goodbye fridge (the "replace my svt" thread)

Come on, you already know the answer to the V4B vs YBA question I have, however, heard that the Peavey VB2 does a pretty good job at copping the vibe and it'll give you 100 more watts.

Actually, the 410HE is probably a decent substitute. I don't find it lacking in low end at all. I like its low end. It's very 810-like. Doesn't have as much fury as the 810, but it would work. For what you're doing, I think it's worth a shot to see if you like it with a V4B. I think there are better solutions, but they cost money and you have a 410HE already.

 

Why are you selling the head? Isn't the v4b the same size as the cl?
WHy not keep the head and find a cab(s) you like?

 

The V4B is much smaller and lighter...probably 20-25 lbs. less.

 

For low wattage tube heads I recommend something with monstrous sensitivity.

Call Don at LDS and ask him for a 2x15 cabinet with a 6nd410 midrange and two 3015 (non-LF's). That's my suggestion. It'll get cheaper than most any Ampeg cab and be lighter as well, as well as being twice (10db) as loud. Maybe only 6db louder, but definitely close.

That cab should be 4 ohms, with a 103db sensitivity from 50hz to 5000hz or so With a good quality horn, 10khz+.

Edit: No need to be vertical with a midrange Save some space.

 

You know, as much of a sacrilege as it may be to hook up an SVT in any cab but an 810 , I think I'm going the high efficiency route like rpsands is talking about, too. At least for a while. Something like what he described would move more air than an 810 and would have a lot better throw for the higher frequencies. You can scale it down and still get pretty intense with the air, too. It's all kind of new to me, but so far I really like what I've heard from it. Doesn't necessarily sound just like an 810 but they got pedals for that now It's not a cheap solution, but it's not prohibitively expensive, either.

 

And so, the quest begins.....

Later followed by regret and a search for an SVT and 810.

 

Another solution I've heard suggested (by BFM) is a tower with a 3015LF at the bottom xover'd low (like 200-400hz) to a trio of guitar speakers for the highs. With neos you could get the weight significantly under an 8x10 and it'd be crazy loud, and sound similar to an 8x10 if not be able to replicate the sound entirely.

Either way I doubt anyone with a 2x15 with 3015s and a V4BH will want to go back to an SVT / 8x10. Maybe an SVT with the 215

 

Don't forget, OP's looking for a sealed cab...

Ported cabs need not apply. Probably the mid driver ought to stay home too. Just sayin'.

 

The vintage tone really doesn't require a sealed cabinet. A ported 3015 tuned pretty high would suit his needs almost assuredly.

When people post arbitrary things like "Must be a sealed cab" or "Must use 10" drivers" I tend to just tune that out. The OP could get a sealed cab with twice as many drivers, but there's basically no point to it.

Also, it sounds like he's trying to get something that'll be fairly close in volume to an 8x10, or at least loud enough to get over drums.

Getting over a loud drummer with an inefficient sealed cabinet and a 100w tube head is not gonna work super well. And the OP is talking about a 4x10 or a 2x10/1x15, so I'm going with stuff about that size.

 

PM'ed about the SVT.

 

There are some sealed cabs out there that sound good, but when you're talking downsizing, I think it's best to forget about it with anything smaller than a 410, though I do hear good things about the new Ampeg 210AV's that come with the Micro-VR.

Shane's point is well-taken, BTW. I might try out a new fangled cab but I'm still keeping my SVT/810

 

There are definitely some sealed cabs that sound good but meh.

The SVT itself is most of the sound in my eyes. The 8x10 is the cheap side of the equation that's easy to replicate.

 

my v4b is 26 1/2 in wide,slightly wider than svt,but lots lighter.....what about 2 x 1x15's.....portability,flexibility,and oomph

 

Now you're just being silly If it were that easy, everyone would do it.

 

Since I got rid of my 8x10, I have been using the following 3 setups with my SVT-CL:

- Sadowsky SA410 cab (made by Bergantino)
- Ampeg 410HE
- Ampeg SVT 210 and 115 cabs together

I find that the Sadowsky cab sounds the best and is big enough for all but the biggest rooms. Ampeg cabs always sound good with SVT heads, but the 4x10 to my ears sounds better than the 210 and 115 together.

Lastly, I like the ability to mix and match and for large outdoor gigs I will use both 4x10 cabs. The ability to add a 1x15 or 1x10 to a 4x10 is also a handy thing IMO. I will likely never go back to the fridge.

 

It is that easy and people don't do it because it's more an image thing than a sound thing

One man's opinion, of course.

 

It's easy to get the response and the air movement now but not necessarily the voicing. That seems to come a little less easy. But now you can get the voicing with a pedal

 

The Traynor Mark II/YBA-1A is closer to what you want. It takes two power tubes at a high plate voltage, so powerwise it's about 1/3 of an SVT or roughly 100 watts.

The preamps aren't really very similar. I love my Mark II. I put KT-88's in it (it usually takes EL-34's). I run it into a Fender BXR 410, which is a sealed cab. I hated the speakers in it and I was having trouble selling it so I put a set of Jensen Mod 10/50's in it. It's cool. It gives something of an SVT vibe being all tube into a sealed cab with "SVT replacement speakers" (so claims the manufacturer).

What I wouldn't claim is that it's like a small SVT. I haven't really played an SVT, but I know that there are enough differences that it just isn't. I don't really care. It's cool on its own.

I want to get a set of 5751 preamp tubes in there to get more sweep of the volume knobs before raging distortion. Right now the volume knobs are pretty useless beyond noon.

Good luck on your search.

KO