Valve Amplifier

What is a valve/tube amp?

from wikipeda :A valve amplifier or tube amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that make use of vacuum tubes instead of solid-state semiconductor devices (such as transistors). As any other electronic amplifier, they serve to increase the power and/or amplitude of a signal.

Which is best, Solid-state or Tube?

Here the traditional thinking is that solid state circuitry can produce superior clean power at a much more affordable price, while the scarcity of vacuum tube manufacturers today tends to make tube-based amps more expensive in a comparably powered amplifier. This has led to some interesting hybrids in which the basic tone is produced by a tube-driven preamp, while the power amp is solid state. Still, the majority of "serious" players will almost always lean towards a tube amp

Should I get a combo amp or a head and cabinet?

This one is actually pretty simple, as it really depends on just how big a venue you are planning to play in. For club dates and even small halls, today's combos are well-equipped to deliver plenty of power to deliver powerful sonics that will be heard all the way in the back. If your goal is to have enough sonic firepower to fill a giant auditorium or even an open arena, there's no question that you'll want a high-powered stack with at least a 4 x 12 cabinet, like the Marshall DSL100 with a 1960A cabinet. As a caveat to that, some players still prefer a smaller amp - such as a Vox AC30 Custom Classic - for its specific tone, and then simply mic the amp and run it into the PA system (provided the PA will handle it, of course).

Malaysia has its own tube amp manufacturer , www.ceriatone.com. You could buy a full spec amp or if you are a DIY fanatic you could purchase the tube kit. It's quite good from what i've heard and read at harmony central. and very cheap compare to other company.

All my favourite players use tube amp, even Dimebag uses krank tube amp during the last years of his career. Among favourites are the Marshall JCM 2203,2204 and my personal love the Mesa Boogie Mark II C+.