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Is the Heritage Ampeg SVT-CL worth it?

#41
beans-on-toast said:
As pointed out, a thicker board or more copper doesn't necessarily mean better in this application but it is a lot more road worthy. The small bump in cost allows for a better board that performs and looks a lot better than a thinner one.

They had to do something more than just include a premium set of tubes to help differentiate the Heritage model from the standard CL. A better board is also a good marketing feature.
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Well, that was my point, the boards are NOT thicker, there isn't a big change, if ANY change. EVERY maker of Ampeg has used boards at least that thick, if not thicker......

Which is not to say that the amp isn't pretty nice........

But that hype is a little like saying "our automobiles have a superior type design using 4 wheels"........
 
#43
Jim C said:
Well said.
While I can be a dreamer like the next guy, some of the statements made and the amount of a$$ kissing for unreleased products is pretty juvenile. The GB Streamer thread is a great example. I have read posts by the same people that cristicised the earlier GB amps for being sterile and now offer heaps of praise for an amp that hasn't shipped yet. While I agree that GB is a top shelf company, there is no guarantee that this amp will sound as claimed just because it has 3 12AX7's in its' design.
Falls under the "I want to believe so therefore it must be true"

Back to the topic at hand.
Can you describe the differences you hear between your Heritage and the CL?
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Sure thing!

With the "regular" CL, you get the much expected "AMPEG" sound that we all have come to know and (hopefully) love. The Heritage, on the other hand, while you get the anticipated CL "tone", when coupled with the HSVT 8X10e - you get (and this is difficult to describe) an almost "Hifidelity" type tone.....very pleasing (at least to my ears).

The new drivers that they are using seem to fit this head and cabinet like a glove....

I am curious to hear Tom's take, because it is, inded, a different (but the same) animal.....and I'm sorry, but that's the best way I can describe it. :D
 
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#44
Eskimo Spy said:
See my earlier post regarding the difference in boards, it's more than a thicker board...
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Oh, I saw it........................ Double sided, and heavier copper are not new either...... Both have been used in Ampegs before, and at the time of the sale to Loud....... Both have been used in SVT units.....

These days, there is "almost" a premium charged for using single-side...... unless you use the old-time phenolic boards, like the ones in the original SVT..... we know how unreliable and troublesome those units are (not).....

There were even double-thick 3.2mm boards used in some units. That was not repeated, it didn't really have an advantage.

So, If Loud is continuing to use good boards, and have made a good amp, good for them..... They needed to, because the "make it cheaper in china" policy of Jamie Engen was otherwise going to pull Loud down and force yet another sale of Ampeg......probably to Behringer.

As I said, good materials make a good amp better, but they don't improve a bad one in the least.
 
#45
Buster Brown said:
Sure thing!

With the "regular" CL, you get the much expected "AMPEG" sound that we all have come to know and (hopefully) love. The Heritage, on the other hand, while you get the anticipated CL "tone", when coupled with the HSVT 8X10e - you get (and this is difficult to describe) an almost "Hifidelity" type tone.....very pleasing (at least to my ears).

The new drivers that they are using seem to fit this head and cabinet like a glove....

I am curious to hear Tom's take, because it is, inded, a different (but the same) animal.....and I'm sorry, but that's the best way I can describe it. :D
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Fair enough
Would you say that the new cabinets offer a larger difference in tone than the new amps, or do they both offer about the same sonic inprovements?
(I know, an unfair and difficult question :eyebrow:)
 
#47
Those Heritage SVT's sound just great. I always rent SVT CL's when I tour and a recent Heritage rental was the best one that I have used to date, (other than my mid 70's SVT heads which just sound the best to me.)

My question is, if you want an SVT, at 2k+ for a new Heritage aren't you already in the market for a vintage 70's SVT head? Even if you find one in less than perfect shape, new tubes and a going-thru isn't that much considering, $300-400. (I just had both of mine retubed and serviced.)
 
#48
PaulieBe said:
Those Heritage SVT's sound just great. I always rent SVT CL's when I tour and a recent Heritage rental was the best one that I have used to date, (other than my mid 70's SVT heads which just sound the best to me.)

My question is, if you want an SVT, at 2k+ for a new Heritage aren't you already in the market for a vintage 70's SVT head? Even if you find one in less than perfect shape, new tubes and a going-thru isn't that much considering, $300-400. (I just had both of mine retubed and serviced.)
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It can be more...my 69 cost me about $800 to get working again 6 years ago. Granted, it was a real project, and most won't be that much.

