SVT, Destroyer of Worlds

ishouldbeking · #1 10-22-2010, 06:30 PM

Man oh man... I'm smitten. Hopped on an opening slot at the Troubadour last night... killer show. I was planning to use my Ashdown thru an Orange 115... but the touring bands were happy to share their rig, and it made switchover that much faster. Plus it was bigger! Beat up, older SVT CL (I believe) running thru a beat up, older Traynor 810. The head shared the aesthetics of a modern CL, but had different controls than any I've played... single input with an active pad switch, no "hi/lo" switches, no mid selector... just the three tone controls, gain and master.

The headliner had it set with the bass cranked to 3 o clock, mids boosted to 1 or so, treble flat and the gain pretty hot. He was playing a jazz with a pick and it was bright and gnarly as hell, in the best way possible! Even with the bass boosted that high there was no boom, just a solid bottom under a lot of grind. I plugged my Rick in and it was far, far beyond what his jazz could produce. No time to really dial it in, so for the heck of it I kicked on my VT bass pedal to add a power tube distortion vibe, rolled off the highs a bit and wound up with probably the gnarliest rock and roll tone I've ever had. Somewhere between the voice of god and the hammer of doom: Rick-o-death! We weren't even that loud (they were pretty anal about stage level, actually), but the rig was just roaring. Combined with a packed house full of screaming kids, I had a PERFECT gig.

Funny thing, after years of half-heartedly trying to get away from "generic ampeg stuff" and trying to convince myself I want a flexible, lightweight smallish rig to make my life easier... I go and play a clunky behemoth and simply fall in love. Perhaps instead of a mini-rig, what I really need is a new car that can fit an 810?

Now I just need a pile of money and a roadie.

FletcherML · #2 10-22-2010, 06:41 PM

I'm pretty sure that's not a CL from your description. Ampeg has made a couple amps that have the same look.. but I think those are all solid state. The CL is my best friend. So much killer tone and power! It's worth hauling it around with the matching 810. Glad you enjoyed your gig dude.

ishouldbeking · #3 10-22-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FletcherML

I'm pretty sure that's not a CL from your description. Ampeg has made a couple amps that have the same look.. but I think those are all solid state. The CL is my best friend. So much killer tone and power! It's worth hauling it around with the matching 810. Glad you enjoyed your gig dude.

It wasn't the SVT-450, that's for sure. And it did have tubes, could see em through the back of the amp. Maybe an earlier model from the '80s or '90s? They were a Canadian band (Born Ruffians), if that makes any difference.

JimmyM · #4 10-22-2010, 08:48 PM

i don't remember ever seeing a cl that didn't have ultra switches.

hmmm, i wonder if it was the svt 100? a very limited run of these were made in st louis with parts they got from mti when slm first bought them. 100w all tube.

anderbass · #5 10-22-2010, 10:03 PM

Yeah I was thinking the same as you Jimmy but the SVT-100, V5 and V7 models all had dual input jacks, he said the Peg he gigged only had a single...

I also found some pics of the earlier style SVT-CL with the red/white/blue labeling and a genuine SVT-V9, they both had dual input jacks too.

NateS · #6 10-22-2010, 10:07 PM

8x10s are awesome. welcome to the club (i have 2)

recreate.me · #7 10-22-2010, 11:58 PM

Oh man I love born ruffians! lucky man you are.

jvdb · #8 10-23-2010, 08:54 AM

@ishouldbeking: you might be a king, but never without an SVT and an 810.

SVT: destroyer of worlds, backs and ego's. :-)

ishouldbeking · #9 10-23-2010, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i don't remember ever seeing a cl that didn't have ultra switches.

hmmm, i wonder if it was the svt 100? a very limited run of these were made in st louis with parts they got from mti when slm first bought them. 100w all tube.

It threw me for a loop for sure, IIRC it simply said "SVT" on the faceplate. It was beat to hell, though. Maybe the model designation got scratched off. The stage was too dark to see the back of the amp properly; had to use my cellphone to find the speaker jack before I turned it on.

