The Tubes vs Solid State Challenge!

Are Vaccumm tubes TRULY the best technology for guitar amps? Or are they merely dying relics from a nolstalgic past? I put the best tube amps up against a Solid State upstart & I want YOU to put those amazing ears of yours to work and tell me: When is the SOLID STATE AMP playing? Get the Northern Mauler at: smgpedals.com/
#orangesupercrush100
Check out the Super Crush 100 at this Thomann Affiliate link: www.thomann.de/gb/orange_supe...
Disclosure: Orange sent me the amp for this shootout. They don't get to see or hear the video before it's release.
0:00 To Tube or NOT to tube!
1:14 Unbox
2:32 Hold the Phone!
3:27 the "experts" chime in
5:29 the setting
7:32 Full Mix Shootout!
8:29 Examples of GREAT solid state sounds!
About Spectre Sound Studios:
I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, and plugin effects.
We've covered Moon on the Water, played Bias FX, given you the absolute best in Stupid Musician Texts, ranted & raved about bass guitar, and this channel is where The Eagle has Landed.
Everything you've wanted to learn about recording Hard Rock & Heavy Metal can be found right here on this channel!
I also respond to your comments & questions: The best make it into the SMG Viewer's Comments series of videos. Loads of fun, lots of laughs.
Thanks for checking out my channel & please subscribe!

[@csiszerg]

I have no idea which was which but I pretty much liked the "piano lows" of that sick bass track on this :)

[@erhock92]

Seriously the bass sounded massive!

[@Durkhead]

He covered up the guitar with bass guitar and added effects to the guitar as well he could have played through a crate practice Amp and you'd never know

[@mozkuthehermit5909]

@@Durkhead Itsn't that what bass is supposed to do in mix?

[@216trixie]

Brand new strings on a bass will give you that sound.

[@csiszerg]

@@Durkhead what sounds good it is sounding good no matter what math was applied the background :)

[@mikal]

I'm reminded of Metalocalypse episode in which the engineer asked the band to comment on the sound of their album in digital vs. analog. They sounded exactly the same, but when they were told one was digital, they suddenly decided that one sounded like shit and the other one was great.

[@len9518]

good thinking. This happens a lot.

[@michaelrigby9871]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Glenn only used the orange crush for all of the guitar tracks!!! Honestly couldn’t tell but all sound great. Think I’ll be adding a crush to the purchase list!!

[@MTD1976]

I'm just sitting here in awe of that insane crazy badass bass tone you got in that mix! Holy crap! Screw the guitars amps and drums, that bass was killer!

[@BillPinkNye]

Not going to lie. I went into this with the intention to try and hear the solid state. Not because my hearing is soooooo good, just wanted to see if I could do it. By the end of the song all I could do was appreciate what I just heard. That track was awesome.

[@jesseyasaitis9036]

I felt exactly the same as you Bill.

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

High Gain kinda cuts the toooooob sound in a mix, you can only tell by feel and attack. On a recording, very little difference with Orange SS ams

[@rockochenta]

Ditto!

[@rockochenta]

Ditto!

[@joeywilson5998]

Ditto

[@Catywampus_Kerfuffle]

I'll go one further on issuing challenges: pick out the solid state AND which tube amp is being used at any given point. While we're at it: what brands of tubes used in each.

[@BXGuitars]

Definitely NOS Mullards at 8:17 of the video. You can sense that traditional Mullard Trumpet Lows there easily. 😁

[@ZonkerRoberts]

Ah, that's how Glen stacked the deck! He used inferior brand tubes to unfairly handicap the tube amps! (Sadly, it's probably just a matter of time until someone suggests this seriously.)

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

Muh tone-tubes

[@JC-fj7oo]

@@BXGuitars That's trumpet highs.... But with a milky upper mid tone and a warm onion attack. Extra pickle, hold the mayo.

[@somethingelsedoesmatter]

I wanna know what wood the fingerboard is made out of to get those piano lows

[@mitchfraser4440]

Well - that mix sounded good to me. Tubes or solid state? Who cares - good tone is good tone. Really enjoyed the track as well, great work guys!

[@VintageSG]

Ssshhh. 'Good tone is good tone' is guaranteed to get hollow-state weenies riled. Dave Simpson does some stellar 'sound like...' videos with his Orange amp. Orange should pay him. You are, of course, completely correct. Good tone is just that. A triode valve is just a FET with a pilot light anyway.

[@juan666q]

I love my super crush 100. A lot of bang for the buck, and I’ve been very happy with it. Thanks for featuring! Love your vids and your vibe!

[@daynedamage8919]

Glenn, I can't believe you've never heard of "Piano Lows." It's when you're in your late twenties, drowning in ennui from not living up to your potential, and drinking the nights away in a lounge bar. What that has to do with tube amps is beyond me, though.

