Digital AMPEG Head Coming?

[two fingers]

Funny thing for me is I went the opposite direction, been playing in bands since the 80s, never owned an SVT and never thought I'd need or care to own an SVT/810. But then I had a chance to try one at a NAMM show around 10 years ago, Ampeg had one set up on their room with a P-bass already plugged in. Suddenly I realized what I'd been missing all those years. Bought a new rig immediately afterwards.

I've owned a blue line vintage SVT with a flat back cab as well as a late SLM version with a USA 610. I really enjoyed my time with them. I love the sound. But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about the bass amp market in general. Fewer and fewer bass players every year care if they play through a "real tube amp". That's just a fact. More and more bass players every year go with pedal board rigs into IEMs, DI/Preamp into IEMs, IR/modelers, Line 6, etc. I even know one player who runs through a laptop and recording software with plug-ins straight to the mixer live.

I'm 51 years old and I'm having a BLAST with my Mess TT800. It has a tube pre and Teo channels. It weighs a few pounds and sounds amazing. Sometimes I run it as a fancy DI box into IEMs. Sometimes I bring one or two Sibway 115 cabs. All of it makes me smile. It sounds ridiculously good. It's stupid light. And that rig with two 15 cabs will crack the mortar in between bricks with volume.

The times..... they are uh changin'.

 

[baxter_x]

Mr. Baxter X - I can assure you my eyeballs do not have ears attached to them. I have owned a 7 Pro, as well as multiple SVT's over the years and believe me when I tell you there is absolutely NO comparison between the two.

They both say ampeg on them and that's about where the similarities end. The grind and overdrive you get from an SVT along with the natural glassy highs and real tube compression is something that the 7 Pro will NEVER be able to achieve. It's just not possible.

Again though, if the 7 Pro does it for you, then that's great. There's nothing wrong with that amp or any of the other amps people are talking about on this thread. For my personal opinion from watching bands, playing in bands, bass tech-ing for a couple of well known acts, I can tell you there is a reason why if given the choice of any backline amps 99% of the time people ask for an SVT rig.

I'm not saying they are perfect or the only choice. I'm not any brands fanboy, but in my experience no modeling amp can hang with an SVT, or 400+, or a HIWATT. Again, this is my experience. If you feel differently, I respect that.

I was answering your assessment about class D amp not being able sound in a band mix.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I'm having a BLAST with my Mess TT800. It has a tube pre and Teo channels. It weighs a few pounds and sounds amazing.

Same here... It even "blooms". Just an outstanding piece of gear that's a whole lot easier to carry and care for.

 

[Jim C]

I've owned a blue line vintage SVT with a flat back cab as well as a late SLM version with a USA 610. I really enjoyed my time with them. I love the sound. But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about the bass amp market in general. Fewer and fewer bass players every year care if they play through a "real tube amp". That's just a fact. More and more bass players every year go with pedal board rigs into IEMs, DI/Preamp into IEMs, IR/modelers, Line 6, etc. I even know one player who runs through a laptop and recording software with plug-ins straight to the mixer live.

I'm 51 years old and I'm having a BLAST with my Mess TT800. It has a tube pre and Teo channels. It weighs a few pounds and sounds amazing. Sometimes I run it as a fancy DI box into IEMs. Sometimes I bring one or two Sibway 115 cabs. All of it makes me smile. It sounds ridiculously good. It's stupid light. And that rig with two 15 cabs will crack the mortar in between bricks with volume.

The times..... they are uh changin'.

I have an SV and sold my TT800.
Both are great amps.
I think the Ampeg guys interested in modeling will make their decision based on tone.

Mr. Baxter X - I can assure you my eyeballs do not have ears attached to them. I have owned a 7 Pro, as well as multiple SVT's over the years and believe me when I tell you there is absolutely NO comparison between the two.

They both say ampeg on them and that's about where the similarities end. The grind and overdrive you get from an SVT along with the natural glassy highs and real tube compression is something that the 7 Pro will NEVER be able to achieve. It's just not possible.

Again though, if the 7 Pro does it for you, then that's great. There's nothing wrong with that amp or any of the other amps people are talking about on this thread. For my personal opinion from watching bands, playing in bands, bass tech-ing for a couple of well known acts, I can tell you there is a reason why if given the choice of any backline amps 99% of the time people ask for an SVT rig.

