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Ampeg Heads

#5
peasandpotatoes said:
well i play stuff kinda like glassjaw / thrice
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I'm pretty sure Eddie(from Thrice) uses The SVT classic. Keep in mind that he also uses a Line 6 Distortion Modular so that he can have 4 different levels of distortion he can choose from. Try as many of those amps as you can.
 
#6
Definitely try out all of them, preferably with your own equipment or duplicates. I have the SVT 4 Pro running through a 410 HLF and a 1x15, and it gives a wide range of sound options and plenty of headroom. A good friend runs the same head through the 810 and he loves it (I've heard it and I like it too). Something to mess with - the 4 Pro's sound varies greatly when you change the mid EQ knob setting. I would assume similar things from any Ampeg head, but I'm not sure. By changing just my mid knob, I can go from slap/funk type tone, to a rumble that just sits under the band, to a real aggressive edgy sound that cuts through at lower volumes. This all can be modified by the bass settings even more. One more thing - the dB cut switch (which many assume is just for active basses) is designed so that you can get the gain knob close to maximum. If it doesn't flash the LED with the switch on, turn it off. Otherwise you're missing some of the huge power that this amp has. Once that's set, then play with your master volume and other crap. This amp really runs best with the gain set pretty high, so like if you slap a low E too hard it will flash but doesn't otherwise. I have a bass with active pickups and I run with the switch off to be able to achieve this level. Have fun experimenting! The built-in compressor is pretty good also.
 
#7
jiant. said:
I'm pretty sure Eddie(from Thrice) uses The SVT classic. Keep in mind that he also uses a Line 6 Distortion Modular so that he can have 4 different levels of distortion he can choose from. Try as many of those amps as you can.
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Off the thread topic, but since you mentioned it... What is the Line 6 Dustortion Modular? I did a google search for it and came up with nothing. Is that the series name or just something you called it? What is a good multi-effect plus distortion rack rig?
Thanks,
Dave
 
#13
peasandpotatoes said:
Well how does it sound? Is the SVT2Pro your favorite out of the pro series? Is it a reliable amp head?
You know things like that....
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It sounds great. I play mine through either an Aguilar 210 or an Eden 410 (or both). It gets really loud, it has a nice DEEP tone that really blossoms into a room, and has that sweet tube tone you'll only get out of an SVT. (It can sound exactly like the SVT classic - has virtually the same components.) It just has a few more bells and whistles - rackmount, switchable graphic eq, footswitch for mute/eq toggle. It is my favorite amp of the pro series. The 3-5 pro are MOSFETs, and just don't have the sound I love. The 300 watt 2 pro can EASILY give the 4 and 5 pro a run for their money in overall volume and whip them in the tone dept IMO.

edit: Sorry, forgot to answer on reliability. My II pro served me for three yrs with zero issues or problems. Bottom Line: Treat it well, and it will treat you well.

That said, it is not my fave Ampeg amp. The vintage svt's are IMO a much better sounding amp, and keep a cleaner tone at higher volumes. The Classic, II pro, and AV (classic with fancier clothes on) break up to distortion at lower volumes, and have a different sound. They have a similar sound, but somehow less sweet. (Sorry, I am HORRIBLE at describing tone in words.)
 
#17
Ordering expensice stuff without trying it is a great way to screw yourself over. It's worth locating a guitar center, even if its like... 50 miles away... and making a road trip for a day to try all 3 of the amps out. Your talking about a bridge between SS and Tube, since you mentioned the 4Pro as well. Also, remember that Tube amps require a touch more maintainence than SS. And dont neglect to think of the weight factor. You've gotta lift that thing 5 feet in the air to get it atop of a fridge cab.

Go out and try them all.... or you might waste $1200.
 
#19
TheChariot said:
You've gotta lift that thing 5 feet in the air to get it atop of a fridge cab.
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Ugh. I just cringed when I read that. :hmm: Very good point.

It's good advice to check out a store where you can try these amps out. We can tell you what we like about the amps, but you're the only one who knows what you'll like.

Good luck. :bassist:
 
#20
guitar center doesnt even have the svt 2 pro
i cant find it newhere! and i want to try it out for sure... i mean both hunter from afi and the bassist from thursday uses it, so obviously its a decent head... i read so reviews that says it sounds just like the svt classic, just has some extra features... is this true? because i have tried out the svt classic and loved it. what an amazing piece of equipment, but if i could get it with some more features, like a drive option and a 9 band eq that would be great. so does it sound just like the svt classic? opinions?
One more thing: does the ampeg svt 2 pro sound the same as the older svt ii non pro??
whats the difference?
 

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