[@alanerpington5698]

Man, what are you doin' here?

[@davidmelton7268]

...and the microphone smells like a beer.

[@shakeyoulikehaiti]

Damn dude, make me feel more depressed about my situation why don't you... lmao

[@auntjenifer7774]

​@@shakeyoulikehaitiwell 😅at least you ain't got any money !?

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

Hey Glenn, to be honest: I didn't spot any changes (I knew very well it's very hard, if not impossible, to distinguish them but I wanted to participate) BUT, yet there's a -but-, what struck me, is the beauty of that piece of music: composition, recording, mixing. Great job :-) Thumb up :-)

[@massiveassault]

Enjoying the old Peavey Transtube series more than all my tubeamps on the moment

[@tommanseau6277]

Transtube gets way more grief than it should. I've heard and played lots of😊 very flawed tube amps that weren't half as good as the cheap, cheerful Transtube series.

[@davidbanta7303]

recently bought a Transtube special 212,,,, i have used an Ultra 120 half stack for years,,,I was pleasantly surprised by the tone i can get from the Transtube,and it's easier to manage than a half stack lol

[@tommanseau6277]

@@davidbanta7303 The 212 sounds a lot fuller than the 112. That 2nd speaker really adds to that amp. Wish I still had mine. It was hit by lightning, no joke. Worked for a while after that too.

[@Freddekaddeth]

​@@davidbanta7303 I also have the transtube special. turned into a head. used cheap lightweight wood

[@gp4236]

The more blind tests, the better. I’m with you, I don’t care so much what the test result is, I just care that I’ve learned something. You’re doing the lord’s work Glenn.

[@6stringstorulethemall967]

Every time I played shows, people would compliment my tone until they found out I was using a Roland cube (2011-2019) or now my helix. Then they conveniently started pointing out issues they didn't hear before or just walked away awkwardly. It definitely proved to me that people hear with their eyes. Especially for a couple of those shows when I was using someone else's $200 Jackson Dinky while my guitar was in the shop and people loved the "bite" from that particular guitar

[@Levisrad]

That's awesome! I just got myself a roland cube and was floored that it actually sounds good! Super cool to hear your story about that amp!

[@Cursingminister]

That's awesome. I played a live show where somebody let me play through a marshall stack. I used a rocktron metal planet pedal for the distortion . Nobody knew.

[@kingfisher7960]

Roland/boss makes good stuff since the 70s......

[@neonblack211]

ive heard the roland cubs are pretty sweet amps, at least back in the day people spoke very highly of them

[@donaldmcdonald3434]

Cubes are great solid state amps. To me solid state can sound just as good but it's different. I play stoner doom where not only you need tubes, you need either Orange, Matamp/Green, Sunn, Laney, or maybe Marshall but every time I hear a doom band use marshall i wish it was Orange. My TH30 is great but the clean channel is basically the less gain channel. I love Vox cleans and would love to have the real deal but their modelling practice amps have always sounded godlike to me so I think I'll pick one up. The Crush sounds really good hear but it sounds like hot poop for Stoner.

[@katielowen]

Piano lows in this test are OFF THE CHARTS 🤩

[@jasonantbro]

We need a tutorial on this SICK bass tone, stat!! Honestly, this bass tone is thick in all the right places ^_^

[@morphine0000]

This here. I want to know which bass, which knob settings, and the signal chain. Sounds just massive.

[@Andyanddiana467]

He had an earlier video about this, if I recall.

[@KenTeel]

If it's sick, see your doctor.

[@jacekfz99]

I loved my H&K Black Spirit 200 Floor, can't say I miss tubes at all. It sounds amazing and so versatile.

[@DBSG1976]

Glenn! Thank you for making this video. I'm in the middle of shopping for a new amp, moving up from my Fender Tube amp. Love the timing and thanks for all your hard work.

[@aleksamrkela831]

The bass tone in this track is massive, topic notwithstanding! :D Love that gnarly pick attack.

[@michaelsondrol8205]

I think they all sounded great! Could not tell which was which. Got to love those piano lows!

[@JustSomeGuy]

I own the amp and I couldn't tell where it was. I couldn't even hear slight changes that you'd normally hear when switching amps. That's not just a testament to how good the Super Crush is, but also how well Glenn dialed in the amps.

[@pip5528]

Fancy seeing you here! I knew you liked metal but didn't realize you played or recorded metal guitar as well.

[@AnimalJohn85]

Was worth the 7 1/2 mins to actually hear something played! Don't really care which one was the Orange they all had that glorious fuzzy goodness and the playing was top notch! Does prove the fact in a mix rube vs solid state does very little. Nice job sir.

