questions, mesa vs ampeg

[xshawnxearthx]

ok, so i have...

ampeg svt 3 pro
dbx limiter/noise gate
bbe sonic maximizer 362
korg rack tuner
and some other crap.


im in the need of a new amp, its getting up in age, ive played it for years trouble free, im just wondering.

i like the sound my ampeg gets with my stingray 4. i want to upgrade to either the svt 4 pro, or a mesa 400+


anyone have any pointers. i play in a hardcore/punk band. my svt sounds good, but im hearing sooo much good stuff about the 400+(besides the tubes costing around 500 to re-do)

 

[810wmb]

for me it would be the 400+

i compared the two before i made up my mind.

you don't have to retube that much anyway. good tubes should last years.

i retubed mine for fun. it cost $200 bucks - svetlana's

 

[xshawnxearthx]

word, i am going to be playign a 400+ next weekend at a gig, ie used the 4 pro before and when i played it at a show, i couldnt tweak it before i played, and i plugged it right in and it sounded diesel.

 

[TheChariot]

Hardcore or Punk.... I'd go with the 4Pro. If you have the money for either amp (since they're both gonna cost you), I think you'll find the a 4Pro might be a little more diverse than the 400+.... although I think the 400+ is probably the best tube head you'll find. However... the tube sound of the 400+ is pretty different than the SVT tube sound, IMO... so maybe you'll be satisfied with the tone you get.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

word. i really want earth moving rumble with some good highs.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

What aren't you liking about the Ampeg that you think the Boogie will fix?

 

[bassampegman]

Forget the SVT4 its tube and solid state, go for the SVTCL all valve head which is my setup with musicman bass, i also had the SVT3 pro, not bad but a bit down on power. The Svtcl really rocks

 

[TheChariot]

I think an SS amp is perfect for something punk or hardcore, actually. Every tube amp I've heard in a hardcore band (with no PA support) has really failed to impress me. Hardcore's where you tend to want your Sansamp RBI's or BDDI's and usually a hi-wattage SS amp. That seems to be the most common formula these days for your average local/unsigned band. If you've got a good wad of cash to begin with, or are making money through music... then its usually an Ampeg 3Pro or 4Pro.

I'm assuming that the 3Pro doesnt pack enough power for you. That has to be frusterating... especially since it's tone is so awesome

 

[xshawnxearthx]

that is exactly it, my 3 pro just isnt loud enough.


because the stingray is high out put, i cannot have the eq settings on the bass very high, i keep them at the mid point detent.

on the svt 3 pro, i usually have the eq turned off, and the gain pretty low so im not peaking everytime i hit a string. the master is cranked and its just not enough.

its either its loud and it break up a bit cause im peking, or it sounds amazing but to low and when we are playing out, there is nothing.

i think the mesa and the 4 pro will both be louder. they will be more wattage and give me more headroom then i have now which is needed.

 

[Frank Martin]

that is exactly it, my 3 pro just isnt loud enough.


because the stingray is high out put, i cannot have the eq settings on the bass very high, i keep them at the mid point detent.

on the svt 3 pro, i usually have the eq turned off, and the gain pretty low so im not peaking everytime i hit a string. the master is cranked and its just not enough.

its either its loud and it break up a bit cause im peking, or it sounds amazing but to low and when we are playing out, there is nothing.

i think the mesa and the 4 pro will both be louder. they will be more wattage and give me more headroom then i have now which is needed.

Gain low?
Ever tried turning that up? Only then will you get that distorted Ampeg-y sound and without turning the gain up, you will have very low output. The gain on my SVP-Pro was up and the gain (not clip) led was constantly lighting, and when I turned up the Drive, as well, the led didnt even go out. That led there is an indicator for the gain, and not for peak clipping

But, if you keep the gain down because you like it clean, then get a SS head or a pre or a hybrid pre

 

[xshawnxearthx]

i like it clean, im not a big fan of distorted bas, which is why i want more wattage so i can be clean at higher volumes.


the distortions sounds ok, but when i crank the gain on my head, it almost sounds like tooo much you know?

 

[xcental34x]

If volume is a problem, I'd definetely do the Mesa. Of all the Ampegs I've tried, only the SVT II has seemed true to its power rating. I've played many Ampeg heads, and their rating just doesn't speak for their volume. I've found myself constantly turning the gain and volume half way up on an SVT IV just to hear it at a decent volume. And that was with an active bass in the -0dB jack.

 

[bassampegman]

my svt3 pro was also a bit down on power, the trick is with that amp is to get the input gain up to the point where the led flickers, turn on the 9 band eq ( you can leave the sliders all flat , i.e midway, ) now this is the important thing push up the 9 band eq level to full and you get a huge increase in volume yet the tone is still clean. I did this for years until the SVTCL all tube head came in to my collection.I used to have my musicman 3 eq with slight bass boost, mid on the centre and slight treble boost, connect into the normal input, forget the -15db input, and set the input gain as said at the start.
This will now give you good volume. Also do not use the ultra low bass boost in this cuts all the 500hz midrange and although sounds nice on its own it gets totally lost in a band mix.
Hope this helps

Marty

 

[Keentwist]

Are you saying max out every eq band?

 

[xshawnxearthx]

nbo he is saying keep them in the middle, basically to make it sound like its off, then crank the last band which is the output for the eq.

im going to try that.

also central, you have the svt 4 pro? what cab do you use? im hoping it will just give me more volume then the 3 pro.

 

[Jerrold Tiers]

Also. remember to turn UP the tube drive.....

Up is lower "distortion" / less "tube effect" / more power.

The control adjusts voltage to the tube that drives the output fets directly.

Yes, I know, it's a poorly named control...........

 

[xcental34x]

No, I don't have it. But I've played through plenty of them at various local stores.

 

[metron]

Hardcore's where you tend to want your Sansamp RBI's or BDDI's and usually a hi-wattage SS amp. That seems to be the most common formula these days for your average local/unsigned band.

Meh. If its real punk then you cant use what everyone else is using! Seriously though either the SVT4 or 400+ will work great IMO. If I were going to play in a punk or hardcore band I would get either a 400+ or vintage SVT and run it into a Bergantino NV610.

 

[TheChariot]

If its real punk then you cant use what everyone else is using!

haha... amen to that

I think if you want clean sound, you should probably go for something SS powered... maybe even a SS preamp. With a pre-power setup, you can really diversify your sound quite a bit without dropping a ton of cash with every exchange.

Still... its going to depend on your personal ear for things. The 400+ and SVT4-Pro are both easy to find at most music stores. Judge for yourself... as they're both quite different. But it really just depends on what gives you that sound your really looking for. My guess is that the 4Pro is really what your looking for.... especially if you liked the tone of the 3Pro.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

unlike most punk bands, i like clean, stingray sound, no distortion.


i have the tube driver all the way up on my svt 3

whatever amp i get, its going to be cost.

i was looking into the classic style heads, but for a vintage one, ill have to find it used at the full price, if i get something new, itll be at cost. so i dont know.