question/oppinion

[ThrillaBazZilla]

hey guys, I have an Ampeg svt-3 pro and well im not entirely happy with it.. I am wondering do you guys think I should trade to for an SWR 550x, i want a punchier sound and ive tried and i think i liked it more.. maybe im crazy, or perhaps i could just change the cab (SWR WM 410 to an ampeg svt 610) what do you guys think? also what about those bbe 383's, would it be a good investment for a preamp? thanks

 

[Rob Mancini]

I have an SWR SM-500 and I like it, but punchy isn't the word I use to describe it. Haven't tried this head you're talking about, though. I never had a problem getting punch out of my 3 Pro, though. I'd think about a different cab first. SWR stuff tends to be a little mid-scooped.

 

[Vinny D]

I think the Ampeg SVT3pro is the best sounding head Ampeg makes.
Without knowing more about your setup it's hard to say if changing amps is going to give you more punch. IMO if you need more punch it has more to with how you are EQ'ing the amp and your bass. The majority of time when people want more punch what they really need is more mids dialed back into there setup.

Will you be able to get the sound more quickly from another brand amplifier....maybe, but that would be for you to decide. Maybe see if you could do a A/B test with the current setup you have now to the setup you are looking to change too would be the best step to take next.

 

[anderbass]

If your not diggin yer Ampeg, I think SWR is about as far away as you can get.

If you feel like searching through these older linked threads, you'll probably find a few other opinions on this subject:
http://www.google.com/custom?domain...;S:http://www.talkbass.com;LP:1;FORID:1&hl=en

 

[ThrillaBazZilla]

i guess also, my biggest problem is that my low b distorts when i play and it drives me nuts!

 

[Vinny D]

i guess also, my biggest problem is that my low b distorts when i play and it drives me nuts!

This is telling me it's all how you have your setup EQ'd and the volume you are playing at and more then likely how you play.
I myself am not the most gentle of players and I can pretty much get any amplifier to distort when playing a low B, because of my playing style I have always used slight compression to take the edge off of my hardest played notes.
Not to mention the setup on your bass can be a contributing factor also.

 

[Rob Mancini]

+1 for Vinny.

 

[attackbass]

I have a svt 3 pro and i will admit it didn't give me ampeg classic tone. something i was probably a bit naive about at the time in thinking it would do. But i put a sansamp bass driver in front of it to drive the head a bit more and I love my tone i've managed to coax from it..

i have a ebs multicomp going to the sansamp then into my head - sounds killer. the multicomp and sansamp helf fatten up the sound a lot, and adds a lot more depth to your tone and can get it quite gnarly sounding if thats your thing.

the ampeg svt 3 to me is probably the most clean/modern sounding of the pro series.

I would't go with the swr tho- I 've played through a few and they just sounded very dry and hollow. the svt 3 pro is pretty good for punch IMO. try messing around with the tube gain control maybe...

 

[Gearhead17]

SWR amps can be punchy if that Aural Enhancer knob is set to "0" and you increase the midrange. The AE knob robs you of punch and gives that lovely smiley face tone that everyone just has to have....


The 3 PRO is a wierd amp, it can be very punchy. There are numerous threads about this amp and I suggest searching them for good tone settings. I swear, you have to set it a certain way to get it loud enough and to get the best tone out of it. Otherwise, it just sounds goofy.