stu wrote:
Whats the difference between a valve and transister amp? Like I said I dont know about this stuff :-[.
They use different methods of amplification.
Valve amps use valves (or tubes) to amplify the signal. The natural compression in the valves results in a softer, warmer and much more natural sound. However, the higher you turn the volume, the more overdrive you get, not always a good thing if you want a high volume clean sound. They are sensitive things and dont like knocks and bumps. The tubes must be replaced depending on how often you play and how hard you drive the amp...
Transistor amps, or solid state, use transistors to amplify the sound. They can have very high clean volumes, but can sound very clinical and harsh (piercing trebles) as opposed to the softened effect of tubes. However, they have a more neutral sound in most cases, letting you use pedals and especially digital effects more easily. More reliable than tubes by a long shot.
Hybrid amps usually use tubes in the preamp to give you nice tube sound, but SS in the power amp for reduced cost and reliability of sorts.
Hope that makes sense! Basically you should give both a listen to appreciate the tonal differences...
