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NAD: Ampeg SVT Classic

john_g

john_g

Sep 14, 2007
7,684
5,250
Pennsylvania
#1
Hey all,

Just got home from Guitar Center with my brand new SVT CL. I hooked up my Steinberger XL2 first (had it handy) and all I have to say is, wow! With some minor dialing of the knobs, I got a thick but snarly tone. I can already tell its going to work very well in the band mix. Just has that sweet spot that will support the band.

I have never had a tube amp before in 26+ years of playing. Also, I now know what is meant about "tube watts". I run it to a 410HLF and with it only turned up a little, it shakes the house! I had been using a Markbass LMII (which is 500 watts) and this thing is much louder. It "feels" different. The speakers are almost saying "THIS is what Ive been asking for!".

Glad I went for it...now, to pay for it! lol
John
 
#2
Cool beans! Sounds like a super rig of doom now. Plugging into tubes when you're used to solid state is quite a revelation, eh? I was fortunate to get my taste of it early on in life, but I never forgot it. Hope you have fun with your new SVT rig!
 
#4
Congrats, I remember when I did the switch to all tube SVT's from my SWR stuff. The headroom was incredible. It took me a bit to get used to the amp, they are a total different beast. I am happy with my move totally and I don't think you will regret the move at all.

Maybe having to lug the heavy bugger around is the only negative but that's what your band buds are for, right?? ;) :D
 
#5
Speaking as a guy who plays high powered SS amps, all I can say is that most of the dudes dissing tube amps either can't afford them ( which is my case) or haven't played them. I got a chance to play a rented SVT-CL a few weekends ago. All I can say is damn.

Congrats bro.
 
#7
Man, this is exactly how I felt the first time I played through my V4B. I had never played through a tube amp. Congrats!

I've been playing as long as the OP, and once I played through my V4, it was ( and still is) a revelation. There is so much depth to each note, the sound is so rich and full. It's hard to describe, but I can say it's the sound I was always after, but never quite knew how to get.

Ampeg totally cured my amp G.A.S., though I'd still love to nab an SVT some day.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
Cool beans! Sounds like a super rig of doom now. Plugging into tubes when you're used to solid state is quite a revelation, eh? I was fortunate to get my taste of it early on in life, but I never forgot it. Hope you have fun with your new SVT rig!
Click to expand...

You are right, notes are "rich" and powerful. Definitely different than a SS amp (though I will be keeping my LMII as a backup and when I need a small footprint) I dont mind the weight...at least not yet lol if I can get that tone.
 
#9
jgroh said:
Hey all,

Just got home from Guitar Center with my brand new SVT CL. I hooked up my Steinberger XL2 first (had it handy) and all I have to say is, wow! With some minor dialing of the knobs, I got a thick but snarly tone. I can already tell its going to work very well in the band mix. Just has that sweet spot that will support the band.

I have never had a tube amp before in 26+ years of playing. Also, I now know what is meant about "tube watts". I run it to a 410HLF and with it only turned up a little, it shakes the house! I had been using a Markbass LMII (which is 500 watts) and this thing is much louder. It "feels" different. The speakers are almost saying "THIS is what Ive been asking for!".

Glad I went for it...now, to pay for it! lol
John
Click to expand...
There is no such thing as "tube watts" you are just experiencing a different amp voicing and pot taper than you're accustomed to
 
#11
jgroh said:
You are right, notes are "rich" and powerful. Definitely different than a SS amp (though I will be keeping my LMII as a backup and when I need a small footprint) I dont mind the weight...at least not yet lol if I can get that tone.
Click to expand...
Ya, a micro is nice for a small footprint gig for sure. I have one tomorrow, as a matter of fact. 7 of us on this little round gazebo stage. Still have to bring the upright, though...ouch!
 
#13
There's a lot more to it than voicing and pot taper, but watts are watts. The only reason people say tube watts are louder is that they go into distortion in a much more pleasing way and still sound pretty clean.
 
#14
Here is my SVT CLASSIC set up - Destroying the ' huge ' sound of micro amps everywhere!
 

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#19
Quick question...I didnt get a lot of time to mess with settings too much at practice last night, had to unload the band trailer, set everything back up and get to working on some new songs we added to the setlist. But, do you guys set the Main volume pot all the way up and use the Gain to adjust volume or the other way around? I read a little about both but didnt try it out and dont know if there is any real difference.
 
#20
You can do it either way.

If you crank the master up to 3:00 or more and use gain to set the volume, it will sound and behave very much like the vintage SVT and SVT-VR with a very uncompressed and tight clean sound. Bear in mind if you use the XLR out on the back for FOH that the XLR's volume is tied to the gain, though.

If you set the gain up and use master to control volume, it will compress more and add in preamp distortion at a certain point.

I'm down with both approaches for different things, but I grew up on the vintage style amps and I do it the first way.
 

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