Why are tube amps so expensive?

Question

I don't really understand what is so great about tube guitar amplifiers. Even low-wattage ones seem to be very overpriced, but all tube amps are like this. Do they sound better?

Answer 1

To make a long story short:  Yes!

Most every guitarist would agree that a tube amp sounds more pleasing than a solid-state amplifier because of the nature of the harmonic overtones that are created when you drive the amp.

Hop over to the amp forum at www.harmony-central.com and you'll get more info about tube amps than you could ever digest.  

If you're in the market for a cheap tube amp, check out something like a low-wattage Epiphone Valve junior or Blackheart amp.  Keep in mind that tube amp wattage is rated quite a bit louder than solid-state amps.  A 15-watt tube amp can still get really loud.

Also keep in mind that many solid-state amps and amp-makers, such as Line6 use amp emulation, which is basically a digital re-creation of various amp sounds.  This is a cheaper alternative that has more options than tube amps,  but many would argue that you sacrifice tone with these types of amps.

Answer 2

Tubes for general use in electronics pretty much died out in the early 70's.  Solid state semiconductors were so much cheaper to make, more reliable, more efficient, and much smaller that there was no demand for vacuum tubes.  There is a small niche for tubes and there are some overseas companies that still make them for that market.  But because the demand is so low, the supply is limited and that makes them expensive.

People believe what they want to believe and some are convinced that tubes give better fidelity in the reproduction of sound than solid state devices.  As far as I'm concerned, a well-designed product will produce good fidelity either way.  But it's not my job to convince the world of that opinion, so I don't try.

Answer 3

Apparently, tube amps do sound better. Less circuit boards, less dust and wear and tear. The only draw back is it gets very hot. The same goes for amplifiers used for home set ups and home theater. A richer and fuller sound is the result when using the standard 2 speaker configuration, stereo in other words.