hold their value, but appreciate. they can cost you in maintenance however when you need new tubes & caps. I've noticed more 60hz hum with vintage amp compared to modern PCB amps. But modern PCB amps are disposable, mass produced problems imho - they might sound good but arent high quality builds. What i'd like to see are handwired versions of amps like the Marshall Modern Vintage or Orange TH100.

[@cblizard6850]

My rockerverb always reminds me that I can’t go full digital

[@michlshrudz3850]

I've owned a POD HD, Helix, Kemper Stage and a Quad Cortex over the years and made great music with all of them but I always return to my tube amps. I've had hybrid rigs and recorded with digital plugins, too... basically I did everything and had every option available...and after all, I play live with a combination of physical cab, Captor X and my beloved Redstuff Thor Reptilia and record with this amp exclusively nowadays. Why tube amps? It's so much fun :) just like this video

[@chrisdover8507]

Just sold my last amp, JVM410H, for a week I thought tonex was great, for a week. It just doesn’t come close. I believe synergy amps is the solution for me. I’m hoping they do a syn1 with IR capabilities. This is as far as I’m ever going to go in modeling. I’m only tracking. My advice is buy every tube head you want, it can’t be beaten by your quad cortex bro.

[@TruffulaTreeGTR]

I love my Helix(bought it 7 yrs ago to use for FX & routing capabilities), but I just can't get on with the modeling after years of attempts to take advantage of the "convenience." Always content with my Mesa Rectifier, Bogner 2x12, and Fender 1x12 combo for tracking and live. Even with IEMs, theres a noticeable tonal difference and feel.

[@terribleligadelmal4541]

Good to see Robert Jackson here, he has been telling truths all those years, I hope he gets more recognition. Leo Gibson speech I applaud, money sometimes represent the effort of someone getting up early, enduring the insults and bad treatment of total unknown person on the streets, and things that seems with little importance like traffic, experienced every day can drive anyone crazy. If someone does this not for themselves, but for another person, that paper or coin can't top the value of the action, even if they fill it with numbers. I'm a Mikko hater, I just don't go spreading the hate lol I tried his products but didn't work for me. The Speaker one and the Fluff EVH were the best of all I tried, yet it didn't work for me, so I decided to go for a tube amp. I got my tube amp like 2 or 3 years ago, at first it was a crap sound, bad experience. Keep on tweak it for months and there it was an amazing tone. I can't replicate it on my recordings yet, and it is only my testimony for credibility, but Im getting closer to it ( haven't public my closer attempts at it yet btw). My amp needs a tech, but man, when that things works... With my Revv Pedals, Gt-10 in 4CM, D5 chord on first possition... Let it ring... Have you been at the top of a high mountain? Have you ride a bicycle at high speed ? What about the sensation of finishing something that you thing is a good thing? The feeling is similar. Is lot of sensations, and this is why I believe for everyone on the video is hard to describe or are kind of ambiguous with it. And it is even harder to believe it because our ears doesn't behave like the mics that record it, so is a different sound (in mayor or minor measure). And my guess is that modelers got really close to the sound of a RECORDED amp. Nothing wrong with that, in fact I like the Friedman IRX and the Tonex pedal. It is just, I got late to the party, and damn is a great party. I don't want it to stop. With the pandemic, the price are getting even up, is kinda hard to justify a tube amp these days, as it is a luxury... I understand there is afforable ones, but getting a tech, tubes, etc is still a hassle. Almost every day Im looking at reviews of tube amps, and sometimes my eyes get lost in the second hand market... Oh man... I want to play guitar now...

[@DonnieDistortion]

Missed opportunity to play a short snippet of Toob Amplifier by the PUSA. ;)

[@muyaman]

Digital modelers today will emulate - in the future AI will elevate modelers to the levels of responses/chaos of real tube amps. But right now my modeler Valeton or Headrush cannot compare to PRS MT15 or EVH 5150 PUSHING AIR!

[@deepend69]

YES,YES,YEAH!!!!!!

[@motivation3000]

Recently bought an Ampeg Vh140c in terms of raw tone it beats all my tube amps and that from someone swearing on tube amps.

[@ManuSDP]

It’s just the GOAT amp

[@Paroketh]

After years of waiting I boght my dream amp, a EVH5150 III 50w. After months I've played it like 3-4 times at volume 1 and sold it. Sorry but plugin and emulation are the future: it's true, playing in headphones is different than an amp in a room but guess what, you can play a modeler through a speaker and "feel" the sound. And iff we're talking about MUSIC (and not tone or guitar-nerd stuff) no one really cares except us players (yes, I'm guilty too).

