Hello. I own a Basson B810B bass cabinet and a QSC2450power amp and I am looking for the right ampeg product to get the most out of the power amp and cabinet. I like the ampeg tone. I know they have 2 preamps the CL and the PRO and i was wondering about the PRO version. Some sites say it has 5 12AX7 Tubes and other websites say it has 4 12AX7's and 1 12AU7 tubes. I've also read that it has a dendency to be really loud hum and I just wanna see what other people's takes are on it? Could there be 2 versions of the PRO? How do the ampeg heads (svt-3, svt-4, B-4R) work for preamps? Any information would be appreciated. I am going for a clean, punchy, deep tone. Thanks again
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Ampeg SVP-PRO????
- Thread starter undertheashes
- Start date
- Aug 13, 2000
- 2,016
- 19
- 46
- Disclosures
- Audio Pro - Ecuador
It has 4 12ax7 1 12Au7
The hum can be controlled with a Sovtek or Chinese tube in the 5th position.
I have replaced my tubes with Tung Sols, I like them
The CL might give you that clean tone you like. The Pro can give me almost anything.
The hum can be controlled with a Sovtek or Chinese tube in the 5th position.
I have replaced my tubes with Tung Sols, I like them
The CL might give you that clean tone you like. The Pro can give me almost anything.
If you just want a clean tone, and thats it, get the SVP-CL, it doesn't get as dirty as the PRO, but it has a better clean sound. If you want grit, get the PRO, it does have 1 12au7, and it can get noisy with the stock tubes, but new tubes always seem to fix the problem.
which tubes would make it sound like the ampeg svt is supposed to sound like? Also i know this is probably a dumb question, but i have never had any tubed amps or anything but do they make tubes for bass and tubes for guitar or do they just make tubes that can be used in both bass and guitar heads?
also, if i did the get the SVP-PRO....you think the hum would most likely go away if i put new tubes in?
My svp-pro has always been quiet, expect when that #5 tube went bad, it was really hummy then. I'm running all 12ax7s, it did come with one 12au7 (12ax7s are just higher gain). I've had it about 10 years now, no troubles, I used an old usa tube in that #5 spot, I'd have to check but it's probably a Sylvania. All the others are still the stock groove tubes.
Know anything about the RCA 12AX7 tubes? those puppises cost 100 bucks a piece. DAAAAAMN! I just dont know why ampeg dosen't drop the 12au7 and put in another 12ax7 in there. Maybe it would stop the preamp from being stupid, hahahahahaha.
There's no need IMHO to spend that kind of money on tubes, and if you end up with a PRO you may not need to spend any for a while anyway.
What you should do is locate a reliable source of good quality tubes (not evilbay, and not necessarily NOS) so that when you need one you can get it. Preamp tubes generally last thousands of hours, or a year or two or three if you want to look at it that way.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Mine was likewise quiet, and I found both the clean and distortion sounds to be very nice. It always sounded like an Ampeg to me, there's a certain characteristic that was always there, a sort of smooth flavor to the midrange. About all it couldn't do was soulless, irritating clank thwacka click clack, which I hear enough in Guitar Center to be pretty sick of.
+1. I had both for a while and that was my take on the key difference almost verbatim. My Pro arrived with 5 12ax7's and wasn't noisy, but I couldn't get a clean tone. I replaced V4 with a 12au7 that I had lying around (I can't recall what it was) but it got me a good clean sound and still the great Pro OD.
I sold the Pro and kept the CL because I liked the cleaner sound... but that doesn't make it better, just better for me.
The only tubes that will make it sound like an SVT is supposed to sound like are Power tubes... (YMMV, IMHO, and other general disclaimers...)
I still have the CL for direct recording, but use all tube SVT's now. To me it's worth the weight...
guess i should go to Guitar Center and pick one up and test it out for myself. Thanks for everyones opinion.