[@davidjairala69]

If you like that fizz, then solid state is for you. That comes from information in the top end that's lost due to the harder solid state clipping. I personally prefer to minimize that, but it really is a matter of preference. Of course, people in my position are stuck with heavy expensive tube amps so there's always a tradeoff lol And tbh the JFET gain stages on that orange might actually be a decent solution to the problem I describe. Not totally clean distortion, but maybe better than any other solid state.

[@riangarianga]

@@davidjairala69 Solid state can clip as soft as you want to make it clip. That thought you mention comes from cheap designs from the early transistor era, where technology was simply new, hence not developed and its nuances waiting to be discovered, and went on a 1:1 competition against a mature technology like thermionic valves. Transistors were WAY cheaper, therefore they didn't initially invest in designs taking advantage from their characteristics. Then most practice combos since forever are obviously transistor to reduce costs, and to reduce that cost even more they come with a cheap speaker, which is the actual source of fizz everyone keeps mentioning. If you think it thoroughly, cheap digital stuff sucked even in the early 2000s, but 20+ years later we're at a totally different level, and only cork-sniffers say «this sounds so digital» to try and dismiss something they don't have/don't know how to use/don't understand (if they did, they would understand it's the algorithm).

[@JC-fj7oo]

@@davidjairala69 So you picked out exactly where the SS amp is in the vid right? ...right? You 100% sure about that?

[@gibsonman4]

@@davidjairala69 Your head is firmly wedged.

[@JoshBattershell]

I recently picked up a Super Crush 100 to round off my amp collection and have a good medium to high gain amp. I love it so far. I’m not much of a metal player, but it gets me pretty much the exact punk and alternative tone I want for recording. You’d never be able to tell the difference between this and a rocker verb in a good mix. Or if it has tubes or not.

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Very nice!

[@werewolfmedialv]

The clean channel is a super usefull pedal platform as well!

[@robincefalo5804]

I also use the Orange Super Crush 100 in my live rig, into a Marshall 1960A 4x12. Sounds great. I use the clean channel as my pedal platform. I have to run a MXR 10 band EQ pedal in the amps effects loop to scoop the mids a bit because the amps EQ section on the clean channel only has bass and treble EQ knobs, no mid control.

[@jeremythornton433]

I used to play in a metal band here in Toronto and the lead guitar player used a solid state REX amp. It killed! I think that's what it was called. One rack space tall, 100 watts of death!

[@JoeBaermann]

@@werewolfmedialv Just like with the Crush 120, the dirty channel works pretty well as a pedal platform too, think most prefer that over the clean channel since it adds additional mids control, gain is best before or on the edge of breakup when used for that purpose.

[@user-ju5ns4nc5z]

Dude! Great video. Never seen your vids before. I was trying to sort out a practice amp to buy as a novice to intermediate player and came across your vid. Cool host. Loved the vid and obviously the mix was great too.

[@tomtallic]

Great video, again, Glenn!! I wish there was a lower power or preamp version of the super crush. That would be even cheaper and home-friendly. Maybe with a built in ir loader...

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

Solid state amp quality has really improved a lot in the past ten years or so. I think people say solid state sucks because their first solid state amp is something like a line 6 spider. And they just want whatever is the opposite of that line 6 amp build-wise, which is usually expensive tube amps. While I wasn’t a big fan of your tone on the first super crush demo, that probably has more to do with your eq settings. I have a boss mini katana, and it’s one of the best sounding amps I’ve ever played, full stop.

[@AD1978leo]

Not to be that guy but the spider is digital but that's irrelevant and I agree. Check out Tone Wars review of the Super Crush he does a good job with it. And that dude is a tube snob lol

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

@@AD1978leo digital is solid state, a subset at least. My boss is an analog solid state amp. So are the Randalls and Sunn amps that people love so much.

[@musicshade9049]

@@AD1978leo I think it’s important to differentiate between digital modelers and analog solid state amps.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Like with most things, most people get their opinions from 'the general consensus'. Other guitar players tell them the magic tone is in tubes, pickups and tonewood, therefore it must be so. Even more so when they have invested thousands into boutique tube amps, pedals and guitars. Woo to the heretic that dares to go against the grain. That's like an atheist at a Born Again Christian convention, or JK Rowling at a LGBT+ divided by 7 meeting. People don't like it when their most cherished beliefs are challenged, or godforbid, proven wrong.

[@earthsteward9]

Phillip McKnight said solid state amps may have a bad reputation because many were originally manufactured for those who couldn't afford tube amps, so cheaper speakers and other components

[@manuelpassarella]

Honestly, a great tone is a great tone. it doesn't matter how you make it.

[@billvilla7799]

Absolutely loved the "your making bass player look smart" comment! That was just too funny! Keep up the great work.

