Ampeg gurus please share your opinion

[bass40hz]

Here's the short strory, long time GK guy, recently picked up an Ampeg BA-210V2 just because back in the 80's when I had a young healthy back, I was a fridge guy, SVT or nothing...but as the all too familiar story goes, I cant move monster rigs since my early 40s when my back gave out...now...I have been playing that 210 pretty regularly at band practices, by itself it cant compete with the band, put it on top of a MarkBass 210HF and its a tone monster very reminiscent of the SVT+fridge tone (to my ears...you all hear what you hear) so needless to say I am really loving it.
I currently gig with GK NEO cabs, a 212 and 115, no complaints and not changing cabs, but I am bi-amping with 2 GK MBF800s.
What I want to hear from you Ampeg gurus, what current lightweight AMP (head) only options you think might give me the same tone as the BA-210V2, thorough my GK cabs...must be lightweight, tube heads are not an option so I am thinking the PRO series, maybe the 7, but not sure. I hear that these heads with GK cabs are awesome...I was also thinking the SCR-DI might work but I might have to run it through the effects loop on the GK head to bypass the GK preamp, same if I went with their Classic Analog Preamp pedal...not sure what will work best to give me the tone I seek...I am leaning towards the SCR-DI as it has the exact same control layout as the BA...

 

[P-oddz]

You want Ampeg tone in a lighter weight package? Then why aren't you looking into the PF series?

 

[bass40hz]

You want Ampeg tone in a lighter weight package? Then why aren't you looking into the PF series?

PF series, tone-wise, is not in-line with the BA series, as I was told, no first hand experience, thats why I am seeking advice from the Ampeg gurus here ;-) I am am not opposed if thats the answer ;-)

 

[P-oddz]

I only have experience with the V1 BA amps (BA110, so I suppose you can take my response with a grain of salt if you want to), but I would say that IME, solid state Ampegs sound like solid state Ampegs. The V2s came out shortly after the PF series, if I'm not mistaken, so I would be more inclined to believe that they share very similar (if not almost identical) preamp design. The only thing that you are missing in the PF series is the Scrambler drive and blend. But also, IMO, you can find a better drive tone in a pedal and feed that into a PF and be more in line with your desired SVT-esque tone search.

Ampeg experience: BA110, BT-15, PF800, V4B

For what it's worth:

 

[two fingers]

Can you live with a little less than half the weight of the 300W tube SVT?

If you can handle 41 pounds, the SVT 6 Pro is the best hybrid SVT they ever made by FAR!

1100W MOSFET power stage. MOSFETs are part of the secret sauce of many of the legendary solid state amps. They simply "act more like tubes" than other solid state power components. No, they are not tubes. No, they don't act exactly like tubes. But they are "warmer" and do overdrive better to my ears. (The Mesa Walkabout is another legendary MOSFET amp loved by the masses.)

It has the 2X 12au7 and 2X 12ax7 driver and preamp section more similar to the SVT-CL.

The voltage control alone makes it a truly versatile amp. The semi-para mids are surgical in their adjustment (also similar to the Walkabout).

So, at 41 pounds the SVT 6 would get you the closest in my view to the real thing. There's one on Reverb for $599.

At 13 pounds the Mesa Walkabout is another fantastic MOSFET amp with an impressive preamp and GREAT overdrive. I don't run mine overdriven. But I do get to overdrive and then back down the gain a tad so it's wooly but not distorted. They are for sale used all over. It is not identical to the SVT tone. But it is another warm, fat, wooly amp that can be dialed in for puffy round tones or gritty mid-heavy cutting tones and all points in between. It gets "close enough for rock-n-roll" to the SVT. And it just sounds amazing.

I own an SVT-CL. Last night I took my Walkabout combo to rehearsal and noted that I could be just as happy with either on stage tone wise. (Yes, there's a certain cool factor to an SVT, tone not withstanding.)

Short version. Try a tube pre MOSFET amp.

