I went the opposite route--SVT on a 212AV. I used to use a 410 HLF but the 212 is much easier to haul around and has the mids and similar in sound to an 810 which I prefer. But the HLF is a great cab for lows.
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 V4B vs. SVT CL
- Thread starter Robi Brown
- Start date
I went the opposite route--SVT on a 212AV. I used to use a 410 HLF but the 212 is much easier to haul around and has the mids and similar in sound to an 810 which I prefer. But the HLF is a great cab for lows.
) V4-B's sound good but there are certain situations they just don't have the head room you need.
It takes way more watts for the lows and that is why an SVT will kill a V4-B in a big room or on a loud gig or with not so efficient speakers. If you cut the bottom on an SVT and set it midrangy it will get VERY loud, ever hear a guitar through one? Sounds great from a mile away.
I play mostly soul n funk and the V4B does it very nicely indeed. You're gonna be taking yr CAB UP 3 flights of stairs also??? JEEEPERS Get a cuppla neo cabs 
I use the Fender Super Bassman when I need lotsa clean tubey goodness at real loud. ..or the extra punch at deep lows that the V4B can't quite match. It's 65lbs. ..so..for me. .a good deal less weight than the SVT. Love the Super Bassman like no other.
.and I've had most others.
But. ..yeah. .those stairs drool I'd definitely steer clear of the 410HLF. ..it's an awkward shape n weight for anything. ..let alone stairs.
I was GOING to get an SVT-VR but got steered toward the Super Bassman. .. am it's THE BOMB! SUPERB for soul funk...neo soul etc ...THICK thick lows. ..unparalleled imo. And between the V4B & SVT in weight. But those stairs :***: The V4B is a beautiful amp. And thru enough efficient speakers....should be plenty for most situations.
As far as cost of maintenance etc. .. I'vehad my Super Bassman for 4 yrs give or take. ... never had to replace nuffink. ...had my V4B for a year less. ..never had to replace nuffink - I gig about 1 or 2 x /week. .. obv5 I'm using either amp. ..and sometimes an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 (which is what I'D GET IF I HAD 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS
) so the V4B ain't getting run hard often. .. andthe Super Bassman ain't getting run HARD virtually ever. But. ..unless I'm gigging HARD every weekend AND running the tubes HARD
also. ...I've never replaced power tubes until I ACTUALLY NOTICE a degradation in sound outta the amp...
That said, I'll probably take em in for a once over within the next year or so. ... and I'd bet my tech will tell me I've got plenty of life left in them there tubes. Well. .. I hope so anyway.
Good luck.
I use the Fender Super Bassman when I need lotsa clean tubey goodness at real loud. ..or the extra punch at deep lows that the V4B can't quite match. It's 65lbs. ..so..for me. .a good deal less weight than the SVT. Love the Super Bassman like no other.
.and I've had most others. But. ..yeah. .those stairs drool I'd definitely steer clear of the 410HLF. ..it's an awkward shape n weight for anything. ..let alone stairs.
I was GOING to get an SVT-VR but got steered toward the Super Bassman. .. am it's THE BOMB! SUPERB for soul funk...neo soul etc ...THICK thick lows. ..unparalleled imo. And between the V4B & SVT in weight. But those stairs :***: The V4B is a beautiful amp. And thru enough efficient speakers....should be plenty for most situations.
As far as cost of maintenance etc. .. I'vehad my Super Bassman for 4 yrs give or take. ... never had to replace nuffink. ...had my V4B for a year less. ..never had to replace nuffink - I gig about 1 or 2 x /week. .. obv5 I'm using either amp. ..and sometimes an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 (which is what I'D GET IF I HAD 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS
) so the V4B ain't getting run hard often. .. andthe Super Bassman ain't getting run HARD virtually ever. But. ..unless I'm gigging HARD every weekend AND running the tubes HARDalso. ...I've never replaced power tubes until I ACTUALLY NOTICE a degradation in sound outta the amp...
