Why not Solid State amps?

The Bunker

New Member
Not sure if this is the right forum for this, apologies if posted in the wrong forum.

Now please don't ridicule me but this is a genuine curiosity of mine. So why do we never get modelling of solid state amps (except for the iconic JC120)? I know everybody wants expensive tube amps and I am a tube amp player as well as an axe fx owner myself but there are many solid state amps out there that are good and have their own distinct sounds so why are there no digital emulations of these amps? Like for example some Randall amps come to mind which get a lot of love by people who play some metal sub-genres, or the old Marshall Valvestates or the Peavey XXL... I am sure there are others I don't know about.

One of the cool things about the Axe Fx was that it actually made me learn about a whole bunch of tube amps I had never even known or could never get my hands on. It would be cool if it did the same thing but in relation to solid state amps.
 
I’d like a model of an old Randall RG series solid state, great early 90s Dimebag tone in those guys

Vavleststes were pretty sweet too, nothing that can’t be done otherwise, but I’d still welcome one
 
I've been pushing for the Lab Series L5 for over 10 years. Others want the Randall stuff. Not quite sure why, other than it would be difficult or something, or there is just no desire. Some iconic tones were created with this stuff.
 
I've been pushing for the Lab Series L5 for over 10 years. Others want the Randall stuff. Not quite sure why, other than it would be difficult or something, or there is just no desire. Some iconic tones were created with this stuff.

Right there with you on that Lab Series bro! If I recall I believe it had to do with the fact that all one has to do is run the power sag to zero and you have the makings of a SS amp, could be wrong though.
 
I’d like a model of an old Randall RG series solid state, great early 90s Dimebag tone in those guys

Vavleststes were pretty sweet too, nothing that can’t be done otherwise, but I’d still welcome one
I think you can get pretty close to the 'cowboys' era dime tone with a MetalZone Block into a cab. Dial up some 'air' on the cab with the freq around 7k.
 
Ha good to see I'm not alone in finding this weird... maybe in the future we can get some SS models. I know you can turn off the power amp sag to get an SS feel but you still wouldn't have the tone stack of those specific amps I assume...
 
I’d like a model of an old Randall RG series solid state, great early 90s Dimebag tone in those guys

Vavleststes were pretty sweet too, nothing that can’t be done otherwise, but I’d still welcome one

I know the Dime Randall has been asked for a bunch of times. Would love to see it added.

I will say that I own the old RG 2 space rack preamp (which is the same that Dime used, but his had a built in power amp), and I offered it to Cliff to be modeled.....BUT, it actually sounds like crap. Maybe it needs some service and/or maybe other parts of Dime's rig are what I'm missing...but yeah, would love to see a proper sounding Dime rig in the box.
 
That's a good question, I can't think of too many groups that used them other than the aforementioned Dime and the L5 being Ty Tabor ... 38 special maybe but I don't think they were that Iconic.
 
The real key to Dime’s rig was the parametric eq he used to run, let you get that really scooped mid tone. I forgot who makes it, but I found one for a few hundred bucks. These days we’ve got parametric eq and then some in like 30 places on the Axe lol
 
I tried a few times to cop Pantera tones by doing things like using a drive block in place of an amp block and using different EQs, cabs, and tone matches and I just couldn't get close. Maybe some of you wizards out there were more successful (in which case presets are welcome).

Regarding key ingredients in signature Dime tone, Ola Englund did some videos recently that covers that very well. Basically a Randall RG, a parametric EQ, an MXR graphic EQ, and a Bill Lawrence 500XL pickup flipped upside down IIRC.

I also really love the sounds Down and Crowbar got out of their Randalls and I'm pretty sure George Lynch used them at some point.

Other famous solid state amps other than the Jazz Chorus are Sunn and Marshall Valvestate.
 
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The real key to Dime’s rig was the parametric eq he used to run, let you get that really scooped mid tone. I forgot who makes it, but I found one for a few hundred bucks. These days we’ve got parametric eq and then some in like 30 places on the Axe lol

Back in the day I was going after his tone and I found an old RG Rack unit (still have it), an MXR Graphic Eq and I put the Bill Lawrence 500XL in my Les Paul. I didn't know he used a Parametric Eq in there as well. (just found it - Furman PQ3)
My rig sounded 'close', but didn't have enough gain. Could have been a case of - I'm just not Dime. So it didn't sound right.
I have an old Guitar Player magazine article somewhere that I saved from the 80's. It was a picture of his rig.
They interviewed him about his rig and he specifically said that he used Solid State amps because Tube amps didn't give him the same in your face punch. Obviously that's a matter of opinion and taste, but it was just interesting to hear him say that he preferred the SS amps.
 
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