New Rig: But Dissatisfied with Ampeg (Review)

So I just went on a relatively large buying spree and I bought the following:

BBE Opto Stomp Compressor
Xotic BB Bass Preamp
Fender American Precision Deluxe (active)
Ampeg SVT-4 PRO (USA Made)
Ampeg 610HLF (USA Made)

Last night I finally got the chance to A/B the head/cab/pedals with my old rig (Fender isn't coming until mid-week):

Peavey Tour 700 Bass Head
2 x Bag End S15-D cabs
Schecter Stiletto Custom-4 (passive)

I'm listing out this gear just for reference, because after A/B'ing the rigs, the Ampeg head/cab just failed to impress me. I mean, I was expecting a pretty large upgrade because many cite Ampeg to be -the- rock tone. Also, for further reference, our band is a 3-piece altrock/post-grunge sort of sound. Some elements of punk or jazz in there too. My bass style is inclined to articulation, tone and melody. Our band plays small-medium venues (up to 100-150 people, max capacity prob around 200-300).

The SVT-4 PRO is better than the Peavey for sure, both in terms of power (headroom) and tone, but not enough to justify the cost difference. As to be expected, the Ampeg has a slightly warmer tone, and can get more grit from the gain knob, but a lot of features (EQ, Mute etc.) are also on the Peavey. With the right EQ settings, I can come decently close with the Peavey in terms of tone.

As for the 610HLF compared to the Bag End S15-D's--well I didn't really buy the Ampeg rig for the cabinet. I love my Bag End cabs because they're really clear and articulate. They're very tight and very expressive. Not to mention portable at only ~45 lbs. ea. and only 15x18x15 in. or something. That said, the 610HLF has a pretty great tone, and definitely a lot of presence. Our guitarist commented on the differences (which I agree with): the 15s are clear, more melodic, more convenient, and have better mid-hi end and hi-end while the 610HLF has more presence (wall of sound) and just a tad better low end. The 610 can get much louder much quicker (which is both a pro and a con; I mean, we're only a 3-piece and balance is more important than volume, which is easily achievable with both rigs).

I tried using the SVT-4 PRO with the Bag End cabs, and I couldn't really get too much volume out of them without the peak light coming on. Note that using both of the 15s in parallel results in a 400 watt RMS rating, with a ceiling of 800 watts. The Ampeg is 1200 watts (it's underpowered for the rating though) and I think that's a maximum rating. I might need to mess with the settings but I'm not sure how well mixing that head and the cabs would work out.

So since I can't keep both, I'm considering which rig I should sell.

I have a couple of options:
1) Keep the old rig, sell the Ampeg rig
2) Keep Ampeg head/Bag End cabs, sell the Peavey and 610HLF
3) Keep the Ampeg rig, sell the old rig

I'll be getting my Fender precision soon, so that might make a more noticeable difference between the rigs. As it stands though, with my financial situation, I'm hard pressed to keep the Ampeg if it's not that much better. I'll admit that it's a slight step up, but I mean, I was expecting a new world.

So if you guys could help me with some of your advice or experiences, it'd be much appreciated. Also, not sure if this is allowed (but it's not the main or even secondary purpose of this thread), if you guys could help me with an idea of pricing (for both the Peavey/Bag End and Ampeg rigs), it'd help me get a better idea of my situation and the benefits of each option.

Thanks

 

Sorry I should've explained better. I spent about an hour or two messing with all of the configurations of both rigs back and forth. I'll spend some more time for sure, though I've got a general idea of the differences.

As for buying the equipment all at once; the pedals were already a "part" of my rig, as I had already researched and explored them. I had already chose them, so to speak. The new Fender I'm getting is also a long-planned upgrade because the Schecter doesn't cut it.

Pretty set on everything but the rig at this point; and since I got a good deal on it, it's not like I could really wait--though I'm in a position where I could buy it, test it out, and the sell off the rest.

 

Cliffnotes at bottom

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Alright, I've finally spent a lot of time going through all of my equipment and I decided I would post here for some sort of completion or 'my' conclusion for the thread. Maybe a better word would be 'final result' or 'report.' These are just my opinions based on a lot of hours of tweaking and comparing.

Just to clarify some things--when I first tested some configurations, I used my Schecter Stiletto Custom-4 directly through to the heads. No pedals. These configurations were:

1. Peavey Tour 700 into two Bag End S15-Ds
2. Ampeg SVT-4 PRO into the Bag Ends
3. Ampeg SVT-4 PRO into the Ampeg 610HLF

My initial impression was that the Ampeg head was better than the Tour 700, but not markedly better (and not justifiably better due to cost). I had only heard a slightly improved tonal warmth. As for the cabs, the Bag Ends seemed to retain a higher amount of clarity, crispness, and "truth" to their sound. That is, they didn't add much, but fully replicated the sound of my bass. The Ampeg 610HLF added a lot of presence and a dark, rock coloration. That said, I initially prefered my Bag Ends because of their portability and better tonal palette.

***Just for future information, the Xotic BB Bass Preamp should not really be considered as a preamp. It is an Overdrive/Distortion pedal based on the Tubescreamer circuit. It is an amazing pedal.

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After receiving my Fender American Precision Deluxe, things have changed drastically.

Now Ampeg is the clear winner, both in terms of amp and cabinet. The difference between the amps is now very distinguishable, as the Ampeg seems to bring out the character and depth of the higher quality input signal (i.e. the Fender). Though both amps sound very good with the Fender, the Ampeg has much more warmth, variation, range, and expression. That is, the Peavey wouldn't be able to mimic it with EQ alone.

Along those lines, the Ampeg 610HLF now has much better mids and highs and can match the Bag Ends in terms of expression and clarity. The Fender compensates for the 610s initial lack of character or tonal depth, and now I can get the best of both worlds. I do not have to sacrifice clarity or emotion to retain presence and dark growls. Now the Ampeg matches the Bag Ends in the upper register, all the while killing it in the lower register. And as a bassist... well you know.

Unfortunately for my precious Bag End cabs (and for my back), I will be using Ampeg 610HLF.

All in all, comparing the rigs was a great experience because I took a long time comparing sounds and listening to nuance. For reference, I also tried out a Bag End Q10BX-D (4x10 w/ tweeter). I played it with the S15-D and compared it to the 610HLF. Though the 410+115 Bag End combo was very clear and extremely well nuanced, it lacked the deeper, dark coloration of the Ampeg. Considering my band's needs and genre, the Ampeg fit better. If I was playing experimental, indie, or post-rock, I'd probably have preferred the Bag Ends.

Another lesson to take home is that it is not the individual pieces of your rig that matter, but rather how the entire set up works together as a whole. I could have gone either way for my rigs using my Schecter (where Peavey/BadEnd ~= Ampeg)... but once I used my Fender, the sound just exploded with the Ampeg. It seems that the Fender + Ampeg combo that many people cite truly does work wonders together. At the same time, I'm sure there's a different bass out there that would have made me choose Peavey/Bag End over the Ampeg.

Thanks for everyone's advice, and I hope anything I've written will help others.

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Cliffnotes
- Initial Impression w/ Schecter Stiletto = Ampeg not much better than Peavey/Bag Ends
- After using Fender American P-Bass Deluxe = Ampeg is markedly better
- Rigs work as a sum of all parts; some pieces work better together than others
- I still love Bag End, but the Fender choose Ampeg. A different bass might have chosen Bag End
- I now have to sell my Bag End S15-Ds and Peavey Tour 700 because Ampeg+Fender=