Why don't they just make some amps?

PowerTube said:
Yeah, I could see that. I've always noticed that "tube wattage" seems a lot more potent than "solid-state wattage." My old "300 watt" Vetta head rig couldn't touch a 100-watt tube Marshall for sheer volume.

But remember, like I mentioned above, these could still be cabled out to the power amp or PA of your choice.
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There is no such thing as "tube wattage". Watts are watts. The difference is mainly in how the output is rated.

Let's say we have a Marshall Superlead rated at 100W. That's just its clean headroom. It can put out up to 180W with high total harmonic distortion when cranked. By comparison you don't want a solid-state poweramp to distort. If the Marshall would reach that 100W rating at around 4 on its volume knob, then the solid-state amp would reach it closer to 9 or 10. So that's where you get the "you need more wattage from solid-state amps" or "tube amps are much louder" thing.

Also remember settings between different amp models are not comparable and things like speaker sensitivity, number of speakers etc all matter. Use a decibel meter to compare.
 
laxu said:
There is no such thing as "tube wattage". Watts are watts. The difference is mainly in how the output is rated.

Let's say we have a Marshall Superlead rated at 100W. That's just its clean headroom. It can put out up to 180W with high total harmonic distortion when cranked. By comparison you don't want a solid-state poweramp to distort. If the Marshall would reach that 100W rating at around 4 on its volume knob, then the solid-state amp would reach it closer to 9 or 10. So that's where you get the "you need more wattage from solid-state amps" or "tube amps are much louder" thing.

Also remember settings between different amp models are not comparable and things like speaker sensitivity, number of speakers etc all matter. Use a decibel meter to compare.
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True, and I've also heard somewhere that the British are more conservative in their wattage ratings than the American companies.
 
BaronVonGrim said:
Theres 10 isle of fishing lure at Bass Pro Shop. They could add 3 more but just add the ones that catch the fish. And why dont they offer me dynamite?
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Let me use the same analogy. If they would take a good lure, combine it with a good hook and a good lead in the right weight and at the right distance on the correct line, where you could just tie it on and go, don't you think there would be people interested?
 
PowerTube said:
Let me use the same analogy. If they would take a good lure, combine it with a good hook and a good lead in the right weight and at the right distance on the correct line, where you could just tie it on and go, don't you think there would be people interested?
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Not being a fisherman, I wouldn't know if that would be a good product or not. Is there something like this available at Bass Pro Shop?
 
DougB415 said:
Not being a fisherman, I wouldn't know if that would be a good product or not. Is there something like this available at Bass Pro Shop?
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I'm not much of a fisherman either, but analogies aside, I still think Fractal could sell quite a few amps.
 
PowerTube said:
I'm not much of a fisherman either, but analogies aside, I still think Fractal could sell quite a few amps.
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My guess (and that's all that it is) is that they looked into it in the past and decided that it wasn't a path that they'd want to take, as there are so many variables - mono or stereo? 10"? 12"? One speaker per cab, or two, or four? Guitar speakers or FRFR? Tube amp or solid state? And so on.

I'm guessing that if you created a poll asking forum members what they play thru, you'd get a wide variety of responses. I play thru a pair of QSC K10.2s that I have mounted on stands in my studio. I can use them standalone with my band, or I can have them in front of me as wedges with the whole band mix. I love it, but I also understand that that setup would drive some guys absolutely bonkers.
 
DougB415 said:
My guess (and that's all that it is) is that they looked into it in the past and decided that it wasn't a path that they'd want to take, as there are so many variables - mono or stereo? 10"? 12"? One speaker per cab, or two, or four? Guitar speakers or FRFR? Tube amp or solid state? And so on.

I'm guessing that if you created a poll asking forum members what they play thru, you'd get a wide variety of responses. I play thru a pair of QSC K10.2s that I have mounted on stands in my studio. I can use them standalone with my band, or I can have them in front of me as wedges with the whole band mix. I love it, but I also understand that that setup would drive some guys absolutely bonkers.
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Yeah, that's understandable. I just think that if they were to mate the unit to a good power amp and flat-response speaker(s), it would sell.

Even as a head or combo, they could still be used in the same ways everyone is using them now.
 
PowerTube said:
Yeah, that's understandable. I just think that if they were to mate the unit to a good power amp and flat-response speaker(s), it would sell.

Even as a head or combo, they could still be used in the same ways everyone is using them now.
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Perhaps, but now you have more weight that the Axe-Fx III by itself. And like in my example, I have no use for a head or a combo, so all this would mean is extra cost and weight. I try to keep things as light as possible.

I’m pretty sure that if Cliff wanted this or saw the potential, he would’ve done it already.
 
