Played an SVT stack for the first time

[jaysbassspace]

I recently joined a Radiohead tribute band here in NYC. I LOVE Colin Greenwood's tone and have been trying everything imaginable to get his SVT sound without lugging around that rig. Been happy with both the Origin Effects Super Vintage as well as Ampeg's new DI pedal. Both have cab sims built in. Here is a demo I did comparing them (without the cab sims engaged):

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Here is the live direct sound using the Origin through the Noble (also with the Origin Cali Compact Bass Compressor). think I'm getting pretty close to a true SVT tone... pedalboard picture attached. Nothing will ever compare to the feeling of an 8x10 behind you, but logistically I can't justify lugging one of them around.

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In fairness to the Ampeg, I should have dialed back the drive control on the Origin for a more apples to apples comparison.

 

[Old Fart]

.... Thank you for letting me gush.

If that was a religious experience for you, then I strongly recommend you look for an opportunity to play an SVT through an Ampeg 810. In actual battlefield conditions. Trust me on this.

 

[Fuzzbass]

If that was a religious experience for you, then I strongly recommend you look for an opportunity to play an SVT through an Ampeg 810. In actual battlefield conditions. Trust me on this.

Another old phart here. 70's SVT thru 8x10 was my tone in the '80s, and I definitely agree with "battlefield conditions": the real magic happened in a big venue or outdoors where I could crank it to the point where the power tubes would begin to clip. The SVT rig sounded great at any volume, but I wished I could get that tube grit at smaller venues.

These days I go with solid state rigs that attempt to emulate that magic. IMO solid state can't clone pure TubeTone, but I can get pretty close, and the big advantage (in addition to size and weight, obviously!) is that the clipped-tube emulation can happen at any volume level.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Unless I missed it, I am surprised to not see @bobyoung53 here.

 

[_Some Dude]

There really is no "best" but if you want the classic SVT sound you should go with one of the sealed SVT cabs, which means either the 810 or the 410HE (or 2x410HE). The ported Ampeg cabs, like the SVT 410HLF, have a very different tone. You might like them better of course but to me it's not the classic SVT tone.

I’ll add the 212AV to that statement. Mine sounds surprisingly similar to the 810.

 

[Lo-E]

I’m always happy to see an SVT and fridge when it’s part of a provided backline. I have used them with various basses in various musical styles and at loud and quiet volumes and I have always been able to get a great sound. I’m especially happy when I can play through the earlier flat-back 810 cabs, which I much prefer to the later ones.

All that said, I’ve played through lots of great sounding rigs, both my own and as supplied backlines, and while nothing sounds quite like an SVT there are plenty of rigs, past and present, that sound different but just as good.

If I didn’t have to lift it I’d love to own a ‘71 flat-back SVT rig and I’d happily use it all the time but since I can’t figure out how to get one to lift itself I’m resigned to finding other choices. Thankfully, the bass amplification market is an embarrassment of riches these days. Never before has such great equipment been available for so little money or weighed so little.

SVT tone? Sign me up!
The realities of owning SVTs? No thanks. It’s just not practical for me.

 

[agedhorse]

IME, for every 10 new SVT amps that players say they have bought in a year, the sales numbers support about 1. Yes, the claims far outstrip the actual purchases. Vocal exaggeration is very real with this kind of product.

 

[Rick_Bass]

Welcome to Heaven. It's a nice place my friend.

 

[JuanB]

IME, for every 10 new SVT amps that players say they have bought in a year, the sales numbers support about 1. Yes, the claims far outstrip the actual purchases. Vocal exaggeration is very real with this kind of product.

Are you taking into account the used market? People may gush about it and then sell it after they realize how much of a pain it is to move. This may happen 9 times for every 1 new purchase!

I still have my SVT that I bought used back in 2010 +/- a few years. Gigged with it on top of a Mesa powerhouse 6x10. Pretty righteous rig. Don’t move it around at all anymore and have a hard time wanting to part with it.

 

[Rick_Bass]

I bought a 1994 SVT and was warned that they had bad solder joints in them by people here in the forum at talkbass. That was spot on advice. I bought the amp ran into problems pretty quick with bad solder joints on the preamp board that is connected to all the potentiometers on the front panel. I bought some books and learned how to fix this amp..... I replaced all the potentiometers and also replaced a tube socket. Never did i think i could do this stuff... read up and study... My system is blowing my next door neighbors sheets and panties off her clothes line.

