Ampeg SVT-3PRO Series Head
 

Curious. If I use a dummy plug in one speaker out of a Ampeg SVT-3PRO Series Head can I get full use of the 450 watts with an 8 ohm speaker?

I am using a 4X12 cab with Eminence 12-A's and I believe they are rated at 250 watts each.

Nope. You can trick some old school tube amps that way, but not a SS or hybrid head.

Rats, do you think the SVT 3 PRO will be plenty loud with a 4X12 8 ohm cab?

That would be 275 watts but pushing plenty of air.

A 412 is not a quiet cab and 275w isn't a buttload of wattage but an SVT is only 25w more. Crank the gain pretty good and it should be quite loud. Get that light lit up real good. I usually ignore it anyway. Just crank it till you hear distortion, then back off slightly if you want clean, or leave it you want distortion.

But tubes are louder no? Or more powerful? I have an SVT. I'm looking for a good back up option. I assume this will be a lot lower in power.

I had considered the SVT 7 Pro but I like that the 3 has more tubes.

A watt is a watt. A 412 is a big cab. You're over-thinking this.

I played the 3-pro (owned two of them but that's another story). After some years of not owning Ampeg, I tried the 7-Pro against the 3- and 4-Pro in a store and left with the 7-Pro. Way more volume and lighter than the 3. And I never felt like I had to baby the input volume like I felt with the 3. I still wish a little bit that it had the graphic eq but I'm happy with the tone.

The standard +1 :)