NAD: AMPEG SVT -II non pro

[edcars]

yup. from alvin right? yeah man it's my main bass. finally joined a band a few months ago. so i've been using it alot more than the stingray. thanks again for this

Does it have a pickup Bezel and are the latches on the case a little wonky? If so yeah that was probably me.

.

 

[Bassmec]

That's an amp for life right there, if you have a strong back.X
I don't think you will ever find another amp after that, which will be as instantly satisfying.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

forgive my ignorance but what does tube rolling mean?

Ahh, sorry if I used some unfamiliar nomenclature. Tube rolling just means swapping out tubes, generally preamp tubes, in a circuit to see if there are any perceived tonal or gain changes. Some circuits are more sensitive than others. That is, you may notice differences in tone between two different tubes. Other circuits are not sensitive, and there may be no actual difference in tone between a $10 Groove Tubes or a pricey vintage Mullard.

 

[edcars]

Ahh, sorry if I used some unfamiliar nomenclature. Tube rolling just means swapping out tubes, generally preamp tubes, in a circuit to see if there are any perceived tonal or gain changes. Some circuits are more sensitive than others. That is, you may notice differences in tone between two different tubes. Other circuits are not sensitive, and there may be no actual difference in tone between a $10 Groove Tubes or a pricey vintage Mullard.

ahh. awesome. thanks. the guy that i bought from said he hasn't changed the tubes in like 10 years, it's probably a good time to change the tubes

 

[bobyoung53]

I'm not sure if the fan is in the same place as in the 70's SVT's but if they are I would keep it at least a few inches away from a wall so the fan can get enough air to keep the power transformer cool enough although I've never had one get more than slightly warm to the touch after being on for hours. Nice amp, I remember when those first came out.

 

[neckdive]

Tube life is measured in hours, not years. And even then, it's a crap shoot. If it sounds good, don't mess with it. If you don't hear tube noise, microphonics, etc. and you're getting great tone, it's all good.

I have an SVT II also and don't know how long the tubes have been in there. I don't really care since it sounds so good like it is.

 

[edcars]

oh. thanks guys for the great advice everyone shared.

 

[Right_Butterscotch64]

yup. from alvin right? yeah man it's my main bass. finally joined a band a few months ago. so i've been using it alot more than the stingray. thanks again for this

.

No problem, glad you're enjoying it.

 

[jmpiwonka]

i felt like tube rolling in my svtII didn't really make much difference...but i have a bunch of NOS sylvania tubes in the preamp...

i just check bias every once in a while and the amp has been awesome.

on this amp in the OP, i wouldn't change power tubes if it sounds nice.

 

[vigor&kandor]

I find the SVT-II is very susceptible to tube rolling and is an amp worth investing in some NOS/ANOS tubes.

Probably so, but I'm not really interested in getting into, tracking down, and paying premiums on preamp tubes. I am just looking to find current production pres that are easily available and not over priced.

 

[edcars]

Probably so, but I'm not really interested in getting into, tracking down, and paying premiums on preamp tubes. I am just looking to find current production pres that are easily available and not over priced.

whats a good one to start off with?

 

[vigor&kandor]

The current production Mullard 12ax7 sounds great.

Waiting on the arrival of a Ruby 12ax7ac5 HG to try out.

 

[greengoblin]

Some good current production tubes would be Mullard, Tung Sol and some Sovteks.