Botique SVT Killer?

[Rickett Customs]

I did have a chance to try out a Hi-Watt 400, very nice. If I had the dough for it, it could make it's way in place of my VR, but the VR stays where it is....

 

[coreyfyfe]

Ya I am. I could be like everyone else and get a SVT rig and spend more money in repairs and replacements,

I think you have a bad sample set. A friends amp went down once? That's it? And as it was a VR, I'd say it has a high probability of being related to the voltage relay protection circuit which is designed to shut it down if the power dips too low - the issue being their definition of "too low" was too high. JohnK_10 has a quick mod posted on his website of how to fix this.

Personally, I have never had an issue with an amp I properly serviced going down on me no stage. I've had a few issues in rehearsals, twice I had a bad tune (once because I left it in the cold and the tube cracked, and one was a two year old set of power tubes) which would have happened no matter what tube amp I was using, and the only other time was a broken power switch which (wasn't even the original switch) on a near 40 year old ampeg. Never had a reliability issue with my new SVT when I had it (~2 years).

If you don't care about your tone, then don't bother with a tube amp. Get a DI/sansamp and you'll never had reliability issues. Or get some random solid state head and a dirt box and play away. Seriously, if you don't care about your tone, IMO you'd be wasting your money by dropping minimum $2000 on a top of the line tube head.

 

[nysbob]

I love my old SVT, but if I had to replace it I'd go with the Reeves.

Their single 15" box is very sweet too. A pair of those and you're in serious bizness.

 

[Bass Junkie]

This does a pretty good job.

Ampeg SVP CL into a 1000 watt Walter Woods power amp.

 

[JimmyM]

you know, johnk did a shootout with a bunch of high end preamps like universal audio and focusrite, and that doggone svp-cl kept right up with them imho. hell of a pre.

 

[Bass Junkie]

you know, johnk did a shootout with a bunch of high end preamps like universal audio and focusrite, and that doggone svp-cl kept right up with them imho. hell of a pre.

I just acquired this pre last week and so far it is very impressive. I have a Demeter vtbp201s that I A/B it with and the Ampeg sounds better.

 

[demon666]

Indie band. Boutique tube head. You would have more cred with some obscure pawn shop amp. Like everyone else said buy a road case if you do decide to pick up any of those amps.