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Giving up on the SVT-II.

#21
Because for certain songs I have a really heavy attack. Billy Gould is "the guy" when it comes to my stylistic leanings, so when I play heavy, I need something to flatten it out. Whathisface... ugh, the name escapes me now. The guy who posted the thread about playing metal bass (ohhhh crap, cat's outta the bag!) made the point about basically plucking the string down into the fretboard as opposed to up at you. You'd need really low action to make this happen. Since I do enjoy some '80s jams here'n there, I don't want this all the time. The additional compression keeps it all the same.

Stylistically, I'd approach playing "Round and Round" by Ratt far differently than, say, "Blinded by Fear" by At the Gates or even "Epic" by FNM.
 
#22
Inverness said:
The III is unappealing because, if I recall correctly as it's the precursor to the 3Pro, it's underpowered. I had a 3Pro before I got the II, and that was a big problem. (Please note, not looking to start another "3Pro is/isn't underpowered" discussion) That's why I was going to invest in a high-powered solid state amp. As to the inevitable "why not just get a 4Pro" question, I'd like to keep things modular.

@mustb: Yeah, he's a Peavey guy through and through. From way back, I think I read he uses (or used, anyway) a TB Raxx. Not totally sold on the Raxx's clean tone. I'm quite fond of the fullness and the tone colorization of the Ampeg stuff, so I'd at least like to stay in the Ampeg family.
Click to expand...


You are correct about the 3 pro. IMHO Its crap. But thats my opinion and thats not what this thread is about.

to the OP....I just sold my SVT II also. I regret it and miss it but I too sold it because I was tired of carrying around a 80 lb FRONT HEAVY rack. I'm a big dude with no back problems too. Just tired of it.
I went with a SVP PRO and couldnt be happier. I do want to get a SVP CL to check out but if you loved the SVT II get the SVP Pro.
The plus side of that too is that the SVP Pro has a master volume along with the gain whereas the SVT II only had gain with no master (the only thing I disliked). The SVP Pro also has a "drive" knob which effects over all volume and overdrive tones. So there are three volume effecting choices on the SVP Pro as opposed to one on the SVT II.
I run mine with a QSC PLX 1602. 4ohm 1600 watts bridged is plenty of poop to drive any big cab. I really like the rigidity that the SS power amp adds to the low end.
 
#24
You guys bring up an excellent point about the 1-volume-control-knob on the II. Right now, I have the volume dimed and then the signal is choked off (i.e., the output gain is at its lowest setting) at the compressor. This is, to me, not an ideal setup, as the dynamics are all messed up, and I could definitely use more control

Of course this baby sounds great when everything is saturated, but at that point, we're just at wall of noise territory.
 
#25
Inverness said:
You guys bring up an excellent point about the 1-volume-control-knob on the II. Right now, I have the volume dimed and then the signal is choked off (i.e., the output gain is at its lowest setting) at the compressor. This is, to me, not an ideal setup, as the dynamics are all messed up, and I could definitely use more control

Of course this baby sounds great when everything is saturated, but at that point, we're just at wall of noise territory.
Click to expand...

Running the SVT II dimed all the time will wear out your power tubes alot faster also. Just as guitarists that use a dimed marshall head and a power brake experience. Its definatley not the optimal set up.
 
#27
I have been down this track, for similar reasons of weight, bulk etc. A few years ago I sold my SVT2 and entered into the world of lightweight amps and pedals. I honestly don't think that after owning a good tube amp anything else really substitutes for it - certainly I had a couple of years of being mildly dissatisfied, despite owning a Markbass/ Bergantino/VT pedal rig. I have since gone back to an SVT VR or an Orange AD200 head and am content again. For me there is something about an all-tube head that cannot be replaced. I would urge you to at least hang on to your SVT2 for a little while if you can afford it while you try gigging with an alternative. I am close to sixty and yes, the weight is an issue, but the rewards of the SVT still make it all worthwhile.
 
#30
Man, it sounds like all that rack gear is the real issue.

