Does the SVT-3 PRO have a problem with active basses?

[Forced4dr]

Hello TalkBASS. I am a long time reader, Player of 20 year, but I just finally joined...I am hoping you will share your vast wealth of knowledge with me. I have an issue. I saw one other user made a thread like this in 2004 but there was not a reply, so I figured I'd try again as I need to know if I should return this head...

I just bought a used SVT-3 PRO to replace my B2RE that failed. I was excited to have this amp as a backup for my SVT-CL as I read they had a similar tone.

The amp sounded great in the store through a BSE410H w/ a Squire VM Jazz.

Got it home, hooked it up to my cab (SWR Goliath III 8 ohm) and with my bass, a Custom Warmouth with the new EMG JAX pickup system.

Pad on. Sounds flubby like a blown speaker even if I suck out all the bass on the eq. I can make it go away with the eq off but only at low volume.

Plug in my stock MIM Jazz. Sounds fine. Hmmm...

My options:
1.Trade in SWR (8 ohm), purchase 410HLF (4ohm). Not sure this will help.
2. Return the 3 pro.

The question: Does the SVT-3 PRO not play well with active basses? I'm hoping someone on here has had some experience with this. Thank you in advance for the assistance!

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Hello TalkBASS. I am a long time reader, Player of 20 year, but I just finally joined...I am hoping you will share your vast wealth of knowledge with me. I have an issue. I saw one other user made a thread like this in 2004 but there was not a reply, so I figured I'd try again as I need to know if I should return this head...

I just bought a used SVT-3 PRO to replace my B2RE that failed. I was excited to have this amp as a backup for my SVT-CL as I read they had a similar tone.

The amp sounded great in the store through a BSE410H w/ a Squire VM Jazz.

Got it home, hooked it up to my cab (SWR Goliath III 8 ohm) and with my bass, a Custom Warmouth with the new EMG JAX pickup system.

Pad on. Sounds flubby like a blown speaker even if I suck out all the bass on the eq. I can make it go away with the eq off but only at low volume.

Plug in my stock MIM Jazz. Sounds fine. Hmmm...

My options:
1.Trade in SWR (8 ohm), purchase 410HLF (4ohm). Not sure this will help.
2. Return the 3 pro.

The question: Does the SVT-3 PRO not play well with active basses? I'm hoping someone on here has had some experience with this. Thank you in advance for the assistance!

Replace the battery in your active and see what happens.
Also experiment with your EQ more. On the bass first and then the amp.
The two basses could be sending very different sounds to the amp.
You just might have to EQ differently with the active.
Otherwise, there is no reason amp should not work with an active active bass.

 

[Forced4dr]

Thank you for the response. You got me thinking. Here's what I tried/discovered.

1. Tried reducing the preamp volume on the active bass, still distorted at even low volume.

2. Rather than venture into the cold for a new nine volt I thought I'd try the bass though the wife's rig first (She plays active Schecters) It's a 1001rb with matching cab. Sounds as good as it should, even when I boost the bass frequency on the biamp.Hmm...

3. Ok, it's not the battery...Let's try the Ampeg with the active bass on the GK cab just for fun....Sounds ok, the GK cab sucks some of the Ampeg character out though.

Conclusion: This mixture of gear just doesn't work for some reason.

Solution. The SWR is the weak link in this setup.... Replace cab.

Options in order of preference:

1. See if 410HLF will work.
2. Install passive pickups in bass, sell EMG X system (not preferential but could work)
3. Return Head, keep cab...try to find another amp solution.

Can I just say... I find it weird that this bass and cab combo work fine with the SVT CL load split with a Gauss 15.

The idea was the SWR and 3 pro were going to be my home practice amp.

 

[Bim1959]

I had a 3pro (until the power supply transformer smoked) that sounded great with both active and passive basses. I used to run a Warwick Corvette 6 string, an Ibanez SR406, a Hamer Chaparral 12 string and other basses thru it without any problems at all. I also use a number of different cabinets ranging from a Hartke 410XL, an Acoustic B210neo, a Hartke 15" combo cabinet with a Carvin speaker and a Hartke cabinet reloaded with Eminence Kappa Pro speakers.

Have you tried running your Ampeg thru her GK cabinet to make sure the SWR cabinet isn't the problem?

 

[Forced4dr]

Yes I did. The Ampeg plays well with the GK but the SWR doesn't like it. I'm going to try to see how the setup works with an Ampeg cab next time I can get to the store. Maybe tonight.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Take the pad off. There really is no reason for it.

 

[Forced4dr]

I got to the store and the 410HLF was sold. :-(. Plugged everything back in frustration. Playing at a more reasonable volume because the wife was home at this point. I think the issue is with the 8 ohm cab the 3 pro runs out of clean headroom quick! It seems like it sounds fine now, I think I'm going to keep my eye out for another 410HLF, I think that cab is a better match for this amp but at least I'm good for now.