Nothing at all wrong with old SVT's. But they do use a couple tubes that aren't available new, one of which is almost always microphonic, and 12dw7's are available new through JJ but they're built pretty crappy. On the bright side, they're all available and plentiful as NOS. But a 5-year warranty on the new ones is quite nice, and so is that black sparkle grillcloth ;) It's also lighter and slightly less bulky. Plus the Heritage is an SVT-CL, and some folks like having the separate gain and master. You could easily make a case for either, but despite having a 69, I still got a Heritage and I'm glad I did, especially the cab. The original flatback 810 is the standard for all 810's, but I think the Heritage 810e totally hangs with it and is much easier to move around.
 
#50
Ralle said:
Hi There what an interesting thread, I just bourght the Heritage us and got Lucky enough to get it at half Price in a local shop where it had been a demo model for 1½ years.
i played svt pro7 and 4x10 hlf for 1 year now which sounds like heaven but im looking forword to play the Heritage us instead
i wil let you now how it sounds/feels
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Congrats! I'm betting you'll LOVE it! There's a big difference between one pre amp tube in a class D amp and 6x6550 power tubes!
I'll be keen to hear your thoughts of your lovely new amp.
 
#51
JimmyM said:
slight correction chuck...the heritage uses winged c power tubes and jj pre tubes.

as for the qc, stuff does happen sometimes, but i'm convinced this group in charge of loud is worlds better than the previous idiot-led loud regime, and every ampeg product i've played made since then has worked great, including the handful of cl's i've played and my micro vr stack. that said, from all reports i've heard the heritage cl is even better than the regular cl's, including the previous us cl's, so yeah, i might suck up the extra money and get one of them instead.
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Jimmy are you sure they are still using Winged C tubes in the new heritage models? Last time I contacted Ampeg they said JJ power tubes come with it now.

I would recommend buying an svt on Craigslist for $800-1,100
 
#52
Slpbass81 said:
Jimmy are you sure they are still using Winged C tubes in the new heritage models? Last time I contacted Ampeg they said JJ power tubes come with it now.

I would recommend buying an svt on Craigslist for $800-1,100
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Old thread that started when the HSVT first came out. As for your recommendation, sure you could do that, but I'll tell you...I've only bought one used tube amp in my life that didn't require some money to be dropped into it. And the Heritage is truly a blessed rig ;) The cab especially.
 
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#53
rodl2005 said:
Congrats! I'm betting you'll LOVE it! There's a big difference between one pre amp tube in a class D amp and 6x6550 power tubes!
I'll be keen to hear your thoughts of your lovely new amp.
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I just played it this weekend at 2 gigs and i gotta say, i usally play my svt-pro7 on the 410 HLF CAB
I allways had a feeling that the preamp could'nt handle the input from my stingray and my sandberg callifornia, BUT THIS AMP :-) the SCT-cl heretage us does it all.
So much power and so much headroom, the way it sounds is fantastic
Now i have my bass eq set at neutral, were before i allways boosted the bas


rodl2005 said:
Congrats! I'm betting you'll LOVE it! There's a big difference between one pre amp tube in a class D amp and 6x6550 power tubes!
I'll be keen to hear your thoughts of your lovely new amp.
Click to expand...
 
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#54
am thinking about getting a ampeg heritage svt-cl and play it through a ashdown 900 watt cab...any suggestions? I already have a orange ob1 500 watt head and it sounds killer but I keep reading the heritage is a monster...too bad its heavy ..bummer..... but I was wondering if anybody played an ampeg heritage through a 610 ashdown cab and what it sounds like
 
#55
AmericanFenderJazzMan said:
am thinking about getting a ampeg heritage svt-cl and play it through a ashdown 900 watt cab...any suggestions? I already have a orange ob1 500 watt head and it sounds killer but I keep reading the heritage is a monster...too bad its heavy ..bummer..... but I was wondering if anybody played an ampeg heritage through a 610 ashdown cab and what it sounds like
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I play it on ampeg 4x10 hlf on bigger gigs and a fender rumble 1x15 when doing smaller cafe gigs and both sounds soo great så i betting on both yours wil du just fine with the herritage us model its just an amazing top
 
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#57
My sunburst '64 and Heritage rig--sounds exactly like you think it would! ;)

IMG_1426_zpsc7ac21ea.jpg
 
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#58
Just picked up a New Heritage SVT-CL, and used it last nite at an outdoor show....Had FOH support.....Cabinet was. Bergantino HS410.....It was every thing I hoped for and more....Master was dimed, input gain at 10.....Sweet, clean and fat, when played light to medium with the fingers... Gnarly when I dug in! I have a V4B ri....It's a different beast......Bass was a Fender American Professional....
20170127_173010.jpg
 
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