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New Ampeg Venture Series

#561
Yahboy said:
Squier Rascal has hot pup ?? Interesting..... i found the Vintera II 70P pup has more ommph than Rascal myself.
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I don’t see a Vintera II 70’s P bass, just the telecaster P.

In any case it could also be hot. The rascal is very difficult to use with any drive pedal apart from the origin. It works well direct to my bass heads as well. Just need headroom to handle it.

the Reverend dub king massiv eiverwound pickups is worse.

the rest of my basses aren’t so hard to tame.

I like a clean tone when playing light and I can’t get that from the SGT-DI with the hotter passive basses unless I disable the SGT circuit, which defeats the magic entirely.

Just wondering if the heads have more input headroom. If so I could see them really doing well. With most of my basses the SGT sounds really nice.
 
#562
klattman said:
I don’t see a Vintera II 70’s P bass, just the telecaster P.

In any case it could also be hot. The rascal is very difficult to use with any drive pedal apart from the origin. It works well direct to my bass heads as well. Just need headroom to handle it.

the Reverend dub king massiv eiverwound pickups is worse.

the rest of my basses aren’t so hard to tame.

I like a clean tone when playing light and I can’t get that from the SGT-DI with the hotter passive basses unless I disable the SGT circuit, which defeats the magic entirely.

Just wondering if the heads have more input headroom. If so I could see them really doing well. With most of my basses the SGT sounds really nice.
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Yes, you are right, 70s Tele bass.

I dint own the Venture, but the SGT on RB112 as booster ( with single channel pedal ) while i need more solid and hefty tone. Well match with my mod PJ with Dimarzio DP126 loaded. Great Grit voice between 7.30 o'clock to 9.30 o'clock, more than that not my tone.

Here the sample on RB112 direct mic record, Vintera 50s P, Ti flat and pick.

Grit on 7.30, level on 2.30 oclock to match combo output while without SGT engage.



Grit on 9.30, same level.


I think will try the Ventrue 300 and VB112 soon, if the tone are not too notable different than my RB112 EQ setup, i will get another RB112 myself for daisy chain rather than big money spend on Venture, especially those over price cabinet.
 
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#564
Jim C said:
So bottom line; is this the best way to get a traditional Ampeg tube tone, or would you use either a different amp or pedals to get closer?
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This is such a generalization. I've played many different Ampeg amps over the years and there seems to be a lot of different tones that people call "traditional Ampeg tube tone"... I once got "traditional Ampeg Tube Tone" out of a Fender Showman amp running into an 8x10. So it's probably best to focus on the sound you want for YOU.

If you're looking for the obvious burbly SVT tone, plug one of the Venture amps into an SVT-810E cab and you should get there pretty easily - because it's mostly the voicing of the cab.
 
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#566
Jim C said:
V4B, SVT, B-25 into a ported cabinet set for no distortion is what I'm after without the weight of a tube amp.
Tone controls at 12:00.
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It's been 3 days with no reply. I have to think with this amp is a very nice SS amp that sounds no closer to an all tube amp than anything else out there. No magic, just another small improvement in the Ampeg line. It sounds decent and does seem to be an update to the PF series which is nice.
 
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#568
Jim C said:
It's been 3 days with no reply. I have to think with this amp is a very nice SS amp that sounds no closer to an all tube amp than anything else out there. No magic, just another small improvement in the Ampeg line. It sounds decent and does seem to be an update to the PF series which is nice.
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I think it's more the fact that you're attributing a sound in your head to components on a circuit board as being the only way, and it's not really true. Just buy a loose-sounding, sagging tube head that you like and enjoy.

This reminds of gear heads busting their guts over MCI consoles - especially the 4XX series which were pretty soft and mushy sounding - all transistor - yet Geoff Emerick claimed the all-tube REDD consoles (and V7X series preamps) at Abbey Road had "fast" transient qualities and punch.
 
#570
Jim C said:
It's been 3 days with no reply. I have to think with this amp is a very nice SS amp that sounds no closer to an all tube amp than anything else out there. No magic, just another small improvement in the Ampeg line. It sounds decent and does seem to be an update to the PF series which is nice.
Click to expand...

