It seems like threads about the SVT-100 only pop up every 5 years or so, figured I would post one since I just bought one today! Traded a SLM-era BSE410H cabinet + $300 for it. VERY happy with it so far!
Nuts and Bolts:
There seems to be extremely little information about these online, at least in an official sense. I've combed through the old threads here and a few other sources, so let me see if I can conglomerate all the info I've come across so far. Anyone who is able to correct me, please do so!
During Ampeg's MTI-era, they took a shot at making a guitar amp that was essentially a Marshall JCM800 clone, calling it the V5. It didn't have much success with guitarists, but it made for a decent bass amp. Once SLM purchased Ampeg from MTI and brought it back to the U.S., they took V5 parts leftover from MTI, did a little tweaking to the voicing and rebranded it as the SVT-100, only ever making about 100 of them total. Powered by 4 6550's and using 3 12ax7's for the preamp.
Impressions:
Definitely doesn't sound like an SVT, or even a V4B, but it definitely has some of that Ampeg "flavor." It really starts to come alive once the gain is up to about 7, or at least that's the sweet spot for me. That seems to give me the warm-fuzzy-just-on-the-verge-of-breakup sound I always go for. I'm not sure if it's the tone stack itself or if I just need to maybe have it serviced (some of the pots are scratchy), but I don't perceive a whole lot of change unless I'm at the extremes of the Low, Mid, or High pots. Also the Ultra-Hi switch seems to be broken, but I'm not too concerned with it at the moment.
I will say, it sounds WONDERFUL when I run my SGT-DI along with it. I'd like to pick up an attenuator so I can hear it with the power section saturated without blowing my hearing
Nuts and Bolts:
There seems to be extremely little information about these online, at least in an official sense. I've combed through the old threads here and a few other sources, so let me see if I can conglomerate all the info I've come across so far. Anyone who is able to correct me, please do so!
During Ampeg's MTI-era, they took a shot at making a guitar amp that was essentially a Marshall JCM800 clone, calling it the V5. It didn't have much success with guitarists, but it made for a decent bass amp. Once SLM purchased Ampeg from MTI and brought it back to the U.S., they took V5 parts leftover from MTI, did a little tweaking to the voicing and rebranded it as the SVT-100, only ever making about 100 of them total. Powered by 4 6550's and using 3 12ax7's for the preamp.
Impressions:
Definitely doesn't sound like an SVT, or even a V4B, but it definitely has some of that Ampeg "flavor." It really starts to come alive once the gain is up to about 7, or at least that's the sweet spot for me. That seems to give me the warm-fuzzy-just-on-the-verge-of-breakup sound I always go for. I'm not sure if it's the tone stack itself or if I just need to maybe have it serviced (some of the pots are scratchy), but I don't perceive a whole lot of change unless I'm at the extremes of the Low, Mid, or High pots. Also the Ultra-Hi switch seems to be broken, but I'm not too concerned with it at the moment.
I will say, it sounds WONDERFUL when I run my SGT-DI along with it. I'd like to pick up an attenuator so I can hear it with the power section saturated without blowing my hearing
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