Ampeg V-9 SVT

hahahaha! i saw that exact same one in the recycler. i think it's a guitar amp but it probably sounds okay on bass.

 

Actually the V9 is a guitar amp...that's why it has a distortion circuit and reverb (the real give-away).

The Ampeg book says that it's voiced differently than the bass head...

What do you need to know(...it's pretty straight forward)?

 

Bona fide V-9s were guitar heads. They were designed to be paired with a 9x10 cabinet. Yes, 9 ten-inch speakers. They speakers were arranged in three V-shaped "rows" stacked on top of one another.

It's a rare cab to find.

Actual V-9 heads did have the distortion feature which really differintiates it to me.

BUT, some regular SVTs (for bass) utilize back panels that will say "V-9 SVT".

I believe this to be the result of the factory wanting to use one part for both models.

 

If you see an "SVT" with the "V9" designation on the rear panel, it is not necessarily a V-9.

For it to be a bona fide V-9 it must have the circuit and feature of the V-9 which at the very least (and most obvious) is the distortion knob.

On the other hand there are guys who think they have a V-9 SVT when in fact it is just an SVT (for bass).

All that being said, some guys use an actual V-9 as a bass amp with great results.

All the confusion is a result of the two model numbers being present on the same rear panel.

Hope that helps.

 

A V9 is a single channel amp; the SVT has two channels. It's the easiest way to tell them apart.

 

Nope, if it's got distortion and reverb, it's a V9. The switches aren't different channels; they're just switches. It's a guitar amp, but Allen Woody used one and it sounded just fine. It was Ampeg's answer to the Fender 400Ps which has a bass and guitar channel along with distortion and reverb.

 

any chance you can post a picture of the v-9? is it as heavy as the svt?

 

It's essentially the same amp just voiced differently, same weight and external dimensions.

 

The switches are the mid frequency and ultra high located above the control panel. SVT's have four input jacks Ch 1, hi and lo and Ch 2, hi and lo.

 

I think this is a V-9. Like PBG stated, notice two inputs (not to be confused with two channels).

 

They used the same chassis and exact same power section; only the preamp was different. Since the V9 was made in considerably smaller numbers than the SVT, most parts were labelled for both units and used as needed. One of my SVT's also says V9/SVT on the back.

 

Think of it this way: You have a V-9 variant of the SVT.

I say "a" variant because I'm not certain that it was "the only" variant (but I think it was as far as all tube designs went).

 

This one arrives Wednesday.

 

"and not many guitar heads are 300-350 watts"
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Very nice Harleyyy.......you must be stoked! I know you've been looking for awhile