Huh? Not sure I'd have to think one thing or another at this point; There aren't exactly a lot of these new amps out in the wild yet.

Plus, I don't always get replies to questions I ask 29 pages into a topic where I'm not the OP; Whether or not you were asking a question or simply stating "that's what I'm looking for" was unclear.
 
#575
I used my Venture V12 on 3 gigs since purchased. All 3 gigs I used Venture v12 , my Barefaced Super Cabinet ( rated 8 ohms) with full PA support. So using the v12 I realize I’m only using 600w ( 1200 x 4ohms =1,200 W). I love the SGT circuit, SVT, B15, etc. ultra Low on, all other EQ’s pretty flat. What I can’t get over is how loud i have to run the volume. Both gain and volume around 3 0’clock. When I use my Mesa TT 800, maybe noon on both. I realize that Mesa’s 800 W might be Ampegs 1,200. Every mfg is different. I’m really thinking of returning this amp. Even on various You Tube videos i noticed the volume snd gain are seriously cranked. Am I missing something here? I play in two bands in Nottheast Ohio and we are not loud bands. I loving dialing a little “dirt” to achieve the old 70’s SVT sound ( Aerosmith, Heart, Zeppelin, Pat Benatar, etc etc) but love using the more modern sound for stuff like Bruno Mars, Pink, Lady Gaga, etc. Footpedal achieves this.
If this amp was $700-850, I would probably keep it…..but at $1,000 with no gig bag is really a tough ask. Again, I’m going by my ears. My first thoughts were this amp is not 1,200 W. 700 tops. Which is telling me the 300w and 700w are probably in the same boat. i’m going to use both my Barefaced Super Compact cabs on this, but the real test is at gigs. I’m 61 yrs old, been playing professionally for over 40 yrs. My old body is into lightweight dependable gear, not heavy as hell stuff I used when younger.
Thoughts?
 
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#576
kevbassman said:
I used my Venture V12 on 3 gigs since purchased. All 3 gigs I used Venture v12 , my Barefaced Super Cabinet ( rated 8 ohms) with full PA support. So using the v12 I realize I’m only using 600w ( 1200 x 4ohms =1,200 W). I love the SGT circuit, SVT, B15, etc. ultra Low on, all other EQ’s pretty flat. What I can’t get over is how loud i have to run the volume. Both gain and volume around 3 0’clock. When I use my Mesa TT 800, maybe noon on both. I realize that Mesa’s 800 W might be Ampegs 1,200. Every mfg is different. I’m really thinking of returning this amp. Even on various You Tube videos i noticed the volume snd gain are seriously cranked. Am I missing something here? I play in two bands in Nottheast Ohio and we are not loud bands. I loving dialing a little “dirt” to achieve the old 70’s SVT sound ( Aerosmith, Heart, Zeppelin, Pat Benatar, etc etc) but love using the more modern sound for stuff like Bruno Mars, Pink, Lady Gaga, etc. Footpedal achieves this.
If this amp was $700-850, I would probably keep it…..but at $1,000 with no gig bag is really a tough ask. Again, I’m going by my ears. My first thoughts were this amp is not 1,200 W. 700 tops. Which is telling me the 300w and 700w are probably in the same boat. i’m going to use both my Barefaced Super Compact cabs on this, but the real test is at gigs. I’m 61 yrs old, been playing professionally for over 40 yrs. My old body is into lightweight dependable gear, not heavy as hell stuff I used when younger.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
And please don”t say retire!
PS: Bass used was my new Sadowsky MetroExpress PJ with vtc circuit, bass and treble on bass flat Love the bass. Other bass used was my Nordy VJ4 with Big Singles, passive.
 
