Ampeg SVT 50th Anniversary Edtition

[SactoBass]

If anyone is looking for AV grill cloth, I think I have a few yards rolled up (fliptop purchase) somewhere that I'd be willing to pass along for a few bucks. (I think I have enough to do an 810 iirc)

Slugger: seeing your comment about the AV grill cloth made me wonder.....can an Ampeg Heritage 810 cab be ordered with the AV grill cloth instead of the black grill cloth?

I ask because I think an awesome amp rig would be a brand new 50th Anniv US-manufactured SVT into a matching (grill cloth) US Heritage 810 cab.

 

[socialleper]

Based on the popularity [to some folks] of the SVT (which is dictated by the buying public), I would suggest that the horse is not dead, but rather very alive and quite well!

Some bassists like that horse, and want to continue riding it, especially if it is new and comes with a warranty!

I get the warranty thing. Albeit I've always had trouble betting companies to honor them, or something invariably goes wrong after the warranty expires.

The popularity of a thing doesn't validate it in an objective way. The Jonas Brothers are very popular right now, so is Kanye West; does that mean they are objectively good musicians? My observations of human behavior have been that the more popular something is, the more you have to be skeptical about its quality, and be on the look out for groupthink.

It just sticks in my craw a little because it all seems tied together with this stagnant, or regressive, attitude that seems to be pervasive in music today. I'm not a young man, but it really feels like everyone is stuck in the "everything was better back then" mentality, which is choking off creativity and innovation in both the art and culture of music. If everyone is looking over their shoulder, you can't see what is ahead of you.
I'm sure this amp will be fine. It just feels like "Ampeg is re-releasing another amp from the 70s? Yeah, no $#!+. And Fender is going to reissue an old P bass. It must be a Monday."

 

[slugger]

Slugger: seeing your comment about the AV grill cloth made me wonder.....can an Ampeg Heritage 810 cab be ordered with the AV grill cloth instead of the black grill cloth?

I ask because I think an awesome amp rig would be a brand new 50th Anniv US-manufactured SVT into a matching (grill cloth) US Heritage 810 cab.

Don't think so...? I had originally purchased the cloth to match a 2x15 SLM cab to my VR head, which I did but I think I bought enough to do 2 cabs...I think. Found a mint 810 heritage cab locally and am fully on the heritage band wagon now sold my VR rig and running a few II non pros. I think a reissue of the old CTS low wattage flat back cabs for the 50th AV would suit me just fine.

 

[SactoBass]

I get the warranty thing. Albeit I've always had trouble betting companies to honor them, or something invariably goes wrong after the warranty expires.

The popularity of a thing doesn't validate it in an objective way. The Jonas Brothers are very popular right now, so is Kanye West; does that mean they are objectively good musicians? My observations of human behavior have been that the more popular something is, the more you have to be skeptical about its quality, and be on the look out for groupthink.

It just sticks in my craw a little because it all seems tied together with this stagnant, or regressive, attitude that seems to be pervasive in music today. I'm not a young man, but it really feels like everyone is stuck in the "everything was better back then" mentality, which is choking off creativity and innovation in both the art and culture of music. If everyone is looking over their shoulder, you can't see what is ahead of you.
I'm sure this amp will be fine. It just feels like "Ampeg is re-releasing another amp from the 70s? Yeah, no $#!+. And Fender is going to reissue an old P bass. It must be a Monday."

LOL! I totally get what you are saying. And there is part of me that always resists the "groupthink" thing. (Side story: I have been riding motorcycles since 1967. In 2012, I bought into the Harley groupthink and got one. After owning it for a year and a half, I realized that the groupthink was far better than the motorcycle deserved. I sold it in 2014 and bought a brand new BMW R1200RT and I still have the BMW. It outperforms the Harley in all respects, which is why I still own it today.) So I totally agree that, in some cases, the groupthink thing is *FAR* overblown for what the product actually deserves. IMO, Harley is an excellent example of that. But there are still thousands of Harley fans out there, and I wish them happiness! As for the SVT, my personal experience differs from my Harley experience. Sure, they both have the groupthink attached to them. But my experience with the tone and feel of the SVT-VR that I had caused me to place that amp at the top of the heap compared to all of the amps I have owned since 1972 (and I have owned an *embarassing* number of amps since then....see my profile if interested). So, speaking strictly from my own personal experience, and expressing my own personal opinion, I think the SVT deserves its common moniker [in some circles] of "king of bass amps."

I get your point made earlier about the nostalgia thing and "vibe." It's a valid point. But I base my opinion on what my ears heard when playing the SVT-VR. To my ears, it really was *THAT* good!

 

[SactoBass]

Don't think so...? I had originally purchased the cloth to match a 2x15 SLM cab to my VR head, which I did but I think I bought enough to do 2 cabs...I think. Found a mint 810 heritage cab locally and am fully on the heritage band wagon now sold my VR rig and running a few II non pros. I think a reissue of the old CTS low wattage flat back cabs for the 50th AV would suit me just fine.

