Lowering the volume for an SVT-CL

[sharkbait130]

A couple of times , I've actually used my SVT and 8 10 with a couple of un mic'd acoustic guitars. Heck , mine has 2 volume controls and whaddayaknow......both of them can be turned down. Holy cow , my bass even has a volume control and wonder of all wonders , it can be turned down too. I'm flabbergasted.
As to running my SVT head at 8 ohms , I've never had to do it. I don't think I would either but that may just be my electronic OCD. Obviously there are people that HAVE done it , apparently with no ill effects. I think I read somewhere that running an SVT at 8 ohms works the tubes a little harder but don't take me to the bank on that one.

 

[Modest_Moose]

Thank you for clarifying. I have done it to rentals but I always have been a little hesitant to run it that way on my own svts. For the past year I have been looking for the best way to down size but keep the svt so I may try this and see what happens/ hope for the best

I just picked up the ampeg 212 to downsize my rig a bit and it pairs excellent with my CL and its 4 ohms

 

[Korladis]

I'm not sure I see the issue? The amp has a volume knob.

 

[bobyoung53]

Yes. Turn the volume knob down.

I'll bet everyone who wanted to answer was going to post that, I know I was, I've been using SVT's for years and they sound great at lower volumes.

 

[bobyoung53]

I have seachered a lot for this. And this is the first time someone has sounded so confident about running it at 8ohms. Are you sure?

I used one at 8 ohms for a while unknown to me and I wore out the power tubes quickly and it didn't have the power it has at 4 ohms an actually it just didn't sound right either, big difference if you want to play fairly loud. To be fair to Bill Hughes they are really good amps and last forever and it didn't screw up the amp, it just was softer, distorted quicker and the power tubes wore out more quickly.

 

[bobyoung53]

Lots of pedal options for getting that SVT tone without getting that SVT backache - Ampeg Classic, Scrambler, or SCR-DI, Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI or Sansamp VT Bass, Behringer BDI21 V-Tone (which is an appallingly obvious rip-off clone of the VT bass, or any of the Zoom multi effects (B2, B3, MS60), they all come with a ton of amp and cam emulations, and the SVT is always among them. Pick one that works for you and stick with your lighter weight amps.

I use an EBS Valvedrive with mine, it's got one 12AX7 in it and really gets that tube overdrive sound, from just a tiny bit of bite to all the way really clipped, I really like it.

 

[bobyoung53]

Unlike SS amps, valve amps normally have a switch to match the ohms of the cabinets and you don't get any more power running at 4 ohms than you do at 8. If I recall correctly (Jimmy help out here) those earlier SVT 810 cabs were literally made of two 410 partitions at 8 ohms each and had a separate input plug in for each section. So using both of them was a 4 ohm load. And let's be real, who here would just plug in half of an SVT Fridge? So running two 8 ohm cabs is really how it was designed to work...stack away!

Early 810's had one input jack and were 4 ohms, later on they split them up, not sure when sometime in the 90's I believe.

 

[GeneralElectric]

For all the folks telling me to keep a back up amp, I totally will!

Amp doesn't wanna leave standby mode so I ended up getting it for a song. Anyone have any amp techs NYC?

 

[patrickhowell]

Jimmy, what about using one of the SS Micro SVT’s for home use? One of them is only 100w, and that’s much lighter. Then use the big amp for full bands and live shows.

Any of the new Portaflex heads would be a great practice/backup option too.

 

[Korladis]

I rehearsed/jammed through a vintage SVT into a pair of vintage 8x10's a few months back - IMO I'd have rather have had my TH350 although that rig was useable. YMMV

Nobody cares.