Basically your own argument suggests making a lighter, authentic sounding SVT can't be done without innovation.
I think it would be more accurate to say I’m saying it hasn’t been done yet and appears to be a bigger challenge than just substituting lighter components.
But maybe I didn’t make it clear earlier that by “innovation” I’m talking about game changing new developments rather than loading up on additional features which is what many people call “innovation.” Which is why in another post I said I didn’t see the PF-50-T as the “new” direction the person I was responding to had characterized it. It added the correct power cord and some nice additional features and upgrades. But at heart it was still a B-15N. Hardly surprising in that most savvy companies think in terms of product lines when they’re designing rather than just individual products. That way they can leverage existing proven design elements into new products in a series or larger family of products. Fender does that with their Rumble product line. As does BOSS with their new Katana amps and huge family of pedals.
As far as weight being part of the SVT image, it wouldn’t completely surprise me if it were so. The Heinz Ketchup bottle was a famous example of not fixing something that could have easily been fixed because it would have clashed with the overall product branding and image. But I think the fact Ampeg already has an existing infrastructure for producing Tolex covered Baltic birch 14-ply cabinets might have something to do with it too. Far easier to roll with that rather than get up to speed and tool up for injection molded cases if your customers aren’t demanding you change it.
But I don’t really know what Ampeg’s thinking is on any of this. I’m just speculating and extrapolating based on my own experiences from the days when I was working in analytical instrument manufacturing. So take all of the above as personal opinion and nothing more.
