The 3 Best Digital Amps For Tube Snobs 

There comes a point where it's no longer about the equipment and more about the player. We all have access to equipment WAY better than Hendrix had, yet we just keep wanting this and that instead of being focused on the craft. My$.02 👍

As a long-standing valve-amp guy, I have been impressed by hearing the Tonemasters in gigs. A few friends have bought them and swear by them. Valve sounds with half the weight is the general view. On a much cheaper level; I bought a NUX MG300 recently. As a low-tech guy, I am still very much learning it but I have managed to create a few patches that sound very good through headphones. I see no reason why it shouldn't sound as good through a PA, I shall try it soon. Very portable. Certainly ideal for open-mic and jam nights.

I love tube amps. I really like solid state amps. Nowadays, the digital stuff is getting really good and so much more convenient. Do they sound exactly like tube amps? No. Do they get very close? Yes🤘

I bought a brand new Super Reverb in 1967 and loved it. In the 70s I played a silverface Super Reverb. I went back to playing in the 1990s and eventually got myself into a Deluxe Reverb Reissue. I did work with a ‘blackfaced’ silverface Princeton Reverb for a while, but stuck with the DDRI until just recently. I am 74 years old and I play solo or with a scrappy little blues duo featuring only guitar and drums. My major work is on RU-vid these days. I’ve made over 2000 videos. I’m retired and live in an apartment. The Deluxe was just too much for gigs and for at home and I took a chance on a new Fender Tone Master Princeton. I’ve used it extensively at home, and I’ve played a few gigs with it now. it is the best performance amp that I have ever used! And the first digital amp that I have ever used. Just last Friday night I had some people in town from Baltimore and LA. I had more comments about my tone being “dialed in” and my sound being better than ever. The amp responded beautifully to my tube screamer and my Keeley Katana clear boost. I cannot imagine playing any other amplifier for the rest of my life!

The Roland Blues Cube "Stage" or "Artist" are great for their tube like response.

Thank God this is not a problem for us new guitar players. Since tube amps are so expensive it is just not an option for a beginner to buy one. And we can also have a less biased opinion on what we like. Of course, I notice a difference between a tube amp and any digital modeler, but that is mainly because the tube amp is using a real cab or a traditional speaker and the digital modeler usually is being played through headphones, monitors, or a PA system which sounds different. I have a friend who is a total tube snob and tone chaser, the one who is never fully satisfied with the gear he has. We have been testing digital modelers with power amp-style pedals, like the Mooer Baby Bomb or the EHX MAGNUM, through traditional guitar cabinets with a Celestion V30 speaker. The result, he enjoyed it, as much as playing a real tube amp. So my conclusion is that is not a matter of tube or digital, what matters is the speaker. That is what matters, as Glenn Fricker has said a million times.

The Orange Super Crush 100 seems to be one of the best digital amps for people who like the classic sound. Orange really is coming up with some of the best stuff these days. It's an Orange Renaissance! 🍊🤘🎸

I am using a ToneX in the fx loop of an HX Stomp as my primary rig. I play it through a class D power amp and a guitar cabinet. Great sounds with TOTAL control of ho loud I am without impacting tone. That's the main reason I went digital. Never have to compromise on my tone no matter what the sound guy makes me do. I also have an Ampero Mini. I had the Ampero II Stomp, but sold that when the Mini came out. This is a tiny inexpensive solution with some great sounding amps in it. (oh, and it has fx too 😁). So in reality it serves the function (sonically) of both the ToneX and the HX Stomp. Of course feature wise, it is lacking a lot of what the HXS and ToneX offer. But can I get good fundamental sounds from it? Oh yes! Bought it as a backup, but like it enough that I am using it more than expected. I am 67, and for about 10 years I built tube amps as a hobby. I never would have thought I would end up going digital, but the convenience and flexibility (for me) out-weighed any tonal things. They sound great, and I never go for side by side comparisons, so sounding great is what matters.

I missed the premiere... all good information. Thanks Dylan!

Tube amps are awesome and I have what I need at home, but the amazing stuff all these new digital platforms are coming out with are insane and they just keep getting better! Great Vid Dylan!

