I did try the SVT through the 16B 8T configuration a few years ago, but only at church, not really pushing it too hard. I knew I was on to something though, and had been researching tube heads since. I looked at everything, including some boutique builds, but what it boiled down to was the longevity of the 300t design, the combination of features, and most important, the ability to switch to 2, 4 and 8 ohm. This gives me the ability to try every conceivable configuration of PJB cabs.
I paired it with the 16H folded horn cab this weekend. Halloween at the V was crazy, 169 folks through the door. The parking lot looked like a scene out of the walking dead, there was no where to park and literally no one could leave for hours after the show. If you've never been there, 100 is considered a huge crowd, so you can imagine 69 more and all in costume. Crazy night!
The pairing of the 16H and 300t is the ultimate blend of old school and hi-fi. Literally after every song the drummer pointed at the bass rig and proclaimed it "Bad A--!" I haven't touched upon everything the amp will do in the limited time I've had with it, but it does super clean tube warmth, dirty and crunchy, or a blend of both with the three selector foot switch. All with more headroom than I should ever need, the input never left 3 and the master never went past 5 all night.
Five inch speakers do marvelous things when pushed to the breakup point. "Diamontique shimmer" is the phrase that comes to mind.
The nature of combining PJB with Dingwall usually means I'm fighting to keep TOO many highs out of my sound, unrestrained the highs and high mids cut through the mix like a wide beam laser, but with the 300t, there was no such fight. In fact, I had to BOOST some highs just to balance it out.
If we ever chase down the near mythical get together, or you can make it out to a show, you guys are welcome to run some laps on it!
