Tubes verses solid state.

Love it, the steam punk amp.

The thermionic triode or vacuum tube as we know it was invented only a hundred years ago and ever since we have had 'electric' guitars we have had tube amps. It wasn't until the 70's that we saw the introduction of the semi-conductor (tickets please) used in a guitar amplifier. Oh how time flies.
I think by now the rage, for and against, has somewhat died down and we are all living quite happily with both. The general consensus would say that the tube amp is audibly 'warmer' than the transistor amp. It's a fine line describing the difference. One persons description of a, let's say: 'tone', can mean something entirely different to someone else's.
Okay here's my take on it. Firstly tone is in the ear of the beholder. I think the difference in tone between solid state and sound created in a vacuum is in the responsiveness to ones playing. Tubes are a little slow, transistors don't hang around. Tubes will break up smoother without the jaggies of a transistor. I think this is where 'warm' comes in.
It really makes no sense when I see a guitar player's rig with a pedal board full of top boosters, compressors and an assorted array of 'voice changers' heading off into a Marshall head loaded with a slab of bottles. Likewise it's just as nuts to see a similar pedal board trying to warm-up a transistor amp. Of course, of the latter, we see less of these days as it's all built into the internals of the transistor amp. I believe it's called modelling. i.e. let's model a tube amp.
I read a great post recently in a guitar forum which inspired me to write this blog on tubes v's SS. After much discussion on for's and against's a guy wrote.. my Telecaster sound's like a Telecaster which ever amp I use, tube or solid state. He went on to say "so does my 335, my Strat, my L5... you get the picture.
So an amplifier is just an amplifier whatever you have for breakfast. Your Tele will still sound like a Tele. The only difference that you may hear, which your listener's probably wont, is that the tube amp will respond to your playing in a slightly different way as to what the transistor amp will.
I can't wait for Apple to come out with a tube phone. Get with the times lads, the only place you will find tubes these days is in guitar amps. These things are expensive (a rip off), heavy and you would be lucky if you even get a middle control. Having said that, there is nothing like a good Fender Twin Reverb. Notice I said good, there's plenty of duds around. With a tube amp you shouldn't just be relying on a brand. Listen for one that responds to your playing.