That said, I'll probably take em in for a once over within the next year or so. ... and I'd bet my tech will tell me I've got plenty of life left in them there tubes. Well. .. I hope so anyway.
Good luck.
As much of an Ampeg fanboy as I am , if I had to deal with three flights of stairs I'd be using a Tonehammer and a couple of 2 12's. Maybe a V4B but definitely not a 4 10. A 4 10 is a guaranteed back killer. I'd rather have an 8 10 and pull it up the stairs backwards one step at a time than have to haul a 4 10 up 3 flights. Any way you cut it , a 4 10 is really awkward to lift. The new V4's are about 40 lbs. Older ones are around 55 lbs. if I recall correctly. 8 10's weigh in at around 160 lbs. Tonehammer is for all intents and purposes weightless. Ampeg 2 12's weigh in around 65 lbs. but are ergonomic in design and much easier to haul than a 4 10. Oh yeah , my SVT head weighs in at over 80 lbs. but I don't have to worry about many stairs with it and my 8 10 just kind of rocks back into my truck. Much easier to load than my old 4 10 which I sold years ago.
I went the opposite route--SVT on a 212AV. I used to use a 410 HLF but the 212 is much easier to haul around and has the mids and similar in sound to an 810 which I prefer. But the HLF is a great cab for lows.
Very cool! I purchased a matching grill from fliptops for my 410HLF last year. Here's a picture of when I was running both cabs with the V4B. This was shortly before I had to part with the 212 due to this room being converted into a nursery...
Last edited:
Very cool! I purchased a matching grill from fliptops for my 410HLF last year. Here's a picture of when I was running both cabs with the V4B. This was shortly before I had to part with the 212 due to this room being converted into a nursery...
Congrats on the new baby! And that grill cloth on the HLF looks sharp!
I'm curious, did you compare the Super Bassman to a SVT? If so, how did the Super Bassman do against the SVT?I play mostly soul n funk and the V4B does it very nicely indeed. You're gonna be taking yr CAB UP 3 flights of stairs also??? JEEEPERS Get a cuppla neo cabs
I use the Fender Super Bassman when I need lotsa clean tubey goodness at real loud. ..or the extra punch at deep lows that the V4B can't quite match. It's 65lbs. ..so..for me. .a good deal less weight than the SVT. Love the Super Bassman like no other.
But. ..yeah. .those stairs drool I'd definitely steer clear of the 410HLF. ..it's an awkward shape n weight for anything. ..let alone stairs.
I was GOING to get an SVT-VR but got steered toward the Super Bassman. .. am it's THE BOMB! SUPERB for soul funk...neo soul etc ...THICK thick lows. ..unparalleled imo. And between the V4B & SVT in weight. But those stairs :***: The V4B is a beautiful amp. And thru enough efficient speakers....should be plenty for most situations.
As far as cost of maintenance etc. .. I'vehad my Super Bassman for 4 yrs give or take. ... never had to replace nuffink. ...had my V4B for a year less. ..never had to replace nuffink - I gig about 1 or 2 x /week. .. obv5 I'm using either amp. ..and sometimes an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 (which is what I'D GET IF I HAD 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS
also. ...I've never replaced power tubes until I ACTUALLY NOTICE a degradation in sound outta the amp...
That said, I'll probably take em in for a once over within the next year or so. ... and I'd bet my tech will tell me I've got plenty of life left in them there tubes. Well. .. I hope so anyway.
Good luck.
For a brief while I owned both SVT and Super Bassman together. It was a while ago (I was one of the first Talkbass members to own a Super Bassman). I was able to make the Super Bassman sound identical to the SVT in a side by side comparison at loud room levels at home, but cannot comment about the comparison when both are cranked. The Super Bassman is definitely more versatile and lighter, but Ampeg is Ampeg..............
Agreed.