Bass_Pounder. The pad made a big difference with this amp at a higher volume, with the pad off it sounded super distorted. It was almost clean with the pad on, I think with the proper 4 ohm cab my headroom issue would be gone.

 

[TheRealKong]

I think, Bass_Pounder wanted to recommend leaving the Pad off and dialing in the ammount of gain the WW needs with the Gain - Knob.

Pad is often named as "Tone - Sucker - Knob" for some clear reason. Just use your Gain - Knob to dial in Gain. Pad knob often is "minus too much dB" and differs a lot in different amps.

 

[TheRealKong]

Btw.: Some people use the SVT 3 Pro by running Master wide open, dialing in Volume by using the Gain - Knob. Grit is addet by using the Knob who changes the Voltage of the tube (don't know the name...).

 

[Jhengsman]

Btw.: Some people use the SVT 3 Pro by running Master wide open, dialing in Volume by using the Gain - Knob. Grit is addet by using the Knob who changes the Voltage of the tube (don't know the name...).

The Tube Gain?

 

[TheRealKong]

The Tube Gain?

No, the "Tube Drive". This one controls the current the driver - tube gets fed with. This tube is somewhere in the poweramp - circuit and should give you the feel of a tube poweramp.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Take the pad off. There really is no reason for it.

I think, Bass_Pounder wanted to recommend leaving the Pad off and dialing in the ammount of gain the WW needs with the Gain - Knob.

Pad is often named as "Tone - Sucker - Knob" for some clear reason. Just use your Gain - Knob to dial in Gain. Pad knob often is "minus too much dB" and differs a lot in different amps.

That is a good point.
It may be that the added resistance of the attenuator (pad) along with the cable capacitance acts like adding extra treble roll off.
Low capacitance cable or using a shorter cable may help, but if it works with the attenuator off then there ya go.

 

[BogeyBass]

if the amp sucks at 8 ohms it will just suck more at 4 ohms. more power? i guess. if a active bass is clipping the preamp then it sucks im not even trolling either. play the GK head into the SWR cab everything probably be fine and dandy. its not the cab and a amplifier doesnt care or read the name of the amp. its not a matter of it has some mystical cabinet sensor and only likes ampeg cabs and not swr cabs. most likely its the same old 38 ounce eminence speakers used by many manufactures. the difference between 275 watts at 8 ohms and 450 watts at 4 ohms is nothing in overall SPL especially into a 4x10 cabinet. manufacture can rate them a 300, 400 or 600 watts all they want. common quad of 10 speakers give up at 270 to 300 watts with 10% distortion. thats it all over. guys think more watts magically fix things not really if a 410 dont cover your needs at 250 watts then its time to add another one. . specially at 4ohms just heats up the amp more. or use a more efficient cab. ive been playing peg cabinets with various heads from 100 to 800 watts. and know exactly what a 410 ported or sealed can and cant do. I use a 810 cause i like the dynamics of sealed cabs. let me tell you i love my 810 and its my go to cab. but for the most part the sensitivity of sealed speakers just suck. wont get anywhere without 8 of them. i dont even waste time with 410 anymore. for moderate level bands you ride them to the edge to get needed SPL. putting 450watts into a 300 watt cab helps nothing.

without talking alot of #### about ampeg amps cause trust me i can. ill be mature today and say its one of 3 things with that amp. ancient factory preamp tubes are getting stale. replace them. if tubes are okish basic amp maintenence should be done and all voltage test points according to repair manual need to be checked. if tube supply or opamp supply is sagging then caps need replacment. likewise fan and cooling tunnel need to be checked / cleaned for dust built up. likewise output section voltages need to be checked and possible caps replaced. lastly mosfet output sections need generous amounts of bias voltage to sound right. bias needs to be checked and rechecked over a time line to guarantee its stable. if its unstable the amp will sound lifeless or distorted. and over a time period and heat i guarantee the peg bias pot is getting old quickly.

so blah blah blah lol if you loooove the amp then keep it. ill sum it up real quick with a biased opinion from expierence with pegs.....sell it or fix it.
a used hartke , peavy or GK is probably not a good suggestion lol...( i know) in reality they are cheaper than tubes and tech time.

only problem i could think of with the swr is if it has a tweetor the cross over might be pooping and will irritate a amp. powering the swr with another head and having no problems will confirm it isnt the cab. few various drivers have been used in swrs but 10" wise the overall output is just as low as most peg 410s. and likewise if could be random behavoir of the ampeg sounding good with one cab better with another. sounds good one day poopy another day. random behavior suggest a unstable bias or drifting power supply

 

[JimmyM]

Don't know what's going on here, but I used my old 3 Pro that I no longer have with active basses all the time and it never did anything of the sort. EMG PJ's with BTS preamp, for those scoring at home.