Just get a normal sized rack case, even a lightweight one, and pick up a small pedalboard (pedaltrain mini or jr, plenty of other options). Rack tuners are a ridiculous waste of space, as are power conditioners (it's just a surge protector with rack ears), and if you really feel the need for a compressor, there are fantastic pedal compressors available these days (look at the Demeter Compulator or Maxon pedal compressor... which is just a dbx under a smaller hood).
 
#32
Inverness:

Years ago, I had an SVP-Pro tube preamp. I was not impressed. I don't think it is high voltage, and that's most likely the reason the tone was boring. (...and is it any wonder that Ampeg doesn't say anything about the voltage? You know darn well that if it was high voltage, they would loudly advertise that.)

I later tried a BBE BMax-T tube preamp. It's high voltage. Fantastic tone! A great preamp for the price.

I now have a Kern IP-777 tube preamp. Hard to find, yes, but worth every penny! I will never sell it. It just sounds way too good! It is, of course, high voltage. It will give smooth, and it will give grind. And it all sounds fantastic.

The moral of this story is, I strongly recommend you look for a high voltage tube preamp.

(In my opinion, of course).
 
#33
Look, as far as the compressor goes, let's just say it helps (a lot) when you go from playing really, really aggressive metal to '80s pop rock. If I didn't need to have those fretboard clack peaks brought under control, I wouldn't use it.

I am incredibly torn about this. This is THE sound I hear in my head when I think about what I want my tone to be - this SVT-II into the Aguilar cabs. I would just with more grit. But of course, at that point, like I said, we're in wall of sound territory. Also, for whatever reason, the DI on this particular amp is terrible. I mean, practically unusable. I actually have it XLR'ing out to the tuner. And it weighs like a zillion pounds.

I knew you all would talk me out of getting rid of it! This head is just too freakin' sweet. I dunno. I suppose I need a grindy OD pedal in front of this. Or a roadie. I suppose I can re-evaluate after I unload the G-Force, the PBDI, and three basses that I don't want anymore, see where money stands to test out a modular rig.

For those who have taken this road, how far would I be droppin' down the cliff going to, say, the IIp or the SVP-Pro or SVP-CL into a Crown/QSC type?
 
#34
if you're into the modular thing, take a look at the Fender tube preamp. coupla guys round these parts swear they're the greatest preamp ever made.

but seriously, that amp sounds sweet and you know you love it. you can easily get all the superfluous stuff in very high quality pedal versions (tuner, compressor, OD/fuzz/distortion) and chop a ton of rack weight that way. I used to use a rack setup, but I actually prefer to have the fx stuff handled by pedals anyway so you can easily stomp em mid-song, rather than having a rack setup AND having to bring along a footswitch.

All that said... if you're open to the idea of different amps and you want lower weight, take a gander at some of the micro options out there these days. There's quite a few amps that can do some pretty aggro rock depending how you have them setup... GK MB Fusion, Orange Terror Bass, Genz Benz Streamliner, Ampeg SVT7, Markbass LM-III (dude from Behemoth uses Markbass, if you can believe it), hell, my little 300 watt Walkabout can get pretty damn gnarly and it is about as loud as an SVT when plugged into the same size cab. There's a world of cool stuff out there these days.
 
#35
thats interesting...I used my SVT II's D.I. every show and never had an issue with it. Not having a D.I. volume control kinda sucked though. The SVP Pro has a volume for the D.I.
The SVP Pro will do what you want it to do but when going directly from the SVT II to the Preamp there are differences. My old settings on the II dont sound the same when dialed in on the Preamp...things like that. I really like the Preamp and with the poweramp and new rack it weighs half of what my SVT II did. 35 lbs might still sound like alot for some guys even after dropping down from 80 lbs. But its a world of difference.
I think though......really.....for everything you have said and described that you should sell your SVT II and get a SVT II pro. Not a SVP Pro.....but a SVT II Pro. The same thing as your head but the newer version with a master volume. Then buy a 4 space rack for it and be done with it. Get a pedal tuner and carry a shoulder bag for anything else you might need that wont fit in your bass case. Or...even upgrade your bass case to one with more storage space (roadrunner poly foam molded case has tons of storage) to make up for the lost space.
I will buy another full tube Ampeg amp again in the next year or two. But this time it will be the mid-late 90's (blue letter) SVT II pro (master volume). Unless a reasonably priced AD200B presents itself before then:D

FWIW....i was selling my SVT II when I had the "this **** is to heavy to carry around" freakout.....to buy a 6 pound Streamliner 900. Because of the possibility of a 2-4 week wait for the SL I chickened out trying something new because i HATE waiting. There were some guys saying that the SL sounded great when dialed in for metal or lower tuned music. But I was buying blind. Since that usually never works out good for me I went back to Ampeg at the last minute. I kept hearing my wife over and over in my head......"you always say go with what you know......so you have no one to yell at when you dont like it" . I know Ampeg. It works for me.
 
