combo amp or stack

One day I'll get a new amp, but I've gone back and forth trying to decide another combo (all I've ever used) or mix n match a stack. I would get a 2x12 combo if I went that route. I've had my eye on a Randall 2x12 combo with an amazing 200w. Or I could get a nice head and just get a 2x12 cab or the usual 4x12. Peavey has some heads I'd want to try. Also I'm more into solid state than tubes, so any thoughts or suggestions?

It depends. I know some guys that wanted to get the biggest baddest amp they could find. They both got Marshall Mode Four half stacks... with 300w soid state power. They don't ever turn them up past 2. It's nice to have a powerful amp, but in this case... they could have gotten a nice combo for half the price and half the wattage and had an extra thousand dollars. It also depends on what options you're looking for. Line 6 has a line of good solid state amps with effects and amp models such as the Flextone III and VettaII combos. Marshall is a bit over priced with it's combos... but an AVT may do the trick for you. I've never really played on a Randall, and I'm a tube guy all the way... so our tastes differ. I think 100-150 watts is sufficient for anyone that isn't playing big gigs. A common misconception though when comparing soild state to tube amps... 2 solid state amp watts equal 1 tube amp watt... So a 100 watt tube amp is roughly as loud as a 200 watt solid state amp. Just something to keep in mind.

technically 1 tube watt and 1 SS watt are the exact same thing as far as power goes. The reason tube amps are louder is because they have a wider harmonic coverage (I think that's how you put it) of the frequency spectrum. But, when it comes to what you hear, it's more like a 2 or 3:1 ratio, meaning that you need at least 2-3 SS watts to eaqual the loudness of 1 tube watt.

I personally am a head and cab man myself, but am currently using a Peavey Classic 50 combo, because it is plenty loud! If you think you might be interested, I might be willing to sell my Peavey Triple XXX head which hasn't been used very much, and is in mint condition. I also made a second faceplate for it. Here, take a look for yourself:



$900 will get it shipped to you (that might be negotiable). I think they're going for around $1000 new. This one is a late 2004 model.

Originally Posted by: R. ShackleferdOne day I'll get a new amp, but I've gone back and forth trying to decide another combo (all I've ever used) or mix n match a stack... Also I'm more into solid state than tubes, so any thoughts or suggestions?

[font=trebuchet ms]Heads allow you to match the speaker cab(s) to the job at hand, and they make a safer environment for tubes, by providing a little more isolation from the speaker vibration. But, since tubes aren't your main interest, that becomes less important. A combo is easier to pack in and out of a gig, unless it's a big amp. My Ampeg VT-22 and VT-40 amps are both 100-pound combos. Nobody makes a second offer to help carry one of them![/font]