Ampeg SVT-VR for Ric-O-Sound?

[newfuture]

Way back in the dark ages of the mid '90s I used to run ROS into a trace 15 (neck) and of all things a Champ (bridge). This was before I knew about the series cap on the bridge pickup, so the champ could actually handle it pretty well. We were a quiet acoustic band, and it sounded great to have clean low end and dirty top.

These days I will sometimes run ROS with guitar effects on the bridge and bass effects on the neck. You really have to mind the phase reversal some pedals do. Very easy to get cancellation between amps/channels, especially with, but not limited to, distortion and comp pedals.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I know.

I’m not telling you don’t do it, I’m giving you a heads up that it’s going to be disappointing. Guess how I know.

SVT would be good for handling which ever pickup you want to be the Bass pickup, and an HPF into a Fender Blues Jr would be good for the other pickup.

you can run each pickup into two totally different preamps (ex. Tech21 + Aguilar), into an ABY, and then into any single amp from Mesa to Epifani and end up in about the same place as trying to get something special using both sides of the VR simultaneously.

It’s an expensive learning experience. Have fun!

It is fun. I the 70’s I had and SVT powering a Ampeg V4B 2-15 reflex cab for the neck pick up, and a Hiwatt Custom 100 powering a Hiwatt 412 bottom. It was incredible. And 30’ in front of it just sounded like an electric bass, no better or no worse than playing it through a mono rig. Up close, it was another story, and really loud!

As for the expense, I got the Hiwatt rig for about what one would have paid for a used Kustom 100 with the matching 215 cab. Deal of the century.

The Ampeg was put together selling my Acoustic 371 rig that I never liked. Basically I was lucky to assemble it so inexpensively.

 

[callofcthulhu]

IMHO and YMMV

I don't personally think an SVT and 810 is a great choice for a Ric. My first bass was a Ric 4001 and the first rig I ever bought was a brand new MTI era SVT and 810. What I found is the 810 masks many of the stand out Ric qualities. This is why I wound up buying a crossover and running the SVT biamped with my Fender Twin.

IMHO, the 810 was voiced with the P-bass in mind. Roger Cox confirms this in a YouTube video on the development of the SVT that is currently being discussed in multiple TB threads. I have never really been a P-bass guy, but I have to admit that when I plugged a P into my SVT, it was one of those peas and carrots things...I.E. they obviously go together.

The Roger Cox video will not play on TB. Click link if you want to view it on YouTube: Roger Cox - Creator of the Ampeg SVT Bass Amplifier System (youtube.com)

Fully agreed on the 810.

But the amp itself has beautiful preamp overdrive and (as also mentioned in that interview) a pristine, uncolored power amp.

Running it into other cabs opens up a world of possibilities.

 

[Wasnex]

But the amp itself has beautiful preamp overdrive

Not in my experience. AFAIK, the original SVT preamp design remains undistorted way beyond the point where the output section is pushed into massive overload. The VR should be the same.

Can't test this with my 69, but I did with my 87. Normally the preamp pushes the output section into drive well before the volume reaches 12:00.

I inserted an MXR KFK EQ between the preamp and power amp. I used the KFK to attenuate the signal from the preamp and did not experience any obvious distortion until the chan 1. Volume control was raised to around 4:00. The resulting distortion was sort of harsh and splatty, so I suspected I might be overloading the KFK. However, max input for the KFK is listed as +14dBv which is pretty darn hot (converts to 16.21dBu).

The SVT CL is the version that is designed so the preamp can be pushed into drive. I don't own CL.

 

[callofcthulhu]

Not in my experience. AFAIK, the original SVT preamp design remains undistorted way beyond the point where the output section is pushed into massive overload. The VR should be the same.

Can't test this with my 69, but I did with my 87. Normally the preamp pushes the output section into drive well before the volume reaches 12:00.

I inserted an MXR KFK EQ between the preamp and power amp. I used the KFK to attenuate the signal from the preamp and did not experience any obvious distortion until the chan 1. Volume control was raised to around 4:00. The resulting distortion was sort of harsh and splatty, so I suspected I might be overloading the KFK. However, max input for the KFK is listed as +14dBv which is pretty darn hot (converts to 16.21dBu).

The SVT CL is the version that is designed so the preamp can be pushed into drive. I don't own CL.

I’m in the opposite camp, don’t own a VR but do own a CL. From what I’ve read here the preamp architecture is similar enough that the tone should be comparable.

Try putting that clean boost in front rather than in the loop.

 

[flatwound62p]

Now I just need to sell my super bassman rig.

So there will be a moment in time where you have an SVT and a Super Bassman? I think we ALL know what needs to happen here. Even if it's only a few minutes and sends you deaf you still get lifetime bragging rights.

 

[jimmydean]

Must have 2 amps and 2 cabs to get the true ROS .

 

[Wood and Wire]

Thinking of an SVT-VR for ROS. Do both channels output at the same time. Does the lack of a master volume make it not a good choice for ROS?

It will certainly open up a lot of tonal possibilities, provided you understand that you're operating in parallel mono, not discrete stereo.

Traditionally, when using Ric-O-Sound you'd send the "Bass" (neck) pickup signal clean, to a bass amp & cab, and the "Treble" (bridge) pickup signal through effects, to a guitar amp & cab (the treble pickup original had a capacitor that removed th low frequencies, and was designed to be used with a guitar rig).

The two rigs would then be spaced apart to give a stereo spread.


But Chris Squire is well known for his use of a parallel signal (not the traditional Ric-O-Sound set-up, as some believe), where he would run the "Bass" pickup through distortion, and keep the "Treble" pickup clean, then sum the two signals together in mono, before sending the signal to his various amplifiers.

I've done this myself, with an old Marshall Club & Country bass amp, that has three inputs : normal / bright / stereo (normal, and bright, on tip, and sleeve).

I have "Treble" going through a Rat, a chorus, and a VT-Deluxe, into the bright input.

At the same time I have "Bass" going into a Big Muff, with the blend at about 60/40 in favour of clean (and kick on the fuzz as needed), into the normal input.

Sounds great, but is very much a parallel mono presentation, and nothing like as spectacular (or as cumbersome to move) as a full R-O-S system.

 

[Wasnex]

The two rigs would then be spaced apart to give a stereo spread.

I experimented and preferred stacking with the bridge amp on top.