SVT CL and Avatar 212

sowegafly · #1 08-07-2011, 09:12 PM

Has anyone ever paired the two together? What can I expect from this? I've had this cabinet for a while and have been using an 800RB but I think I want to bite the bullet and go all tube. Will this give me the pillowy sound I've been looking for? or is the 810e important to achieving such tone? I just put flat wounds on my jazz and this has gotten me a little closer to the tone in my head.

Gearhead17 · #2 08-07-2011, 10:11 PM

Avatar 212 needs to be a 4 ohm cab to be used with the SVT-CL. If you have an 8ohm cab, you need to get an identical cab for a 4 ohm load. The pillowy sound is the result of the SVT CL and the 810e together. Although, with flatwounds, you can get a similar vibe through other cabinets. Never tried the combo you are asking about, but have you tried the SVT CL and 810e before? You definitely need to try it out to see the comparison point.

JimmyM · #3 08-07-2011, 11:42 PM

SVT's sound good with any good cab. Whether you like it with a certain cab or not is a matter of taste. However, the Ampeg 810 does have a unique sound that contributes greatly to the overall experience, yessiree.

RickenBoogie · #4 08-08-2011, 09:53 AM

+1 to making sure whatever cab or cabs you use with the CL have a 4 ohm total, or 2 ohm.

sowegafly · #5 08-08-2011, 10:16 AM

the avatar 212 I have is 4ohm cabinet. Maybe I would be better off with a head that gets close to the real SVT sound. Like a walkabout or streamliner?? My dream rig is the SVT and 810 but I just cant justify it. I play in a cover band that really only plays locally and I usually DI out of my head and that kinda defeats the purpose of having a great rig

Gearhead17 · #6 08-08-2011, 10:25 AM

The SVT CL might sound great with the 4 ohm Avatar 212. If you are miking the cab, then the amp tone is more useful than just being a stage monitor. Going directly out of the SVT CL is just the sound of the pre-amp, NOT the power tubes (where the overdrive and tube greatness really happens). If you want to send a warm/tubey tone, look into to buying the SVT DI box. That DI box has a tube in it.

If you want Ampeg tube growl, the SVT all-tube head is the way to go. If you just want the warm tube sound, most bass heads with a tube in it will at least get you close.

MK1 · #7 08-08-2011, 10:33 AM

I just bought an 810e for my 800rb and it made a big difference in my tone. There is a lot of magic in that cab. If I were you I would try the 810 first (plus this option would be cheaper).

jackcheez · #8 08-08-2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sowegafly

...I usually DI out of my head and that kinda defeats the purpose of having a great rig

Not at all, for two reasons. First, you hear your rig on stage and that is very important. Second, if your rig sounds anything like your guitar, it's not going to sound THAT different from the DI'd sound. Micing your cab is not going to guarantee the same sound coming out of the mains. That's going to depend on mic, PA rig, the dood at the dials...

I use a V4-B with a 2 X 12 and it sounds great. The guy I bought it from used it with an Avatar 2 X 12 and it sounded great then. SVT's sound a lot like V4-B's except they're louder in the bottom end. I've played a ton of gigs where I DI'd to the mains. From what I can tell it usually sounds very similar.

jackcheez · #9 08-08-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK1

I just bought an 810e for my 800rb and it made a big difference in my tone. There is a lot of magic in that cab. If I were you I would try the 810 first (plus this option would be cheaper).

This is also a good idea.

craig.p · #10 08-08-2011, 11:11 AM

At the risk of repeating what others have said, I've owned an SVT 810 cab, and I currently own a pair of B212s.

In terms of tone, they are polar opposites. The former is like a lo-mid flamethrower. The latter has a much more ambitious reach to the bottom and sounds relatively polite, and there's also a response hole in the upper mids before the tweeter

sets to work.

Second, I'd hesitate putting an SVT head -- or any head of that class for that matter -- on top of only one B212 cab. I think you'd be asking for trouble in terms of driver damage. Forget about driver ratings for a moment. The B212 is a reflex cab that I suspect will unload its drivers at a frequency where the SVT head is probably still capable of delivering full output. I would offer the same caution even with two B212 cabs. This is far less apt to occur with the sealed 810. A subsonic filter in the effects loop is one way around the problem. But even apart from damage due to subsonics, an SVT into a pair of twelves just doesn't pass my Best Practices test unless you are really careful/attentive and never, ever let anyone else play through it (which you shouldn't do anyway, regardless of your kit, but that's a whole 'nother thread).

sowegafly · #11 08-08-2011, 11:17 AM

Thanks for the info!! it looks like I might just get the 810 for now and down the road get the svt cl. I kinda suspected that cab was part of the magic.