>That stuff has come a long way - but it's still no replacement for valves driven to within an inch of their lives.
Yep. I had to sell my tube amp when I moved to New York City and the modeling pedal I have comes nowhere close to the warmth and feel of the tube amp. I'm a horrible audiophile and I only played guitar for fun and even I could tell a massive difference. It's like trying to describe a person with presence - words never seem to work and you're always left with "you just feel it"
Yep. I had to sell my tube amp when I moved to New York City and the modeling pedal I have comes nowhere close to the warmth and feel of the tube amp. I'm a horrible audiophile and I only played guitar for fun and even I could tell a massive difference. It's like trying to describe a person with presence - words never seem to work and you're always left with "you just feel it"