While the emergence of silicone transistor technology spelled the slow end for most valve-reliant products beginning in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, many musicians – particularly guitarists – continued to embrace tube amplifiers. “Natural” and “warm” are just two of the common descriptors favored by tube amp purists to describe the resulting sounds, to the perpetual annoyance of more high-tech leaning sorts who argue (mostly correctly, on paper, anyways) that all qualities of such anachronistic gear can be faithfully reproduced by more modern digital emulation. Nonetheless, despite whatever arguments there may be against them – heavy, fragile, finicky – there’s no question that for legions of players, tube amps are simply the only way to go.
Due to pandemic-related supply chain interruptions and, more recently, unrest in eastern Europe and Asia due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, this market segment is particularly volatile at the moment (see Editorial on page 6). We decided to touch base with four major suppliers of tube amps to find out about the enduring appeal of these products, how successful retailers market and promote them, and what the coming months may hold.
While tube (valve) amp technology is decidedly “old school” it remains a go-to for many players. To what to you attribute the continued enthusiasm for these types of amps?
Steve Smith: I think there are quite a few reason but firstly it’s down to the tone, feel and the responsiveness from valve amps. You can hear your fingers, the sound of your guitar’s woods and pickups, so it makes the amp feel more like it’s part of the instrument. Neither solid-state or digital can give you that same experience. I think a huge part of the success is also down to tradition. Usually when someone wants to play an instrument it’s because they’ve been inspired. So, as Marshall are a heritage brand with a lot of history we have a long list of legendary guitarist who continue to inspire new musicians. We also continue this tradition by supporting the new artists and bands.
Paul Stevens: An analogy I’ve often used is this: Antonio Stradivari made violins (amongst other things) roughly 300 years ago using materials and techniques of the day. These kinds of instruments then defined the sound of the orchestral music of the era and much of what followed. Despite the fact that we could make “technically better” violins today, with different materials and techniques, the sound of these original instruments is still revered for producing those sounds and many top players still use them.
I believe that in the same way the music of those days was defined by the contemporary technology, electric guitar sounds are largely defined by the technology of the 1950s to 1970s, when the electric guitar exploded in popularity and cultural significance. In the case of amplifiers, this just happened to be valve/tube-based designs. The arguably lucky fact that the naturally occurring harmonic series could be manipulated in these circuits, by different combinations of even and odd harmonics, to add color, warmth, bite, aggression, and more to the tone meant that the amplifier became an inherent part of the sounds being defined and not just a means to make it louder. Apart from the tone, there is also the natural compression that occurs which is flattering to the player. The player gets a feeling that they are “controlling” something, rather than just triggering it. Some of the above are just my personal opinions, but I think most would agree that it’s a combination of tonality and feel.
Shane Nichols: Because there is an incredibly large body of work that was performed and recorded with those tools. In the same way that many musicians still insist on a nine-foot grand piano or acoustic drum set, many guitarists still insist on playing tube amps. In addition, when you plug in to a good one and turn it up, it can really be a thrilling experience.
Ryan Kershaw: For the same reason that a player might prefer one amp simulator over another, many players prefer the sound of analog tube amps over digital simulation or replacement. Simply put, they sound different!
There’s also the visceral, physical experience of a tube amp that is impossible to replicate in any other format. With tube amps, you can feel the physical components of the amplifier creating your tone, and there is a touch-sensitivity (especially to Class A amps like ours) that can really only exist in the physical realm. We don’t have a holier-than-thou attitude about tube amps and are genuinely excited about all the emerging technologies in our industry – but we’re very happy to continue participating in the black magic of tube amplification.
For your brand, what is currently the most popular tube amp model, or models?
PS: While we produce valve amps in the range of 1W up to 200W, these days the higher quantities sold tend to be in the lower wattage areas, such as the MkII HT series (1W, 5W and 20W, Class AB push-pull) and the Studio 10 range (10W single-ended class A).
SN: Our best-selling tube amps are the Blues Junior followed by our various Princeton and Deluxe Reverb models.
RK: Our most popular long-standing model is the Black Magick Reverb (and rightfully so – that amp is a killer). But we recently launched the Royale and it sold out instantly. It’s a first for us here at Supro: designed to be the boldest high-headroom amp we’ve ever offered. It features the ability to switch between a 35W Class A mode and a 50W Class AB mode, allowing the player to easily toggle between the warm, touch-sensitive saturation usually associated with our amps and a tighter, “grid-biased” sound usually
associated with clean and loud amps. It also has a robust feature set that makes it incredibly versatile. We’re upping production on the Royale as we speak. We can’t wait until everybody gets their hands on
this amp.
SS: This can fluctuate depending on trends and which region of the world we’re talking about. However, the Studio Series since its release in 2019 has been and is still consistently popular across the board. This range of amps offers some of our most iconic models such as the JCM800, 1959, and Silver Jubilee, but in a more portable and lower wattage format. They are a great option for the player who wants the same tone as these classic amps but doesn’t require 100 watts of power. As the Studio versions are 20 watt and switchable to 5 watt they’re perfect for playing at home or the stage. The range includes the SC20, SV20, and the Studio Jubilee.
Are there any recent developments in tube amplifier technology or production techniques of note?
