NORAD: Warning - SVT content

okcrum · #1 12-11-2010, 04:48 PM

New Old Raggedy Amp Day, in short.

I got an Ampeg SVT-CL several days ago, cheap and broken.

Short summary:

It looks like the amp was dropped at a major music retailer's warehouse some time ago, and had sat there ever since. FedEx delivered the unit without a single mark on the box to indicate it had been abused. It is a MIK model, and at first I wasn't sure about the date, originally thought 2004, but turns out to be a mid-2008 according to LOUD. It had totally clean insides and chassis, and a little rust on the back cabinet corners and screws. Not a mark on it anywhere else. Pretty much what I'd expect from sitting on the floor of a cinder block warehouse, maybe on its back, for a couple of years.

One 6550 was cracked, and there was an odd tilt to the plate transformer. Note the white top on the tube in the middle, and the transformer, at left.

So I took everything apart and did a quick go/no go test on the tubes. Besides the 6550, one 12AU7 had a heater-to-cathode short, probably from trying to drive the non-vacuum tube in its triad when tested. The condition report I got when I ordered was "has a loud buzz". Yep.

Once the chassis was clean except for the transformers, a few minutes' TLC with a 5 lb. sledgehammer and a block of hardwood put every thing back in order as far as the bent metal went. Then, since the amp had gotten mechanical shock, I went over the circuit boards with a magnifier looking for cracked solder joints. I resoldered a few that didn't look quite right.

I dropped a GE 12AX7 into V1, replaced the bad 12AU7 with a used OK one, put everything back together, including the ribbon cable from the preamp that was not plugged in when I took it apart. Zounds, that would make it buzz too, eh?

I fired it up with four output tubes, biased, balanced the power supply hum, and tried it out with 1x15". I'll order six new output tubes after next weekend's gigs.

All in all, I'd say this beast is pretty well built. Heavy too. What's it sound like? In a certain well-known TBer's words, "hot buttered Jesus".

Short disclaimer: Unless you know what you're doing, don't try this yourself. These things are lethal if you make a mistake.

Jim C · #2 12-11-2010, 05:00 PM

Yeah Chuck; beautiful story; hope you stole it as well!

mustbampeg · #3 12-11-2010, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim C

Yeah Chuck; beautiful story; hope you stole it as well!

Was gonna be my comment as well.... HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR IT, lol?? And where did you get it? Hear about it? ALL of the details, bro!!

Randy

okcrum · #4 12-11-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mustbampeg

Was gonna be my comment as well.... HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR IT, lol?? And where did you get it? Hear about it? ALL of the details, bro!!

Randy

$600 shipped from MF, condition 4. I stumbled across it surfing on the Monday after Thanksgiving and said to self "I'm never gonna see a new, broken SVT that cheaply again!". No kidding. So even with six new tubes, I'll save a few hundred bucks.

JimmyM · #5 12-11-2010, 07:18 PM

nice! must be great to be able to do stuff like that. i'll bet it sounds like....well, you know

**Lazarus.Bird** · #6 12-11-2010, 07:30 PM

Reading this thread all I kept thinking was I wish I knew how to do this

Nice job!

LiquidMidnight · #7 12-11-2010, 10:41 PM

My guess is the great sound comes from the coil cord.

JimmyM · #8 12-11-2010, 10:42 PM

coil cords only sound good if they have molded plastic ends.

okcrum · #9 12-12-2010, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

coil cords only sound good if they have molded plastic ends.

That's been the standard shop test cable, but maybe you've got something there.

I'm not sure if I can get over the boingy thing though. You know what I mean, if you've ever seen someone using these, long ago.

s_mcsleazy · #10 12-12-2010, 07:26 AM

not a ampeg fan but loving this story

coreyfyfe · #11 12-12-2010, 08:42 AM

Nice find man, good to see that you were able to make something out of someone else's failure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

My guess is the great sound comes from the coil cord.

Coiled cords are important for proper vintage tone

Jerrold Tiers · #12 12-12-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcrum

The S/N indicates it is a MIK 2004 model.