Here are my thoughts: 1. Tone Master range (twin reverb and Princeton specifically) 2. Blues cube - people have been sleeping on this amp it's insanely good 3. Roland JC-120

Tone Master amps are digital amp modelers in a cab that model one amp. They sound nice for the most part. That Pedal Show did a great comparison between a tube Deluxe and a TM Deluxe and when pushed the TM Deluxe sounded bad. I'm not anti-digital by any means as I've owned Line 6, Kemper, Fractal gear and they all offer something to the playing experience , mostly convenience and wild flexibility and consistency. But when playing at home I always prefer a real tube amp in the room. Great demo Dylan. Thanks for your efforts.

I prefer tube amps, but the digital gear has really improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. I have a Helix and am enjoying exploring all the models,fx, etc.

I'm a digital native, but been looking at more analog solutions for this mainly because of latency. Most of the time it doesn't matter, but when you put on a wireless unit plus two to four AD/DA conversions, it starts to add up. So some of the options I was looking at include 1. DSM Humboldt Simplifier 2. Quilter SuperBlock 3. Quilter 101 Mini 4. Neunaber Neuron (digital but apparently low latency?) 5. Joyo American Sound with separate clean power amp. My primary rigs are all Helix based currently, but I have one I've been building around a Plethora X5 and it's been interesting trying to figure out what I should do about the amp. Also, the Fender Mustang series has quite good Fender emulations. It has the possibility of option paralysis, but if you stick to the Fender models and run pedals for dirt, it's pretty nice and simple.

Love my Deluxe Reverb Tone Master and use it every weekend in the band!...I set it to the 5 watts...and of course, mic it!...thanks for the video!

Thanks, Dylan. It's like you read my mind!

Bluguitar Amp 1 is the amp for tube snobs because it contains a tube and works at all volumes. If you like all the funky things a driven tube amp does an Orange Super Crush 100 is another option.

Yamaha THR stuff is awesome. Also I don't know if it's considered digital but a Roland JC 22 for home is also awesome.

That was an excellent review, thank you!

Thanks - very helpful video.

I’ve got a super champ x2, which isn’t made anymore, but it works great for practice and still has enough power for a small gig.

For “Bedroom” amps, love my Mustang GTX50 (built in Looper), and Blackstar Debut 50R (it loves pedals). Great video/review!

Dylan I agree with you on this video.. I have the positive grid mini and it is a fun little amp .

I really like the blackstar debut 50. Sounds great, its cheap, and it is very simple to use. Under rated imo. Thanks for the video.

I was a tube amp snob. I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and love it to bits. But recently I had to gig regularly and travel a lot and the amp is heavy as hell and takes a lot of space. So I bought a Boss GT-1000 Core and I can't be more happy with it. I can put my whole rig on my back attached to my guitar case. I have plenty of amp options, cabs and effects on my disposal in a single small unit. it's just so convenient. It doesn't sound like my tube amp BUT it's pretty damn close that I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

I'm not a tube snob, but every time I've tried fully digital equipment, I've found the tone wanting. Some digital effects I can tolerate, as long as the basic guitar signal remains analogue, but I avoid digital wherever possible. So for me, analogue rules, whether it's tube or solid state.

I totally get what you're saying and as someone who plays tube amps and wants the feel of a real amp behind me, I know that there will be a situation at some point where I need a digital solution. But I think for someone like me something like the Captor X or Ox is probably the best solution, because I can still use my amps but run them through a digital cab sim in a quiet stage environment. I am interested in trying one of the Tone pedals though

Awesome to see another Temple Audio user, starting my 3 board tomorrow...lol

I'm loving my Nextone. Really slid under the radar. Other than that, my bucket list SS amp is the JC-120.

I have both a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb and a Yamaha THR30 ii aside from a tube amp. I find myself using the Yamaha most of the time at home. Great little amp.

I went digital about 5 years ago and got a Moore 200. It's ok but I miss the pedals I sold...maybe it's the tactile thing that's gone. I have both a small digital amp, along with a 20W Peavy classic...love them both. From the GE200 they are going into excellent speakers so that helps :) Today, with digital having come so far I think the whole argument dig-vrs-tube is probably over. I may give that Tonex a run though. I can see that along with a few good pedals , this could be a great rig. Thanks again Dylan...good show.

There do seem to be lots of great options out there. Personally I have a kemper and have been loving that for live use. It’s much easier to carry around than my previous tube amps. I still have one but can’t use it as I’m also in an apartment. When I’m at home or recording demos, etc. I’ve really need digging the Neural DSP plugins. Yeah you don’t get quite as much variety as you may with tonex or kemper but dang does it sound good and all you have to do is plug in to your interface.

