I've been clamoring for years for a 200 watt all-tube SVT-VR (to the point of probably causing some TB'ers to wish that I would just shut up about it!)
Let's send hundreds of letters and emails to Ampeg and see if they give in Sacto !
I want one !!!
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Let's send hundreds of letters and emails to Ampeg and see if they give in Sacto !
I want one !!!
Yamaha and Ampeg welcomes your feedback!
Well, bare minimum maintenance, all components have a life span of course. IMHO they digital technology really is there now, the implementation leaves a little to be desired and most of the built-in power options are insufficient for bass (Positive Grid I'm looking at you, a 300watt class D isn't gonna cut it). As you say, it is getting better all the time, one day soon we may only have to show up with a bass and a USB stick.
What you're talking about is a prime example of an unfair test, if you played the SVT through a single 15 I'm pretty sure you could tell the difference between it and one played through an 810 as well. Run it with a lightweight high powered power amp and the same 8x10 cab and you'll be comparing apples to apples. You'll still be in around 30lbs with a rack setup, way lighter than the SVT which is the point of this thread.
Most modelling amps also do cab modelling be it through adjustable settings (like in the Helix) or with the addition of IRs which you can send to front of house or run through a monitor. Nothing can make a 115 or a 112 feel like an 8x10 though, it's not magic
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I've never played through a Trace V6, but the Trace V4 that I had didn't sound much like the SVT's that I had, especially when cranked. The V4 seemed to get more of an "angry" tone, whereas the SVT's that I have owned got more of a thick smooth tone when cranked.
But I don't know if the V6 sounds like the V4 since I've never played through a V6.
Also, the OP specified a "new" amp with factory warranty.
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My favorite amp to date is my beloved Mesa mpulse 600. To my ears, it is the most convincing hybrid I’ve ever heard. It’s big, mean, wooly if you want it, and it screams. Not sure how much it weighs, but nowhere close to an svt. I can carry it in it’s factory headcase with one hand.
Oh- my orange terror bass is also a frighteningly good sounding amp and has slam for days. Class D, to boot.
I agree with Diegom about modeling sounding like recordings of the amps they model because that's how they all build their models. But danged if I don't want one of these digital units
Actually the next SVT is the 50th Anniversary SVT that was announced at NAMM.
Jimmy: since you sometimes have the "inside scoop" on Ampeg products, do you happen to know when this 50th Anniv SVT will become available to the public, and what the street cost will be? I looked on the Ampeg website and couldn't find any info on that.
I wish, but I got nothing for you, bro. They didn't have a lot of lead time to get the prototypes done while inheriting all the other duties of transfer of ownership so I doubt it'll be next week, but they're coming. Can't do a 50th anniversary version a year later
I wish, but I got nothing for you, bro. They didn't have a lot of lead time to get the prototypes done while inheriting all the other duties of transfer of ownership so I doubt it'll be next week, but they're coming. Can't do a 50th anniversary version a year later
Good point!
Thanks Jimmy. I'll keep my eyes open.
I'm running a Helix rack into Ampeg Pro Neo cabs with no IRs. Sounds pretty swole to me but still weights more than I like with a bridged Crown and power regulator in a 6U. Hence, why I'm reading this thread with interest. I just got through loading those cabs in and now have to lug a heavier than I like 6U in? Ugh.
@Vin Taj: You are not alone in seeking such an amp. Unfortunately, as far as I know, the amp you seek does not exist. You stated in your OP that you seek a brand new amp, with a factory warranty, that sounds and feels like an SVT, and per your comment above, you want it to weigh no more than 30 pounds. There are *LOTS* of new amps that weigh under 30 pounds and provide TONS of volume. I'm not impressed with that. Any amp can make things louder. But if you want that 3D, organic, harmonically rich tone of an SVT and that tactile response ("feel") of an SVT, lightweight amps will not give you that. Believe me, I don't enjoy typing those words. But it's reality. And I've noticed that lots of folks focus only on sound and don't address the tactile response ("feel") part of the equation that you referenced in your comment above. Solid state power sections (whether it's class D or class A/B) can't provide that "feel" the way power tubes and an iron output transformer interacting with speakers can. Who knows.....maybe 10 to 20 years from now technology will have advanced to the point where solid state can do it. But it hasn't happened yet. And even though there are a few all-tube amps that weigh under 30 pounds, they don't sound and feel like an SVT.
So here's the rub. If you want to stay under 30 pounds, you are unfortunately going to have to give up on the SVT sound and "feel" and settle for something less. Lots of folks use other amps and/or combinations of gear (pedals, etc.) to *try* to get as close as they can to the SVT sound and feel but with less weight. Are they totally happy? I don't know. Some folks place a higher priority on the schlep factor and are perfectly fine with lighter gear. We all have differing priorities, desires, and wants. I'm 62, and even though I *could* schlep an SVT like I used to years ago, I don't want to do that at this point in my life (although that 50th Anniversary USA-made SVT has my eyebrows raised!) IMO/IME, nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to the sound and the feel of a real SVT.
All IMO/IME.
A tube pre such as Monique or Arkham or Shiftline ( I'm sure there are others) with a class D will get you closer with less weight.