I'm not saying they are perfect or the only choice. I'm not any brands fanboy, but in my experience no modeling amp can hang with an SVT, or 400+, or a HIWATT. Again, this is my experience. If you feel differently, I respect that.

I had a 7 Pro and 3 Pro at the same time while I also owned an SVT.
Neither were close to a tube SVT IMO which is a shame as I really wanted something close in tone and feel that was considerably lighter than 84 lbs.

 

[two fingers]

I have an SV and sold my TT800.
Both are great amps.
I think the Ampeg guys interested in modeling will make their decision based on tone.


I had a 7 Pro and 3 Pro at the same time while I also owned an SVT.
Neither were close to a tube SVT IMO which is a shame as I really wanted something close in tone and feel that was considerably lighter than 84 lbs.

The closest I ever got was the 6 Pro. It's probably the most overlooked one ever. It's no lightweight. But it's way lighter than the 300W all-tube versions.

 

[Jim C]

The closest I ever got was the 6 Pro. It's probably the most overlooked one ever. It's no lightweight. But it's way lighter than the 300W all-tube versions.

Good to know.
I thought I was reasonably close with a SVP-CL tube pre and a 1500 watt Ampeg Class AB power amp (rehearsal rig with a 2x15)
Just the other day I tried my SVT-IIP tube pre and a CA6 which seems better (GB 2x12) although the two are at different locations.
Thinking about trying the latter rig this weekend although it's still 60 lbs for the rack.
One of my SWR's just failed during a gig for the 2nd time (and it does not quit in the shop); always have a GK MBF800 to stay out of serious trouble...

 

[tbz]

Having tried some digital and class D stuff, I'm always skeptical of this kind of gear. Line 6, axe effects, and class D power might sound good when you're by yourself, but in a band setting there's no substitute for good ol' big iron and tubes.

Tone controls exist on an amp for a reason. It’s helpful to use them.

Plus, if you swear by tubes, and cannot get “your” tone from anything else, you need to tinker with overdrive and distortion a bit. Most of what I used to love about tube amps I’ve correctly identified as distortion. I can get those tones easily on the Darkglass head I own, with its built in circuits. Most people don’t realize this though.

 

[tbz]

Gosh, it's still there again and again........
So wrong statement. I a blind test you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
I have owned and played only those "big Iron" amps and now play the Ampeg 7 pro. It just sounds the same in a lightweight package.
Stop listening with your eyes.

Right? It’s 2022. We’re past this.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Ampeg's marketing manager pretty much announced it on a company-run forum, so yeah, do not recommend holding one's breath longer than about 3 minutes so totally agree.

Are you just trying to argue?

 

[Ric Vice]

Having the benefit of playing both tube and solid state amplifiers, my take is that if an solid state amplifier is well designed and built, then there is very little difference between their tube counterparts. I once owned a Walter Woods MI-400-8 (there were under 50 of them built)

I took it out on a gig and did a head to head comparison between the Woods and a Ampeg SVT CL. The sounded very similar, the Woods had more headroom, and weighed 9 lbs. At the time (1991) the Woods cost $1,200.00 which was a substantial

sum, but it filled the bill. I own a Vintage B-15N(C) and it sits in my practice room because it weighs in at 75 lbs. and produces 25 Watts RMS. Just my take. The Woods MI-400-8 was a analog preamp and power amp that used a SMPS power supply.

 

[micguy]

But we can also talk about pianos. Many clamor to get their hands on a turn-of-the-century Steinway. ANY modern piano can run circles around ANY 120 year old piano. A 1901 Steinway is "just an old piano". It will sound/play like garbage compared to a 1978 or 2022 Yamaha (for instance).

My company has 2 Steinway - one from 2007, one from 1895. They both sound glorious. The only thing the old one falls short on is that it’s an 85 key model. Properly maintained (the old one was kept in a studio most of its life), an old Steinway can be a very good musical instrument. Compared to a lot of violins, a turn of the century Steinway isn’t old, it’s just getting started

 

[frankie5string]

Yamaha had a modelling amp of sorts for bass years ago. It was ahead of its time and very few sold. That said, The Fender Rumble Stage 800 does exactly this, and more, so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch. It would follow through the whole idea of respecting history via modernity that Yamaha is well known for.

