NAD: MIA SVT 4-Pro

[Turkeypills]

Talkbass! I am excited to announce my new amp! An Ampeg SVT 4-Pro!

I recently joined a doom metal band in St. Louis and at my first show with the group, I experienced some issues with my Eden WT550 (primarily that it simply was not enough). After talking with some of the guys in the other bands I discovered that one of the guys had a 4-Pro that he was trying to get rid of for cheap. Apparently he is close friends with one of the big guys who worked for Ampeg/SLM when it was still here in St. Louis. He didn't feel right selling it for street value when he had gotten such an incredible deal on it, so he passed that deal on to me. I paid $500 for an American made (to the best of my knowledge) 4-Pro in basically mint condition.

Anyway, on to the amp! I used to have a 3-pro and while I enjoyed the tone of it, it lacked some serious cajones. With the 4-Pro, that is a non-issue. Hopefully soon I will have enough money saved for an 810 or 2. 1200W and an 810 or 900W to 2x 810s should be enough to compete with two guitarists who use tube amps and full stacks. I can't wait to make some pants flap. I know the Ampeg 810 is the traditional cab, but do you guys have any other suggestions? Is it worth checking out a 412? I know more speakers= more loud, but is it super noticeable between a 412 vs. 810?

 

[xshawnxearthx]

You know, I just recently sold my 810 that I mixed with this head. I never liked the way the 810 acted when plugging it into the mono bridged set up. First time I did it, I realized that it worked better with just the one side of the amp.

 

[Turkeypills]

Were you using a mono-bridge speakon?

 

[JimmyM]

Why screw around? Get an 810e. Heritage if you can swing it, otherwise get a newer one made by LOUD as they sound better and are built better.

 

[Turkeypills]

Jimmy... always on point with the solid advice.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

Were you using a mono-bridge speakon?

Of course. First time I did it, I felt like I was pushing the speakers harder than I should. Thought maybe it was just the cab. Years later I bought an 810 and the same thing. I know that some of the is the way that I was eq'ing the amp, but my 610HLF NEVER farted out like that.

 

[pfschim]

Ampeg 810e (or 2!) would work fine with the 4Pro (I have a 6Pro; very similar, 1100w@4ohms, but single out channel and semi-para eq vs graphic).
A Bergantino NV610 or NV412 would also kill with the 4pro. It really depends on what your after tonewise.
Just be careful with what ever cab(s) you go with as the 4pro's 1200w@4ohms mono, can easily blow up many, if not all, single cab solutions - even the mighty 810e which is rated at just(!) 800w (max) mono.

Wonderful to have all that headroom to work with.
enjoy!

 

[Turkeypills]

Wonderful to have all that headroom to work with.
enjoy!

Absolutely. I was really eyeballing a Mesa Prodigy/Strategy, but they were realistically way out of my price range. Hopefully I will finally have enough headroom for just about anything.


I am playing in a doom band. Really kind of caught in a snag regarding cabs as I am flat broke. The band has 2x 115 Acoustic cabs, and I have a an Avatar 115. I am debating if I should pick up another 115 cab really cheap and run the head stereo with 2 215 stacks while I save for an 810 or 2. I am up against 2 loud tube amps with full stacks. At the last show I used my Eden WT550 with an Eden D810 and I couldn't hear myself at all on stage. I am worried if I go the 415 route that I will only hear myself if they are all together and not on either side of the drums.

 

[buzzbass]

I have one of those too, and it's been rock solid for 15 yrs, nice find. I've paired with an eden 210 & 410 xlt stack originally, but it would make them fart out at times. So now I have a Schroeder 1212 & 310212 and the rig sounds great. Ususally I just use the 310212 by itself, in all but the biggest rooms. Killer tone, way more than enough cajones for all but the most extreme situations. For those I add a crown macrotech 2400 as my power amp, and just use the pre-amp of the SVT. Stay away from the ultra low button and the compressor isn't great. Other than that, you've got a score there. If you ever want to sell it, please PM me.

 

[germs_la]

Similar situation. You can pick up an 810e for $500 or so at any GC used section.

I run an SVT-4 + 8x10e though one side of the amp. Not in mono. We're not a "doom" band, but we're loud.

So long as practice is reasonable levels and venues can run a DI, you'll be fine for stage volume.

 

[Colton Turley]

I dont know how you would feel about it but ive seen a lot of people using both an ampeg 8x10 and an ampeg 2x15 cab with the crossover directing lows to the 2x15, and highs and mids to the 810.

 

[klejst]

Very nice.