Dave Koltai: New sound design ideas, as well as industrial design for manufacturing and aesthetic refinements are constantly in development at Supro. While there are certain elements of our tube amps that have remained fundamentally unchanged since the 1950s, each product represents a chance to bring a unique combination of complementary elements together. One technology-based hallmark of Supro’s success is our approach to PCB layout and construction, which enables us to deliver sonic consistency from unit to
unit along with superior noise suppression. Most recently, we developed a new, multi-wattage power soak technology that will be featured on a new combo amplifier coming out later this year.
SS: Going back to the first question I’d say tradition is still the key. Over the years companies (including ourselves) have experimented with hybrid designs which mix valve and solid-state circuitry or adding digital effects to a valve design. But guitarists tend to keep going back to the original straight-up valve designs. The only real change has been the need for lower wattage designs or amplifiers, which offer power attenuation. This is so the player can change the wattage (power) of their amp using a simple switch on the panel. As far as production techniques we offer some traditional vintage hand-wired amplifiers. Or, if the design is particularly complex such as a multi-channel amp with switchable reverbs and modes like our JVM, then it makes sense to manufacture these using a PCB.
PS: In the last few years, there’s been an increase in use, as well as in increase in acceptance, of mixed technologies and connectivity features within amps that are still fundamentally valve. For mixed technologies I refer specifically to op-amps [operational amplifiers – Ed.], JFETs, MOSFETs, and DSP working alongside valves, for the advantages they can bring to audio circuits (more flexibility, lower noise, et cetera). For connectivity, we now don’t flinch at seeing such things as USB connectors included, to enable guitarists to have options already standard on other audio products.
The near future will see further developments to perpetuate the popularity and ongoing relevance of valve guitar amps. I believe this, as I know what Blackstar is currently working on. Unfortunately, as of March 2022 I can’t reveal any more than that.
What are some “best practices” adopted by successful dealers when it comes to displaying and marketing tube amps?
SN: The biggest thing that successful dealers can do is have a good selection in stock. Whether it’s a consumer buying the amp of their dreams from an online dealer, or a player trying the amps in person to see what they like best, the sale usually goes to the dealer who can offer a variety of choices, and has them in stock.
PS: This is not really my field but I’ll give my opinion as a long time user/purchaser of amps. Don’t just display one amp from a particular range. Most products attract attention and present better when they are in multiples.
If the whole range is too much commitment (in space and cost), then at least do a “good, better, best” three-option type of display, using the different sizes within a range. You can’t “upsell” if the model isn’t there. Should be obvious, but make sure they are easily demoed/auditioned – footswitch, mains, and speaker leads connected, controls already set to complimentary settings. Make use of any provided point-of-sale graphics. These will usually be the main features and USPs. They can give instant sales-patter just from referring to them. Make sure staff are trained and knowledgeable of the products. Owner’s manuals contain much useful information, but are too often overlooked.
SS: I think the dealers who understand [that] amplifiers are “eye candy” to the serious musician can do well. If an amplifier looks great, then you want to plug into it. An amplifier is as much a part of the image as the actual guitar itself. So when you walk into a dealer, it’s great to see our amps setup and ready to go. Also, placing a suitable guitar next to an amp(s) is great. For example, seeing a vintage style Marshall sat next to an old Strat or Les Paul is such an inspiring image.
RK: We think consistent content production is key in the pursuit of marketing tube amps. We always encourage our dealers to make the absolute most out of the content we produce. Sharing on social media, hosting on your website, and constantly guiding customers back to a brand’s official content is instrumental in their understanding the product and ups the likelihood of their deciding to purchase it. We love being the master of our own fate with the content that we produce, and we reach a lot of people, but when dealers share that content with their specific audience, we see extremely positive results in terms of getting customers who are ready to make a purchase into their stores.
As for in-store display/marketing, we encourage all dealers to know their stuff or know where to find the information. We purposely make our website extremely easy to navigate, so that all pertinent information is cleanly laid out and easy to understand. If your customers understand the product fully and appreciate that each detail was thought through, they’re that much more likely to want to take it home.
Projections for the coming months when it comes to this market segment?
RK: Everyone is concerned with the current state of manufacturing. A huge part of our job is to be one step ahead, stay flexible, and mitigate risks. Thus far, we’re doing very well with those challenges. Based on the number of guitar sales we’ve seen in the last few years, we expect tube amp sales to be very healthy – m any guitar player’s second favorite obsession is amps. We’ve been having an incredible time fleshing out the Supro product line in the last few years and genuinely believe we are doing our best work ever in terms of offering products that expand the definition of what Supro can be, while still staying true to
the classic technologies that make our sound so unmistakable.
SS: Unfortunately, we can’t really make any accurate projections at this time, due to supply chain issues affecting product development and production.
PS: For Blackstar, I firmly believe this market segment will be increasing throughout the medium term. There are very specific reasons for this that unfortunately I can’t go into today. What I can say is that, some of the attractions to other types of amp technology that have been popular in recent years will likely be less of a difference due to what our next generation of valve amps will offer.
On a more serious note, the current geo-political issues may have an effect on supply of certain items, but we have already been putting time into having alternative sources for what we can.