 

[hennessybass]

I get it,,, but it is not for me.
I don't want an amp that I have to "update" or connect to the internet... platforms, ecosystems, peripherals, this patch, that version, this cable, that interface, this isn't compatible with that.

I don't mean to sound like a Luddite, but I get enough of all of that stuff in every other part of my life.
For me, making music is a great escape from all that.
Wood and wire, ya know

 

[txhawaii]

Everybody likes what they like and it's all good. I just got a newer lexus to replace my 81 el camino for my son to drive (better mpg easier to park)....he told me he didn't want it and preferred driving the impractical 81...go figure..lol

Does your soon buy vinyl and use polaroid for film? lol

the 81 is stylish tho. more head turns. when my father was alive, we drove his impala down to the westside of San Antonio and the pachucos went nuts. A guy came up to us and offered us cash on the spot for the car.

 

[Mastermold]

I've owned a blue line vintage SVT with a flat back cab as well as a late SLM version with a USA 610. I really enjoyed my time with them. I love the sound. But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about the bass amp market in general. Fewer and fewer bass players every year care if they play through a "real tube amp". That's just a fact. More and more bass players every year go with pedal board rigs into IEMs, DI/Preamp into IEMs, IR/modelers, Line 6, etc. I even know one player who runs through a laptop and recording software with plug-ins straight to the mixer live.

I'm 51 years old and I'm having a BLAST with my Mess TT800. It has a tube pre and Teo channels. It weighs a few pounds and sounds amazing. Sometimes I run it as a fancy DI box into IEMs. Sometimes I bring one or two Sibway 115 cabs. All of it makes me smile. It sounds ridiculously good. It's stupid light. And that rig with two 15 cabs will crack the mortar in between bricks with volume.

The times..... they are uh changin'.

I guess I should add I'm also a big fan of Mesa (love my WA Scout) and Andy's earlier work with Jeff at Genz Benz produced what is still my favorite Class D -- the Streamliner. If I was buying a new amp today (I'm 54) I'd most likely get the WD800. The Aguilar Tone Hammer is another Class D I'd be interested in but I'm a little biased toward the Mesa line right now.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Will this new amp have a built-in hologram of tubes that can be "swapped" out to hear the differences in their "tone"?

 

[jtg]

I dislike this future. I'll take an actual amp, not an NFT of an amp.

 

[drumvsbass]

Given Yamaha owns them both it wouldn’t surprise me to see some line6/helix and ampeg crossover stuff coming down the line. Use the helix knowledge base to integrate the svt suite stuff if they want to keep it entirely on brand.

Consider that the Helix SVT emu is spot on for this Ampeg snob.

 

[two fingers]

I guess I should add I'm also a big fan of Mesa (love my WA Scout) and Andy's earlier work with Jeff at Genz Benz produced what is still my favorite Class D -- the Streamliner. If I was buying a new amp today (I'm 54) I'd most likely get the WD800. The Aguilar Tone Hammer is another Class D I'd be interested in but I'm a little biased toward the Mesa line right now.

I really only take my TT800 out. But I haven't been able to bring myself to sell my 15" Walkabout Scout in wine tolex or its matching ext cab.

The WA and SVT 6 Pro were my favorite hybrid amps before the TT800. And they both happen to be MOSFET.

Somehow Andy was able to coax some warm and organic tones (subjective terms, of course) from that TT that settled all of my.amp decisions for the foreseeable future.

That said, I still look forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve next.

 

[hennessybass]

I guess I should add I'm also a big fan of Mesa (love my WA Scout) and Andy's earlier work with Jeff at Genz Benz produced what is still my favorite Class D -- the Streamliner. If I was buying a new amp today (I'm 54) I'd most likely get the WD800. The Aguilar Tone Hammer is another Class D I'd be interested in but I'm a little biased toward the Mesa line right now.

The Streamliner is my favorite. I currently also have a Tone Hammer, and am thinking about trading it for a WD800.