I think PRS said "In the camera business you won't survive if you don't innovate in the guitar business you may or may not" I think FAS could be in that same boat with their products! I think most everyone here knows that FAS is top of the pile when it comes to the quality and support of their products. I jumped on this boat a long time ago because that very thing!

Amplifiers are still being built and are slowly integrating digital technology and people are buying them! look at the Spark by positive grid... If FAS wanted they could do this in the way they have done it with all of their products... top shelf. The need is there but the want has to be there also.
 
Sixstring said:
I think PRS said "In the camera business you won't survive if you don't innovate in the guitar business you may or may not" I think FAS could be in that same boat with their products! I think most everyone here knows that FAS is top of the pile when it comes to the quality and support of their products. I jumped on this boat a long time ago because that very thing!

Amplifiers are still being built and are slowly integrating digital technology and people are buying them! look at the Spark by positive grid... If FAS wanted they could do this in the way they have done it with all of their products... top shelf. The need is there but the want has to be there also.
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I agree. It's always difficult if not impossible to predict what a fickle market will buy vs what it won't.

But since you mentioned Positive Grid... their Spark amp seems to be a hit. Now imagine what Fractal could do with a competing product. Not only a small combo like the Spark, but give it the ability to patch out to a user's power amp and monitors of their choice. You could have your sounds in a small, portable format in your living room, or run it across the PA at Madison Square Garden.
 
Spark - despise that thing without ever having seen / heard one in person / their marketing for it is irritatingly incessant.
 
laxu said:
There is no such thing as "tube wattage". Watts are watts. The difference is mainly in how the output is rated.

Let's say we have a Marshall Superlead rated at 100W. That's just its clean headroom. It can put out up to 180W with high total harmonic distortion when cranked. By comparison you don't want a solid-state poweramp to distort. If the Marshall would reach that 100W rating at around 4 on its volume knob, then the solid-state amp would reach it closer to 9 or 10. So that's where you get the "you need more wattage from solid-state amps" or "tube amps are much louder" thing.

Also remember settings between different amp models are not comparable and things like speaker sensitivity, number of speakers etc all matter. Use a decibel meter to compare.
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The Number of speakers doesn’t really matter. If you have one speaker it gets %100 of the amps power. If you have two speakers they each only get %50 of the amps power. If what you say is true then you could have a loud amp with low wattage and lots of speakers.
Marshall stacks came along because the Celestions at the time were rated at 15 and 20 watts.
How many 15-20 watt speakers can handle a cranked Plexi putting out well over 100 watts? Thus the need for two 4x12 cabs -8 speakers.
 
PowerTube said:
But since you mentioned Positive Grid... their Spark amp seems to be a hit. Now imagine what Fractal could do with a competing product.
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Sounds like you want the performance of a Ferrari with the payments of a Honda.

From a business perspective I don't know why you would want to compete in the extremely saturated low budget market and make no margins when you have already carved out your niche as the halo product that sits at the top of the heap that other brands are constantly trying to keep up to already.
 
PlanetSmasher said:
Sounds like you want the performance of a Ferrari with the payments of a Honda.

From a business perspective I don't know why you would want to compete in the extremely saturated low budget market and make no margins when you have already carved out your niche as the halo product that sits at the top of the heap that other brands are constantly trying to keep up to already.
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Um, no. I'm not talking about Fractal making an amp in the $200-300 range. It would still be ~$1000.00-$1500.00~ or so, presumably. I'm talking strictly about size and form factor here. It could be the size of the Spark or maybe the Yamaha THX series, and maybe have 20-50 watts output power. But when you hook it to the PA or power amp/monitor rig of your choice, it behaves like the current FM3 or FM9.

Think about this: the FM3 and FM9 already have headphone jacks. This would just add a power section and speakers to make it a combo.
 
sprint said:
Spark - despise that thing without ever having seen / heard one in person / their marketing for it is irritatingly incessant.
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It's awful. My buddy was on the pre-order list and likes it for convenience sake. I have heard
and played it plenty. Tonally, it is on par with Behringer's "modeling" that they stole from somewhere
and repackaged.

Next. :)
 
PowerTube said:
Um, no. I'm not talking about Fractal making an amp in the $200-300 range. It would still be ~$1000.00-$1500.00~ or so, presumably. I'm talking strictly about size and form factor here. It could be the size of the Spark or maybe the Yamaha THX series, and maybe have 20-50 watts output power. But when you hook it to the PA or power amp/monitor rig of your choice, it behaves like the current FM3 or FM9.

Think about this: the FM3 and FM9 already have headphone jacks. This would just add a power section and speakers to make it a combo.
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Both JHS and Wampler did their own amp to be the perfect pedal platform for their line of pedals.
I think Cliff knows best, and there is a glut on the marketplace. Servicing and warranty for a line
of amps like that can make it a net loss unless you have massive volume.
 
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