I love tube amps. I expect to find a digital option that I like someday and would be happy to have it as well.

I've had a Vox AC15, a fender Blues Deluxe, and still have a Marshall Valvestate 65 watt, and a DSL40. But I am in love with my Fender Champion 212, 100 watt digital amp. Sounds great at lower volumes, but has TONS of headroom if I need it.

my favorite amp is my mesa F-50, but it is ungodly loud, I own a few more tube amps for occasional recording... I recently got a line 6 catalyst and once I got into the settings it does a great job especially at bedroom volumes or in my case home office volumes.

I purchased a Fender LT25, was really nice, but I decided to trade it in for a Fender GTX100. The GTX100 will be easier to resell, by my son, than LT25 or GTX50 when I pass😉. It has Headphone out and Auxiliary input for music along with USB out, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, stereo Fx out and Fx return, and XLR stereo output. The fact is that it emulates over 43 amps, different cabs, and full array of pedals where everything is adjustable in depth. You only need to spend the time having fun finding "YOUR" favorite sound. I do not need the 100 watts, the 50 would have been fine for me ( I live in an apartment) but the price of the 50 + separate pedal is the same as the 100 that has the pedal included. (Nor do I need 200 presets, but better too many than not enough). From the GTX7 pedal, you can access the 200 presets + your five preferred presets you assigned + the tuner + a one minute loop with multiple dub capabilities. The Fender tone app lets you control the settings from your phone or tablet making it really easy, and you can download a boatload of presets made by pro musicians and other members of the Fender Tone community where people upload their own presets they created. And if you think they don't sound like the originals, I haven't heard the other amps live and don't intend to compare them side by side... When alone with the GTX100 amp it sounds great to me, and that's what counts in the end.

I’ve always been a fender tube amp guy, since my high school days when I worked summer to by a bandmaster… I’m 73 now with hearing loss from playing loud fender tube amps… A year ago I bought a katana mkii ex… It can sound great but I get tired of going down that menu driven search for a tone… A month ago, I bought a church used tone master deluxe reverb in blonde… I’m selling the katana as I’m back in fender land… The thing that makes them great is they sound like what they are supposed to sound like and the digital conveniences, DI output and attenuator are the bees knees…these are great for home use, recording and at 23lbs, an old guy like me can arrive at a gig with guitar in one hand and amp in the other… of course we all know it’s not that simple… But they make it easier to play guitar and they sound great… My deluxe resides at our rehearsal studio and I’m buying a Princeton TM to live at home…

Your observations are on point. The topic applies especially to those of us who kick, scream, and complain as we are being drug into new tech.

Really interesting look at some the good digital amp options. I have to say that without spending a bunch of time with each one, I think any of them can do a great job for musicians at any level. Back in the 1970's, touring up on the Prairies in Canada in midwinter, I got to have a love/hate relationship with certain brands of amps - tube and solid state - from that era. Because I was the guy in the band who knew which end of a soldering iron not to pick up, I spent more than a few breaks doing repairs on gear where the build quality was pretty skanky, or on rented equipment that had been thrashed to death. Much later, I owned some pretty good tube gear, including a double-stack Marshall bass rig. After a neighbor's apartment fire destroyed part of mine in the mid 1990's, I had to say goodbye to the Marshall and some other gear - stuff not destroyed by the fire. A bit later, I was able to buy some "made in U.S.A." Peavy guitar amps - modest size stuff - that served me very well for many things in the post-fire period. I was incredibly fortunate when a bass player in our union, then about 90, made me a gift of 2 bass cabinets and a really great head. It was a tremendously generous gift, and as much as I'd loved just _having_ a Marshall rig, I can't complain about the sound and tone of the gear I was given to help get back on my feet. I've bought - and sold - several amps since then, and kept only a couple. I can say, "there are better amps" - probably true - but it sometimes comes down to "2nd best tomorrow." Will it do the job? Do I like the sound(s)? Is it reliable? (and as I've gotten older: how easy is it to take to gigs). My point is, I suppose, that there's no "absolutely right" answer. You've got some new stuff there that I'd love to try out, but cost becomes a real issue, and there are items I have more immediate need of. I've only had a couple of amps that were absolute stinkers - others have gone from "not bad" to "pretty darn good." Sometimes, that's the choice it comes down to. Anyhow, thank you for posting this overview - all of those you mention are things I'd like to try out myself. I might get lucky and win the lottery, or I might find one at a price I can afford - but only after trying it out. Because that's really what it comes down to: how does it sound, and is it "flexible" enough as far as what it can do. Everyone's needs are a bit different. Possibly the one thing I have learned, post-fire, is that if I find an amp that's "supposed to be good" and after trying it I can't imagine why, Don't Buy It! Save that money for one I do like. Cheers from the Great White North.

