Ampeg users, what do you use...ultra hi...lo...both...none?

[40Hz]

On my B-15N I’ll use one, both, or none depending on the room I’m playing and the bass I’m using.

FWIW the Ultra Lo (which actually mainly introduces a midrange cut around 500Hz) probably gets the most use from me when I do use those switches. However, the Ultra Hi works wonders for most JBs - and many PBs - based on my own experience.

YMMV.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I don't have an SVT, but I use a PF-50t. I know I'm not supposed to like them, but I do. I kick in both the Ultra Hi and Ultra Lo. I really like using that head with my BoomBassCabs Matrix. It's kinda like that cool, big stadium concert sound in a small package.

 

[DaveDeVille]

No hard and fast rules.
Settings depend on the room, my mood, and the song.

words from the wise ...

 

[Valvehead]

Neither. Also no pre-shape, enhance, contour, aural-enhancer on any other amps. They all kill mids.

 

[Jefenator]

The vintage V-4B and SVT-IIP never seemed to need either (on a good all-tube head, I usually get the extra crunch I need, just from digging in). I used ultra-hi occasionally with the PF-50T. Ultra-lo just seems to drop the level and mud things up. Frankly, not my favorite lo & hi boost circuits.

 

[Scott Shaw]

I used to keep the ultra low switch in, but now I'm going for a more balanced sound and try for a tone that sits in the mix better. Ultra low sounds good when I'm playing by myself, just doesn't work in a mix. YMMV.

 

[ElectricBass72]

I don't use either ultra-low or ultra-high on my PF-500. Most of my basses have stainless steel roundwound strings, so they are naturally bright. No need for ultra-high. The only bass I have that may require ultra low in certain situations would be my Rickenbacker.

 

[vvvmmm]

I like the ultra-lo for doing reggae/dub type stuff.

 

[pbassnut]

I play jazz so it's fretless for me. I found that the midrange is most important with this type of bass. On my PF 500 I run with both hi and lo off. I find that they scoop the mids a little too much for my taste. What about you?

Neither one for me. I get most of my cut through tone by boosting the mids on the 800 Hz setting so the treble control gives me all that I need. Though I like the "bedroom tone" of the ultra-low switch, it doesn't give me the sound I'm looking for in live settings. YMMV.

 

[sharkbait130]

On my SVT Classic head , neither. On my PF500 , ultra low only and I don't crank the low end on it very hard at all. This gives me the closest sound on the 500 to the SVT head.

 

[SidNitzerglobin]

It depends on which head, cab(s), & bass I'm using & what I'm shooting for at the moment.

More often than not there's a better chance I'll have the ultra high enabled than the low on the V4B reissue or PF50T. Usually ultra low is reserved for dub/reggae type sounds for me. I wind up fairly conservative on the high & low knobs w/ the mids pot &/or a pedal doing more of the significant tweakage for me.

 

[Wanker_Joe]

Since I tend to play in a way that emphasizes a very aggressive mid and high heavy tone I find engaging the Ultra Low switch adds just the right amount of thunder back into my sound.

 

[JimmyM]

I don't have an SVT, but I use a PF-50t. I know I'm not supposed to like them, but I do. I kick in both the Ultra Hi and Ultra Lo. I really like using that head with my BoomBassCabs Matrix. It's kinda like that cool, big stadium concert sound in a small package.

Fortunately, there is no wrong answer here, Rich And if you like them, use them and use them proudly. We have enough rules being thrown at us by people who don't know us or what we're trying to achieve.

 

[byacey]

Fortunately, there is no wrong answer here, Rich And if you like them, use them and use them proudly. We have enough rules being thrown at us by people who don't know us or what we're trying to achieve.

Absolutely. Every instrument has it's own voice, depending on strings, pickups, played with a pick / no pick, etc, that there is no setting that serves all needs and genres. Not only that, but everybody has a different opinion of what a great sounding bass is.

Those tone controls allow us to sculpt the tone we desire.

 

[mr_musica]

I don't have those buttons on my PF-350, but by reading the specs and my personal experience, I think I have been delving in Ultra-Lo territory a couple of times (bosst lows and cutting mids)...
I have had some moments when I've preferred to set amps fully flat, but now I'm tending to cut a bit of treble (getting some kind of a classic tone) and maybe a touch of bass, depending on the weather if I'm outdoors...

 

[rickdog]

SVT-3PRO. I actually bought it because I tried the Ultra-Lo button in the store and got sucked in by the bedroom tone. I don't find it useful for anything else, cranking the gain is what sounds best to me.

I've heard some other really good bassists get absolutely awesome sounds with the blender buttons engaged, though. Experiment!

 

[Old Fart]

I jumper the two channels, which offers more options. Both channels have the Ultra Hi and the Ultra Low switches. And so, it does not necessarily have to be either/or. One channel can have Ultra Low on, and the other can have it off. Almost too many tone options. It just depends on the music I am playing, and the mood I am in I suppose. Two more things: It is hard to make this amp sound bad. Also, it does not need Ultra-Hi or Ultra-Low. Without those switches, I'd still have all the tone options I need. But the switches do allow for quick-change between songs.

 

[madmarvin]

It depends on the Ampeg. This is why they drive me crazy.

SVT 2 PRO:
ULTRA LOW: This switch, when engaged, provides emphasis to the low frequencies by boosting the low frequencies and selectively cutting the mid frequencies.
Ultra Low: +3dB @ 40Hz, -12dB @ 500Hz

SVT 200T:
Ultra Low Switch: 9dB Boost @40Hz

SVT 6 Pro:
ULTRA LO: This switch, when depressed,
greatly enhances the amount of low-end bass
tones.
ULTRA LOW SWITCH +2.5dB @ 50Hz
-12dB @ 560Hz
+1.5dB @ 5kHz

None are the same. IMHE the only one I found usable was the SVT200T. That knob should be glued out lol. But it useful to just punch it in if the room is too boomy.

 

[Funk With Me]

When I played 60’s soul and Motown I used the low on my MTI SVT then boosted the mids way up to make up for it. It pretty much nailed the sound. When I used the CL head I couldn’t get the same result so I never used the low or high on it.

 

[Old Fart]

I got to thinking about this, and here is my manifesto. I jumper the two channels. So here are my tone options:

1) Bass goes into Channel 1 Normal, out Bright and into Channel 2 Normal.
2) What if we go out of C1 Bright and into Ch 2 bright?
3) What if we go into Ch1 Bright, and then from Ch1 Normal to Ch 2 Normal?

Okay so, about Ultra Hi and Ultra Low:

4) Ch 1 Ultra high on -
5) Ch 1 Ultra high on +
6) Ch 1 Ultra Low on -
7) Ch 1 Ultra Low on 0
8) Ch 1 Ultra Low on +

Now.....what about...

9) Ch 1 Ultra Hi on - and Ch 2 Ultra Hi on +
10) Or what about Ch 1 on + and Ch 2 on -
11) Or what about Ch 1 on - and Ch 2 on -
12) Or Ch 1 on + and Ch 2 on +

And then there are the six configurations of the Ultra Low switches. Multiplied by the four combinations mentioned just above, we've not no less than 24 different permutations of Ultra Hi and Ultra Lo positions.

And then there is the treble and bass knobs. And finally, lest we forget, there is the magical three-position midrange switch and the knob just below that.

And so, my dear friends, I think we've got tone options way in excess of the venerable Walkman and WD800 Mesas. Arguably....too many tone options to even navigate. Boom.