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To Finally Gig an SVT

Old Fart

Old Fart

Mar 11, 2011
2,519
4,373
#1
Briefly: Was in some semi-successful local band in the seventies but I could not afford an SVT/810 rig. I have admired them, greatly, all this time. Left music for thirty years, then returned several years ago. Pre-Covid, found a low-miles very early MTI SVT with the "Magnavox" circuitry an all-vintage preamp tube including the 12DW7s, and Svetlana Winged-C 6550s. Later I added an 810e cab. I have never gigged this rig. My Mesa WD-800 and Berg 212 have made more sense. Until now....

I'm very excited to play an outdoor show Thursday. Very. I play a P-Bass with Pure Vintage '63 pickups. I do not expect to have tone problems. ;)
 
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#2
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#9
Spedracer said:
Is there a point to bridging the channels? I know why people do it, but how significant is it? I've always been a little skittish about bridging my 70-71 SVT.
Click to expand...

There's nothing to be skittish about.

Channel 1 and 2 are voiced slightly differently--besides the differences in tone controls--and tend to have differences in preamp output. Channel 1 is hotter than Channel 2 on my curved line.
 
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#14
While not being very practical or affordable for most players, there’s still something worth experiencing when you get to let an SVT off its leash.

As my guitarist SO once put when she heard me play through one in an event provided backline: Bloody hell! That thing is scary…but in a good way.

IMO every bass player needs to experience an SVT at rock stage levels at least once. Hit an open E string hard while standing in front of one and it can feel like your pancreas swapped places with your liver for a second.

Just protect your ears. :thumbsup:
 
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#16
Old Fart said:
Briefly: Was in some semi-successful local band in the seventies but I could not afford an SVT/810 rig. I have admired them, greatly, all this time. Left music for thirty years, then returned several years ago. Pre-Covid, found a low-miles very early MTI SVT with the "Magnavox" circuitry an all-vintage preamp tube including the 12DW7s, and Svetlana Winged-C 6550s. Later I added an 810e cab. I have never gigged this rig. My Mesa WD-800 and Berg 212 have made more sense. Until now....

I'm very excited to play an outdoor show Thursday. Very. I play a P-Bass with Pure Vintage '63 pickups. I do not expect to have tone problems. ;)
Click to expand...

congratulations! I was the opposite. In my early twenties my first practice room was a studio on London with an Ampeg SVT stack. Stupid me ran a POS Bass Pod XT into it to get ‘my sound’. Now I have to run Line 6 gear into the PA because practice rooms near me have no bass amps or total rubbish amps.
 
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#18
Thanks, everyone. I am really looking forward to it.

Those are some handsome rigs you have there, bftbassman. The V4(B?) is very gorgeous. I have one of those too, but it would look silly atop my narrow 212 cab.
 
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