time for a tube change for my ampeg svt3. What kinds of tubes? Should I do it myself? Any additional information?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
ampeg svt3 tube change
- Thread starter mikedarctuesday
- Start date
IIRC, that only has tubes in the preamp. Just buy the new ones and plug them in.
What do you dislike about your current tubes? What ones are in there now?
What do you dislike about your current tubes? What ones are in there now?
OH man talk about opening the can of worms.
You would be amazed what different tones you can get out of that amp just by playing with the preamp tubes. Just in one of my 4PROs I took the Groove Tube's out and slipped in some SOVTEC's and the complete tone changed, it was lower gain and much creamier sounding.
There needs to be a website dedicated to this like Basstasters... Dont just believe what the tube sales sites say, but you can take it all with a grain of salt. BOB
You would be amazed what different tones you can get out of that amp just by playing with the preamp tubes. Just in one of my 4PROs I took the Groove Tube's out and slipped in some SOVTEC's and the complete tone changed, it was lower gain and much creamier sounding.
There needs to be a website dedicated to this like Basstasters... Dont just believe what the tube sales sites say, but you can take it all with a grain of salt. BOB
Without having personally changed the tubes in my SVT-III PRO, I do know the Sovteks that were installed just before my acquisition of it sound fantastic... My other amp (SVT-CL) had it's factory Sovteks swapped for JJ's and the tone became more "grindy" and less "punchy".
Oddly, they still sound quite similar to each other in a band setting.
Oddly, they still sound quite similar to each other in a band setting.
the tubes are just stock. I've had the amp for 3 years and have used it a ton for gigs and rehearsals. The amp died on me recently during a gig and I had to go direct. Thank god for dimarzio that my bass didn't sound as terrible as I thought it was going to. Thanks for the help.
Just curious, but are you sure it's just the a preamp tube that's caused your amp to "die"?
I'd find some good EH's or Tesla's and drop those in there as a good starting ground.
What's sort of funny is EH, Sovtek, Groove and a bunch of others are all owned by the same company. SO! Who knows where you will be going. Groove Tube is where the amps usually start depending on when they were made. Groove Tube by SOVTEK it says right on the side of mine out of the 4PRO... Wierd eh? BUT put straight SOVTEK's in and a complete tone change. BOB
They're all owned by the same company, yes, but I believe (strong empahsis on believe) that they are still made in different places, hence why they may have (signifigant!) tonal differences.
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm only lately really starting to get into tubes and the specific names on them
.
