Somebody talk me out of a SS Fender amp

I use a Frontman 212r at home (and in all but a couple of my demos), and it's the perfect pedal platform. The dirt channel(s) absolutely blow, but the clean side has a ton of headroom.
I still prefer my Randall Commander overall, but I wouldn't hesitate to snag another FM if needed
 
cwsquared said:
My current amp is a 15W solid state from the mid-90's, so time for an upgrade. Trying to be as smart as I can. I have never played a tube amp, so I don't know any better. So "sounds good, is good" comes real easy to me.
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Alright, I'll let it be me. If your current amp is a 15W solid-state and you have never even played a tube amp, I would highly recommend you take that $200 and put it towards a decent used tube amp instead of buying another solid state amp, even if it is one people seem to like. Knowing what a high-quality tube amp sounds like is a blessing and a curse, as it makes it harder to settle for less, but as a tube-obsessed idiot I will always hold that it's the best way.
 
vigilante398 said:
Alright, I'll let it be me. If your current amp is a 15W solid-state and you have never even played a tube amp, I would highly recommend you take that $200 and put it towards a decent used tube amp instead of buying another solid state amp, even if it is one people seem to like. Knowing what a high-quality tube amp sounds like is a blessing and a curse, as it makes it harder to settle for less, but as a tube-obsessed idiot I will always hold that it's the best way.
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Big Monk said:
$200, even in the used market, is not going to get you much in the way of a tube amp in this economy.
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I agree, when I said put that $200 toward a tube amp I meant more money will need to be added to that in order to get a decent amp, but it's a start. I used to buy Valve Jr combos for $90-100 a pop to mod and flip, but alas even those have crept up in price recently. That being said, from an investment standpoint tube amps tend to hold their value better than solid state amps, which is why you can get a 212 100W combo for $200 in the first place.
 
I appreciate the varied points of view, they are why I posted here. It's all for naught if the seller doesn't even respond to my messages. Maybe the Universe is giving me all the "Don't Do It" I asked for. In any case, I don't need it. There will always be another deal down the line at some point.

Or maybe I'll win the current Mega Millions jackpot and then we can all have the greatest tube amps money can buy.
 
As *a complete newbie* to electronics, I built a Fender Deluxe Tweed, model 5e3. I didn't know a diode from a resistor, but was completely successful because I took my time. People eschew tube amps because of the high voltage, but if you build it right, you won't ever need to diagnose it. And there's a few rules to follow if you do have a problem, very simple.

I would suggest to you that saving your money and buying THE COMPONENTS for a tube amp, and downloading the instructions from Mojotone would be a more logical course to follow. And yes I'm watching Spock on Star Trek as I type this, lol.
 
RetiredUnit1 said:
As *a complete newbie* to electronics, I built a Fender Deluxe Tweed, model 5e3. I didn't know a diode from a resistor, but was completely successful because I took my time. People eschew tube amps because of the high voltage, but if you build it right, you won't ever need to diagnose it. And there's a few rules to follow if you do have a problem, very simple.

I would suggest to you that saving your money and buying THE COMPONENTS for a tube amp, and downloading the instructions from Mojotone would be a more logical course to follow. And yes I'm watching Spock on Star Trek as I type this, lol.
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I've been acquiring components for that exact amp. Looking forward to building it this summer.
 
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