[@rifflix]

Great video as usual Glen. I have been l wanting one for a long time and cannot wait to get my hands on one when I can find a decently used one for a little cheaper from my local L&M

[@lordoftheelements2112]

There is no difference. I really like these shootout videos because playing music is 100% all about using your ears. The riffs and solos in this video are awesome as well, and that’s one of the things I look forward to when watching one of these.

[@janosmaiden8219]

I tend to turn on my super crush 100 before any other tube amp that I have. And in the mix, I couldn't hear which one that was the Orange. So I'm more than happy with my purchase!

[@Levisrad]

Nice! These videos are really great at getting us to challenge our assumptions & actually think critically. My guess is that the shootout started with the solid state amp and then later moved to the tube amp. The difference is so subtle. I *perceived* a bit more treble in the rhythm guitar in the first section, and also heard a bit more "depth" & less treble in the rhythm guitars on the second section. If I wasn't actively listening for the change, I probably wouldn't have noticed the amps changing through the song. As for the lead, I'm less sure. I think it started with solid state and then went to tube after the fact. I felt a similar type of thing with the treble response. Honestly though I'm just shooting in the dark. This was a great vid! Thanks for this comparison!

[@dennisnothstein1311]

I couldn't hear a difference at all,then again I'm just an old guy that hasn't played in a band since the late 90's and I just watch this channel to try to stay up to date with things and relive my misspent youth,lol. It sounded great to me. Keep up the great work Glenn,you are awesome

[@guitarsgearandgoodvibeswit7306]

Okay the bass in that track sounded sick. It sounds like there are slight voicing differences, but not enough to really call it out. I have a Super Crush 100 because I couldn't afford a Rockerverb, and I'm more than happy with the Super Crush. It's a great amp.

[@soundman1402]

I had to back this video up many, many times to replay the various change points to be sure I didn't miss any. (Became a lot harder during the lead portion.) I probably got my letters mixed up in a few places. I won't lose any sleep over that, though. The amps are close enough in sound that it probably doesn't matter which one you pick for a record. 7:34 a quality amp (A) 7:37 a different quality amp (B) 7:40 another quality amp (C) 7:44 some other quality amp (D) 7:49: A 7:54: B 8:01: A 8:04: D 8:09: A 8:12: C 8:16: B 8:19: D 8:23: A I think the Super Crush was D.

[@flotenn3351]

I second that Orange = D, but I didn't hear alll these changes tbh

[@soundman1402]

@@flotenn3351 I mean, yeah... It's hard to tell! I think this makes Glenn's point: it doesn't really matter which head you're using, since they all sound pretty similar. TBH, I've lusted after gear in some of these KZbin reviews because they used it to make a particularly good demonstration song. What I was really lusting after was the SONG! ("With this gear, I can make a dope song like this!" Except... I suck at songwriting, so it doesn't matter what gear I have. My songs are going to be shit. Haha)

[@NickLeonard]

glad you time stamped it, since that's a lot of work haha I'm guessing A is the Revv, B is the Soldano, and C is the 5150 because C sounds like it's got the most of those special block letter mids and B is similar to that but less pushed. D is probably my least favorite here just because it's a bit dark in the mix. Orange amp eq tends to be on the darker and more mid-heavy side in my experience and that could be it. I'm also guessing Glenn mixed the SS amp a little darker so people don't assume the brightest amp is the "fizzy solid state". All good tones though, I quite like solid state when it's done right!

[@tylerscott9329]

A sounded the best to me

[@errollloyd6721]

I definitely heard the change at 7:44 or 7:46 (before reading this comment that is). That pops out pretty clearly I'd say. A few tonal changes before that too, don't know exactly how many but your estimates here seem right. They're all good, but I prefer the tones before 7:46 to those after 7:46 (at least until the next change ... I kinda stopped listening hard after I caught one change). I don't whether the 7:46 amp is the orange or not. It has less of the fuzzy goodness the ones before had though.

[@DoubleBarrelDarrell]

I love these videos. Glenn is slowly taking down one myth after another and absolutely nails it. I'm running a Chug pedal through a PowerStage 170 with Celestions (V30 & G75) and so many people have complimented my tone. One was shocked it was not a tube amp. Funny it did not sound as good to him when he learned it was a pedal! LOL Perception is reality, I guess.

[@demondik]

I did a gig with another metal band and the guitarists had two tube amps (one Fender and the other was 6 Line) full stack cabs and I had a Zoom G2.1u into a Peavey DECA 512 digital one unit rack power amp with a marshall A1960 cab (HalfStack) and both guitarists asked me what I used for the show and I held up my Zoom pedal and they thought fuck! I laughed my ass off! It takes time, learning and your ears for something!

