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Ampeg SVT Micro Head

T

TonyToaster

Feb 11, 2011
12
0
#1
I'm giving some consideration to buying the Ampeg micro head. I'm a gigging musician without a car so it seems like a viable option for ease of transport and quality.

I've used an Orange tiny terror bass head before on an Orange 8Ohm can and I found the set up to be very week and I struggled to reach the necessary level for rehearsing.

Giving this, I'm abit weary that I might have the same issue with the micro head. Does anyone use one of these? And if so, what would be the best cab to accompany it. I've got a good deal on an Ampeg 8Ohm cab, but would I need a 4Ohm to make this set
Up. Work??
 
#2
I have both an Ampeg Micro-VR head and a GK MB200. If portability is the key factor the MB200 or the Ampeg PF350 would be first choice. They all require a cab sized for the volume you require. Any of them with a pair of SVT210AV's can get much louder than you should be playing without earplugs. One SVT210AV is marginal for rehearsal but doable if your drummer isn't a knuckle dragging "me hit things real good" type. Strangely enough I've found a single SVT210AV to be louder on a stage than in a crappy rehearsal space. I've not tried the PF350 but it should be the loudest of the lot. A 4 (or 8?) ohm 4x10 should be plenty loud enough for any non-stoopid volume playing. An 8x10 would be loud enough for anything - I used to run one on a 100w tube amp and never lacked for volume and always needed earplugs with it ! I've got a GK 212MBE 4 ohm 2x12 coming in that should be plenty loud too and very portable.
 
#4
And if you're still worried about power/headroom and can spare a few more dollars, the PF-500 isn't much more than the PF-350.

I just got one of the Micro VRs and I really dig it. I'll be trying it out on a gig this weekend with an uber-efficient 4-ohm Berg and PA support. I definitely wouldn't have it as my main gigging amp, though. Man, it sounds good, though. Got me thinking about a real SVT. :D
 
#5
I prefer the MB200 for when I need a "modern" sound but I'm taking the Micro-VR to a blues jam tonight :D . The Micro-VR can do a pretty good "clean" sound too but the MB200 can't get the classic "overdriven" tube sound you can get with the Micro-VR with its limiter defeated and cranked up. I don't think you can get that same sound out of a PF-350. And it's probably 95% of the tone of an SVT and can get that tone at a less stoopid volume than the SVT can. But then again the more of yous guys that wreck yourselves carrying around an SVT the more gigs for me so yah, all you all really should get "The Real Thing (tm)" LOL .
 
#8
Dang it, my wife works nights and is asleep right now, but the second she wakes up, I'm going to try out the pre in my PF350 vs my Micro VR. Never really done it...I think the PF350 does sound a tad "tighter" than the Micro VR, but for all intents and purposes, they come across on a gig as sounding quite alike, and both will get quite a convincing SVT-like grind.

Of course, it's hard to take anyone seriously who believes carrying an SVT will wreck you ;) OK, so people with very bad backs should pass, but it's not THAT bad.
 
#9
JimmyM said:
Of course, it's hard to take anyone seriously who believes carrying an SVT will wreck you ;) OK, so people with very bad backs should pass, but it's not THAT bad.
Click to expand...
Post us a picture of you alone carrying your SVT head, fridge, and bass up a flight of stairs simultaniously and I'll apologize for my disparing remark about SVT's being a back breaker :D .

;)

Oh, and as I posted elsewhere I just can't get my Micro-VR preamp to "grind" with my passive basses. Using a volume booster the "grind" isn't all that good compared to the "grind" you get out of the Micro's output stage being overdriven.
 
#10
Roadkill said:
Post us a picture of you alone carrying your SVT head, fridge, and bass up a flight of stairs simultaniously and I'll apologize for my disparing remark about SVT's being a back breaker :D .

;)

Oh, and as I posted elsewhere I just can't get my Micro-VR preamp to "grind" with my passive basses. Using a volume booster the "grind" isn't all that good compared to the "grind" you get out of the Micro's output stage being overdriven.
Click to expand...
Geez, no wonder it wrecked your back! You're supposed to carry them separately!

:D

Oh yeah, that's right...I remember that thread. Still bewilders me. I even used a Danelectro Longhorn with one pickup off last night on my gig and still got grind, and that's a super quiet bass compared to my others. Ya, that's a head-scratcher for sure.
 
#11
JimmyM said:
Dang it, my wife works nights and is asleep right now, but the second she wakes up, I'm going to try out the pre in my PF350 vs my Micro VR. Never really done it...I think the PF350 does sound a tad "tighter" than the Micro VR, but for all intents and purposes, they come across on a gig as sounding quite alike, and both will get quite a convincing SVT-like grind.
Click to expand...
So I finally got a chance to test this out. Used a 210av as the control cab, put the Micro VR and PF350 on the same settings and used the master to equalize volumes, and used the pre of each into the power amp of the other. Now granted, I wasn't trying to overdrive the power amps, but no matter what preamp went into what power amp, it all sounded identical to me.

Then I tried the headphone out of each into my AKG headphones. Sounded the same to me once I got volumes matched. I did this a couple months ago and felt like the PF350 was tighter, but now I think I must have had different settings and didn't realize it, or I was loaded ;) Tonight the PF350 and Micro VR sounded identical to me in every way except volume capabilities.
 
#13
JimmyM said:
Oh yeah, that's right...I remember that thread. Still bewilders me. I even used a Danelectro Longhorn with one pickup off last night on my gig and still got grind, and that's a super quiet bass compared to my others. Ya, that's a head-scratcher for sure.
Click to expand...
And this is my second Micro-VR - this one new this month and the first one I had an early "tolex pealer".
 
#14
fenderhutz said:
Yup I agree. I AB'd them before I sent my VR back to Ampeg. Same except you have to push the 350 a little harder to get that mushy tube sound :)
Click to expand...
Interesting! So, the PF's must have some sort of overdrive emulation circuitry whereas the Micro just sounds like overdriven mosfet amp to me. I'm very surprised that you can't tell the difference - guess Ampeg did a good job :) . I have three different old "Tube Works" mosfet amps that all get that same kind of tubey sound.
 
#15
I picked up one of these in trade, I've only put it through a double baffle B-15 cab. Actually I got it for that purpose and it does exactly what I was hoping, back down the gain nice full tone, turn it up nice tube grind. Sometimes (too often) I don't have time to warm the real tubes up like I want to, so solid state to the rescue. Plus I can throw stupid pedal stuff at it and not sweat it!
 
#17
sorry for the small thread revival, but I was reading up on the amp and figured I could ask my question just as well here.

Anyways, I have one of the micro-VRs (and love it!), and was wondering if it would be possible to use my B-18's speaker cab as an extension on the 210. As far as I'm aware, it's an 8ohm cab, so the impedance should match up, but I can't find info on how many watts the speaker is rated for. The VR puts out 200 when it's got 2 speakers, yes? Just don't want to overload the speaker on my fliptop!

And yes, I'm aware that I need the 4-pin XLR-1/4" converter to make it work...
 

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