NAD! SVT7 Pro (also comparing it to my Streamliner 900)

[GRAHAM SG1]

Maybe I should have written 25.00 hrs

 

[rodl2005]

That's the "where the sun don't shine region".

 

[smeet]

Ok, I had my first gig with the 7 Pro. Almost 100% sure it's the last also.

- it wasn't loud enough. I know some of you have raved about the power of this amp. It doesn't sound loud to me. My Streamliner 900 slaughters it.
This was with the tone controls flat, gain at noon and master at 2:30 or 3:00. I could hear myself but it wasn't very loud at all. Standing 5 feet in front of a fEARful 15/6 it should have been deafening. the same stage with the Streamliner master at noon felt like it was going to explode.

- it cut out about 5 times in the set at the not-loud-enough volume. Luckily the sound guy took a direct out before the amp so I could keep playing while I turned the amp off, waited a couple of minutes and turned it back on. Eventually I was able to get it to stop cutting out by barely touching the strings, and I could barely hear the bass.

-untamable hum is the reason the sound guy didn't use the DI on the amp. Good thing or the audience would have heard me drop out. the sound guy mentioned that a lot of Ampegs have that problem in that club.

On the plus side, the tone was good, when there was actually tone to be heard. I liked this amp because it sounded like a ROCK amp, more so than theStreamliner. But I couldn't hit the notes with any force or it might cut out. Not very rock.

I'm furious. I guess I should have known from all the talk. I've owned so many amps and all of them have lasted decades. Was the volume so low because of a problem? Did it cut out because of a problem? I don't know. All I know is, I won't ever be able to trust this amp, and no amp sounds good enough for that.

Musicians Friend gave me a great deal on it, but I think it's going back tomorrow or the next day.

That means that you've only investigated 1/2 of the rotation so far. Why do people worry about such things? Just keep turning it up....

Perhaps some people are so used to having the usable volume squashed into the first 1/2 turn of the volume pot that they get scared to try turning it up? IMO, there really needs to be a sticky about potentiometer tapers......

I understand about volume tapers, as I mentioned. I tried it up to about 3:00. Is all the power waiting for me between 3 and 5 o'clock? Well, I can't try it, because it cut out before I could get there.

The Genz tapers are very honest. Volume all the way round.

That's my impression also. And, I was able to get a HUGE clean sound with a feeling of limitless headroom from the SL with the master at noon. The 7 Pro always felt on the verge of breakup if I tried to get it loud. This was also true of the one I tried in a store. I messed around with the gain staging, and I think I have a good handle on that. It just doesn't seem to have much clean headroom. And again, if it was just my unit, then that's just more reason to distrust the amp.

I haven't spent enough time with a Streamliner to say for sure, but it does sound as if its master volume control comes on more quickly than the 7PRO. It irks me when people think there could be a problem with an amp because it isn't near maximum volume with the master only half way up - IMO, a good design should allow you to use the whole range of the volume control. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the worst I've encountered is the M9 Carbine, which has so much gain that you can barely touch the volume knob before getting extremely loud.

7 pro's volume goes pretty much all the way around to 5 o'clock

If you can get there maybe. I had the gain up as high as I could get it without distorting. The master was not that far from all the way up.

I feel like an idiot for buying this amp. Some of you seem very happy with it, and I envy you. Dying repeatedly on the first gig while not getting loud enough has not made me a happy camper.

And just to be clear, I am not an ampeg hater. I was very excited to get this amp, which I hoped would get me that classic tone at a great price and weight. If I was the only one, I would chalk it up to luck of the draw. But combined with all the problems other people have had, I'm just not willing to risk it. Maybe I'm denying myself possible tonal nirvana due to an emotional response. Oh well.

 

[rodl2005]

Wow! You must play loud!
Interesting. Sorry it didn't work out for ya. Strange, but.

 

[12bass]

I understand about volume tapers, as I mentioned. I tried it up to about 3:00. Is all the power waiting for me between 3 and 5 o'clock? Well, I can't try it, because it cut out before I could get there.

Cutting out suggests a problem with the amp. How loud is your stage volume?

 

[smeet]

I do play loud with some bands, but this band was not loud. When I sound checked I played while listening to the guitarists talking (not on a mic). I don't know what went wrong, but either the amp or me is really screwed up. Maybe both.

Problem is I need a good powerful rock amp and I don't know what to get now. The GK MB800 was my other choice and I think it's too clean and bright for what I'm looking for right now. Damn, I really liked the sound I was getting at home. After i wrote that previous review, the tone really grew on me as I learned to play the amp. Grrrr.


Edit: in case it wasn't clear, by "cutting out", I mean the amp appeared to turn off. No more sound or lights until I turned it off for a minute or so and then back on. Yes, I think there is a problem with the amp. It could probably be fixed. I'm just not willing to deal with a problem that may recurr at any time and I'll never know if it's fixed. Ampeg/loud doesn't appear to have come out and admitted what if anything they think caused the problems, which gives me even less reason to believe.

