Ampeg SVT 50th Anniversary Edtition

[Funkdified]

You might notice that Channel 2 has Volume, Bass, Treble. So what he says and what you get are a bit different. My guess is they voiced Channel 2 to be a bit more like a mid 70s Channel 1, but you still only have the functionality of Bass and Treble controls. Honestly I would rather have the original Channel 2 voicing as it is actually very cool. I believe it's like a B15.

In the original amps Channel 1 had three 12DW7 tubes and channel 2 had a single 12AX7. The SVT AV subs 12AX7 and 12AU7 for the 12DW7s in Channel 1. So you get the same gain structure.

Explanation. 12AX7, 12AU7, and 12DW7 are all dual triode tubes. With 12DW7, one triode is equivalent to 12AX7 and one triode is equivalent to 12AU7.

The vintage amps also used a 6C4 tube to blend Channel 1 and Channel 2. The 6C4 is a single triode tube equivalent to one side of a 12AU7.

Way more technical than I understand, but thank you for explaining.

 

[Wood and Wire]

BOOM!

I'm not going to be buying one, any time before the 55th anniversary - but I'm really thrilled these exist!

 

[Wasnex]

Way more technical than I understand, but thank you for explaining.

Sorry for going over the edge. It's likely the amp is essentially a Special Edition SVT VR with a revoiced channel 2.

 

[Jim C]

I've been meaning to ask:
Why is the VR $400 more than the CL? ($1800 vs. $2200)
Hard to believe it costs 22% more to manufacture.
Perhaps that's what the market will accept?
Amazing that these amps are closer to $850 used and clean when 1 year ago they were going for $1,000 to 1,200.
Based on some minor tooling and a shrinking market for 85 lb. heads, I would think the 50th Anniversary will have to be north of $2,500.

 

[InhumanResource]

Really?
This is something new for 2019?
So the changes are going back to what was done in the 60's and 70's which IMO is mostly graphics and using tubes that are available.
I've never noticed that much difference between old and new SVT's and I'm willing to be that a standard CL would get really close to this "special 50th anniversary head".

Granted, there is probably not that much could be improved on the old platform.
I was hoping for a new original idea from Ampeg for 2019 as it's been awhile.
Thought that perhaps the Yamaha purchase had something to do with some new designs / ideas that Ampeg was working on.
Here's to hoping that this is the case and that something new will appear in the near future.

For a while country of origin was cited as a difference. To appeal to those who want to make amplifiers great again I guess.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I've been meaning to ask:
Why is the VR $400 more than the CL? ($1800 vs. $2200)
Hard to believe it costs 22% more to manufacture.
Perhaps that's what the market will accept?
Amazing that these amps are closer to $850 used and clean when 1 year ago they were going for $1,000 to 1,200.
Based on some minor tooling and a shrinking market for 85 lb. heads, I would think the 50th Anniversary will have to be north of $2,500.

The VR has more tubes and extra features such as a balance pot. O you would expect it to cost more. The CL sells better so the price can be a bit lower. But as you said the VR certainly doesn’t cost $400 more to build.

It is priced at what they can get out of it relative to the price of the CL and the competition, which is what all companies do.

Used prices always fluctuate throughout the year. People are cash strapped now. There will be more of a demand when touring and summer festival season starts. Interestingly, when Ampeg reissued the B-15 the price of vintage models went up and have stayed high.

The problem with the used SVT market is that there are so many of them out there.

 

[Son of Wobble]

You might notice that Channel 2 has Volume, Bass, Treble. So what he says and what you get are a bit different. My guess is they voiced Channel 2 to be a bit more like a mid 70s Channel 1, but you still only have the functionality of Bass and Treble controls. Honestly I would rather have the original Channel 2 voicing as it is actually very cool. I believe it's like a B15.

In the original amps Channel 1 had three 12DW7 tubes and channel 2 had a single 12AX7. The SVT VR subs 12AX7 and 12AU7 for the 12DW7s in Channel 1. So you get the same gain structure.

Explanation. 12AX7, 12AU7, and 12DW7 are all dual triode tubes. With 12DW7, one triode is equivalent to 12AX7 and one triode is equivalent to 12AU7.

The vintage amps also used a 6C4 tube to blend Channel 1 and Channel 2. The 6C4 is a single triode tube equivalent to one side of a 12AU7.