I trusted full-on Digital the day I got the Spark 40. It genuinely surprised me. Now I record with my Boss ME-90 _(York Bassman IRs that saved the day.)_ Neither truly competes with my Fender SuperSonic 22. But, with my pedalboard below my computer desk, and the Spark in my living room…I’ve got no barriers to setting up.

These are good options but the route I chose to play quietly in the home was to use any of my tube amps like a dual recto or 5150 and run into a load box like a Rivera Rock Crusher or Torpedo Captor and take the line out into my audio interface into my DAW and add an IR and sounds great! I also like to use a Synergy SYN1 again into audio interface/DAW/IR. great for home practice, recording.

Please consider this: speaker efficiency. Get a really efficient spkr, say 95 db, and use a 5w or 2w option on a tube amp. An example is the 10w Bugera on the 5w or 1w setting into an Eminence Ragin Cajon, or the CR, etc. You'll get a pretty full sound bedroom level. Just a thought.

Hi Dylan, nice video, thank you. I may have missed it but what do play your Tonex through? An amp? Thanks!

I got a Cuvave Cube Baby as a free-bee. I really enjoy the cabinet IR's that are in it. The other things it does aren't worth a damn. I use a few pedals in front of it, primarily a Sans Amp Fly Rig, and have gone completely direct because of that cheap little pedal. My back loves me now.

Maaan, that Schecter is nice. I'm getting one but hopefully in a darker cherry hue.

I think they all sound great. Me personally, I like the Tonex for it's flexibility, affordable price point and overall great tones. Great video Dylan, I totally agree with your POV.

I have a Fender gtx100 and I like it !

Great video, I agree with everything you stated. Another option is the solid state Roland Blues Cube. Although it's not the latest, it is very well made (Japan), has a great clean tone and is a wonderful pedal platform. It is very good but I recently purchased a Carr Super Bee 10W tube amp with a built in attenuator. It is better than the Blues Cube but considerably more expensive.

I tested a fender mustang GT40. It had quite a lot of latency, around 6mS. Not sure about the Princeton but it seems that in order to have features like wifi, over the air updates, online 'tone' library, ipad integration... it was easier/cheaper/faster to use embedded linux and the ALSA library. I would be weary of such features if you care about latency.

Dear Dylan, Recently i am going to buy an amp. So this video will definately help. I have a multi Effects processor and need an amp with quality sound. Simulation is not important. Pratice amp with high quality sound. 30W would be preferred.

I have the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb in blonde. It's been my most played amp for about 1.5 years, besides owning 3 full grown tube amps by Marshall, Engl and PRS. Great tone and convenience are just too hard to beat

I have been thinking about getting the Kraken however my tube amp I purchased the EVH ICONIC because I can go direct out to the board and not have to worry about a cab. 80 watts or not as long as my pedals are connected correctly I will still have my power,tone and true sound with just my Head ..

Quilter Aviator Cub is Awesome

I have ran into similar problems with noise, I'm home hobby player I would love a tube amp, but I don't want the aggravation from the neighbors, I really like the Princeton Tonemaster but it goes for £849 here in the UK not the most cost effective but I love the 6 way power switch attenuator I didn't know it was only 12 watts, but I would love one, right now I have is BOSS Katana Mini Solid State 7 watt little monster, I can take with me , at home it works great , I love the sounds that comes out it, and I'm not getting eggs thrown at our window at night ,

I love tube amps and have a few (71 & 76 Deluxe, 71 Princeton). I play mostly at senior homes because I like making money and being home early🙄. Yes, I'm old. I don't need to carry an amp around so I'm currently using a Dream 65 with a Rat-type pedal in front of it and a Halo after it. It's plugged directly into my Bose mixer and L1 Compact. The Dream 65 is great but I'm considering a Tonnex just for a little more options in sounds.