I don't think there is any such animal.

if 2004, it is MIA only.

okcrum · #13 12-12-2010, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrold Tiers

I don't think there is any such animal.

if 2004, it is MIA only.

Thanks, Jerrold. The S/N is SVTCLAP1027XXXX, so I could well have decoded it wrongly. It does also say on the back: Designed in St. Louis MO, and underneath that, Manufactured in Korea. So that says it's newer than 2004, then? I'm not so up on the timeline.

EDIT: searched again and I'm thinking the amp is newer, like 2008-2010, according to Jerrold's comments I found so far. Looks like I'll have to give LOUD a call to see exact manufacture date, but my best guess now is that it only sat around the warehouse for relatively shorter time, but long enough to pick up some rust. Definitely never got out the door or on a gig.

gjbassist · #14 12-12-2010, 09:49 AM

Nice find! It's stories like this that really make me miss the MF clearance center! It was located in the front of their warehouse, only about 15 minutes from me. You could find great deals on broken stuff like this all the time. I bought a non-working 1x15 cabinet for $29. Took it home, opened it up and reattached one loose wire. Used it for two years before I sold it for $150!

THORRR · #15 12-12-2010, 09:54 AM

Speaking of coiled cords, it brought back memories of the late '60's before the industry started producing them, we
used to cannibalize actual coiled telephone cords, solder several of the wires together as the conductor and a couple more for the ground and put 1/4" plugs on em.

They were considered "the coolest" back then (despite the hum) and any local band that had them was considered "leading edge" hahahahahahahaha!

Then the industry started producing them and we all were boingy-boinging our way around the stage - Then they came out in COLORS, and then NEON colors and we all kept buying them over and over again because the wires inside were inferior and kept breaking. Good times - Bad times - Fun Times

JimmyM · #16 12-12-2010, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcrum

Thanks, Jerrold. The S/N is SVTCLAP1027XXXX, so I could well have decoded it wrongly. It does also say on the back: Designed in St. Louis MO, and underneath that, Manufactured in Korea. So that says it's newer than 2004, then? I'm not so up on the timeline.

EDIT: checked old threads again and I'm thinking the amp is newer, like 2008-2009, according to Jerrold's comments I found so far. I'll update as I dig around.

manufactured in korea? they didn't move to korea until late 2008 or early 2009. the earliest foreign svt's were made in vietnam. so i would gather that you are guessing right this time.

did loud change the serial number scheme? that sure doesn't seem to follow it.

okcrum · #17 12-12-2010, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

manufactured in korea? they didn't move to korea until late 2008 or early 2009. the earliest foreign svt's were made in vietnam. so i would gather that you are guessing right this time.

did loud change the serial number scheme? that sure doesn't seem to follow it.

Yeah, I updated the original post and my later comment about the S/N after reading Jerrold's archived comments about the Korea build dates. I've no idea how to decode this S/N either, since the newest rules I can find seem to be only the SLM ones, and you saw what I got when I tried to apply those.

So I'll call or email LOUD to find out.

Jerrold Tiers · #18 12-12-2010, 08:16 PM

I've NO idea how they do the serial now......

Seems obvious the old system is not how it is now.

Maybe they use the system that Mackie used, whatever that is. Loud IS "Mackie", really. I can check with my "spies" and see if I can find out what they do now.

okcrum · #19 12-13-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrold Tiers

I've NO idea how they do the serial now......

Seems obvious the old system is not how it is now.

Maybe they use the system that Mackie used, whatever that is. Loud IS "Mackie", really. I can check with my "spies" and see if I can find out what they do now.

NP Jerrold, I've got a request in to get a build date for this. Once I have that, I can figure out how to decode it.

Right now, I'm looking for some NOS 12AU7s at the right price. It looks like the weak link in the design, but forced by availability of tube types.

Jonyak · #20 12-13-2010, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okcrum

$600 shipped from MF, condition 4. I stumbled across it surfing on the Monday after Thanksgiving and said to self "I'm never gonna see a new, broken SVT that cheaply again!". No kidding. So even with six new tubes, I'll save a few hundred bucks.

I considered buying this exact one a few weeks ago!