I need tube sound without the tubes

It doesn't matter what brandname. Take pains to check it out that you consider to audition those that have pure class A type circuitry. Pure class A designs are typically low in watts (50w) or less because of the way they are biased. For that design the TH distortions are kept to the even harmonics very similar to that of tube's. Check earlier thread on "..how you...class A.." in this same forum. Hope this helps.

Id listen to the lamm m2.1 It will be the last amp you will buy SOUnds like tubes but has clarity, stability and slam of the BEST solid state with thr use of only one 6922 tube! I had cj 200 WATT monoblocks and DONT miss them

Thank you gentlemen for all the recommendations. Sounds like there are more options than I thought.

Try an old C.J. MF-80 (not the newer 2100,2300)its solid and relatively warm for a mosfet amp.

Like many of the respondents above I can't see why you have had so much trouble with tube amps. If you think back, before solid state wastubes, and everything ran on tubes, mostly, with little problem. The only difference is that now many tube amp designers are actually from a solid state background where it's standard practice to run everything at about 94% of its maximum rating as a norm. This is not good news for tubes. they prefer to run at their sweet spot, which is usually about 65% running (giving massive room for inadvertant overload, abuse etc). All the guitarists who use tube amps in the world can't all be wrong.... And do you really need all that power? I have a system which runs 12watt amps into InnerSound stat hybrids in a 20x15 room with no volume problems! As long as your amp is well built, not pushing the limits of the components, well ventilated, and of good sound design you won't go far wrong. Caps tend to go before tubes, so get any caps checked out first. My recommendations; vocale tube amps (vocale@aol.com), or Sugden solid state, class A jobs. Don't give up; tubes are the way to go. graham