have the D's toppled the SVT's?

[High Camp]

Compare it with cars: the sensible choice: a modern Toyota...
compared to a 1970 Mustang...
The first one is wise, the second one is exciting!

 

[Pilgrim]

Never had an SVT, never wanted one. Never been that jacked about heavy amps. My Sunn Coliseum-300 weighed almost 40 pounds and I never liked moving it even though it sounded great.

My Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.2 weighs under 4 pounds, sounds fantastic.

Happiness reigns.

 

[bass151]

These posts are just plain silly. I know that I don't care to play through an SVT, I much prefer the sound of my non tube rig and a lot of other non tube rigs as well. If an SVT backline is provided I can make it sound good enough. So many of you think that every amp manufacturer that make Class D or SS amps is trying to make an amp that sounds like an all tube amp. Well guys, the better ones are not. I for one don't want my amp to distort or grind, that's not my sound. For me clean, fat punchy with lots of clean headroom and volume is where it's at. Svt's will not go away until the one's the backline company's own die. At that point, it will be interesting to see how many are replaced with ANY all tube heads. SVT'S are classics partially because they were one of the best amp's available when they first came out, and many of us grew up with them. For the guys who didn't know what they were missing till they plugged into one, well that means you just found a real rock sound. For some of us not better or worse, just that rock sound. For me if I have to carry more weight, it will be more, or bigger and better cabs. For me that is a bigger part of my sound.

 

[shwashwa]

i predict the rise of the low watt tube amp! for everything that has no PA i use a 50 watt (small and light) tube amp with no problem keeping up. anything that would be too loud for that amp i go ampless with a preamp pedal.

 

[Lowbrow]

When I finally played through my first all tube amp this year I was amazed at the difference when compared to my class D. I'm not exactly a fan of carrying around something that weighs so much, but it's a small sacrifice for such a massive upgrade in sound. I don't necessarily believe in tube amp supremacy forever, but class D isn't going to be the SVT slayer.

I see it in reverse: SVT inconvenience is a huge sacrifice in a world where we have the Mesa Subway and others as alternatives. And expect that class D will continue to improve.

 

[RED J]

really ? there are plenty of Fender amps out there, still happily doing gigs - other Ampegs too .. V4Bs, Sunn 200/2000's, Hiwatts, Traynors etc.....
SVT's ain't the only amp that have "stood the test of time" brother

You are correct, maybe I should clarify, have stayed in steady production from introduction until now in essentially the same form.

 

[M Sterling]

Depends on the situation. Class D heads fill a spot in the market for working-class musicians who don't usually have other people to haul their gear. For most touring establishments and backline companies the heavy iron wins and probably will, for the foreseeable future.

 

[Manticore]

I rarely use an amp now. Tube amps are fun, but just aren't very practical for daily use. NO one asked, but I've always preferred HI Watt tube amps over an SVT...

 

[bobyoung53]

When all the current fad amps are gathering dust in the corner Ampeg SVT's are still going to be rocking.

 

[monsterthompson]

 

[bobyoung53]

My svt seems to only go out for bigger outdoor shows these days, but man when it does, it sounds great. I have a gk system that I use mostly for club gigs, because it is so portable. On the down side, the gk system, with its focus on being lightweight, gives up some reliability. I have blown a 12" speaker on a neo cab, and now the mb800 is not working. Neither were abused, just gigged a lot.

The Ampeg on the other hand, is a solid workhorse and shows no signs of slowing down. The 810 cab is from the 70's, and I bought it used from Throughgood music in Tampa in the early 90's. It sounds as good as the day I got it.

I like both systems but the Ampeg, in my opinion, is built with longevity in mind. I guess it just depends how much the sound it worth hauling it.

I have two 40 year old SVT heads and two even older cabs, both cabs have all the original speakers and the heads have only had tube changes and cap jobs. SVT's are very reliable regardless of what some people think. My heads always make the gig with me, I sometimes bring Ampeg single 4 ohm 15" cabs for small rooms. I go to a lot of jams and have used a lot of different amps and while I like some of them, NONE of them sound as good as an SVT. SVT's are the amp against which all others are measured.

 

[Clouz]

A tube amp made in 1970 and one made in 2016 are two very different animals as most know. I seriously doubt 40 years from now people are going to be gigging a 2016 Ampeg Heritage because they are designed and built using Micro processors and new electronics that I doubt will stand the test of time. 2 different "tube guy" techs (as I call them ) have looked at my Heritage head and told me they didn't like the design or the way it was assembled. I won't elaborate any further but I will say mine is going to be history very soon. Don't get me wrong, that head with the matching 810 still sounds fantastic but I trust these guys and their very learned opinions.

 

[nostatic]

If you're seeing SVTs, it likely is a house or rental backline. They want to get their money's worth, so they'll use them until the break.

Whenever I've had a house backline with an SVT I've always found it sounded worse than my own rig but I've got a certain sound I like. Ymmv. But at this point with the quality of the new gear an SVT is either legacy or for "the look." Eventually both will fade. There is are good reasons for guitarists preferring tube amps (especially low power), much less justification for bass players beyond sentimentality.

But play what you dig. No way I'm hauling anything beyond 10lbs around for a head but knock yourself out

 

[Funkinthetrunk]

I have both. But, you just can't replicate the sound of an all tube amp when pushed to its limit. If that's not your thing, then Class D are awesome these days, which is my preference. But sexiness never goes out of style.

 

[wmhill]

go out to 10 clubs with bands, and see how many of each you see. I'd bet class D will rule. I couldn't image going back to the old school stuff.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Noone makes a full line of tube amps from practice combos to huge stage rigs any more.

Given that the thread title specifically calls out the SVT it's odd you'd forget that Ampeg does that. B15N reissue in the 25-30 watt combo range and the PF-20T and 50T heads with the portaflex cabs on the low watt combo end, V4BRI at 100 watts, SVT at 300 watts.

Ashdown has 15 and 30 watt tube bass combos, 15, 30, 100, and 300 watt heads.

Fender has the 25/100 watt head and a 300 watt head. Mesa has some switchable wattage heads, but no longer combos.

Maybe not as many companies as there used to be but considering they're some of the biggest names in the market I wouldn't say no one.

 

[peterpalmieri]

I'm not sure about SVTs but my V4b sounds glorious and is smaller and lighter then most one cab solutions guys seem to think are all the rage. Fits on the same small folding hand truck I used to load my 210 neo on.

 

[outoftune]

I have pretty much relegated my tube amps to 100 watt versions. I absolutely loved my SVT CL but it was just overkill for me. I was able to use it here and there and sometimes I'd break it out for a larger bar show but for the most oart it was sitting.
I took mine to Guitar Center and they were hesitant to take it into their store because they just do not sell well.
I finally found someone that wanted it but only to put in their shop.

 

[bass151]

Comparing 40 year old SVT's to the other guys amps at jams doesn't exactly seem like a fair comparison. Most of the jams I attend, which is hardly any anymore, mostly because the host bass players bring small low quality amps for everybody to beat the crap out of. There real gear stays safely at home. My current band hosts two jams a month and we do very well, parlty because I use a decent 410 with a very good 900 watt class D amp. That rig will peel paint off the walls and a lot of the local bassists attend because they get to play through a good rig. But compairing SVT'S to most guys jam rig is not a good reference point.

 

[lermgalieu]

I bought a tube head last October (Bassman 100T), gigged with it 3x, and it sounded awesome. Nevertheless, I returned it within 30 days and bought a Subway. No regrets. Only way I will rock a tube head again is in a studio or at my house.