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#577
kevbassman said:
And please don”t say retire!
PS: Bass used was my new Sadowsky MetroExpress PJ with vtc circuit, bass and treble on bass flat Love the bass. Other bass used was my Nordy VJ4 with Big Singles, passive.
Click to expand...
Wow.:meh:

I use half of my Legacy 1200 (600 watts) into my Berg HDN 212 and can have to keep the master at 9:00. (yes, yes I know knob position does not mean much, but it means something...)

The power available out of this little GK seams endless...and hey, it can run at 2 ohms!:bassist:
 
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#578
kevbassman said:
I used my Venture V12 on 3 gigs since purchased. All 3 gigs I used Venture v12 , my Barefaced Super Cabinet ( rated 8 ohms) with full PA support. So using the v12 I realize I’m only using 600w ( 1200 x 4ohms =1,200 W). I love the SGT circuit, SVT, B15, etc. ultra Low on, all other EQ’s pretty flat. What I can’t get over is how loud i have to run the volume. Both gain and volume around 3 0’clock. When I use my Mesa TT 800, maybe noon on both. I realize that Mesa’s 800 W might be Ampegs 1,200. Every mfg is different. I’m really thinking of returning this amp. Even on various You Tube videos i noticed the volume snd gain are seriously cranked. Am I missing something here? I play in two bands in Nottheast Ohio and we are not loud bands. I loving dialing a little “dirt” to achieve the old 70’s SVT sound ( Aerosmith, Heart, Zeppelin, Pat Benatar, etc etc) but love using the more modern sound for stuff like Bruno Mars, Pink, Lady Gaga, etc. Footpedal achieves this.
If this amp was $700-850, I would probably keep it…..but at $1,000 with no gig bag is really a tough ask. Again, I’m going by my ears. My first thoughts were this amp is not 1,200 W. 700 tops. Which is telling me the 300w and 700w are probably in the same boat. i’m going to use both my Barefaced Super Compact cabs on this, but the real test is at gigs. I’m 61 yrs old, been playing professionally for over 40 yrs. My old body is into lightweight dependable gear, not heavy as hell stuff I used when younger.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Thanks for this review Kev. If I read you correctly you did say you felt it sounded good and the need to crank the volume to keep up at 8 ohms was what you disliked.
 
#579
kevbassman said:
I used my Venture V12 on 3 gigs since purchased. All 3 gigs I used Venture v12 , my Barefaced Super Cabinet ( rated 8 ohms) with full PA support. So using the v12 I realize I’m only using 600w ( 1200 x 4ohms =1,200 W). I love the SGT circuit, SVT, B15, etc. ultra Low on, all other EQ’s pretty flat. What I can’t get over is how loud i have to run the volume. Both gain and volume around 3 0’clock. When I use my Mesa TT 800, maybe noon on both. I realize that Mesa’s 800 W might be Ampegs 1,200. Every mfg is different. I’m really thinking of returning this amp. Even on various You Tube videos i noticed the volume snd gain are seriously cranked. Am I missing something here? I play in two bands in Nottheast Ohio and we are not loud bands. I loving dialing a little “dirt” to achieve the old 70’s SVT sound ( Aerosmith, Heart, Zeppelin, Pat Benatar, etc etc) but love using the more modern sound for stuff like Bruno Mars, Pink, Lady Gaga, etc. Footpedal achieves this.
If this amp was $700-850, I would probably keep it…..but at $1,000 with no gig bag is really a tough ask. Again, I’m going by my ears. My first thoughts were this amp is not 1,200 W. 700 tops. Which is telling me the 300w and 700w are probably in the same boat. i’m going to use both my Barefaced Super Compact cabs on this, but the real test is at gigs. I’m 61 yrs old, been playing professionally for over 40 yrs. My old body is into lightweight dependable gear, not heavy as hell stuff I used when younger.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Does Ultra lo on while SVT mode engage are one of the key on SVT tone ?Seem the the tone has huge scoop .
 
#580
What’s the Barefaced cab’s sensitivity rating? I’m asking because I have no idea. Again, not knowing, but could the V12 have a linear-tapered volume control? Maybe you’re used to the big volume early on dial with your other gear, perhaps? Just spitballin’ here; send it back if you don’t like it.
 

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