Ampeg SVT with serial number #1 ???

bradriverview · #1 08-09-2011, 11:25 AM

Hey everybody,

I was looking at my old Ampeg SVT 3 and I noticed the serial number was interesting.... it says serial #1. What do you all make of this? Am I reading or interpreting it wrong? Also, would somebody be able to tell me what year this amp is?

Any help would be much appreciated!

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johnk_10 · #2 08-09-2011, 11:38 AM

judging by your pic, i don't see how you could possibly be 'reading it wrong', but i've never seen an Ampeg serial number like that. maybe the original S/N was removed and that was later added to it?

if you really want to know what's up with it, i'd contact Dino at Ampeg. he's always been very helpful to me.

fenderhutz · #3 08-09-2011, 11:41 AM

It's old enough to be the first SVT III, being a solid state amp I don't think it adds value. Just a kinda cool factor.

Go ask on Ampeg's Facebook page.

BurningSkies · #4 08-09-2011, 11:42 AM

Bad day for the guy manning the serial number station?

JimmyM · #5 08-09-2011, 11:55 AM

SLM's serial numbering scheme was in place from 1988-2008, and the SVT 3 non pro came out in 1991. Me thinks there be monkey business afoot!

bradriverview · #6 08-09-2011, 12:12 PM

I asked Ampeg on Facebook and they thought it was either a prototype or pilot unit. I'll go take another clearer picture with a better camera now that this has sparked some interest.

johnk_10 · #7 08-09-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradriverview

I asked Ampeg on Facebook and they thought it was either a prototype or pilot unit. I'll go take another clearer picture with a better camera now that this has sparked some interest.

that's kinda what i was thinking. possibly a prototype for a NAMM show, or a pilot unit.

bradriverview · #8 08-09-2011, 12:24 PM

http://oi55.tinypic.com/s26rmw.jpg

http://oi53.tinypic.com/2vw7nub.jpg

Buster Brown · #9 08-09-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

that's kinda what i was thinking. possibly a prototype for a NAMM show, or a pilot unit.

Weird...but I seem to recall Ampeg labeling the NAMM units as NAMM #1, #2 and so on....but it's a good bet that back that far they probably weren't paying a helluva lot of attention....

Buster Brown · #10 08-09-2011, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradriverview

http://oi55.tinypic.com/s26rmw.jpg

http://oi53.tinypic.com/2vw7nub.jpg

After examining the better pics....I agree....something's afoot! Doesn't like like a "1"....looks like an "I" without the cross bars...

JimmyM · #11 08-09-2011, 12:39 PM

I could buy into the idea that it's a pilot unit, and the labels do look like they're official, but I don't know enough about them to make that determination. I do know someone who might.

Oh Jerrold...you are needed, sir!

bradriverview · #12 08-09-2011, 12:53 PM

I inspected it really carefully and it doesn't look like there has been any alterations done to it. The "1" is slightly reflective when light hits it just as the "SVT III" is above it. It looks pretty legit in my opinion, but who knows. Is there any value to the unit if it is a prototype or pilot amp?

fenderhutz · #13 08-09-2011, 12:56 PM

As I stated before. Since it's solid state and not an "iconic" Ampeg amp. It might add some value to a collector. But I don't know of a collector that collects SLM era Ampeg solid state amps.

It does have a "cool" factor to it and it is a conversation piece for sure. If it's verified as original you never know, Loud might want it for history purposes and might offer up something for it.

bradriverview · #14 08-09-2011, 01:01 PM

I see.. thanks for the input fenderhutz! I wonder how I should go about getting this verified? I'll have to make some phone calls..

coreyfyfe · #15 08-09-2011, 01:39 PM

PM Jerrold Tiers and see what he says. He was an engineer at SLM and was there in the early SLM-Ampeg era so if anyone around here can help you, he would be the one. He pops up from time to time in the ampeg threads, but a PM would definitely catch his attention a little faster.

bradriverview · #16 08-09-2011, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the suggestion coreyfyfe. I'll find him and PM him with the thread and see what he says about this.

Jerrold Tiers · #17 08-09-2011, 08:40 PM

Where the "1" appears to be is just the paint area that is a "stick serial label here" spot. I don't recall if any special mark was there by default.

An actual serial number label would have been stuck there, so that unit may have had it removed for some reason, or, despite UL-recognized adhesive, maybe it fell off.

Of course it might be a proto that escaped, or maybe even a unit made of parts that "migrated out in the lunchbox".

We did have a few of those, and a few folks got fired over the years for that sort of thing. Some were "dunker board" units. Boards that fell into the wave solder, or warped and picked up solder on top were junked, and a couple people were cleaning solder off of them and assembling units with stolen chassis etc.

The "stolen parts" units would not have been tested, and obviously never got serial numbers.

A look inside would tell more. protos often had proto boards with no silkscreen, or real-looking boards that have no "tested by" labels.

"Dunker board" units would have no labels, and would have traces of solder on topside, it's nearly impossible to clean them 100%.

Simple answer is the serial number label came off or was removed due to some "provenance problem" (unit was stolen at some point in its life).

floridagatorfan · #18 08-10-2011, 12:57 AM

So your the one who stole my 3 Pro. haha just joking

JimmyM · #19 08-10-2011, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floridagatorfan

So your the one who stole my 3 Pro. haha just joking

Obviously you're joking...this amp is an SVT 3 non-pro. But I must say that was a good attempt and would have been funny otherwise

floridagatorfan · #20 08-10-2011, 01:14 AM

whats the difference in a pro and a non pro