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SVT100 - any info?

M

Moo

Inactive
Dec 14, 2002
2,090
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Oakland, CA
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#1
Hi, I've been playing in a Tommy Bolin cover band recently and the guy putting it together has an SVT100 head I use. I love this thing and was wondering how it compares to other SVT's and all tube amps. I've been using Eden, SWR and Trace Elliot for years and this tube thing is rather new to me.

A search here turns up almost nothing and what little I read on the net says it was a guitar amp that wasn't popular and after a company sale in the early '80's they called them bass amps and unloaded them.

Can anyone add to that?
 
#2
Hey all. Thought I'd give this old thread a bump, since there's so little info about this head and I'm considering buying one. Unfortunately I won't have the opportunity to "try before you buy," so any info at all would be helpful.

Has anyone here used these? Anyone know anything about their tube complement? How about controls and other features? And, of course, most importantly--HOWZABOUT DA TONE?!

As always, your collective knowledge and expertise is much appreciated.

Matt
 
#4
Good ole thread, I knew it would come back.

The SVT100 I played was all tube and sounded great. It had that Glenn Hughes/Deep Purple tone to it. I was using it with just a single 15 and actually damaged my ears, so it has enough volume to do something stupid. I can't really compare it to other all tube amps but it did sound really really good for rock.
 
#5
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Is the SVT100 not a solid state head?

Im assuming its just a lower version of the SVT 200 and 300 T's

Never liked them too much myself, were ok for a SS tone, but nothing special, always had to have it cranked up full tho, so probably wasnt sounding its best (it was a 200 i used)
Click to expand...

The amp I'm looking at is all tube, I believe. I know it uses 6550s for the power section anyway. Honestly not sure how the preamp is designed.

I believe they did make an SVT 100T, which was solid state. I agree with you about those other solid state heads as well--not bad, but not quite my cup o' tea either.

If anyone has an other info regarding the preamp of the SVT 100 I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for what you guys have offered so far!

Matt
 
#10
stringbass69 said:
Hey all. Thought I'd give this old thread a bump, since there's so little info about this head and I'm considering buying one. Unfortunately I won't have the opportunity to "try before you buy," so any info at all would be helpful.

Has anyone here used these? Anyone know anything about their tube complement? How about controls and other features? And, of course, most importantly--HOWZABOUT DA TONE?!

As always, your collective knowledge and expertise is much appreciated.

Matt
Click to expand...
E-mail Ampeg CS, I'll bet Gino knows.
 
#12
Psycho Bass Guy said:
The SVT100 was an MTI-era tube amp. Not many were made, but they're not desirable to most collectors, so they're not particularly valuable. They're basically a V4 with an SVT preamp.
Click to expand...

It was a "transition" amplifier also. It was the first product made and sold after Ampeg was bought from MTI, but was pretty much made from existing stock of partly completed units that came along with the name, some spare parts, and a few file cabinets.

The unit was discontinued soon, in favor of the first run of SVTs. And, yes, later there was an SVT-100T.
 
#13
Sorry. Had to chime in at any suggestion of a dis of the SVT-200T. I have one that I have owned since new. Maybe '89 or '90. It sounds great and has never failed me.

Long live the 200T!!!!!!


If the Ampeg comes back, I have to ask, "why does it sound better than the newer 350s?"

Is there anything different in the guts besides the graphic vs. quasi-para EQ?
 
#14
Chasarms said:
Sorry. Had to chime in at any suggestion of a dis of the SVT-200T. I have one that I have owned since new. Maybe '89 or '90. It sounds great and has never failed me.

Long live the 200T!!!!!!


If the Ampeg comes back, I have to ask, "why does it sound better than the newer 350s?"

Is there anything different in the guts besides the graphic vs. quasi-para EQ?
Click to expand...
Im glad someone feels that way :p

I dont, i really didnt like it, not enough power at all, and it was with a 2x15
 
#15
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Im glad someone feels that way :p

I dont, i really didnt like it, not enough power at all, and it was with a 2x15
Click to expand...

True.

In today's world, it is not that powerful. I never had any problems with volume from it, but I was typically using a 410 and 115 or similar. It is no where close to my Eden in output, even though the Eden is not rated as significantly more powerful.
 
#16
Thanks for all your help, you guys. I think I've learned about all I can online about this baby, so I went ahead and bought it--can't tell much more without listening to the dang thing, right? I figure if I hate it I can always resell it, but I doubt that'll be the case.

I did confirm that it's 4 6550s for power. Didn't learn much else about the preamp except what's been mentioned in this thread. I'll have to check all that out and report back to you when I have it in my hands. Definitely sounds like it could be a cool little amp, though, if not a very collectible one.

I'll update you all on the sound and other details when I get the amp in a week or so. Again, thanks for all your help!

Matt
 
#18
i_got_a_mohawk said:
Interesting, i read somewhere that it used 6L6's, but i guess sometimes they can be almost seen as "interchangeable", should be pretty good id imagine, better post pics :)
Click to expand...

Well, there's always the chance the guy I talked to could be smokin' the wacky weed, so I'll have to verify all this when I get the thing.

Matt
 
#19
Okay, just a quick update here before I post a more in depth one with pics.

I received the amp yesterday. Unboxed it, popped the tubes in (4 6550s, 3 12AX7s) and fired it up through an SWR Big Ben cab with a single EV 18. Sounds great to my ears, although I definitely need to hear it "in context," which I will get to do at my gig tonight. I did get a chance to jam with a guitarist a little bit who was playing fairly loudly through a Marshall half-stack. The SVT-100 kept up volume-wise with no trouble at all. It's big, fat, and clean sounding. In fact, I wish it were a little dirtier sounding. I used to have a B25B that I loved for its breakup whenever it was even remotely pushed. The SVT-100's a vastly different beast, of course. Definitely has the grunt and growl you hope to hear from an Ampeg tube amp. Sounds quite different from the V4s and V4Bs I've played over the years. A little rounder sounding and less "barky." Sadly, I've never owned a vintage SVT, so I can't compare it to the real deal. My only frame of reference is the B25B and V4Bs I've played through, and this amp compares favorably.

I'll let you all know how it performs at the show tonight. So far I'm pleased, but I always have to hear an amp in the band context before I can get too excited. I'm going to pull the thing apart and photograph the inside as well, just in case any of the techies here can use that sort of visual data.

Stay tuned!

Matt
 

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