I DIDN'T have an SVT at the same time as the SB,but have used a SVT-VR plenty of times since. I like the VR just about as much as the SB but find the SB to be much more versatile. ..& lighter weight.
Love em both, but, to me, that 20lbs lighter weight is a big difference.
I've also never used an SVT thru my single 8 ohm Bassman Pro Neo 115 cab. And that the SB is switchable between 8/4 & 2 ohms. ..means I can use it with just the one 115 cab. And it really is a thing of beauty. ..the Super Bassman into the one 115. Two 115s is great too. .. but, I love being able to run it a li'l harder into the one 15".
They ain't real deep tuned 115s, the Bassman Pro Neo 115s, & it sounds punchy, fat and tubby....just how I like it
I DIDN'T have an SVT at the same time as the SB,but have used a SVT-VR plenty of times since. I like the VR just about as much as the SB but find the SB to be much more versatile. ..& lighter weight.
Love em both, but, to me, that 20lbs lighter weight is a big difference.
I've also never used an SVT thru my single 8 ohm Bassman Pro Neo 115 cab. And that the SB is switchable between 8/4 & 2 ohms. ..means I can use it with just the one 115 cab. And it really is a thing of beauty. ..the Super Bassman into the one 115. Two 115s is great too. .. but, I love being able to run it a li'l harder into the one 15".
They ain't real deep tuned 115s, the Bassman Pro Neo 115s, & it sounds punchy, fat and tubby....just how I like it
I've owned and played SVT- CL, Super Bassman and v4b reissue amps. I ended up with the v4b as its ampeg tone I came to love, lightweight and stupid loud thru large cabs. One thing I learned...if you want Ampeg tone get Ampeg, if you want Fender tone get Fender, its simple as that.
I agree. I A/B'd the SVT-CL and the V4B and went with the V4B. Much better tone and I didn't feel the SVT-CL was really that much louder.
I'll tell you one thing I like on the new V4-B's: the toggle switches, never liked rocker switches.
I hear you! Big fan of toggle switches. Easy to see if the toggle is engaged. And a satisfiying click.
Shame Ampeg didn't replace the Deep Mids and High rocker switches with the big toggles and move them next to the other pots. I know it's not keeping with the original VR, but it would have been a welcomed upgrade. I find the rocker switches to be in an odd layout up under the lip of the amp head. Can't tell if they are engaged from a distance. Would also be nice to have LED lights to illuminate and let you know when the toggle is engaged like Mesa has on the Subway D800.
I don't mind them for the tone controls, just don't like them for on and off switches, i like the looks of them better.
I went the opposite route--SVT on a 212AV. I used to use a 410 HLF but the 212 is much easier to haul around and has the mids and similar in sound to an 810 which I prefer. But the HLF is a great cab for lows.
Very cool! I purchased a matching grill from fliptops for my 410HLF last year. Here's a picture of when I was running both cabs with the V4B. This was shortly before I had to part with the 212 due to this room being converted into a nursery...
I sprung for the classic grill cloth for my 212 to match my cl.
Love the flexibility - can leave the 810 at the jam spot and have the 212 at home.
Lol I carried an Ampeg SVT 410HLF up and down a 7 floor stairwell by my lonesome for 2.5 years playing out 2-3 times a week during the late 90s. I was young and strong back then lol.
You weren't just strong. You were a linebacker at some point.
If you don’t mind me asking, are you a recent convert from guitar? If so, I highly recommend you consider some of the new class D amps. I don’t want to take away from the all tube ampegs, but given your stair situation, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Maintanence costs on a tube amp dropped down a flight of stairs at 2am after a show are probably pretty steep.
The difference between solid state/tube amps with bass is much closer than it is with guitar amps. There are still many who swear by tube amps, and they’re not wrong in their preference, but they are a minority. Also, the cost of making a class D amp is pretty low, so don’t think that just because something is cheap, it isn’t good.
If you’ve already done your HW and you’re set on the tubes then disregard all of this!