Interestingly, the 2nd band had an ancient Traynor tube head stacked beneath the SVT... not sure of the model, but it looked a bit like a '70s V4 in terms of size and height. That thing sounded ridiculous as well. In terms of bass, it was a tube-driven pickstyle smorgasbord all night. I ran the rick through the SVT and had edgiest tone, 2nd dude played a thunderbird w/ pick through the Traynor had a round, full but punchy tone which sounded even better when he kicked on a fuzz pedal. And the headliner used what looked like a Highway 1 Jazz w/ pick through the SVT... his tone was a little thinner than mine (on stage, at least), but worked great for their music. It almost reminded me of that ultra gritty, thin-but-in-your-face New Model Army kind of tone. Good stuff.

ampegfuzz · #10 10-23-2010, 03:41 PM

Will someone please find a pic of this "un-seen" svt

flyingfinbar · #11 10-23-2010, 03:48 PM

I borrowed a friends CL and within a week had an SVT-IIpro. I fell in love with the sound, but I like my gear mounted in heavy duty racks, so I went with the IIpro. Such a NASTY sound!

zachoff · #12 10-23-2010, 08:53 PM

I gigged w/ an SVT and 810 on Friday night. It was mine and it ruled the school! I'll play it as long as I can carry it.

ishouldbeking · #13 10-24-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampegfuzz

Will someone please find a pic of this "un-seen" svt

The head came courtesy of Born Ruffians' bassist Mitch Derosier. I did some googling and found some vaguely svt-ish blurred things in the back of some live photos, but no concrete evidence. A lot of shots are from SXSW and CMJ, where most of the gigs have backline anyway.

But now you guys have me questioning whether I actually saw the tubes. I thought I did, but wonder if I just expected to see them and convinced myself i did? Memory is an unreliable beast, to say the least. Using said unreliable beast, i'll try to remember exactly what this thing had going on with that mysteriously bare faceplate.

Positively POSITIVE:
-single input w/ active pad button
-3 band eq knobs: high, low, and ultra-mid
-gain and master knobs
-power switch
-full sized "SVT" logo, like on the CL, but no other text. not small with a hyphenated number like the svt-350

MISSING In Action:
-NO ultra-hi/lo switches
-NO mid selector
-NO standby switch
-NO graphic EQ sliders like on most of the s/s heads
-NO 2nd input

Fuzzy Memories, or THE UNCERTAINTY:
-pretty sure, but not positive it had the current Ampeg, italic-slanted logo, rather than the older logo you'd find on an SVT non-pro and older heads
-tubes in back. thought i saw em, now I dunno.
-metal grate on back. thought it was there, as opposed to the "open-back" of a s/s SVT-450
-location of the master knob. I swear it was in a different place, closer to the power switch, away from the other gain/EQ knobs.

The lack of standby makes me question my sanity re: those tubes I may or may not have imagined. The amp had the styling of a typical SVT CL, black cloth and faceplate, but was missing many of its features, not to mention the word Classic never appears. It's also missing a lot of features from the solid state heads; amps including the 200t, 350t, svt-1000, svt-450 etc i've found have graphic EQ sliders, and this didn't. I did manage to find a pic of an SVT-100, but it has dual inputs, yellow standby switch, older logo on it (twice!), and different styling overall. In terms of the overall feel, the closest faceplates I can find pictures of are the SVT-350 & 450; the only substantial differences being that the head I played was missing the graphic EQ, two grey buttons (EQ on/off, Limiter on/off), the SVT badge, and the location of the master knob.

Now I really wanna know.

JimmyM · #14 10-24-2010, 01:09 PM

send him an email?

ishouldbeking · #15 10-24-2010, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

send him an email?

good call. my internet sleuthing skills are turning up zilch. lets see if i can get a response; i think they're on the road for the next several weeks, but ya never know.

brobot · #16 10-24-2010, 07:39 PM

sounds like an SVT AV, but that has a second input and standby. everything else seems like a match.

Sartori · #17 10-25-2010, 01:27 AM

Has ampeg ever made an amp with the power switch on the back?

**JayAmel** · #18 10-25-2010, 02:13 AM

Could it be a V4BH with some SVT decal on it ?

rodl2005 · #19 10-25-2010, 02:22 AM

No standby switch???? Hmmmm. I'm certainly NO expert on Ampeg models of old... But lack of a standby switch has ME wondering. Weren't many(any???) higher powered(100w & up) all tube amps made without one were there.

Hope U get a reply to the email on what the amp is.

& If U DO decide that sorta sound IS for you. Don't forget the Bergantino NV610- JUST like an older SVT810 but easier to move & a shorter height-so she fits in-not so squeezy

Sartori · #20 10-25-2010, 02:58 AM

I ask if Ampeg's ever made an amp with the power switch on the back because, well, some tube amps have that setup, and only have the standby switch on the front, whose lettering could well have rubbed off.