An Ampeg SVT. I’ve been playing bass for 45 years and I’ve never had an SVT and I think I want one. For at home use only. I would never want to move it. What are reliable years, etc.? Thanks for the help!
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School Me On SVT’s
- Thread starter MazakCNC
- Start date
Soooo…. With cabinet? Kinda not my first choice for home use.
do you have a big-ish space to play it in? It will overrun small spaces very easily so it might be a challenge to turn it up enough to get the amp into its sweet spot.
otherwise hell yeah!
do you have a big-ish space to play it in? It will overrun small spaces very easily so it might be a challenge to turn it up enough to get the amp into its sweet spot.
otherwise hell yeah!
I hope your practice room isn't on an upstairs floor !
I use an SVT-CL at home and it works fine. If anything, I prefer the 810 because the speakers are up higher and it makes it easier to hear. It won't do the SVT cranked up thing at home volumes, but IMO it's still a good sound, and the CL has a master volume so I can still get some drive in my sound.
SVT-CL at home. It's my reference amp.
I do not like it with sealed cabinets like the matching 8x10.
I use either a GB 2x12 NeoX or a Bergantino HT322.
I've had very good luck with the 80's SLM units made in the states. Others here have had great luck with any of them.
Be warned: they are the greatest amp in the world when working properly and in stock condition.
They can be expensive to repair especially if amateurs have been inside.
I do not like it with sealed cabinets like the matching 8x10.
I use either a GB 2x12 NeoX or a Bergantino HT322.
I've had very good luck with the 80's SLM units made in the states. Others here have had great luck with any of them.
Be warned: they are the greatest amp in the world when working properly and in stock condition.
They can be expensive to repair especially if amateurs have been inside.
Bottom Line Up Front:
SVTs and 810s are not super common, but I strongly recommend that you put in the effort to try before you buy, if you have not already done so.
FYI the first bass rig I ever bought was a brand new MTI ear SVT and 810. I did a lot of research and everyone said the SVT was the best possible amp. I had one special ordered and was super excited. Within seconds of playing through it for the first time, I realized I had made a mistake.
I am not saying this rig sucks, but it's really not my sound. The 810 in particular is very heavily voiced and one of the least transparent cabs I have ever played through. I thought it sounded awful. It was so bad that I wondered if it was damaged or perhaps some sort of black market fake. But every SVT and 810 I have played through since then sounds pretty much the same.
An SVT and 810 are a big investment...do your due diligence to make sure it actually is your dream rig.
I am sure @JimmyM will be along eventually and he can correct and expand on what I will tell you.
I am not aware of any unreliable years for vintage SVTs. FYI, the last vintage-style SVT was the 87 Skunk. These amps have been around for a long time and many of have been rode hard and put away wet. That doesn't necessarily mean they will be unreliable. It does mean they may have incurred cumulative damage and been repaired with multiple bodges over the years; so caution is warranted.
If an amp works well, it may be okay. You could pay a tech to take a look. Otherwise you roll the dice.
FYI the 87 Skunk was a special issue amp that was produced while the Ampeg was being reorganized after MTI declared bankruptcy. The new owners (LOUD) designed and issued the SVT Classic.
Years later Ampeg made the SVT VR which was functional recreation of the original signal path, but these amps were not built like the originals. This model has been recently discontinued; essentially replaced by the SVT Heritage 50th AV. The main functional difference between the VR and 50th AV is Channel 2 of the 50th AV is voiced different than the VR.
The following amps have a two channel preamp. Vintage SVT, SVT VR, SVT 50th AV. The preamps have lot's of clean headroom and they do not have a master volume. To get OD you have to push the output section over the edge...meaning you don't get OD unless you are playing loud.
The SVT Classic (CL) amps have a master volume and the preamps are designed to be a bit more gainy...meaning you can crank the gain for preamp drive and then adjust the master to determine how loud you are playing. The SVT CL has one preamp channel and it is voiced fairly similar to channel 1 of the vintage-style amps.
There were also rack based SVTs designated as SVT II, SVT 2, and SVT 2 Pro. AFAIK the original SVT II was closest to the vintage amps. It only had vintage channel 1 in the preamp, but added a graphic. As the model evolved a master was added, so it was more like an SVT Classic. The 2-Pro is a further evolution.
I own a 69 and 87 Skunk.
The 69 used a different output tube (6146). The 87 runs 6550s like most SVTS, however it uses 12AX7s in channel 1 of the preamp rather than 12DW7. Three resistors can be changed so it can run 12DW7 in channel 1, but IMHO it's not worth the effort. I bought both amps because I wanted to experience both output tube types.
The 87 was near mint and has all original tubes, except maybe V1. It sounded great when I received it, but about a week later one of the main filter caps shorted. I shotgunned a full cap job and the amp has not had further problems. I kept the caps that I pulled out, and later bought a meter that tests capacitors. Several of them were out of spec.
Electrolytic capacitors degrade if they are not used. My guess is the Skunk had not been powered on for an extended time, so the capacitors went bad. It's also possible that the capacitors used to make the amp were expired. Ampeg tried to make the Skunks as authentic to the originals as possible. The capacitors they used were high quality, but I believe they were New Old Stock; rather than fresh from the factory.
I have done a lot of work on the 69. I purchased it for $1,350 including shipping--it seemed like a bargain, but you know what they: "If it seems to good to be true...". At this point the total sunk cost is $2,039. I have done all the work myself, and put almost $700 worth of parts into the amp. The bottom line would be much higher if I had to pay a tech.
