Want opinions on some tube amps

I would avoid anything Bugera makes (some of there amps are known to catch fire)

The VOX looks nice though.

I'm looking for much the same thing as the OP, who mentioned he/she has a Pod XT. I love my Line 6 Pod 2.0, & I'm considering the Pod into a straigntforward solid-state power amp into a full-range 1x12. The Pod's second output would go to the PA. Simple & versatile.

Any thoughts/critiques of this approach would be welcome.

You cannot go wrong with anything that says VOX on the front. Otherwise, Hughes & Kettner make good kit, as do Marshall (although I use a solid state Marshall MG30DFX)

A :-)

AAAAND... I totally glossed over the words "tube amps" in the subject line....

Sorry. ADD. Don't mind me. I'll just sit over here in the corner....

Il think the Pod into clean SS power is a good option for OP to consider, however. The Pod is an amp modeler/tone shaper, as the tube amp undoubtedly will be, so neutral power lets the Pod speak more clearly, maybe. Plus as bitchen as they are, tube amps are such a headache.

the Pod into clean SS power is a good option for OP to consider, however. The Pod is an amp modeler/tone shaper, as the tube amp undoubtedly will be, so neutral power lets the Pod speak more clearly, maybe. Plus as bitchen as they are, tube amps are such a headache.

Agree; an amp modeler into the preamp of a guitar amp can sound muddy or congested. I run my Tech 21 Liverpool pedal (Vox AC30 emulator) into the FX return jack of my amp so I bypass the preamp and use only the power stage. That's SS for me, but a tube power amp would probably be pretty nice. The give-up is volume control, so I fabricated a little line-level volume box (subject of another recent thread.)

But generally, a full-range flat-response system, like a keyboard amp or a powered PA unit, should be ideal for an amp modeler.

Of course, if the OP can disable amp modeling and use the pod only for effects, then running it straight into a guitar tube amp will work well. In that case, for "blues to metal," I'd think Marshall rather than Vox.

I haven't tried it, but have always heard that amp modelers and tube amps aren't a good mix.

I use my digitech toy through a plain, boring, practice amp, with the EQ set flat and no gain.

It seems like these modelers are emulating as best they can the sounds of a tube amp already. Putting that through a tube amp would apply the cutting and breakup of a tube amp to the cutting and breakup of a tube amp...sounds like it would get muddy.

Best,
Ande

I haven't tried it, but have always heard that amp modelers and tube amps aren't a good mix.

I use my digitech toy through a plain, boring, practice amp, with the EQ set flat and no gain.

It seems like these modelers are emulating as best they can the sounds of a tube amp already. Putting that through a tube amp would apply the cutting and breakup of a tube amp to the cutting and breakup of a tube amp...sounds like it would get muddy.

Best,
Ande
I suspect that they will mix fine if you use the modeler (POD or whatever) with the FX return jack, which effectively bypasses the preamp in the tube amp.

I suspect that they will mix fine if you use the modeler (POD or whatever) with the FX return jack, which effectively bypasses the preamp in the tube amp.

You could do that if you've already got a tube amp around to use but if you were buying a new amp (at least new to you) then that seems like a waste of money. It would be better to just buy a keyboard amp, powered speaker, or something like the Tech 21 PowerEngine (SS amp designed for use with modeling pedals) and save the difference between that and the tube amp. You can pick up a good used 60 watt Tech 21 PowerEngine for around $250-275 easy and somewhat less if you're patient.