Hybrid amp

An amplifier that uses more than one technology in its signal path, most commonly a valve preamp or power section alongside solid-state circuitry.

The usual arrangement pairs a valve front end, which supplies the harmonic character of overdrive, with a transistor or digital power stage, which is lighter, cheaper and more reliable than output valves. Other combinations put a solid-state preamp in front of a valve output section, or add digital modelling for effects and cabinet simulation. The point is to keep the parts of valve behaviour players care about and drop the parts that cost weight and maintenance.

Example: a hybrid head with a valve preamp weighs a fraction of an all-valve amplifier while still reacting to picking dynamics.

Hybrid amp

See also