I've searched the whole of TB and googled untill my eyes bled. I couldn't find a SVT II pro appreciation thread. Let me hear, first hand from all the II pro owners. I'm really gassing for one.
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Tell me about the SVT pro II
- Thread starter 68Goldfish
- Start date
Sorry I own a SVTII not a IIpro. But the II is GREAT!!!! I did like the 2PRO when I used one at a gig tho. The drive control was fun!
Ampeg didn't seem to cut corners with this amp, either. I'm sure you other (USA) 2 Pro owners have noticed how heavy it is. Check out those transformers on the inside--powerhouses! Upon opening mine up and doing a quick inspection of the goods, I found that the soldering was top notch, the components were first quality, and the design layout was flawless. The built-in, end-user-adjustable bias control is also very nice. It can save some money; you don't have to take your amp to someone like me to get it biased. The chassis is very rugged and has a very durable paint job on it. To make a long story short, I have rarely seen modern tube amplifiers that are built to that kind of standard. My Mesa 400+ comes in at a close 2nd, though. 
It's heavy, and I really appreciate the EQ ability of it. Gotta love graphic EQs...
I'd like to see an in-depth comparison of the 2-Pro the CL and the VR someday on here.
The best one I can come up with is that the 2-Pro is more marketed towards techies and people that like to mess with their sound.
The CL and VR are packaged conveniently and are made for those that just want to plug right in and get a tone that's not too tweakable.
IMHO
I'd like to see an in-depth comparison of the 2-Pro the CL and the VR someday on here.
The best one I can come up with is that the 2-Pro is more marketed towards techies and people that like to mess with their sound.
The CL and VR are packaged conveniently and are made for those that just want to plug right in and get a tone that's not too tweakable.
IMHO
Cool info guys. I'm wondering what exactly the drive knob does. Is it similar to when you push the preamp to hard with an active bass in the non active input? The main reason I'm gassing for the amp is that I saw this live Heart show on TV and the bass player (Mike Inez) was using a two pro and he had this totaly cool sounding grind or grit or whatever you call it.
I used to have a 2Pro. Very loud, and sounded great, but it's been a while so I can't recall the particulars. There are those that prefer the older non-Pro, but I have no experience with those so I can't comment. If you like the familiar Ampeg fuzzy mushiness but want that to be controllable, and want a decent clean tone out of the same amp, it's a great choice.
Ampeg didn't seem to cut corners with this amp, either. I'm sure you other (USA) 2 Pro owners have noticed how heavy it is. Check out those transformers on the inside--powerhouses! Upon opening mine up and doing a quick inspection of the goods, I found that the soldering was top notch, the components were first quality, and the design layout was flawless. The built-in, end-user-adjustable bias control is also very nice. It can save some money; you don't have to take your amp to someone like me to get it biased. The chassis is very rugged and has a very durable paint job on it. To make a long story short, I have rarely seen modern tube amplifiers that are built to that kind of standard. My Mesa 400+ comes in at a close 2nd, though.
I've always been interested to know the differences in tone between the 400+ and SVT-2 Pro. I had an SVT MTI era, SVT-CL and now a Mesa 400+. While I love my 400+, I've always wondered how it would compare with the SVT-2 Pro and for that matter the non-pro. I have never played through either.
My SVT-II has always had much fuller low-mids and seemed to sound great in the mix with my bands on most any stage with my normal (near-centered) tone knob settings.
I always liked my 400+ (w/full JJ's) but it had me constantly tweakin knobs trying to get comfortable with its sound. Shortly after getting mine, I modded it with power-tube lift switches because It seemed to work so much better at very loud volume levels, But this mod didn't really accomplish my goal.
Mine has always seemed to sound somewhat grainy and lacked the strong low-mids I craved. I also had trouble taming it's somewhat harsh upper register sounds without its overall tone becoming to dull.
Psychos 400+ mods ended my knob tweaking and the graininess. Its transformed mine into much more of a plug and play amp that just flat works way better in every way. It still doesn't sound or work like my SVT-II, but it does have its own voice and vibe that I really like now. Its now got a much fuller sound and a very tight punchy response thats simply amazing.
My current favorite leans towards the SVT, but it actually comes down to which ever one I'm playing at the moment.
I always liked my 400+ (w/full JJ's) but it had me constantly tweakin knobs trying to get comfortable with its sound. Shortly after getting mine, I modded it with power-tube lift switches because It seemed to work so much better at very loud volume levels, But this mod didn't really accomplish my goal.
Mine has always seemed to sound somewhat grainy and lacked the strong low-mids I craved. I also had trouble taming it's somewhat harsh upper register sounds without its overall tone becoming to dull.
Psychos 400+ mods ended my knob tweaking and the graininess. Its transformed mine into much more of a plug and play amp that just flat works way better in every way. It still doesn't sound or work like my SVT-II, but it does have its own voice and vibe that I really like now. Its now got a much fuller sound and a very tight punchy response thats simply amazing.
My current favorite leans towards the SVT, but it actually comes down to which ever one I'm playing at the moment.
I am gassing for an SVT-2 Pro. I currently have an 8 ohm cabinet though, so short term it'll probably be for home practicing til I get a bigger, 4 ohm cabinet which I can take to a jam and be loud. NV610 is looking like a good match, or possibly the Ampeg 610.
?????
Anyway...
My SVT-2 Pro sounds very similar to the SVT-CL that I used to have. It does also sound a bit more "modern" than my old '72 SVT. The differences between the CL and 2 Pro are the key. The 2 Pro has endless EQ features, is rackmountable, weighs ten pounds less, is smaller, has an effects loop, and has more tubes. Of course, it costs about $100 more than the CL, too.
In comparison to my 400+, the 2 Pro outshines it in almost every category. The 2 Pro has grit and growl, it can clean up nicely, has more tonal variety, and is able to be biased by the user. The 400+, though it doesn't win those last categories, it does have a better crystal-clear tone, it weighs quite a bit less, and is simple to use. Both of these amps seem to get up to the same volume through the same cabs; they're equal in that department.