If you haven't tried a Vox VX50 yet you should. It's crazy good, crazy small, and very handy!

My little Bogner Ecstasy Mini head using the Variac switch actually sounds like a 50w Marshall... and this is coming from a tube amp purist snob.

I have Mesa, Vox and Fender tube amps and practice with a Line6 Catylst 100w.

Honestly that tonex sounded great! It turned my head like, what?

I still love my Blonde Deluxe Reverb Tone master. Still the best

Katana 100 MkII 1x12" combo ain't too shabby. Fender GTX100 1x12" combo is even lighter and has BluTooth/Editor/Software connect. Game-Changer Live control. No one talks about it.

I run my Swart AST Mk II into a Tone King Iron Man Mini. I run all my drives in front and the line out from the Iron Man comes back in for modulation, delay and reverb. It goes right into my interface for silent play with no speaker cab even hooked up.

Home player in an aparment here. Right now im using a biss GX100 into an orange 35rt (in the return of the loop) and it sounds decent enough at quiet volume. I don't like headphones very often and prefer to play through an amp. I also have a toddler and this soulution is easy to put away when im done, just two cables, guitar and the GX. The orange sits under a cover on a dresser so he cant really mess with it.

Still happy with my Boss Nextone Stage, bought after seeing Dylan talks tone episode from 15 december 2020, where Michael Bay and Dylan were very positive about the amp. Does it sound like a tube amp? I don't care. Sounds good enough for me !

Never tried myself, but I'd like to get your opinion on the Mooer Prime P1. Have you tried it? If not, please consider looking into it. 🍻

I have a Blackstar HT5R .5-5W it is awesome

Tone snobs pfffft! Im running my pedalboard into a Joyo American Sound Into a Hall of Fame reverb and straight into the power section of this solid state princeton 65 that i rescued from a dumpster a couple of years ago, im thinking of adding a pasive vol. attenuator because the joyo pedal is surprisingly loud. From Bassman to Twin reverb with the turn of a knob. Song of the day: QOTSA - Mexicola

"Quilter" has been making amps like these for many years way before the others. Many touring guitarist use them as well as studio guitarist.

Like somebody already mentioned, the Roland JC (Not a digital amp). I saw a... Anderton's video where a digital Princeton could not emulate a fuzz pedal correctly when put in front. So Roland JC is not a bad choice.

My guitar player is a mega tonehound. His fly-rig now is a Quilter SuperBlock US. Great-sounding black-panel Fender tone. Every RU-vid demo of it I've ever seen does the DI feature wrong, and because of this, they all sound terrible. The 24v power supply is only for use when you're using it as an amp. When running it via DI, use a standard 9v power supply and you'll love it.

I have never had a venue try and tell me I couldn’t use my amp. And I play a lot live. Never had that happen lol.

I tried many/most of the cheaper budget digital amps and I found some I liked; I found most I did not like. I really want to try the Tonemaster Princeton. That appears to be the amp I want and need. At $120 the Fender Champion 20 (they also make the 40 and 100) was perfect the the looks/feels/works like a regular amp. I got rid of it for 2 reasons: solid state amp "pop" when turning off and can't do multiple fx at same time without a pedal board. At $120 the Fender Mustang Micro one of the best modeling amps I've used. Was perfect for what it was. I regret selling it. At $200-500 the Fender Mustang LTs and GTXs: some modeling sounds were awesome, some were sterile and blah. I didn't have the patience to learn it and it was too "fiddly" with the buttons and menus. Same goes for the Boss Katana. The Positive Grid Sparks I don't like amps that you have to rely on your smartphone. I uesd to work for a the company that puts a lowercase i in front of things. I know from years of experience you can run into software no longer being supported in new hardware or new OS. For that reason I didn't want to risk it. Currently playing a 5w tube amp with 3 digital pedals. Works for me. Will one day replace it, the reverb and tremolo pedals with a Tonemater Princeton and keep the delay pedal.

Change the speaker in your Fender MT deluxe. Down load the latest Blond Deluxe Firmware . Big improvement . Celestion 65 good choice . Only adds 3 to 5 lbs. Weights less than Princeton RI.

For me, it’s the learning curve of new software. My tube amp is easy. Plug in, play.

