GaN guitar amps?
With the success of GaN amps from the likes of @atmasphere and others, I was wondering if that technology could possibly infiltrate and possibly supplant guitar players’ beloved tube amps? Seems like a no brainer given reliability and weight savings in a pro-audio environment. Am I missing something here?
I don't either- mostly on account of the dearth of such amps to begin with and then how hard it is to introduce guitar players to stuff like that. I imagine things will look at lot different in 10 years! |
Ha! There is no way your tweaky SS Fender FX/combo sounds as good as the older “relic” Twin you have- unless it’s just not functioning! I’m sure it may satisfy for low level practice sessions but when it comes down to getting really singing praise the solid state will come out with a sore throat. Break out the twin and keep the newer one as an ottoman for your favorite chair! |
@designsfx That was certainly true decades ago but now, not so much. There might be an overdriven tube, but that tube may not be in the guitar amp- it might be in an effects pedal. Alternatively, it might be in a guitar amp, but not the output tubes- that is why guitar amps have more than one volume control. For the last 20 years or more, guitar players for the most part have sculpted their 'sound' by the use of various effects pedals, of which I'm sure you're aware. So all a class D amp has to do is not fall flat on its face :) About a year ago we sent a prototype class D system to a bass player named Ron Carter, for audition to see if the idea had merit. He liked the sound FWIW. He was/is already using a class D amplifier which is a more common in the world of acoustic instruments. But even electric guitar players are considering the move, since there's a big difference between 15 pounds and 70 pounds when you're loading out of a venue at 3 in the morning! There are several guitar amplifiers that were hifi in nature. The famous Sunn tube guitar amp used the Dynaco MkIII amp circuit and output transformers. The venerable Ampeg V4 was built to hifi standards throughout (the work of Roger Fox, who eventually was vice president of Fendor). Finally the Marshall Major is a 200 Watt amp that can be used as PA, bass or guitar as its built to hifi standards as well. Of course these amps have tone controls; what I mean by hifi is they have wide bandwidth and low distortion. So its entirely reasonable to consider hifi and guitar amps in the same conversation. |
SS amps plus effects boxes can give plenty of sonic flavor for guitar players! No need for tube amps anymore! My Fender FM212DSP has built-in effects accessible from the front panel - even various vintage tube amp emulators! No need for crowded pedal boards on the floor! That's why I bought it. Though I will still keep my vintage Fender Twin Reverb as an interesting relic. |
Guitar amps and audio amps shouldn't even be in the same conversation. No need to reinvent the wheel. "Most guitar players I’ve played with are incessantly fiddling with their pedals to get the sound they’re looking for on a particular song," that about sums it up. "Not sure if a GaN amp could be programmed to mimic the desirable distortion of an overdriven tube amp" You can get close enough thru a tube stompbox and the cheapest SS amp-after that it's the player. Guitar amps and audio amps shouldn't even be in the same discussion.
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@designsfx You bring up a good point. Not sure if a GaN amp could be programmed to mimic the desirable distortion of an overdriven tube amp. But, might not be impossible either. Most guitar players I’ve played with are incessantly fiddling with their pedals to get the sound they’re looking for on a particular song, so GaN amps would need to have similar flexibility to even have a possibility of succeeding in that market. We’ll see I guess. |
YES! But I think it’s use would be driven by the style of music played with it. I have a a couple of solid state amps- one is really good when used with acoustic steel string/classical guitars and can be nice for mellow electric. When it comes to what players call “tone” it’s almost certain there will be an overdriven tube amp in play. There are some famous SS amps- Fender was known for this (think early Clapton with Cream). I could see someone using GaN possibly with an amp modeling processor or some other DSP driven solution but in the end I see most players going for tubes. My 45+ year old Marshall 100 watt is still the best amp I’ve ever owned- and one of the best I’ve heard! |