[@SonicDriveStudio]

If I care about my sound, that matters a great deal to me. People always understate the importance of that! Don't you want to have maximum enjoyment when you're playing? ;)

[@Paroketh]

@@SonicDriveStudio as I said, EXCEPT PLAYERS. It seems to me that we guitar players are more focused on gear than on music (I repeat, I'm guilty of this too), but I don't know if this really makes sense. I've seen too many times concerts with 5 bands playing one after the other and than, after that, all the musician talking about gear, not considering the fact that the audience of any single band was actually the other musicians not playing in that moment. It's amazing being part of a community, watching all the videos and trying stuff when we can but in the end it's just like novel enthusiasts talking all the time about pens and not writing anything.

[@sqlb3rn]

I don't understand everyone complaining about tube amp volume. I can crack open the volume on my amps and they sound great and aren't loud at all. Also they come in different wattages, get the one that isn't too loud.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Many amps nowadays have low wattage settings too!

[@Skygge.]

I prefer valve amps over tube amps! Cheers! :D

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Haha fair enough old chap! ;)

[@TheGryf0xxx]

After a while I just kept hearing two bamps.

[@kenclark4193]

Great video, it would have been perfect if we could have heard opinions of the greatest names in the business, Dave Friedman, Steven Friette, Bruce Egnater, Santiago Alvarez, Doug West, James Brown, etc.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Dave wanted to be a part of it but we couldn't make it happen on time. Joe Morgan is a legend though as well as Thomas Blug. However I'm really happy with the cast I managed to get. There's a good variety!

[@WholeLottaBulldog]

Leo Gibson, what a great segment ❤

[@SonicDriveStudio]

He's so good

[@WholeLottaBulldog]

@@SonicDriveStudio he is.

[@davem7632]

Do modelers/profilers emulate the even-order harmonics of a valve amp?

[@robspectre1973]

You cannot beat the value of a good modeling amp/emulator/Quad Cortex/etc… I definitely love real amps and own a few but for the average player, the simulation is a fraction of the cost even with a cabinet an power amp. The issue with low volume also a big factor. If I was to start over, I would buy a Quad Cortex, a 50-100w power amp, and a good 212 or 412 cabinet and call it a day. We still haven’t even talked about pedal which can easily cost as much or more than a tube amp. Most modelers include a plethora of pedal emulation as well. In todays economy tube amps for many are just unobtainable

[@scottbyers33]

I have a Revv G20, I only wish I had a 4X12 to run her through

[@ErrorCode-1]

Im at the point where i need to decide between whats right, i have a crush120, thats ok. Im deciding between the Rockerverb 50 or 100 or OR30, if you wanted to have a post rock Deftones hybrid band, which one would you prefer.

[@robjohnson5829]

So cool to see Jarrod from Tone Wars included!

[@michaelatkinson4550]

Can't wait to hear Barb.

[@Turboy65]

Tubes are still highly relevant in the high end audio world as well as the guitar world. I own a bunch of amps and only two aren't tube amps. Yes, tubes are relevant. No question about it. I just ordered a new custom amp, and it's all tube.

[@MangoMeoww]

Yes, yes they are.

[@fabiol.9161]

The digital is great for choosing what tube amplifier you wanna buy..

[@SonicDriveStudio]

It can definitely help with that!

[@ChrisMartinsMusician]

Now that's going to be 75 minutes well spent. :) Thanks for all the hard ( and fun ) work Jon. :)

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Enjoy! ;)

[@asymmetrymedia9838]

Yeah for me the biggest missing ingredient of digital, in my opinion, is the interaction between components. Same goes for mixing hardware. The way the different elements react to each other, from guitar, to pedal, to amp, to cab, to speaker, that whole interaction is just not there in the digital world in the same way. And that is the biggest lacking element in the digital world if you ask me. When you put a boost pedal model before the digital amp, it just doesn't react like a real boost does in front of a real amp, how some amps become fuzzier when you drive the input harder, or compress a certain way..... And also: They stay relevant for life! Digital gear gets upgraded, it becomes obsolete, loses value and appeal, tube amps don't, very simple. My tube amps are tanks and whether they were made in the 80's, 90's, now or tomorrow, they just work, no updates, no software. Just physics.

[@robertdonosobuchner3129]

I don't want to live without a tube amp. 🔥🙃🤘

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Same here! That's why I wanted to make this video basically

[@ajlsrv5490]

None of my guitar heroes play digital. That says a lot for me, as well as the fact that every time I plug into my Helix I am totally uninspired.

[@6Stringers]

Two Bamps! Srsly tho, I love the sound of tubes, who doesnt? But its getting so obscenely expensive to run tubes and all the peripherals needed to use them in todays world. Modeling is not only necessary but getting better every year. I think the transition is inevitable. Graceful for sure, but inevitable.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

It doesn't have to be expensive though. Plenty of affordable options out there :)

[@riverstone5994]

I like them. I just think they’re neat