#36
Inverness said:
For those who have taken this road, how far would I be droppin' down the cliff going to, say, the IIp or the SVP-Pro or SVP-CL into a Crown/QSC type?
Click to expand...
not as far as you think you would, but more that you might be able to deal with. it's different, no doubt. the feeling you get playing an amp hurtling your precious bass signal through a handful of preamp tubes and 6 giant power tubes and into a giant output transformer is a very different vibe than anything else. it's not career ending to go solid state ;) but you'll lose something in the translation, for sure.

there's a dude on here named johnk who owns a bunch of svt's and a ton of different pres, including the ampegs, and he says to get what you're looking for, the universal audio 6176 is the way to go. it's a tube pre/tube compressor that is very high end and not cheap, but it's studio quality. he really knows his stuff, and though i've not played one, i believe him. but you could buy 3 svt 2's for what it costs. me, i'd suck it up and use the svt 2.
 
#38
ishouldbeking said:
Man, it sounds like all that rack gear is the real issue.

Just get a normal sized rack case, even a lightweight one, and pick up a small pedalboard (pedaltrain mini or jr, plenty of other options). Rack tuners are a ridiculous waste of space, as are power conditioners (it's just a surge protector with rack ears), and if you really feel the need for a compressor, there are fantastic pedal compressors available these days (look at the Demeter Compulator or Maxon pedal compressor... which is just a dbx under a smaller hood).
Click to expand...


I disagree with your statement about rack tuners, but the rest I agree with...


- georgestrings
 
#39
As far as compressors and most of your rack gear goes, there are very good stompbox alternatives. I would see myself racking up some gear with a lighter tube amp, but for an SVT-II I'd give it its own rack and have the FX stuff either in a separate rack or on a pedalboard. It's indeed a pain to carry, but since the moment I first played my SVT-II, I realized there was no way I'd go back to hybrids anytime soon.

BTW, EBS MultiComp is a fantastic compressor. Their stuff aren't all GREAT, but IMO all of them are well above average, and the MultiComp is pretty close to the best compressor stompbox out there.
 
#40
I played the thing for 2+ hours yesterday (pretty sure I owe my neighbors some beer or something...) using my newer EBMM SR5 HS (which I got from austentatiousC, incidentally) and my Zon Sonus, and I learned two things. Dag nabbit, it sounded phenomenal at almost any setting, even with my Russian Muff pedal on some of the settings. Sounded really gnarly with the Zon blend rolled towards the bridge pickup. The other thing that I noticed, unfortunately, is that the Ultra Hi button has decided to stop working and the "Bright" input has a significant volume decrease. I think I need to take it to our local Tallahassee tube tech guys at Class A Electronics.

I think the moral of this story here is that I shouldn't have the II in a rack with anything! Time to strip down the rig, sell off everything except the amp, and start from the ground up again - get a 4-space rack, for starters, just for the amp. I still have thought of getting a VT bass or one of those preamps we've talked about here and an 800-watt SS amp to drive the 212 and have that be the "light" rig.

I may have gotten a little carried away with unloading stuff, since like I said, I'm moving across country in a few weeks. It's still going to be a mass exodus, but this is the second time I'm doing this - the first time was another big move, from NJ to FL in 2005. Man, I hope I don't have to make any big moves again soon. I might end up selling everything!

Now that I actually have this thing called "free time," I can start getting boxes, taking pictures, and unloading some of this unnecessary/redundant gear. Oh, and get a Supporting Membership so I can keep it all in the TB fam. Thanks for talking me off the ledge. :)
 

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