 

[agedhorse]

Are you taking into account the used market? People may gush about it and then sell it after they realize how much of a pain it is to move. This may happen 9 times for every 1 new purchase!

I still have my SVT that I bought used back in 2010 +/- a few years. Gigged with it on top of a Mesa powerhouse 6x10. Pretty righteous rig. Don’t move it around at all anymore and have a hard time wanting to part with it.

I'm talking about the new market because used amps like these tend to sell over and over again once they discover some of the inherent challenges with an amp like the SVT (and others like it).

This is one reason we discontinued our big tube amps. While they got a lot of "rave reviews" and based on the bragging right of how many players bought one, we should have sold a bazillion when if fact they were amps that moved very slowly compared with the smaller, lighter Subway amps, Same goes for the Powerhouse versus Subway cabinets, once the Subways came out the demand for Powerhouse models ground to a virtual halt.

Time are changing, even if some players are unwilling or unable to admit it. Fortunately for them, the used market is full of these older products selling for less than it cost to build today.

 

[Marko 1]

The more I read, the more I appreciate the '74 Ampeg SVT...

setting on my ~30-lb, solid-state 750-watt modeling amp.

 

[mikewalker]

I've A/B'd the SVT and 8-10 (very likeable!) and the V4B and 6-10, and for my preferred stage levels the V4-B / 6-10 won out by a large margin. Both provided a tone that I can only describe as "velvety", but the 6-10 100watt rig just had more 'edge'. The step up from that came a few years later with a Mesa 400+ running into a 2-15 behemoth that weighed more than a fridge... that rig had all the goodness of the Ampeg, plus something more, a kind of pillowy richness like a good mcIntosh tube stereo. **I got a very similar effect at lower studio volumes from a 100W Boogie MkIIb running into a sealed 4-12 with Celestions...

 

[Dynacord]

I've had SVTs in the past am and always happy to see them as backline. Had an interesting experience a couple months ago - playing a large outdoor stage and was backing several different acts (numbers by the end were around 20K). There were 2 bass amps, an SVT and an Aguilar DB751 (both with matching 4x10 cabs). Played the SVT for the first set and sound was OK but nothing special. Second set I plugged into the Aguilar (primarily due to stage layout) and was very surprised how much better it sounded - much stronger and fuller and with great definition. Not sure if it was down to the specific examples or not (all rental backline) but a big difference in that context.

 

[ahdw]

As someone about to lug his SVT-CL and 810 to their second gig this week, perhaps think twice

In all seriousness, it is a classic for a reason but do not discount the suggestions here to try your Subway with the cab and see if it scratches a similar itch! My Darkglass 900 really seems to come alive with that cab and there are plenty of shows where I take that to avoid bringing the head along.

 

[winston]

There is just something about an SVT/810 and the B-15, 2 totally classic sounds that are truly inspiring...but can't say I'd want to own/move them.

I was lucky to do monitors on the reggae/world music festival circuit for a bit, and hearing world-class players rumbling through an SVT backline up close was a real treat! I also brought my Eden WT-400 for players who wanted a more modern tone, also fantastic through the sealed 8x10.

 

[Music Man Dan]

Try the D-800 with the Ampeg cabinet, it might surprise you.

Exactly!! I run my WD-800 through my Ampeg 810 and it’s incredible. I dial in the gain a bit heavy on the preamp to get some overdrive. Then there’s the dampening control on that amp….I can get the power tube sag effect with it. All combined, it’s an incredible combination that is very controllable at lower volumes than what it takes to get the same effects from my SVT head. It’s good to be able to live in both worlds!

 

[_Some Dude]

You know... if some day Mesa were to sell a lightweight cab with a certain baked in vintage voice... I might buy a couple.

Having thought about this some more... it would be cool to have a Subway style Powerhouse cab.

Ampeg already does the Ampeg thing, Mesa had something cool in the PH series that was an alternative to Ampeg, and a more aggressive option in the lightweight catagory would be appreciated by some of us.