[@kennyharke366]

It's one of my most favorite amps that I own, and I usually dislike solid state amps and have mostly tube amps.The cost of tubes and tube amps is ridiculous! I hope Orange expands on this technology with more Super Crush variations. It's awesome!

[@stubbz9]

Are you sure there are four different amps in this shootout? Maybe I just got stuck on that rhythm riff that I want to hear more of. That was some soul-crushing goodness, Glenn. Keep it up!

[@paultorbert6929]

Jason Gwin, what are the odds that all the guitar tracks is through the Crush100 ? 😂

[@soundman1402]

@@paultorbert6929 he probably just moved the mic!

[@punkrockwino164]

I was a tube amp guy for decades, however I would notice that there were some solid state amps that I liked. Roland Jazz Chorus was the first that I had noticed. Over time I feel that the replication of tube amp tone has gotten better in solid state amps. Currently I'm using an Orange Crush Mini as a practice amp BECAUSE it reacts like a tube amp and has a similar tone... well, as close as one can get with such a tiny speaker, but plug it into a cabinet, and prepared to be wowed!

[@crabbubbles1161]

I'm betting Roland puts high quality speakers in those instead of the bare minimum ones in many solid state amps.

[@bramdeschagt4687]

Hi Glenn, nice one ... Couldn't hear any difference, however I do confess I listened on my phone... Congratz on capturing that base sound, for some reason that did came across (through my phone).

[@jimfrancemusic4813]

Love your example of Ty Tabor of King's X! Great player, and great album. His tone epitomizes something different/special.

[@ericolson326]

Coincidentally, this very Orange Crush model is the one Ty tours with these days. I tried one for about a week and hated it, but naturally he makes it sound incredible. Curse my tone-deficient hands! 😄

[@jonesyfromtheblock9635]

Solid state is great, look at the jc-120! I’m very much convinced that what you say is true, that most of the chain makes little changes compared to the cab/mic. I would love to see a blind test how much of a difference all of those little things together make! Like one set up has cheap cables, cheap strings, a solid state amp, cheap pickups vs a normal tube amp like a 5150 with a mid priced import guitar and maybe throw in an absurdly expensive rig as 3th all using the same cab/speakers/mic. Love your tests man!

[@Jake_Sachs]

JHS Pedals did something similar to this, using cheap, mid-price, and expensive guitars, pedals, and amps.

[@sylvainnavarro5570]

Does the amp change at 7:46? If so they both sound great! With a bass sound that big and downtuned guitars, anything that distorts sounds monstrous anyway!

[@Coggler101010]

I want to say that the amp changes to the Soldano right there. It's really tough to say. I only say that because I think the amp has the most unique voice out of the four, but it'd be awesome to find out it's actually the Orange.

[@FPSBird]

that video you made with the orange amp back then is the reason I got the super crush and I don't regret it it is my favorite guitar amp.

[@dan0nada754]

they all sounded great, which is just a testament to how well the orange actually does perform

[@Leemuzhko]

I've been thru a lot of SS, hybrid and tube amps. And you can make almost any of them sound good with a proper cab or boost. The main difference is ease of dialing and feel of the player. So, it's just a tool, that you can fit in your needs. But every player feels some connection and love to some particular amps whether it tube or SS.

[@totalbullion5882]

I agree and yet it's solely the "tube" community with their noses in the air. lmao.

[@Leemuzhko]

@@totalbullion5882 you know, I like real tube amps, but for gigging I'll go with my AMT Stonehead (it can beat tube amps with ease) or digital multi fx.

[@kitko33]

Def Leppard recorded Hysteria using a Tom Scholz Rockman, which is basically an early preamp/modeller.... :) And it's one of the greatest rock albums ever.

[@Defleshuary]

I remember finding out their guitars were through a headphone amp/preamp and being blown away.

[@mikewallace1270]

That is true. It was also highly modified. That is according to mutt Lange engineer Mike Shipley but still solid state.

[@DevilMayCryVergil08]

Just heard this through Kindle Fire HD Tablet speakers and could not immediately hear differences. Will respond again when heard through better setups such as headphones or soundbar. Thank you, Glen for keeping it real.

[@mobbinator]

I actually couldn't even hear where it changes at all, which is good news because the entire track sounded phenomenal. Nice work!

[@pureventrue2357]

Yup, definitely couldn't tell which was which, & honestly found it hard to even spot where the changes were. I've really come to love these blind shootouts you do cause yeah, I think we're all guilty of listening with everything but our ears at times & looking for anything that will validate a bias. Frankly I like the idea of solid state. No need to worry about failing tubes, they travel easier etc. I definitely used to hate them & was of the "solid state amps suck" mindset, but the reality is I'd probably just never heard a good one yet. Actually come to think of it, what's in most commonly used overdrive & distortion pedals? Not tubes. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Buzz Osborne from Melvins has also been known to go tube-less?