 

[bass40hz]

Can you live with a little less than half the weight of the 300W tube SVT?

If you can handle 41 pounds, the SVT 6 Pro is the best hybrid SVT they ever made by FAR!

1100W MOSFET power stage. MOSFETs are part of the secret sauce of many of the legendary solid state amps. They simply "act more like tubes" than other solid state power components. No, they are not tubes. No, they don't act exactly like tubes. But they are "warmer" and do overdrive better to my ears. (The Mesa Walkabout is another legendary MOSFET amp loved by the masses.)

It has the 2X 12au7 and 2X 12ax7 driver and preamp section more similar to the SVT-CL.

The voltage control alone makes it a truly versatile amp. The semi-para mids are surgical in their adjustment (also similar to the Walkabout).

So, at 41 pounds the SVT 6 would get you the closest in my view to the real thing. There's one on Reverb for $599.

At 13 pounds the Mesa Walkabout is another fantastic MOSFET amp with an impressive preamp and GREAT overdrive. I don't run mine overdriven. But I do get to overdrive and then back down the gain a tad so it's wooly but not distorted. They are for sale used all over. It is not identical to the SVT tone. But it is another warm, fat, wooly amp that can be dialed in for puffy round tones or gritty mid-heavy cutting tones and all points in between. It gets "close enough for rock-n-roll" to the SVT. And it just sounds amazing.

I own an SVT-CL. Last night I took my Walkabout combo to rehearsal and noted that I could be just as happy with either on stage tone wise. (Yes, there's a certain cool factor to an SVT, tone not withstanding.)

Short version. Try a tube pre MOSFET amp.

Many thanks for the thoughtful reply, I have used MESA amps before, an M6 and a D800, one of the M6 MOSFETS went on me and the D800 was lackluster IMHO...kind of done with MESA. The SVT6 sounds like a great option that I never would have thought of, thank you! I will explore it.

 

[bass40hz]

I only have experience with the V1 BA amps (BA110, so I suppose you can take my response with a grain of salt if you want to), but I would say that IME, solid state Ampegs sound like solid state Ampegs. The V2s came out shortly after the PF series, if I'm not mistaken, so I would be more inclined to believe that they share very similar (if not almost identical) preamp design. The only thing that you are missing in the PF series is the Scrambler drive and blend. But also, IMO, you can find a better drive tone in a pedal and feed that into a PF and be more in line with your desired SVT-esque tone search.

Ampeg experience: BA110, BT-15, PF800, V4B

For what it's worth:

Thanks for the video! I put the headphones on and played it a couple of times...based soley on the video contents, I dont think the PFs really do the trick, they all sound kind of thin to my ears. The BA is very punchy and while I wouldn't say its fat, its kind of chubby ;-) I dont have it tweaked really extreme either, Bass and Treble at 1:00, Mid-range at 9:00 Scrambler and blend both at 9:00...I appreciate your input, thank you. Rock on.

 

[two fingers]

Many thanks for the thoughtful reply, I have used MESA amps before, an M6 and a D800, one of the M6 MOSFETS went on me and the D800 was lackluster IMHO...kind of done with MESA. The SVT6 sounds lie a great option that I never would have thought of, thank you! I will explore it.

I have owned and/or gigged regularly (provided backline gigs) the SVT 2 Pro, 3 Pro, 4 Pro, 6 Pro, vintage V4, vintage SVT, and currently have a late SLM era SVT-CL. The 6 is by far my favorite hybrid. If I were in your situation (back troubles) the 6 is where I would turn.

Good luck with your hunt either way.

 

[BassmanPaul]

When it comes to Ampeg who ya gonna call? @JimmyM That’s who!!

 

[JimmyM]

When it comes to Ampeg who ya gonna call? @JimmyM That’s who!!

What do I know?

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I like pretty much everything they make these days. In the lightweight category, the 7 Pro is tops IMHO, but any of it would probably work for you.