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SVT-4PRO

dan.ablett

dan.ablett

Aug 15, 2006
508
21
Perth, Western Australia
#1
i've done a fair bit of searching on this amp... and the general impression i get from TB is that "although many pros use this amp, 'I' dont like it, and it would be the last ampeg amp i would buy"

i also havent found a thread PURELY about this amp.

so any comments? who loves it? who doesnt? who has a beter option for me?

thanks!
 
#2
I think that a lot of people (but not all) who want the Ampeg sound and that power level would go for one of the 300 watt tube Ampegs for not much more money.

If I was to buy a solid state Ampeg, it would be the SVT-4Pro for sure, but I would rather a tube poweramp personally.

As for a "better option" for you, everyone will have a different opinion, but:
What kind of sound are you going for?
How much headroom do you need?
What bass/pedals/cab do you have?
 
#3
well, everythings a work in progress with me, im updating all my gear, one thing at a time. im playing a Marcus miller IV, and want a great tone for r'n'b, groove, modern gospel stuff (israel houghton), rock, pop rock.

ill be using a Labsystems 410 cab that puts out 500w @ 8ohms.

i thought the SVT4PRO wasa hybrid, tube and solid state?


very useful reply so far btw.
thanks!
 
#4
Sorry, I have a habit of lumping hybrids in the "solid state" category because of the poweramp (its not a tube amp so it must be solid state), sorry for any confusion.
The SVT-4Pro is a hybrid amp, has a few tubes in the preamp but it has a solid state poweramp.

I think an SVT-4Pro would be a suitable amp for you and would work well with your present gear, it just comes down to personal taste.
Try one with your gear and see if you like it.

The only other solid state/hybrid amp I would consider for myself would be a high end Ashdown, which could also suit you perhaps.
If you want to get a bit more hifi but still have character people really seem to like Eden and GK.

BTW, cabs handle power, they don't put power out (if you ran 100 watts into the cab it wouldn't put out 500).
 
#8
I've owned a 4Pro, 6Pro, 3Pro, V4, B2, SVP Pro, and SVP-CL. Consider the size/weight, cost, and how loud it isn't for 1200watts. IMO you're best off with a pre-power setup if you're after the Ampeg sound. I really prefer the tone of the 3Pro vs. the 4Pro. I also found the 6Pro was very quiet for a 1000w amp.
 
#10
I own one (USA made). I think it is a great amp. It is a loud amp, but I do not believe that it puts out the kind of volume that it should be, considering its wattage.

I also own a 2 Pro, a 810E cab, and a 610HFL cab. Though the 2 Pro and 610HLF is my main go-to rig, the 4 Pro/810E rig is a great backup or main rig. It's got tons of clarity, enough power for small-to-medium (-to-large?) gigs. It's been very durable for me: 48 shows with it and it has never had an issue of any kind! I think that an actual all-tube Ampeg is in a class of its own (heaven), but I think the 4 Pro can keep up with the best of them.

However, if you like the amp, then get the amp. Yes, there are tonal advantages to tubes. And yes, there are tonal advantages to SS/Hybrid amps. There are other factors to worry about when it comes to the amp. One that is coming to mind is upkeep: I just spent $250 on a "cheap" set of tubes for my 2 Pro. Remember that when you go to choose between amps :)
 
#11
I used an SVT4 for several years (with 2 Ampeg BXT 4x10 hlf cabs). I beat it to the ground gig after gig and it never quit, never shut down, never overheated (I guess I got a good one).

The type of music I played with it was funk/rock/jam. I was able to get allot of useful tones out of this amp, but the eq took some getting used to.

When you look at all of the eq options that this amp has, it might lead you to believe that you will be able to dial in a ton of different sounds. Despite the controls, the amp was not as flexible as it looked. I think that this is a great amp for rock music. I think that is the sound it most readily puts out.

I agree with those that feel it does not seem to be as powerful as the specs claim it is. When ever I used one 4x10 cab (4 ohm) I always had to bridge the amp to mono in order to get the most out of my cab. This is based on my use of other 500 watt heads (the svt4 is 490 stereo @ 4 ohms).

Another thing to consider is the weight. I had mine in a Road Ready 4 space rack with a tuner. At this point we're at about 60 lbs. all together.
After a while I got tired of carrying this head around.

Looking at this as a whole there are plenty of alternatives that are lighter and more powerful and sound better. My Eden navigator and PLX 1602 amp together weigh in just over thirty pounds.

Yes allot of people do use them and sound really good doing so. I just think there were too many things working against this amp to warrant me keeping it.
 
#12
Well, I am on my second SVT-4. I sold my first for a 300 watt SVT, and regretted it later. For me at least, I really love the SVT-4 pro, and I have to admit, I did not want to like it the second time around. It just works for me, and I like how it sounds, and I know how to use it well enough to get the sounds I want.

On the contrary to a previous post, I think this thing has a TON of tonal range in it.

I think it has plenty of power. I have not ever needed more.

I have never had a problem with either SVT-4 I have owned, but for that matter, I have never had a problem with ANY piece of Ampeg gear I have owned.

YMMV.
 

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