[@jdkimple]

Yep - King Buzzo has been team Solid State for a number of years. He gets pretty good sounds.

[@Komatik_]

We should all convert to tackle boxes and destroy the amp market.

[@plasticoflamingo2952]

I absolutely love Orange. I have listened to the Super Crush, Crush Cr60, and Dual Dark, played in a switching situation like this, but live and not through a mixer of any kind. The only difference I noticed was that the Super was slightly (and I mean VERY SLIGHTLY) less beefy in the bottom-end. Other than that, they all had that angry-grizzly-bear-attacking-a-hornets'-nest Orange sound. If my financial situation wasn't so f*cked up because of the crappy last two and a half years, I'd buy a Super Crush, give it a loving home, and work at getting that bottom-end beef going. I'm sure it just needs a little knob tweaking. But then, don't we all.

[@ZacharyMoonshine]

This track sounds amazing from start to finish!

[@damienladrig1650]

Was playing my jvm last night again and you nailed it with only 1 sound.

[@udmbfk]

Soo… the only Orange amp you have owned is the one you got for free and it’s all the evidence you need to make this argument?? Great point Glenn as always your logic is flawless!!!

[@metalzonemt-2]

No, the evidence has to come from us who are listening to these amps. Can you tell the time stamp for the Orange amp?

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Don’t hold your breath….

[@perspect836]

I have no idea which is which but I enjoyed the tracks you made for examples :)

[@teemusid]

About ten years ago, I used to use the cheap 6 inch ss Orange combo at GC when trying out a guitar. I really liked that little thing.

[@timdouglas2011]

Piano lows? just more stuff to stick a highpass on!

[@TheBillStickers]

I've listened 10 times now and I can now discern without a shadow of a doubt with my rigorous tone experience that the amps in question do in fact change at 7:33 into killer metal tone. I know just my super hearing kicking in, right? \m/

[@TEXChris420]

just joined channel. I have a badass Marshall 2x12 combo I love. I recently bought a250$ Blasckstar ID core V3 40 SOLID state. It has the same voice as my tube Marshall, and its all I use now.

[@andreasnewitsch59]

Going to have to listen too this again.

[@MultiBetaCAM]

I have to chime in something: I'm 42 now, I've been playing for decades and I worked as a sound engineer as well. I've been through EVERY possible gear related to guitar and amps and what not. I too believed in my early days to sellers telling lots of stories about TUBE vs Solidstate and pedals, how pickups matter, funny enough nobody gave too much consideration the speakers and cabinets. I have a solid state Marshall AVT50 Tribute and a Peavey Studio pro 112 Transtube (red stripe). I use a V30 speaker in my Marshall and never felt that I need that TUBE 3D sound. Nowadays I use a Helix for playing live. I used to have a 4X12 cab and head by Crate which was 100 watts tube in a metal band. Trust me, there's no way to really exploit this thing in a small venue. Not practical. I don't play metal nowadays but I'm so glad to have videos like these to refute all those myths and bunch of Bullshit being told as a kid. To me tubes are things of the past. modeling technology is so good today I see no reason for owning a Tube amp. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! IT MEANS A LOT!

[@greevar]

Personally, I just switched to an ampless rig of my own. All you need is a preamp/OD pedal and a cab sim/IR loader as the bare minimum. You can do that for less than $170 with Flamma FS pedals (which are just rebranded Mooer). The cab sim even comes with stereo in/out for free.

[@michaelcrane5070]

First off, great video! Coming from the perspective of an engineer: I've had a dude with a Helix on one side of the stage and another with isolated, stereo amps (Supro/DC30). No one comes up talking about how "great" the amps sounded or how "bad" the Helix sounded. People are always talking about how tight the band sounded. Doing your part as a musician and band mate to hone your craft and bring a good product will make a bigger difference on yours and everyone else's musical experience. At least more than this mysterious and nebulous point at which electrical engineering and magic intersect 🙄

[@locoberzerker]

I used to use a 600W Genz Benz solid state bass amp with tube preamp for my guitar rig as a power amp. It was small enough to fit in my backpack. It was the shuttle 6.0. I used it with a 4x12 Randall cab. Got rid of it because I got tired of lugging around the big ass 4x12 cabinet and opted for a pair of 2x12 combo amps that are set up in stereo.

[@rayrayde]

As always great vid. I'm a huge fan of the super crush and love it's sound. I can't tell shit in the mix. I want to almost make a bet you didn't change anything except maybe a speaker or mic and left one amp on the whole time!

