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Ampeg SVT-II appreciation thread
- Thread starter i_got_a_mohawk
- Start date
I bought my 89 model a few months and have gigged steadily with it without a hiccup(fingers crossed
). I replaced all the tubes with JJs and the 6550s with KT88s. I get more headroom and they don't breakup until you but higher volumes. I love this amp!
). I replaced all the tubes with JJs and the 6550s with KT88s. I get more headroom and they don't breakup until you but higher volumes. I love this amp!
i'm thinkin the ruby's just aren't up to the task in the SVT.
it played fine after i turned it off to switch cabinets out, then it did the same exact thing at the same point into us running through our set.
i was playing it loud enough to get it to break up some.
i emailed jim mcshane and he said the tung sol 6550's can't handle the dissipation loads in the SVT. does not recommend.
he feels the SED 6550c tubes are the closest to a repro GE6550A, he said it seem they're out of production though so recommended the sovtek 6550WE...
i'll have to ask my tech what he thinks because the V4B he retubed for me sounded really awesome and i abused the hell outta those power tubes (because 100 watts is not near enough in our band).
i planned on getting this thing retubed in a month or so anyways. i'll just do it now.
it played fine after i turned it off to switch cabinets out, then it did the same exact thing at the same point into us running through our set.
i was playing it loud enough to get it to break up some.
i emailed jim mcshane and he said the tung sol 6550's can't handle the dissipation loads in the SVT. does not recommend.
he feels the SED 6550c tubes are the closest to a repro GE6550A, he said it seem they're out of production though so recommended the sovtek 6550WE...
i'll have to ask my tech what he thinks because the V4B he retubed for me sounded really awesome and i abused the hell outta those power tubes (because 100 watts is not near enough in our band).
i planned on getting this thing retubed in a month or so anyways. i'll just do it now.
JJ's work fine. I'd definitely take it to a good tech, 1st. Rather than spend a cuppla hundred on something it may not be.
Goodluck, great amp.
Goodluck, great amp.
sent some emails to my tech.
he told me to play the amp until it cuts out then run a short patch from the preamp out to amp in and see what happens.
still did it.
i plugged my bass into the amp in jack and it sounded fine.
so i swapped the preamp tubes out for some others i had around...played the thing loud for about 1.5 hours and it seems fine now.
after changing the preamp tubes though, it's real clean.
won't break up at all.
it sounds big and thick and is really loud though...
the ruby power tubes were actually svetlana 6550c, i think they were original. had a j written on the base in marker just like the hot rods labeled 12au7 driver tubes...those were stamped made in germany.
which preamp tube is the one that affects the amps sound or gain the most? is it V1 (closest to the input jack) ?
which preamp tube is the one that affects the amps sound or gain the most? is it V1 (closest to the input jack) ?
The SVT2 is by far the best sounding head I have heard in my lifetime, but not without some very frustrating issues. I am actually shocked to hear that many of you have had good luck with reliability. I cant say that my experience has been all that pleasant.
At one time I was considering using this head for a replacement boat anchor because I just would not feel good selling it to someone just for them to come back in a month complaining that they purchased a lemon.
I purchased this head back in 1993 brand new out of the box. The next day it was back in the shop for service. Luckily it was just a loose connection. 2 days later it was in the shop again for a similar issue. In most cases a bad sodder connection was the culprit. I guess I could have prevented many service issues by just placing the head in a shock resistant rack instead of placing the head on a cabinet. 18 years later and I am still having issues.
If you know of anyone that has experience working on this particular head and they live in the Midwest, please provide their contact info.
At one time I was considering using this head for a replacement boat anchor because I just would not feel good selling it to someone just for them to come back in a month complaining that they purchased a lemon.
I purchased this head back in 1993 brand new out of the box. The next day it was back in the shop for service. Luckily it was just a loose connection. 2 days later it was in the shop again for a similar issue. In most cases a bad sodder connection was the culprit. I guess I could have prevented many service issues by just placing the head in a shock resistant rack instead of placing the head on a cabinet. 18 years later and I am still having issues.
