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Amplifier options

J

Juice247

Jan 27, 2007
19
0
#1
I just bought an Ampeg SVT-410HLF for my first real bass rig and now need to find the head to power it. (got a SWEET deal off craigslist..)

I play mostly rock & some metal. I'd like to get something that's powerful enough to play with a band when I want to, but 90% of the time it's just me and a guitarist.

I've played through an Ampeg SVT-350H and did not care for it. (so dry, like a piece of toast!) I do like the sound of the SVT-Pro stuff (the tubed pre makes a HUGE difference), but am also intrigued by the Genz Benz stuff...

The only place that carries it by me is a Sam Ash, and they have a terrible selection, so I can't really demo it. There seem to be lots of supporters of both Ampeg and GB, any thought between the two?

Ideally I wouldn't spend more then $500 on a used head... I'm willing to take the time to shop around.
 
#6
somedumbguy said:
I heard a bass player play with that cab and an SVT450H, and it sounded amazing.


Also, I've seen quite a few add the SVT 3-Pro on top of that cab.

Both are good options.
Click to expand...

Sorry dude, the SVT 450H is the same thing as the 350H with 100 watts more power. Since our member in need does not like the 350H this would not be a good choice.

The 3 PRO does sound really good with the 410hlf; make sure to read old threads about 3 PRO and figure out how to really use it correctly. OR, you could just grab that Genz Benz head and get the tone you want a LOT FASTER. The more watts, the better man, good luck.
 
#9
Just to keep this a little more simple, if I get a head with a conventional power supply, I would most likely stick with Ampeg, just cause I know it well and it has great resale value in case I don't get exactly what I want on the first try. (like that's ever happened before)

I have played through some of the MarkBass heads, but always with the Markbass cabinets. It's always sounded pretty good to me, but never full enough. That very well could be due to the fact Guitar Center never has anything bigger then a 2x10 from them.

The thing I want to avoid is that dry, sterile sound without having to put a bunch of effects in front of the instrument. The SVT-350H I'm playing with now just has no bloom to it... With that being said, one of the most appealing aspects of the Ampeg SVT 4 and 5 are that they have on board compression just a hint of other frequency tools.

I think the Shuttle Max series would be equivalent, if not a step beyond the Ampeg design in terms of flexibility.

Thanks for all the input so far!
 
#10
I went into Guitar Center and just went through a slew of heads into the Ampeg 410HLF. Here's what I found in a short test - in the order I played them. All were tested using a very basic Fender American Jazz Bass with passive pickups.

MarkBass Little Mark III - Amazing sound from this little beast! Tone was clean, the amp is fast and punchy, and really drives the pi$$ out of the Ampeg cabinet! I was shocked at how powerful this amp was. Just needs a couple features, like headphone out, on board compressor, etc...

MarkBass Little Mark Tube 800 - not the improvement I expected with the increased power and tubed preamp. It was a little tiny bit richer sounding in the upper registers, but to be honest, I would buy the Little Mark III and spend the extra $200 on a nice pedal or two for effects.

MarkBass Little Mark F1 - Sounds exactly the same as the Little Mark III. I don't really understand why this product exists. If the Little Mark isn't small enough for you, you need to create some space in your life. Plus the Mark III has a couple extra features.

Ampeg SVT III Pro - Dull and Lifeless in comparison to the MarkBass stuff! I was REALLY surprised that I didn't like the sound out of this head. So many people have said good things about it, but it just didn't have the drive or snap of the Mark Bass stuff.

Ampeg SVT 4 Pro - This is an amazing amp. I drove the cabinet with the bridged mono out and holy crap did it have a stranglehold on those 4 10s!!! Great flexibility on the tone controls, and a perfect feature set. This amp was good enough to warrant spending more then twice the $$$ on the Mark Bass if I had the cash to spend. This is what I expect from Ampeg but didn't get with the III pro.. not even close.

Mesa Boogie 400+ - They had an old beat up amp there for sale for $700. Some of the preamp tubes were iffy at best, and it was just overall in very rough shape, but... Tone Tone Tone Tone Tone! Power was on par with the SVT 4 Pro even though specs say it's 1/3 the power. Works well from clean to growly, does everything I'd imagine you'd ever want from an amp. No wonder so many on this board swear by this amp.

So, I took home a Little Mark III to try out at the house where I can really dig into things without the distraction. Will post more after I've spent some time with it...
 
#11
The 4PRO in bridged is too much for a single 410... You could have done the same thing with just one channel a lot safer... The 4PRO would drive a pair of hlfs in stereo very nicely. Of course the thing works in bridged, its just too much power.

Is fun though. BOB
 

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