[@Trilobite]

I thought that the beginning and end sounded most like an Orange amp, but the whole mix sounded good all the way through. I recently dug out my old solid state Roland Spirit 50 amp, which I used to think was crap, but I now realise that it was just not a metal amp and it's really good for slightly overdriven tones. And by really good I mean better than my Diezel Einstein. I'm gonna improve its tone even more this evening by redoing the tolex in red, haha!

[@TheTrueVoiceOfReason]

Tone Tolex!!! Standard Red makes it seriously bright, Blood Red makes the sound syrupy sticky, a bit on the macabre side. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Trilobite]

@@TheTrueVoiceOfReason exactly, I like a nice sticky tone. Bright red amps just don't sound adhesive enough to me.

[@MangoMeoww]

To me it's not so much about the sound but the feel. Tube amps reacts to not only what you play but how, they are more dynamic and alive than solid state in my experience.

[@je1279]

I was finally able to purchase my first tube amp about a year ago. Comparing it against the solid state amps that I remember from the 90's, it is infinitely better. However, I haven't tried out any of the more recent solid state amps and I would definitely rock one if they currently sound similar. Metal until the end as always Glen!

[@Bawlstretchr]

First mix from you that actually blew me away bro, always liked your stuff but this is another level of Fricker

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Ty!!

[@ThePrestoPrestissimo]

Who the F needs Amps when everybody has a DAW and some Plugins?

[@Dreamdancer11]

My point exactly....a daw,an audio interface and some speakers and you are in business.....live is another thing but playing and recording is nowadays done very convincingly from home....

[@nocheckmarkgames]

this is a good option. But for people who haven't done it yet and are looking to get into it. You WILL Have to pay attention more to what your hands are doing independent of the sound, as there will be more Delay in the signal. If you base your riffs off the sound and not your hands, you're gonna fall out of rhythm.

[@jonnyf9049]

because

[@ThePrestoPrestissimo]

@@jonnyf9049 Because being loud all the time is the easiest way to make your neighbors assume you could be ever releasing music?

[@pip5528]

From a record standpoint it doesn't matter but to the player, analog amps simply feel better. Keep in mind also that Glenn is a sound engineer first and foremost so his perspective is different from that of a player.

[@BanjoDemon]

I recently order the super crush to replace a broken Laney pro tube. I then saw this video and was very glad I couldn’t hear a difference in the mix

[@nickcaptain13]

well, never been a fan of orange amps regardless tube or SS, but i got to tell you glenn, youre the first one to make an orange sound good to my ears, so good that i cant of course separate it anywhere in the mix, i cant even notice a change in the mix to see where it goes, maybe due to me ears hearing too much bass hahah.. those piano lows killed it hahahah

[@notsure1135]

Any amp with a graphic EQ in the effects loop can sound like any other amp if you spend the time.

[@nickcaptain13]

@@notsure1135 using a mesa boogie 5 band eq pedal in a blackstar ht5 metal combo i did make it sound like a scooped mesa, yes i can agree with you in that!! totally!!

The Gallien krueger ml were amazing i had two of them, the head version and the mini combo and into a 4x12 these sounded soo massive

[@tomaszmiodonski3411]

Sick bass in that mix, that's for sure!

[@colb999]

This is gonna be fun... Looking forward to the reveal video.

[@philiplombardo249]

I played a Mesa/Boogie Studio Caliber DC-2 for about fifteen years and I loved it. All those tubes make for great tones, but only at unmanageable and uncomfortable high volumes. The weight of the amp also made transporting it unpleasant and frustrating. Well, a few years after a critical back surgery in late 2008, I switched over to a totally solid-state Roland Cube 40XL and I’ve been completely happy with its tones and performance. I believe that tube emulation today has gotten to an excellent point, and players can be quite happy with the sounds and portability of the amps. Processors have improved significantly since about 2015 or so as well, and live performance is an easy breeze with one too!

[@Purple_cactus_17]

Honestly, that was amazing. I can't hear a difference between the amps, if anyone can they should fact check themselves. Thank you, the track sounds amazing. Keep up the work Glen.

[@coreyrramsay8858]

I feel like the Orange was the very first tone but honestly the whole demo sounded great. I have had this amp for a bit over 12 months so I'll be gutted if I'm wrong 😫

[@denisden934]

I really liked the sound of the Orange crush 100 when you did your previous video. Too bad I live in an appartment...

[@brandonm7356]

Okay this was a great video ! I am going to take a shot in the dark on this one, for fun, because the differences were almost unnoticeable; the first amp I think is the Soldano through the first pass of the main riff, the Orange Super Crush was the second pass of the riff, the rhythm guitars for the lead were the Rev and the lead guitar was the 5150. I am probably way off, but it's always fun to take a shot and guess anyways

[@stmboat]

NEVER STOP GLENN THIS IS BANGER MATERIAL!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@diablomozart]

i've used solid state (ampeg ss140c) and modelers for years...less maintenance...here's a dumb question...how many use something like a tube screamer (solid state) in front of their tube amps?