 

[One Drop]

I do play loud with some bands, but this band was not loud. When I sound checked I played while listening to the guitarists talking (not on a mic). I don't know what went wrong, but either the amp or me is really screwed up. Maybe both.

Problem is I need a good powerful rock amp and I don't know what to get now. The GK MB800 was my other choice and I think it's too clean and bright for what I'm looking for right now. Damn, I really liked the sound I was getting at home. After i wrote that previous review, the tone really grew on me as I learned to play the amp. Grrrr.


Edit: in case it wasn't clear, by "cutting out", I mean the amp appeared to turn off. No more sound or lights until I turned it off for a minute or so.

There's obviously something wrong with the amp you bought. The on I tried was screamingly loud.

 

[johnk_10]

+1 . i've cranked mine to ridiculously loud levels with no issues whatsoever.

 

[smeet]

John, out of curiosity... You had a Streamliner 900 and a 7 Pro at the same time. You felt they had abut the same power. What was your impression of their relative volume when the masters were both at, say, noon?

 

[Tunaman]

Smeet- Both of these amps, the Streamliner or the SVT7 can't hold a candle to the Shuttlemax 9.2. Not even close man.

The tone & volume you are talking about may be best reached with that amp. IF the SVT7pro was compared to the Shuttlemax 9.2 vs the Streamliner I have no doubts there would be a run on the 9.2max right now.

The MB800 is too clean, the Streamliner is too pillowy for some... the 9.2max is right in between everything especially with the 4 band EQ & 2 mid shifts with a FET & Tube channel. Best amp going man, by far, try one out

 

[arai]

There's obviously something wrong with the amp you bought. The on I tried was screamingly loud.

yep
It definitely sounds like he got one of the duds that does not put out the full 750 watts.
Ampeg really do need to sort out their shizzle

 

[tombowlus]

There's obviously something wrong with the amp you bought. The on I tried was screamingly loud.

+1 That definitely sounds like a bum unit.

 

[jumbodbassman]

lights off and shutting down is not the built in protection. that is abad unit. Return it and try out another without the issues before you decide....

 

[slade]

yup, something is wrong here. I played a gig two nights ago- large room, 300 people, no FOH, LOUD band- thing didn't break a sweat (master maybe to 11 o'clock tops). I've owned both the 7 and the Streamliner and they are equally loud. Streamliner gets louder quicker in rotation, the 7 slower. I wouldn't be able to hear anyone on stage if I was up at 3 o'clock. I worked it hard all night and had no issues whatsoever. something isn't adding up....

 

[johnk_10]

John, out of curiosity... You had a Streamliner 900 and a 7 Pro at the same time. You felt they had abut the same power. What was your impression of their relative volume when the masters were both at, say, noon?

it would be difficult to compare them that way since their gain structures and pot tapers are completely different. all i can say is that, when cranked up, both amps sounded like they had the same amount of power/output.

Smeet- Both of these amps, the Streamliner or the SVT7 can't hold a candle to the Shuttlemax 9.2. Not even close man.

The tone & volume you are talking about may be best reached with that amp. IF the SVT7pro was compared to the Shuttlemax 9.2 vs the Streamliner I have no doubts there would be a run on the 9.2max right now.

The MB800 is too clean, the Streamliner is too pillowy for some... the 9.2max is right in between everything especially with the 4 band EQ & 2 mid shifts with a FET & Tube channel. Best amp going man, by far, try one out

that's all in YOUR opinion. i'm glad to hear that you're pleased with your amp, but tone is subjective, so IMO, it's silly to make a blanket statement like that. it's all a matter of tonal preference. IMO, they're all so different, that's like saying that a gibson or a rickenbacker is better than a fender.

 

[smeet]

lights off and shutting down is not the built in protection. that is abad unit. Return it and try out another without the issues before you decide....

I am considering it... Glutton for punishment maybe. I bought the amp from Musician's Friend. I can return the amp for a refund. Does anybody know what their policy is on getting another? Would that be a new sale, or can I just return this and have them send another as a replacement?

 

[johnk_10]

they'll send you a call tag for it and replace it with another one.

 

[f.c.geil]

Not only that, but they generally send out the new one as soon as they see that the old one has been shipped, since they already have your credit card number to charge if the old one never comes back. That way, you're only out an amp for a day or so.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

I had a chance to fire up John's Streamliner 900 through my fEARful to test it out. Took me a while to clean up all the glass from the shattered picture frames in my daughter's room She was not amused.

 

[GRAHAM SG1]

that's all in YOUR opinion. i'm glad to hear that you're pleased with your amp, but tone is subjective, so IMO, it's silly to make a blanket statement like that. it's all a matter of tonal preference. IMO, they're all so different, that's like saying that a gibson or a rickenbacker is better than a fender.

And we all know that has to be the most untrue piece of writing on this whole forum in my opinion of course