Tube Power - A Short History of Guitar Amplification

"Nothing can duplicate the sheer power and feeling you get from standing in front of your amp and bashing on your guitar"
James Hetfield

Since the beginnings of the electric guitar the amplifier has evolved from a simple device to a digital hi-end product. This development was fuelled by the fact that guitar amplifiers, unlike their counterparts in HiFi-technology, are more than reproduction devices. They play an active role in shaping the guitar sound.
Therefore, it is astonishing to notice that most guitarists ignore digital technology and virtual amp simulation. They still rely on a long outdated device: The tube. According to most guitarists, it produces a unique warm sound and soft overdrive. Even though today's solidstate amplifiers are high quality products, they have never managed to replace the tube.

Fender - more than just guitars

The first electric guitars by Rickenbacker or Gibson were sold together with an amplifier, since an independent industry did not yet exist. In the early days guitarists were seated behind their combos. Therefore, all controls were located on the back.
After the war, Leo Fender created the modern amplifier. His products produced a clear and distinctive sound, with a slight overdrive at higher volumes, which was appreciated by guitarists of the fifties and sixties. The Fender sound became a standard other companies had to live up to.

Marshall and the first rock amp

At the beginning of the sixties, the music scene became more and more dominated by British bands. But in Great Britain Fender amps were almost unavailable and very expensive. With its AC 30, British company Vox offered a powerful alternative. Bands as The Shadows or The Beatles helped to make Vox amps a worldwide success. Both, Fender and Vox were renown for their clean sound. But things were about to change.
In the fifties, blues guitarists had been experimenting with the possibility of overdriving their amplifiers. Now, this new sound became more and more popular. On their search for a wilder, heavier guitar sound guitarists such as Pete Townshend and Richie Blackmore met Jim Marshall. He created an Amplifier, which offered more overdrive than any other. The essential rock amp was born. From Jimi Hendrix to Led Zeppelin all large rock acts played Marshall.

Solidstate! Only second choice

At the same time the first solidstate amplifiers appeared on the market. Regarded as modern, they were enthusiastically received. But the sound of an overdriven solidstate amp was in no way comparable to the warm overdrive produced by a tube. They soon disappeared from the market and their failure helped to promote the myth of the tube. Today, many high quality solidstate amps are available, but cover only a small segment of the market.

What's new?

In the seventies more and more companies entered the market. Most of them built valvestate amplifiers based on Marshall or Fender. Just like the electric guitar itself, the development of the amplifier was almost complete. Unsurprisingly, Marshall and Fender still are among the leading companies of today. Many of their legendary amplifiers are again available as reissue models.

Daniel König