Nice!!! I had an SVT-II non-pro, and it was a tone machine! I played it through a Berg NV610 cab. It rocked! But I have never played through a Heritage 810 cab. @JimmyM holds the opinion that the Heritage 810 cab is the best sounding cab Ampeg has ever made. That says alot in my book! That's why I think a 50th Anniv SVT into a Heritage 810 cab would be da bomb! Especially if the cab had the matching AV grill cloth!

 

[Wasnex]

It just sticks in my craw a little because it all seems tied together with this stagnant, or regressive, attitude that seems to be pervasive in music today. I'm not a young man, but it really feels like everyone is stuck in the "everything was better back then" mentality, which is choking off creativity and innovation in both the art and culture of music.

I also think the Ampeg PF20T and PF50T I mentioned a few posts back are possibly forward looking designs based largely on Ampeg heritage. The music industry, for the most part, is veering away from big rigs and high stage volume. I know a lot of Talkbass members hate them, but I think IEMs are here to stay. With a PF20T or PF50T, you can either run without a speaker, or use one of Ampegs fliptop Portaflex cabs with a mic so you can get your sound without running up the stage volume too much.

Take a look at the Mesa Subway line. Consider Mesa recently discontinued their PH series touring cabs and also the Strategy and Prodigy tubes heads which were relatively new designs. Also all of the other non-Class D solid state bass amps are gone. The Subway line seems to be aimed right at the middle of the market IMHO, and they hold on to some Mesa heritage while also looking forward.

Or take a look at the Genzler Bass Array cabs, which represent a new direction is bass speaker design.

 

[SactoBass]

it really feels like everyone is stuck in the "everything was better back then" mentality

This is a very valid point!

In my opinion, some things were worse back then, and some things were better back then.

An example of something being better today (IMO): today's computer versus the IBM-PC.

An example of something being better back then (IMO): the late 50's Corvette versus the modern day Corvette (purely opinion on my part, based on aesthetics alone.)

What's nice is, we consumers get to pick what we like and spend our money on what we prefer!

 

[slugger]

Nice!!! I had an SVT-II non-pro, and it was a tone machine! I played it through a Berg NV610 cab. It rocked! But I have never played through a Heritage 810 cab. @JimmyM holds the opinion that the Heritage 810 cab is the best sounding cab Ampeg has ever made. That says alot in my book! That's why I think a 50th Anniv SVT into a Heritage 810 cab would be da bomb! Especially if the cab had the matching AV grill cloth!

I was lucky enough to own a Vietnamese vr810 and a heritage 810 together for a good amount of time. And although a person would be hard pressed to tell the difference in a mix, when compared side by side, the heritage cab makes the VR cab sound thin or 'boxy'. Like comparing a boom box to tower speakers. Just my take on it.

 

[SactoBass]

when compared side by side, the heritage cab makes the VR cab sound thin or 'boxy'. Like comparing a boom box to tower speakers. Just my take on it.

Interesting!

 

[ScottsTheLimit]

I was lucky enough to own a Vietnamese vr810 and a heritage 810 together for a good amount of time. And although a person would be hard pressed to tell the difference in a mix, when compared side by side, the heritage cab makes the VR cab sound thin or 'boxy'. Like comparing a boom box to tower speakers. Just my take on it.

Strange!

When I bought my first Vietnampeg VR, I was going to get the 810. I went to the store where they had the Vietnampeg but they also had a Heritage and a NOS tweed Peavey 810TVX. I a-b-c'd them, and thought the Heritage was a very distant third. Much less efficient, wooly, woofy, and no upper mid bark. The Heritage I guess might have been a bit boxy, but that translated for me to more mid presence which I love. However, the Peavey killed them both (as long as the tweeter was off, yuk)...especially in build quality. It looked like a piece of living room furniture, and was a straight back design. The volume difference was astounding but with a very aggressive midrange. It was well rounded but not wooly or farty. It is a ported cab. I never DID buy an Ampeg 810! I've bought more heads, and two PF-115LF cabs, but I find their 810s are the worst I've ever encountered. I have 810s from Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Orange, and Fender. The Ampegs just seemed cheap and sounded so...the cheap tolex and horrible loose grilles just turned me off even if they DID sound good. But, I DID prefer the Vietnampeg to the Heritage.

 

[SactoBass]

Strange!

When I bought my first Vietnampeg VR, I was going to get the 810. I went to the store where they had the Vietnampeg but they also had a Heritage and a NOS tweed Peavey 810TVX. I a-b-c'd them, and thought the Heritage was a very distant third. Much less efficient, wooly, woofy, and no upper mid bark. The Heritage I guess might have been a bit boxy, but that translated for me to more mid presence which I love. However, the Peavey killed them both (as long as the tweeter was off, yuk)...especially in build quality. It looked like a piece of living room furniture, and was a straight back design. The volume difference was astounding but with a very aggressive midrange. It was well rounded but not wooly or farty. It is a ported cab. I never DID buy an Ampeg 810! I've bought more heads, and two PF-115LF cabs, but I find their 810s are the worst I've ever encountered. I have 810s from Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Orange, and Fender. The Ampegs just seemed cheap and sounded so...the cheap tolex and horrible loose grilles just turned me off even if they DID sound good. But, I DID prefer the Vietnampeg to the Heritage.