[@halfie25]

As a solid state player (Tech 21 NYC Trademark 300), I can really appreciate this video. I'm always asked what model Mesa, or what tubes are in my amp... Haha! The look on their faces when I say it's solid state SansAmp circuitry is just priceless. Some even refuse to believe. Before this amp, I played a Peavey TransTube 100, and it was the same deal. I had to explain the "tube" dynamic was just a knob, and there weren't even any pre-amp tubes in it. It was basically a Bandit in head form with bells and whistles. LOL! All that being said, I think the third time playing through the riff was the Orange Super Crush. The top end is where you can usually hear and solid state or modeler separate itself, barely. Can't wait to see the results! Once again, thanks for this video as proof a solid state amp can be a monster!

[@Grili561]

Hello sir, I’m a new subscriber and I’ve really appreciated your approach to the channel. I don’t play metal, but your advice for gear is still spot on regardless of style. I’ve been getting rid of all my tube amps, except the deluxe reverb my parents gifted me back in 2004 (it’s sentimental). I personally believe modern guitars with modern amplification or modelers work infinitely better in 9.7 out of 10 cases. Keep up the good work!

[@ericburkman2055]

I tried to do it, but was jammin to the song. Sounded great the whole way. I remember the hidden jem ibanez tone blaster vid. That thing sounded great.

[@tobiastk5391]

I like the sharpness of the first one, got a little bit of fuzz-character which i like. Nice overall grind on the second one. Third sound change that i heard has a more ''open'' midrange I could only pick out the first changes before the solo I prefer the first sound. and i believe that could be the orange. Love these videos! Great mix Glenn!

[@robertpakstis]

I own a Orange Super Crush 100 & I couldn’t tell the difference…. As well as a tube amp and other solid state …. Great mix by the way

[@invujerry]

I listened to this in my car while I was driving to work, and at first I didn’t even realize there was a difference in the tones. I listened again and noticed slight changes but I couldn’t be Frickered to tell you which is which. They all sound great in the mix and that speaks volumes on your behalf. But the bass tone. Jfc what is that.

[@BB-ft6nd]

I figured it out only because I own a SuperCrush 100 and the Northern Mauler, and I love them both...

[@mikemph7779]

I had a GK 250 ML and I loved it!! Sounded killer!!

[@mynameismudd1518]

I have a Fender Champion 100 (Solid Stare) and it's Tweed setting on the edge of breakup sounds incredible.

[@bassplayer137]

I was prepared for another pickup-swap type test, to show he was f-ing with us. But I honestly can’t tell when the changes happen. I can only say that the tonewood of the used guitar is superb!

[@horse_dog]

been using a hilbish beta 200, a solid state amp, for guitar and bass with a ted weber black shuck speaker for awhile now. killer tones.

[@DarkHorsePrime]

In my experience the key is finding a good OD/Distortion pedal for your SS amp, which is more challenging than finding a good match with a tube amp. Something adding a bit of warmth and depth to the sound helps a lot. I found the EHX Crayon is a great overdrive for the Super Crush as it works well with both the clean and dirty channels. I had a hard time finding an OD pedal that worked well with the Super Crush's dirty channel. Lots of people like the OCD, but I didn't like that combo at all.

[@jgmopar]

I like both solid state and tube. I always took a solid state amp as backup when my old band used to play live. Just in case the tube amp crapped out.

[@OveRanheim]

The solid state amp was used in the guitar solo :) Great mix!

[@grellkeller8538]

Tbh I own a super crush 100 and my guess would be the first rythm guitar that you played. But Im not sure because you proved me to buy new speakers :D Im very excited for next weeks Video!

[@lenaandthelambcampingadven3422]

I use a RolandJC 40 line out thru a di box into A tube Fender Deluxe amp . Sounds perfect

[@whiteyshred4330]

I've been waiting for this

[@LP808]

I just switched my live rig to an Orange Super Crush and a Crush Pro 4x12 cab loaded with Eminence Texas Heats and Swamp Thangs. Now, I did add a couple of pedals to my pedalboard to help the Super Crush. I did a blind test to my band and soundman during soundcheck. They all loved my tone! The true test was to my soundman because he is a Marshall JCM800 snob when it comes to tone. Needless to say, he told me that my tone sounded awesome through the PA in the mix. He was surprised when I told him it's a solid state amp.

[@ecou1915]

I used to have a Marshall valve state 8080 that sounded great as long as you kept the volume below 4. I also read Dime saying the same thing about the Randalls. How loud was the Orange when you recorded ?

[@keithrohr6116]

I need to know more about that bass tone!