Thanks. When you say "The original channel 2 voicing" is "like a B15" are you referring the the '69 SVT or the SVT-VR? Or both?

Glad you mentioned the lack of mid control on the re-release relative to "clean" channel 2 as I would use an amp bigger than my V-4B almost exclusively for greater clean headroom. So perhaps the standard VR is a better choice for me personally as it would give me more mid controls for the channel I am going to favor.

Still, exciting to have more new gear to drool over!

 

[Son of Wobble]

It’s also impressive that 50 years down the road, there are still a lot of original SVT amps out there in service. I have a restored 1971 that’s better than new. My 1963 B15N is 56 years old and it too is in top shape. Both sound fantastic. A tribute to the designers.

This is true!
I had dinner this week with my dear old pal DJ, the scoundrel who headed up SWR after the Rabe buy-out, and who purposefully grew the company to sell it off to Fender at a tidy profit.
In any case, I was telling him how much I liked the overdrive in the MO BASS head -- It was a chainsaw sound that really roared. DJ said that the problem with those amps is that they were filled with tiny little chips that are glued to a single motherboard, and destined to shake loose and fall off with vibration over time.
I think DJ said they shipped about 1500 Mo Bass heads. And he conjectured that the majority of them had by now failed, and with no aftermarket parts made, were now unrepairable. He shrugged and made an "oops" face, smirked sheepishly, added an "Oh, well."

Is the "Mo Bass" head even 20 years old?






Next up: The durability of SVT 810 cabs, and how I've arranged to be buried in mine...

 

[Wasnex]

Thanks. When you say "The original channel 2 voicing" is "like a B15" are you referring the the '69 SVT or the SVT-VR? Or both?

Glad you mentioned the lack of mid control on the re-release relative to "clean" channel 2 as I would use an amp bigger than my V-4B almost exclusively for greater clean headroom. So perhaps the standard VR is a better choice for me personally as it would give me more mid controls for the channel I am going to favor.

Still, exciting to have more new gear to drool over!

If you compare the schematics for the early SVT Channel 2 preamp to the B15 preamp they are extremely similar. If you do a search, users also say they are voiced very similarly. I haven't played an SVT VR but I own a 69 SVT and an 87 Skunk SVT. The 69 and 87 do sound a bit different, but not much IMHO. I believe the 87 preamp had the factory resistor mod to run 12AX7s instead of 12DW7s. I have opened mine up to check, but unfortunately I didn't write it down in my notes.

From the Ampeg website. "The new Ampeg SVT-VR is a vintage reissue of an early 1970s “Blue-Line” SVT head." IMHO, it was designed to be a functional equivalent rather than a straight up copy though...see post #20

The VR has only Volume, Bass, and Treble controls on Channel 2...just like the vintage amps. Channel 1 has Volume, Bass, Middle, and Treble...also just like the vintage amps. Exactly the same as the 50th AV...also note the VR has Blue graphics on the face plate

Although I can't say for certain, I suspect the Anniversary Edition is just a VR with a few components swapped out to change the gain and voicing of Channel 2 a bit, and some minor changes to the case/hardware.

 

[Mastermold]

I took a few photos of it this morning at NAMM--and yes I want one!

 

[Clap Trap]

I want them all !

 

[shaggy45]

I don’t need it. Hell I don’t really need my svt-cl heritage with the 8x10 heritage cab. But I want one. I bet it’s gonna be expensive.

 

[tripp2k]

I don't deserve one. I don't deserve one. I don't deserve one.

 

[bigbottomend]

I'm 50 too this year, this may have to be my birthday present to myself

 

[lowplaces]

KY pick 3 pays 600 bucks on a 1 buck straight pick. So a 5 buck ticket will pay 3000 bucks tax free.

Guess I better start firing away

 

[JimmyM]

Didn't get to wind it out, but it does sound amazing what I heard.

 

[Jwood]

Oh man, I want one bad!

 

[gwangi]

Was this amp the only thing new for 2019 from Ampeg?

 

[Jwood]

When is it going to hit the market?

 

[JimmyM]

Was this amp the only thing new for 2019 from Ampeg?

Yes. Yamaha is proceeding cautiously for tje first year or so.