It is interesting how different people have differing experiences with, and opinions about, the same products. We bassists have so many awesome choices!

 

[Wasnex]

Strange!

When I bought my first Vietnampeg VR, I was going to get the 810. I went to the store where they had the Vietnampeg but they also had a Heritage and a NOS tweed Peavey 810TVX. I a-b-c'd them, and thought the Heritage was a very distant third. Much less efficient, wooly, woofy, and no upper mid bark. The Heritage I guess might have been a bit boxy, but that translated for me to more mid presence which I love. However, the Peavey killed them both (as long as the tweeter was off, yuk)...especially in build quality. It looked like a piece of living room furniture, and was a straight back design. The volume difference was astounding but with a very aggressive midrange. It was well rounded but not wooly or farty. It is a ported cab. I never DID buy an Ampeg 810! I've bought more heads, and two PF-115LF cabs, but I find their 810s are the worst I've ever encountered. I have 810s from Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Orange, and Fender. The Ampegs just seemed cheap and sounded so...the cheap tolex and horrible loose grilles just turned me off even if they DID sound good. But, I DID prefer the Vietnampeg to the Heritage.

Your comparison of the Ampeg 810s doesn't seem inconsistent with other comparisons I have read. Most people seem to prefer the Heritage, but not all. I don't like any of them .

 

[ScottsTheLimit]

Your comparison of the Ampeg 810s doesn't seem inconsistent with other comparisons I have read. Most people seem to prefer the Heritage, but not all. I don't like any of them .

I agree. I don't see how they get them to zap out all the mid presence like that. It's like playing through a cabinet pull of pudding or something.

 

[SactoBass]

I agree. I don't see how they get them to zap out all the mid presence like that. It's like playing through a cabinet full of pudding or something.

B-b-but.......I *LIKE* pudding!

 

[Wasnex]

B-b-but.......I *LIKE* pudding!

That does look tasty, and yet I still don't like Ampeg 810s.

 

[ScottsTheLimit]

B-b-but.......I *LIKE* pudding!

I think I found the problem. Turns out THESE are the Chinese drivers that Ampeg is using in the Heritage 810 cabs...

Invalid Link Removed

 

[SactoBass]

I think I found the problem. Turns out THESE are the Chinese drivers that Ampeg is using in the Heritage 810 cabs...

Invalid Link Removed

They certainly look like they move alot of air!

 

[socialleper]

I also think the Ampeg PF20T and PF50T I mentioned a few posts back are possibly forward looking designs based largely on Ampeg heritage. The music industry, for the most part, is veering away from big rigs and high stage volume. I know a lot of Talkbass members hate them, but I think IEMs are here to stay. With a PF20T or PF50T, you can either run without a speaker, or use one of Ampegs fliptop Portaflex cabs with a mic so you can get your sound without running up the stage volume too much.

Take a look at the Mesa Subway line. Consider Mesa recently discontinued their PH series touring cabs and also the Strategy and Prodigy tubes heads which were relatively new designs. Also all of the other non-Class D solid state bass amps are gone. The Subway line seems to be aimed right at the middle of the market IMHO, and they hold on to some Mesa heritage while also looking forward.

Or take a look at the Genzler Bass Array cabs, which represent a new direction is bass speaker design.

At the moment a Mesa D800 is my go to. I pair that with a Barefaced Super Twin. I shake my head watching people struggle with their lead sleds and fridges. One trip and done. And I am just as loud. Clear and deep without being sterile or lacking warmth.

The PFs are baffling. They lack all the features one would want in a SFF head.

I know this anniversary addition isn’t for that small rig fans. It is for people that want that old fashioned gear. I’m not that customer; no problem. My issue is with everything they’ve been doing lately being aimed only at the Olde Timey market. It is worrisome that the biggest amp company thinks all anyone cares about is the past.

 

[Mastermold]

… It is worrisome that the biggest amp company thinks all anyone cares about is the past.

Kinda like that biggest company in basses--Fender! I guess there's room for all kinds in the market. I dig Mesa products too btw.

 

[Wasnex]

The PFs are baffling. They lack all the features one would want in a SFF head.

Consider that many "all tube" players prefer a very simple amp with little more than volume, bass, mid, and treble controls. The thing many of them seem most concerned with is the feel, which relates to how the amps behave as they are pushed close to their clean power limits. So although the PF20T and PF50T may seem overly simple, I believe they have broad appeal to their intended demographic.

I know this anniversary addition isn’t for that small rig fans. It is for people that want that old fashioned gear. I’m not that customer; no problem. My issue is with everything they’ve been doing lately being aimed only at the Olde Timey market. It is worrisome that the biggest amp company thinks all anyone cares about is the past.

The 50th AV idea was actually crowd sourced from an official Ampeg webpage, but there is not a lot of traffic on the page. Maybe @JimmyM will repost the web address so you can create a profile and express your opinion.

I think it's a bit too early to judge what Yamaha will do with the company, but if you don't like what Ampeg has to offer, there are plenty of other awesome amps out there. FYI Ampeg makes up about 10% of my amp collection.