Best solid state head you've had

[la bam]

Ok  so recently weve had big threads on the best class d heads people have used and the best all valve heads people have used. So, let's complete it with the best solid state heads people have used (in their opinion) and why. Pre valves etc accepted.

[spyder]

For me its the big Trace Elliott heads from 15 years ago. Either the 600 watt mono or 1200 watt stereo amps.

Powerful, punchy and weighing more than my car. 

 

[BassBunny]

Eden WT550. Just plug in a play. The natural tone with everything flat is fantastic.

Military engineering that is utterly bomb proof. There used to be some pictures on Eden's website of a WT550 that was in a studio fire. It looked ready for the bin. All the control knobs had melted but they switched it on and it still worked.

[Cuzzie]

Tech21 dUg Ultrabass - does everything with clarity, clean through too overdrive incorporating a nice ‘tube’ type tone, 2 channels mixed and the ‘distortion’ channel can be set just to be crystal clear and clean to augment the lows.

Form Factor Bi1000 is a wonderfully articulate amp, clean, musical EQ but does not really colour the sound, can make other amps sound like fisher price alternatives

Hartke LH1000 - it’s a beast, I loved the Hartke/Fender tone stack - simple and it executes 

Genzler Magellan 800 - best organic drive sound on an amp on the market, beautiful piece of kit.

 

For me dUg amp rules them all

Edited October 11, 2020 by Cuzzie

[Quilly]

Trace Elliot AH500-7. Great amp , just not the sound I was after. 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 9, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Chienmortbb]

13 minutes ago, Jus Lukin said:

Being pedantic, I believe that class D is solid state.

Regardless, the Little Mark II is still the best SS amp I've used, considering price, size, power and EQ. It'll only make clean sounds, but its flat response makes it great for modelling dirty amps too. If mine ever goes down, I'll be replacing it with another Little Mark of some sort. I'd certainly look into the ones with a blendable valve pre, but if that didn't work for me, I wouldn't be dissapointed with an standard LMIII.

Yes I thing the OP meant class A/B.

[Lozz196]

I’m not that clued up on Solid State, but if the Ashdown ABM600 is SS then that’s my fave. Very powerful, amazing flexibility due to the 9 band eq, and not too weighty.

[Chienmortbb]

Just now, Lozz196 said:

I’m not that clued up on Solid State, but if the Ashdown ABM600 is SS then that’s my fave. Very powerful, amazing flexibility due to the 9 band eq, and not too weighty.

As far as I know that is class A/B with Mosfet output stages like the old Trace amps.

[la bam]

8 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

Yes I thing the OP meant class A/B.

Haha, I used to call them class A/B but got pulled up for that! But, yes, that type of amp - class a/b, transistor, solid state etc. Non all valve or class d

 

[Cuzzie]

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amplifier-classes.html

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guitar-101-what-is-a-solid-state-amplifier-pros-and-cons-of-solid-state-amplifiers-and-the-best-solid-state-amp-for-guitar-players#what-is-the-best-solidstate-amp-for-guitar-players

 

https://bestamps.net/solid-state-power-amplifiers-work/

[bertbass]

There's no such thing!

[Cuzzie]

3 minutes ago, bertbass said:

There's no such thing!

What you’ve never had one?

[PaulWarning]

happy enough with my Trace Elliot series 6 GP12 200 watt, and it only weighs 13Kg

[Al Krow]

Mesa M6 - still outshines every D class head I've owned.

Honourable mention to the Peavey Tour 450 I had when I started out as a newbie and well before I could appreciate the build and tonal quality it delivered.

Edited October 11, 2020 by Al Krow

[three]

Agi DB750 and Warwick Hellborg. Though heavier than many valve amps 

[Beedster]

2 minutes ago, three said:

Agi DB750 and Warwick Hellborg. Though heavier than many valve amps 

Don’t they have tube pres? 

[VTypeV4]

Trace Elliot AH400SMX - bags of power, lots of EQ options and looked as cool as a cool thing..

[Beedster]

1 minute ago, Beedster said:

Don’t they have tube pres? 

Ah, I see tube pres are OK

Gotta be Mesa Walkabout, and M-Pulse 600, and BB750, and Titan V12

[warwickhunt]

The best amp that had no valves and was 'Solid State' old school has to be the GK 800RB

 

[la bam]

18 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Don’t they have tube pres? 

Tube pres are allowed to save confusion 

Edited October 11, 2020 by la bam

[three]

32 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Don’t they have tube pres? 

The DB750 has tubes (3 in the pre) but the Hellborg doesn’t have any.  Weirdly, the Hellborg power amp weighs almost exactly the same as. DB750 on its own - nuts!

[Merton]

Ashdown ABM, Eden WT550, and an honourable mention for the Nemesis NA650 which was an utter brute.

[TheGreek]

Any of the British built Trace Elliots, IMO they started going downhill when Gibson/Peavey took over. Ashdown still carry the torch for British built brilliant amps.

Next time I buy a new amp it will say "Ashdown" on the front.

[grenadillabama]

Ashdown ABM 600 for tone and looks / Gallien Kruger 1001RBII has a little more power (700w)