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I miss my SVT rigs....
- Thread starter henryjurstin13
- Start date
Once you start playing the fan doesn't exist anymore plus it's like any continuous sound, you forget it's there even if you're not playing, fan noise is another thing I never thought of along with weight, neck dive etc before I got here.I switch a blueline to 12AX7's years ago when 12DW7's were getting rare and I didn't notice any change in the sound, not sure if that was because of the circuitry or the tubes. The real early heads had Rotron fans which needed to be oiled believe it or not, when they were full of oil all you could hear was the air noise. A lot of people didn't realize it and burnt them out I think.
If it's a typical--average or normal for SVT's--level of fan noise I wouldn't care.
The complaints I've read about exceptionally bad noise, particular to MTI's, is evidently not so much about the fan itself but more about dynamics created by how they're mounted to the grille and how air drags, moving through the grille holes.
The way MTI did this (and some, but not all HD skunkworks units) is quite different from how they are on '69 to '75 heads, '76 to '79 and subsequent SLM, LOUD and Yamaha era heads, where there's a rear grille and a rear grille mounted fan.
'69-'75 Ampeg
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'76 to '79 Magnavox
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MTI
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'87 Skunkworks/HD variants
More common and improved
2007 - Present
If it's a typical--average or normal for SVT's--level of fan noise I wouldn't care.
The complaints I've read about exceptionally bad noise, particular to MTI's, is evidently not so much about the fan itself but more about dynamics created by how they're mounted to the grille and how air drags, moving through the grille holes.
The way MTI did this (and some, but not all HD skunkworks units) is quite different from how they are on '69 to '75 heads, '76 to '79 and subsequent SLM, LOUD and Yamaha era heads, where there's a rear grille and a rear grille mounted fan.
'69-'75 Ampeg
Link Removed
'76 to '79 Magnavox
Link Removed
MTI
Link Removed
'87 Skunkworks/HD variants
More common and improved
2007 - Present
My Skunkworks head had the fan mounted so it blew air out rather than in which I thought was either a mistake or a lousy design, I reversed it. Mine was somewhere in the 200's and had the flat grille IIRC. It also had 12AX7's.
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My first blueline had a fan like this, you would use a screwdriver and turn the little blue insert counterclockwise and it would come out, you then tipped it on its face (or at least that's what I did) and filled it with oil, quietest SVT fans I've heard, course a lot of people didn't realize they had to oil them and they eventually froze up, the one I have now has a replacement fan in it. That one on top is missing the plastic grille, mine got bashed and fell off too.
Link Removed
My first blueline had a fan like this, you would use a screwdriver and turn the little blue insert counterclockwise and it would come out, you then tipped it on its face (or at least that's what I did) and filled it with oil, quietest SVT fans I've heard, course a lot of people didn't realize they had to oil them and they eventually froze up, the one I have now has a replacement fan in it. That one on top is missing the plastic grille, mine got bashed and fell off too.
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Man! How much does that thing weigh? My PR-410HLF's weigh at least 130 lbs. How do they sound compared to a normal SVT 810 cab?
Manuel says; 212 lbs.
I think the 810HC is 194 lbs.
I'd ask the dude with the pic in his rig..? @Razman
I haven't been able to find a consistent correlation between when/where/what numbers in the whole Skunkworks product run of 500 and the flat back grille.
From what I've tracked down and read here on TB, the fan on the MTI SVT's is supposed to be, according to design intent, mounted/oriented to move air out through the back grille, rather than pull air in through the grille.
Which way in fact works better I can't say but I agree, it's seems not the best design overall, especially compared other possible options and out of all the other existing versions prior and since.
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Skunkworks must have copied that then, but I don't think it did anything that way, they used to blow on the power tranny which is really the only thing that needs to be kept cool in those. I've never heard of anyone blowing one either.
Oh yeah, it's the way they're mounted, the ones with their own grilles like the old ones were much quieter, the ones that blow through the metal grilles are louder. I don't remember if my skunkworks head's fan was loud but I do think it was and I also think it quieted down once I reversed it. I can hear the fan blade noise from being too close to the grille on my late seventies head I have here.
Whether it was copied or the flat grilles were among the already fabricated/leftover MTI parts that were used to build the Skunkworks run of 500, I don't know. I'm reading and learning as much as I can about the MTI and post-MTI Skunkworks transition, as fast I can on the fly.
All valve Hiwatt through a full stack. Maximum R n B.!!
Played an acoustic 320 back in the day through 4x15 cab. That could have knocked out a T72 tank at 500 metres !
Played an acoustic 320 back in the day through 4x15 cab. That could have knocked out a T72 tank at 500 metres !
I'm in dialogue, including offers, with two people selling MTI SVT's and another selling that SVT II np. I estimate I'll probably be the new owner of one of these three within the next 48 hours.
Right now, I think I personally prefer an MTI over the 2, at least slightly. It think they're both great.
Right now, I think I personally prefer an MTI over the 2, at least slightly. It think they're both great.
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When I was a kid I used a Marshall Major through two Sunn 2000S cabs with JBL- D-140's, you could feel the air hitting you 10 to 20 feet out, it used to rattle glasses and things in clubs. So did double SVT's. I miss those days.
When I was a kid I used a Marshall Major through two Sunn 2000S cabs with JBL- D-140's, you could feel the air hitting you 10 to 20 feet out, it used to rattle glasses and things in clubs. So did double SVT's. I miss those days.
Great rig!!
I got into an arms race with a lead guitarist so bought an acoustic 320
I was able to snap knicker elastic at 100 metres with it. Being a gentleman I cannot divulge anymore information on the subject other than Cardiff university and the nurses home!!
I was a young man then now at 66 I still like a large rig and just get others to move it!
Oh yeah, I'm still lugging too. I had never heard of an Acoustic 320, there's one on Reverb right now though. One of the places I used to regularly play with those Sunns called us the Big Wind. I don't think I ever snapped knickers though, at least not with my amp.
Oh yeah, I'm still lugging too. I had never heard of an Acoustic 320, there's one on Reverb right now though. One of the places I used to regularly play with those Sunns called us the Big Wind. I don't think I ever snapped knickers though, at least not with my amp.
ahead of their time came with a foot switch to toggle Chanel’s A or B graphic in or out fx loops etc etc.
Probably graced more stages than an SM57
Louder than an SVT and 8x10. I did get to play both side by side in a music store