If you know of anyone that has experience working on this particular head and they live in the Midwest, please provide their contact info.
i got one that i had some problems with, but ended up only being a corroded amp in jack.
took it to my tech to make sure some of the updates were done, the diodes and beads i think...
first practice last night and had no problems with it at all...finally.
took it to my tech to make sure some of the updates were done, the diodes and beads i think...
first practice last night and had no problems with it at all...finally.
Just got 1992 svt 2 and a 1997 svt 2 pro...Love them both! If i had to pick between the two....the svt 2 would win!
Thought I would pull this thread back up. I miss the couple that I had and now wish I never sold them. Now I just need to keep my eyes open for another. 
I've been playing one for almost 20 years now. There was a short affair with the SVT 3 because the 2 blew up. But I got it back up and we've been as 1 since.
It goes nice with Precisions, Stingrays and Ricks, especially when combined with the V-Twin floor pre-amp.
Who uses the ultra low setting and why? I did for a while but I realized the suppression of mids is not such a clever thing.
(btw sorry for penguin english)
It goes nice with Precisions, Stingrays and Ricks, especially when combined with the V-Twin floor pre-amp.
Who uses the ultra low setting and why? I did for a while but I realized the suppression of mids is not such a clever thing.
(btw sorry for penguin english)
i'm seriously diggin my svtII after playing with it a few months.
i plug my precision into the normal input, EQ off, ultra hi and ultra lo both are off.
bass at about 10-11 olock
mids at 3 oclock with selector on 2...
treble is at about 1 or 2 o clock....
as loud as we play the volume ends up pretty much straight up, 12 o clock. it's just starting to get some nice break up at that point.
i plug my precision into the normal input, EQ off, ultra hi and ultra lo both are off.
bass at about 10-11 olock
mids at 3 oclock with selector on 2...
treble is at about 1 or 2 o clock....
as loud as we play the volume ends up pretty much straight up, 12 o clock. it's just starting to get some nice break up at that point.
Yep, sometimes I like my ultra low switched on for solo-rehearsing, but always had to turn it off to cut through with my bands.
Old svt 810. Drummer is crazy loud and so is one of the guitar players.
Sometimes i can manage to keep it a bit quieter.
Sometimes i can manage to keep it a bit quieter.
Hey wonka. Didja ever figure out which tube really controls the breakup the most? I remember reading, way back (and of course I can't find the thread) where someone made a vague reference to switching out one specific tube to really alter the tone. Is it the buffer tube (the that's right near the input)? The driver tubes? I don't even remember.
Or if anyone out there in SVT-II land can help me out, I'd appreciate it.
Or if anyone out there in SVT-II land can help me out, I'd appreciate it.
the v1 tube, the preamp tube closest to the input seemed to make the most difference of the preamp tubes.
i put a JJ 12ax7LPS in that spot, sounded the most raw and aggressive, some might say grainy.
but it didn't really make it breakup any sooner, to get it to do that you just have to turn it up. with this much power it's gonna be effin loud with most cabinets...
tried a few other tubes and those were a bit richer and smoother sounding.
only subtle to moderate differences of course, changing tubes won't change the character of the amp.
i didn't mess with any of the tubes (driver and PI) in the power section. let my tech do that and i left that alone.
i put a JJ 12ax7LPS in that spot, sounded the most raw and aggressive, some might say grainy.
but it didn't really make it breakup any sooner, to get it to do that you just have to turn it up. with this much power it's gonna be effin loud with most cabinets...
tried a few other tubes and those were a bit richer and smoother sounding.
only subtle to moderate differences of course, changing tubes won't change the character of the amp.
i didn't mess with any of the tubes (driver and PI) in the power section. let my tech do that and i left that alone.
I plan on rolling some 5751's through my svt2p looking for a little more hi fi. But rolling 12ax7's through , v1 had the most change. I tried a sovtek, GT, JJ's , EH and a nos sylvania. The sylvania and EH sounded best to me. I like the highs on both of those. The mids were better on the sylvania, a little smoother. But the EH was a little more grindy. I have 3 EH in there now. Real curious to what the 5751's will sound like though. I'm gonna try and roll Sovtek, sylvania, and GE's (my fav) through it then possibly mix n match to see what sounds best.
