SVT3 Pro And 410 cab 600$ Good Deal?

[lowfreq58]

Ive been looking for a new amp for a while now and I get really bummed at the prices these days.

I found a guy with an older SVT 3 pro with a Ampeg 4 -10 cab for 600 bucks. I read alot of great reviews, got exited and went to try it.( The head had the blue lettering if that helps to age the head)
I have a B2 r combo with a 15 and a 2- 10 cab that gives me 350 watts now.

I just wasnt knocked out by the pro 3 as the clip light coming on at half power concerns me. I mean it sounds loud but that damn light is flickering all the time!

is that normal? Everything checked out fine except a real soft fuzzy sound at low volume Not a distortion type sound. Perhaps a STICKY VOICE COIL?

I am wondering how much difference new tubes would make. This guy isnt a bass player and has had it for quite a while so I dont figure he has done any maintenance.

Whatcha think? is this a very good move up from my B2R.

I mean I am seeing the head alone going for that much, maybe I just had my expectations too high.

Any help will be appreciated< I need to jump on this if I am going to do it.

lowfreq

 

[jimmy rocket]

You're not going to gain a noticeable increase in power over the B2R, but you will notice a warmer tone because of the tube pre. I rock a 3-pro and the main thing with volume vs. the "clip" light. First off, it's not going to hurt you to be in the red as the amp's not really clipping, just overdriving the tubes a little. I know plenty of people that adjust it so that the red light comes on with each note. I don't but that's not the tone I like for most applications. There are three places for potential volume control on the amp, the input gain, the master and the right slider on the EQ. Its mostly a dance between the gain and the master to get it where you like it. I used to dime the master and dial in volume with the gain. never saw a red light and had plenty of volume. Now I'm somewhere in between.

I can't tell you what the "real soft fuzzy sound" is. Sorry.

I run my 3pro with the classic 2x10 and 1x15 (which it looks like you're using with the B2R) so you might want to check that out and decide which of the cabs you want / need. 410s are beasts though.

 

[warnergt]

Sounds like a very good deal to me.

It's not a clip light. It's a peak light for the signal entering the preamp. You want this light to flicker. If it doesn't flicker, you need to increase your input gain. This light in no way indicates that you are running the amplifier at, or even near, its limits. It is not like a clip light you would find on other amps which indicate that you are overdriving the power amplifier.

 

[lowfreq58]

AHH, Not a clip light, that helps me out a little.

What cha think about the tubes? could they need replaced? I havnt owned a tube amp since I had a B15-N about 35 years ago.

Could that possibly be the problem?

I would have thought that another 100 watts would be pretty noticable. I mean thats another 100 watts of headroom.

I think I'll go back,take my 2-10 cab and my guitar atry it all together.

Thanks for the response and more are wlcome.

 

[Williamsburgjim]

...another thought. Do a search cause I think (though could be wrong) that Jerrold mentioned something about the older models having low output and that there was a simple fix for it.

Jimbob

 

[jimmy rocket]

AHH, Not a clip light, that helps me out a little.

What cha think about the tubes? could they need replaced? I havnt owned a tube amp since I had a B15-N about 35 years ago.

Could that possibly be the problem?

I would have thought that another 100 watts would be pretty noticable. I mean thats another 100 watts of headroom.

I think I'll go back,take my 2-10 cab and my guitar atry it all together.

Thanks for the response and more are wlcome.

Not sure about the B2R, but the the B2RE is rated 250 @8 ohms and 450 at 4 ohms. Compared to the 3 pro it's almost the same (the 3 pro is listed 275 @ 8 ohms and 450 @ 4 ohms) It will make a difference if you're only running into one 410 8ohm cab because it'll be at half the volume. the 410 / 210 together might be an awesome set up. 6 10's at 4 ohms sounds good to me.

 

[jeffg333]

my svt-3pro was the best. played through a 4x10 ampeg and a 1x15ampeg 8ohms combined the two cabs to 4ohms sounded great. Then I moved up to the svt-4pro and the 8x10

but at that point I was looking for raw power on stage..

and that combo was that dynamic. -jeffg

 

[AxtoOx]

AHH, Not a clip light, that helps me out a little.

What cha think about the tubes? could they need replaced? I havnt owned a tube amp since I had a B15-N about 35 years ago.

Could that possibly be the problem?

I would have thought that another 100 watts would be pretty noticable. I mean thats another 100 watts of headroom.

I think I'll go back,take my 2-10 cab and my guitar atry it all together.

Thanks for the response and more are wlcome.

100 watts won't make much of a difference, IIRC you have to double the wattage to get 3 more db. I think the ear tells the difference around 2. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
I didn't read every post. You can get a 3 Pro for between 6 and 700, so It's like getting a free cab for being used. I'd do it.