ampeg upgrade????

[SCORSON]

Alright. Right now ive got an ampeg 410 (either hlf or he... cant remember) which im running with an Ampeg B2. I bought all this stuff off craigslist and the original owner also gave me an ampeg 115 cab. It sounds like crap running the 115 and the 410 off the B2 so I am pretty much just using the 410. I am thinking of selling off the B2 with the 115 as a decent little half stack and buying a matching 410 cab. Im totally confused as to what head I should match with this setup. I like the idea of getting a classic SVT tube amp but have no idea which one I should look for, The other option I was considering is a newer SVTII pro or something along those lines. Any thoughts???

 

[bongomania]

An older SVTII non-Pro would be a killer matchup.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Bongomania is a wise man

 

[two fingers]

Well, you didn't fill out your profile so I don't know what to tell you. You could live in New York and have plenty of options to play in person. Or you might live in a corn field and there are no bass amps for 400 miles. I love my SVT6. With the voltage control, you can really fatten up the tubes, or back off and get a nice (almost) solid state sound.

 

[john_g]

Too bad I just had my SVT-III (non-pro) here for sale last week which would have went great with this set up.

 

[JimmyM]

Scorson, I think your plan is a good one. A 115e will not be able to compete in any way with a 410HLF, and will only drag the performance of the 410HLF down. It's not a lot of fun to deadlift a 410HLF on top of another, but in your case, that's exactly what I'd do.

As for heads, regardless of which one it is, there isn't an Ampeg all-tube head that I haven't been super impressed with. My favorites are non-master volume SVT's like the originals, the 2 Non-Pro, and the VR, but the separate gain/master CL and 2 Pro are still fantastic amps. They don't open up quite as wide at higher volumes as the non-master versions, but they're certainly nothing to sneeze at.

 

[SCORSON]

Thanks for the replies. What is the difference between the pro and non-pro??? By the way, I live in Lake Tahoe which is close to Reno, which has a guitar center to go and test stuff.

By the way, do you think it would be worth keeping the 115 and the B2 as a backup for smaller shows??

 

[SCORSON]

Jimmy - thanks for the input. It definitely does drag the performance down. Iguess another option would be to go for a 810, but then it seems like there might be times when I only want a 410 cab. I don't know, theres alot to consider here. considering the cash that im gonna drop I want to make the right decision.

 

[JimmyM]

Thanks for the replies. What is the difference between the pro and non-pro??? By the way, I live in Lake Tahoe which is close to Reno, which has a guitar center to go and test stuff.

By the way, do you think it would be worth keeping the 115 and the B2 as a backup for smaller shows??

The 2 Pro is a separate gain/master SVT with a small graphic EQ, and the 2 Non Pro has only a volume control. The separate gain/master versions don't open up quite as wide at higher volumes as the non-master versions (gotta hear it to understand), but one advantage they have is being able to get distortion at lower volumes by cranking the gain. Also, the 2 Pro is still being made, and the 2 Non Pro hasn't been made for almost 20 years.

And one advantage of an 810 is that if you're patient, you can actually find way better deals on used 810's than the 410HLFs. People will sometimes sell their 810's for a song just to get rid of them and reclaim the space in their house, whereas a 410HLF isn't as obnoxiously big to them.

As for the B2, it's always nice to have a smaller amp for practices.

 

[5StringDelirium]

That's funny I just got rid of an SVT 410he and an SVT 115e on CL a little wile ago. What's even funnier is the guy had a B2. Anyway I would have to agree with Jimmy. I have tried out the classic and 2-pro and think both are the next step for me but that's not to soon. If I were you I would go sheck 'em out at GC and compare.

 

[RickenBoogie]

You need to figure out which 410 you've got. The 2 couldn't be more different. If it is an hlf, then the B2 would've been pushing a 2.65 ohm load, but if it's the he, it would've been 4. Anyway, the above suggestions are all spot-on. An all tube Ampeg head, any of them, would be a good match with your cab, IF it's an hlf. If it's an he, you'd need either 2 or 4 of them with an SVT CL or similar, since it only runs at 2 or 4 ohms. That's why I'm so adament about figuring that out first.