Preferring the Helix modeller range (HX Stomp great for cramped stages) over the Tonex but they're all amazing pieces of tech....great time to be a guitarist.

Electricity consumption of a guitar amp is miniscule unless you are trying to out-do a 747 on takeoff. I have a Tubemeister 18 that draws about 50 watts at bedroom sound level. My Powercab 112 plus draws about 20-25 watts at the same sound pressure level.

I’ve been happy with my Katana. Perfect? No. But for $250, awesome.

When I was thinking Tube Snobs, I was thinking more along the side of audiophile. I can get really good sounds from the Quad Cortex but the damn thing is so buggy that I don't trust it while playing live and it made me go back to Fractal Axe-Fx III.

I’ve moved entirely to Tone Master amps for gigging and always use the DI. It sounds plenty good enough in a club situation and having control over stage volume completely independent of house volume is awesome! I got the Twin first because it was available locally, and that is still my go-to for the big stages, but the Princeton has REALLY been the thing since I got it.

I love tube amps but for at home and practice you can’t beat the Fender GTX100. Amp modeling is solid for at home, ton of vintage effects, L/R XLR outs, headphones, Bluetooth and a very good foot controller. Also sounds good with your pedals in front or through the effects loop.

that nux stuff looks pretty interesting, thinking about checking some of that out. I have been using digital for a while now and love it, I definitely still have some traditional tube amplifiers floating around because they're awesome but nothing wrong with digital. I think for some of us older guys and girls when digital first came to the market in the mid 1980s and early 1990s it was absolutely horrible and that definitely left a bad taste in our mouth but things have changed and the digital of today isn't even the same thing as the digital of 20 years ago. Personally I think here in a couple of years we are going to have a lot more modeling Guitars and modeling pups and you're going to be able to purchase a Gibson or a Jackson or offender etc with that technology already built into the guitar. There are already companies doing this and it's still in the crashed test dummy stage in my opinion but usable at the same time. mooer already makes a guitar guitar with built-in modeling, wireless, recording interface, tuner, metronome, drum machine and I'm probably forgetting a bunch of shit but yeah the point is once they get that dialed in and working as good as a Kemper I will definitely be in the market for one of those. lol and then you have the line 6 variax system that allows you to tune each individual string to whatever you want on the fly or just simply turn off strings if you're bumping them and it also has modeling built-in and also can use impulse responses to re-create acoustic guitar sounds accurately and sounds much better than an actual acoustic guitar plugged into an amplifier. I am definitely anticipating the day where all I need is a pedal platform power amplifier and a cabinet. Maybe some expression pedals to change settings. Or you show up at a gig and you bring your guitar and a small pedal board and plug straight into front of house the end. Everything else is literally in your guitar. I have found one thing when it comes to playing guitars, setting up equipment is not inspiring and being able to grab my guitar literally have everything right in front of me ready to go anytime I want is huge because when an idea pops into my head I don't have to set anything up I just have to play it. I feel like a lot of people pick their guitars up and play them acoustically a lot because of this and don't even bother to plug them in because they're trying to work out ideas but it would be nice to have everything ready to go. I was actually thinking about getting rid of my modeling amplifier which is a Spark and getting one of those modeling guitars instead for this reason.

Dylan, since you've stated your love for the ToneX more than enough, what pedalboard amp or any other amp, do you recommend for to pair with the ToneX? Can it compare favorably to the Tonemaster Fenders?

Tube amps have soul, and warmth, Vox amps do it good!

What about us bass tube amp snobs? What can you recommend for that Classic 70s' ampeg SVT sound?

Line 6 is good enough for me. Aso use a Vamp 2 for direct.

Tube snobs and digital snobs unite already!!😂. Hybridize!!!

Good afternoon everyone

If i had $ for another amp i think a tone master would be good as i like pedals. Im not against solid state i do enjoy my koch jupiter jr though its a highbrid. I do have a half watt tube amp but jts still a bit much for an apartment. Id like a solid state because my amp just gets hot n it already gets to hot in the summer here

Doesn't Helix let you tweak "bloom"? I have Amplitube and never knew I wanted an AD30 till I got it. I'm fairly novis and Amplitube is like a brilliant demonstration of options in addition to being good renditions of the real thing. OH, and I know it's mics, but with UA DLX you can blend a U47 with a M251 in varying proportions. There are features in opportunities in digital that are just so powerful.

