A choise of two very different Delux Reverbs.

[Pbassred]

Having been primarily a bass player I was mostly concerned with moving air cleanly and weight, so solid state was the way.   I've never owned a tube amp, I am emotionally attached to the idea, but technology has caught up.   which way to jump?  According to the experts these sound almost the same. 

Fender Tonemaster delux reverb blond - the one with the Celestian Creamback speaker.  £950 14.5KG
I really like the colour.  I also like the attenuator, but its basicly a computer. will it be repairable in 10 years time? 

 

Or Fender 68 delux reverb £1266 22.7Kg
How are power soaks as good as the tonemaster's built in attenuator?    What are the servicing costs?  How long do tubes last? Power consumption  to heat the tubes?

 

Thoughts?  Input?

Edited September 25 by Pbassred
...and another thing.....

[ezbass]

I’d go with the Tonemaster. In various head to heads with its valve equivalent, tested by valve lovers, it has fared very well. Does it sound exactly the same? No, but then neither do 2 Deluxe Reverbs from different eras. The TMs sound really, really good (the guitarist in the band band where I play bass has one), they’re light, reliable (valve amps can be cranky when carted around and shoved in and out of cars/vans/etc) and have the attenuator built in, something extra you’d have to buy with a valve amp. I’ve owned great sounding and very average sounding valve amps, I’ve also owned solid state ones that other players thought were valve (take a bow Tech21). I currently own a hybrid Fender, which is becoming cranky, because of one of the valves. If I were buying now, I’d look at the TMs, a Roland Blues Cube (if I could find one), or a Jazz Chorus. YMMV.

[Pbassred]

Spoken like a true bass player. My favorite amp for bass is the Markbass Littlemark tube 800...... and you can't hear the tube!