The 69 arrived with a failed 6146W and a few fried resistors. I replaced the resistors and bought/installed a matched set of output tubes. Later I did an essential factory update that should have been done in the early 70s. It still hummed excessively and was low on power.
The amp had a high quality replacement power transformer. I was aware of the replacement transformer when I bought the amp, but I was not aware that Ampeg used different power transformers for 6146 and 6550. In order to run the 6550 transformer, a resistor circuit was used to drop about 130V off the screen supply. This is why the amp was low on power--when the tubes are cranking the screens pull lots of current, which caused the screen voltage to sag across the resistor network.
So the amp had the wrong transformer and no one offered an off-the-shelf replacement. I spent several years gathering as much data as I could and eventually had Heyboer wind a custom 6146 transformer for me. The amp makes really good power now.
There are quite a few other minor things I fixed in the 69 and I also did a full cap job as it was running many of the original caps from 69. It still hums a little, but I consider it acceptable.
The 69 and 87 do sound a bit different, but most would recognize the sound of both as SVT. The Power PC card in the 69 is a mess and shows repeated repairs. Many of the solder traces are damage or missing. My guess is the card would be in much better condition if the required (reliability) update had been performed. The resulting tube failures could also be behind the eventual failure of the power transformer.
This shows the 69 in the middle of installing the new Heyboer transformer. I have cut the leads for the 6550 transformer off the Power PC card on the left. If you look carefully you will see the ends of six wires. Look down the right edge of the card for the small bits of colored insulation.
You can see the reliability mod in the top right of the Power PC card. It involves cutting solder traces, adding a couple of bridges to different traces, and adding a capacitor and resistor. You can also see some of the damage the circuit card has incurred. In order to make this amp roadable I would goop up the power supply capacitors on the right with silicone RTV. Since I am not planning to gig it, I have left it this way to facilitate ease of maintenance.
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@Wasnex's posts are the bomb: fantastic knowledge/experiences and the willingness to share them. he is consistently conscientious, what a treasure! 
based on the information in his post and his personal experiences = i would never walk on the same side of the street as anything resembling an SVT, i would flee the vicinity!
but that's just me. good luck, @MazakCNC --- hope you find the experience you crave!
based on the information in his post and his personal experiences = i would never walk on the same side of the street as anything resembling an SVT, i would flee the vicinity!
but that's just me. good luck, @MazakCNC --- hope you find the experience you crave!
JeezyMcNuggles
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Starting with Wasnex's unabashed statement about how SVTs suck, he sure has wasted a lot of time and energy on them... I don't get it....
SVT is my favourite amp and I used one for many years.
Would not be my choice for a home amp. Fan is noisy at low volumes, and getting it in the sweet spot means its loud.
Where they shine is obviously loud live gigs. For the house I'd go with a V4-B (or B-15), but if you must scratch the itch, any of the blue grill cloth 70s ones are great.
Be prepared to spend $$ with a good tech, but once dialled in it'll stay good a long time.
Would not be my choice for a home amp. Fan is noisy at low volumes, and getting it in the sweet spot means its loud.
Where they shine is obviously loud live gigs. For the house I'd go with a V4-B (or B-15), but if you must scratch the itch, any of the blue grill cloth 70s ones are great.
Be prepared to spend $$ with a good tech, but once dialled in it'll stay good a long time.
Another SVT Classic home user, korea made, not sure what year.
Although saw a lot of the combo head/fridge on several stages through the years (as a guitar player), never tried mine with an 8x10. But even with a 2x10 or 2x12 tone is so satisfying.
Original owner complained about thermal shutdown when playing live; it took some months to happen in my place.
I applied the correction outlined on Ampeg's Bulletin Service (upping the polyswitch fuse value) and worked like a charm since then.
Although saw a lot of the combo head/fridge on several stages through the years (as a guitar player), never tried mine with an 8x10. But even with a 2x10 or 2x12 tone is so satisfying.
Original owner complained about thermal shutdown when playing live; it took some months to happen in my place.
I applied the correction outlined on Ampeg's Bulletin Service (upping the polyswitch fuse value) and worked like a charm since then.
Didn't know that was a thing. I attached a giant fan to mine.... which oddly enough is not as loud as the stock fan.
He's a collector. Read enough of his posts you will get a bigger picture.
Find one and play it before you buy. The 8x10 cabs were designed for high volume big venue application and don't sound particularly good at low volume in a small room. The svt head with a 2x15 or 4x10 can might be a better choice
I think BOC had the SVT in mind when they wrote Godzilla.. 300 watts of molten lava.
Seriously, if you can handle the weight, it has the beef for any situation. I had one for 21 years. Just the head with a Traynor 2x12 cab with EV speakers. Loved it, but the weight and my tastes changed.
However, IME, it’s not the most HI-FI in sound. If you’re playing jazz, modern R&B or contemporary Christian, you might want to go Class D or hybrid. Just one player’s opinion.
. 300 watts of molten lava.Seriously, if you can handle the weight, it has the beef for any situation. I had one for 21 years. Just the head with a Traynor 2x12 cab with EV speakers. Loved it, but the weight and my tastes changed.
However, IME, it’s not the most HI-FI in sound. If you’re playing jazz, modern R&B or contemporary Christian, you might want to go Class D or hybrid. Just one player’s opinion.
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If you are searching for the "Surreal Ampeg Experience," you have to own an SVT810.
Otherwise, what is the point.