Hx stomp. Or a tech 21 fly rig. Boss katana if need speaker.

Hugh’s & Kettner it’s tough to part with

This is a really good video. I do love tube amps. However, I love my wife and value the happiness of my family more. Even if just a little bit more lol

Dylan, And the 'usual man's Kemper'? I've made this question two times but never saw your answer (excuse me if I missed a vid where you answered that). You did extensively use a Kemper and are now saying the Tonex can be comparable. What are your thoughts on the Kemper and why did you stop using it?

You've got me super intrigued by the St. James. Does it have any shortcomings or limitations at its price point? Can I use it for all genres?

Since I could never afford couple-of-grands-worth amp and (pluse couple of hundred to set'em up have to be included), I find myself more nad more inclined totransistor / digital solutions (Katana Artist, OR super crush, even HUMBOLDT DMS). I find the reliability and CONSISTENCY in performance eliberating. I have no idea about high end amps, but medium priced amps (500-1500 range) I had an opportunity to play are just way inconsistent and I have never ever had a gig in which I could go and play without having some sorf of an issue (I am talking Blackstar, Marshall, Hughes & Kettner, fender twin amp) - tube failure, noise, unusual high end overtones, volume drops.... Not bashing any brand, just stating my case. Still have all of them, still love them and think the sound out of the tube amps is generally better, but when it comes to a gig, I tend to opt for less hassle. simple as that. Honestly, small venues, I do not miss a thing in a context of a mix, or sound quality in general. True, the possibility I am sloppy or tone deaf, shoul not be easily discarded. So far I haven't had any stadium gig - when I do, I 'll let you know :D

I like the Tonemaster series, except I think they are priced too high. I also think they are still not the best option, for that cranked tone, at very low volumes, through the speaker. But, if tha particular Fender amp works for your tone, then they are a great option. If not, then I think you overlook Options like the Line 6 Catalyst, Boss Katana, particularly the Artist level. Heck, even my Supro Delta King, is a btter option, for EOB and cranked tones at home volumes, even Apt volumes, than the Fenders (and it's a tube amp). I WAS a hard core tube snob, but switched to digital years ago. I do have an Axe FX III in the studio (and I defy anyone to tell the difference from 'real' tube amps). For gigging I use a Catalyst modelling amp, which I also think Is a good choice for this list. I also use alone or with the Catalyst, a ver small pedal board with an HX Stomp and TOnex,. I switched for all the reasons mentioned AND because I need cranked tones at non cranked volumes. I play SMALL gigs, just 2 of us, in small venues on tiny stages or corners of the place. Bars Restaurants, Coffee houses, etc. She sings, I provide the rest. We cover a lot of musical ground, gig to gig, but generally in the same gig. m acoustic to classic rock, to pop rock and punk, to blues, even som Celt rock and folk. To do that with any tube amp, means a large pedal board AND an acoustic amp. It just makes more sense to use digital. I can cover all that in a small HX Stomp/tonex board with a Midi pedal into FOH. Or in cases where there isn't a FOH, run it into the power section of my Catalsyst or Supro Delta King.. I also had a HUGE collection of Low watt tube amps, amp heads, CABs, attenuators, Torpedo devices, pedals etc to get that range of tones at decently low volumes, and it just became too much. I replaced all of it Amps, CABs, DIs, pedals, etc with one Axe FX.

One thing I'd like to see mentioned more in these kinds of videos is reliability and serviceability. I don't expect to be swapping boards in my Spark 10 years from now, but when you get in to stuff like the Tonemasters it really should be considered. (Doubly so given how badly designed many of Fender's modern tube amps are. I hope Tonemasters are better but I don't know.) Will Fender sell you a replacement board if it dies, for example? Are the jacks and switches robust?

Until Tonex came along i was diehard tube...You have got to wade through a lot of meh captures but there are some gems to be found.

modeling way better if u cant play loud, but nothing can beat 2x12 cab with Marshall if u can play that loud i have katana when i cant play loud and 2x12 with jcm 2000 when i can i love the air that pushes out im 24 years old and idc baut tubes but it just sounds better for me and dont get me wrong i love digital too

I have a digital Spark amp for convenience but my Vox tube amp absolutely smokes it for tone. There is no contest. It's that simple. And that is not snobbishness