I sold my Aguilar TH500 and AG500DC in favor of an SVT 3Pro USA, so...
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Ampeg SVT 3 Pro USA: Is It Worth It?
- Thread starter Silas Caldwell
- Start date
I sold my Aguilar TH500 and AG500DC in favor of an SVT 3Pro USA, so...
The preamp tubes need regular replacement. They also can go slowly. Robbing you of volume and tone. I retired mine eventually.
FTFY.
Preamp tubes are relatively inexpensive (as long as you don't go down the NOS rabbit hole), usually last quite a long time, and are fairly easy to replace. (Don't overtighten the screws when you put the lid back on, they strip easily.)
FTFY.
Preamp tubes are relatively inexpensive (as long as you don't go down the NOS rabbit hole), usually last quite a long time, and are fairly easy to replace. (Don't overtighten the screws when you put the lid back on, they strip easily.)
After the second time I had enough. They fail at the worst time.
my friend replaced his three times before giving up on it.
I saw one fail at a friends gig two weeks ago. I got my Mesa head so he could finish his gig.
Just providing my experience with it. It does sound good when everything’s clicking properly. It’s not for me though.
I had one for a while-great amp, plenty of power and zero issues!
With that being said, be aware of this...
SVT-3 Pro Biasing
With that being said, be aware of this...
SVT-3 Pro Biasing
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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You need to play it. If there's a constant distortion, then your bias is slipping. It doesn't permanently get any better. It becomes a constant issue. And the slightest pressure while setting it, and you'll fry your amp. It's very touchy. But, once it starts drifting, it doesn't stay good for very long.
I highly recommend trying out at least another SVT head. I was gassing for the 3 or 7 and was able to try both yesterday through an 8x10 and 4x10. They’re just not my flavor. They didn’t perform as I personally had expected, a little noisy and the tone is good, but it’s not clean.
$250 is a good price point though and I imagine you could sell it and get that back at least.
$250 is a good price point though and I imagine you could sell it and get that back at least.
In roughly ten years of using the SVT Pro III as my main gigging amp (two gigs a week on average and I was using different amps for rehearsals and practise) I replaced the tubes once. Turns out the tubes were not the main issue and that the bias needed adjusting.
That’s good. Not sure about my friends amps but I had biased mine. Servers him right for pulling it out of storage for a gig and not stretching it’s legs first.
It’s a nice sounding amp.
I have a USA made SVT3 Pro from the LOUD Technologies "black face" era that has been a real workhorse for me. With a reasonably efficient cabinet, they can go plenty loud (contrary to the opinion of some of the posters on this thread), IMHO. I used to set the input gain as the owner's manual suggested: so that the clip light flashes a bit on your most aggressive passages and then control the overall volume with the master. I try to go for as clean a sound as I can get and in recent years have taken to running the master wide open so that I can run the input gain as low as possible to achieve the SPL I need. Weight? ... 26 lbs inside of a 9 or 10 pound SKB type rack or rack bag isn't going to kill you. $250 is a very good price on an SVT3 Pro ... particularly if it's USA made.
It's a great amp that's used in lots of studios. I have a blue script 3 Pro and it's solid.
At that price, I'd say jump on it.
At that price, I'd say jump on it.
Something must be wrong with your preamp section. Mine is an USA model and has been rocking the very same factory tubes without a single hick up for all these years. I would recommend you bring it to your local experienced technician for a bias adjustment.
I ran mine for 8 years and never had a problem with tubes or biasing.
Are you asking me? Are you saying SVT3 pro > Aguilar?
Yeah, I owned the SVT3 pro back in the day, and I had a TH500 for a while.
I liked the SVT3 pro just fine at the time. Decent tones. Bit heavy. I wished I had bought an Eden WT-400 at the time.
I liked by TH500 just fine, as well. Bit wooly for me though, and I've moved on to other things.
I do love that Ampeg tone, and I own an SVT7-pro, which I find superior to the SVT3-pro in just about every way...if not every way.
Also see SVT3Pro Bias Setting for a lot of detailed discussion (including my own successful bias adjustment) and cautions.
Wimpy 450w...lol! That's enough to get you fired from anywhere.
Very fair price and be on the lookout for crackling sounds. Mine went back twice for solder trace touch ups.
Personally I never much cared for that particular model but many folks like them.
Personally I never much cared for that particular model but many folks like them.
