• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Which Ampeg PRO?

W

wetzelman1

Feb 12, 2009
407
1
41
www.myspace.com
#1
so with my tax returns I'm going to get a new head. Pretty set on Ampeg, I'm pretty positive I want that "Ampeg" tone at least. I play in mathy stoner metal band, think Mastodon meets Between the Buried and Me, meets Opeth meets Dillinger Escape plan. Right now my rig is a Spector bass through a B2R and an Ampeg 1540. Use a bunch of pedals right now to get a tone I like. (BBM, Xciter, Hartke Attack, Korg Ax5b)

I've been trying to research this and can't really get any good answers on comparing tones of the different heads. Need to go rackmount so I'm looking at the PRO's.

SVT 4 Pro is at the top of the list right now since many of the bands with bass tones I like use a 4 Pro. Would like some headroom but won't be playing any stadiums any time soon. Price is obviously important but secondary to tone.

can anyone elaborate on the tonal differences between the 2,3,4 and 7 pro models?
 
#2
i got with the ampeg svt2pro, it is all tube tone, and in my opinion tube tone is the best.

full.jpg


im sure you wont need 2 of them, but they are amaziing
 
#4
SVT-7 Pro is a hybrid with one 12AX7 tube in the preamp and a class D power amp. It's high power (600 watts @ 8 ohms, 1000 watts @ 4 ohms) and lightweight (less than 16 pounds). The reviews I have read (here in TB) say it does amazingly well at delivering the true Ampeg sound despite the fact that it has only one tube. I would buy one in a New York minute except it won't handle both of my 4-ohm cabs simultaneously.
 
#5
goldenglory18 said:
how long have you been playing bass?

how much $$ do you want to spend?

what size venues are you typically playing and how are those venues running your sound?
Click to expand...

Been playing bass for 1.5 years, played guitar for bout 6 before that. Will hopefully be playing bass for many more. I'm 25, live with my band, gig like hell, trying to make somethin out of this.

2 Pro at $1800 is in the realm of possibility but if I could get the same tone from a 7 pro at half the price, the 7 pro is pretty lucritive.

We're mostly playing local clubs and bars, biggest venue would really be about 500 people max, typically places are about 150-200 cap. around Boston. Most places will take a di to FOH, but i still struggle to get ample volume in practice and on stage.
 
#6
im telling you you cant get the same tone as the 2 pro with a 7 pro, class d solid state is never going to give you exactly what 14 tubes crushing in your amp head sound like. personally when they try to emulate tube it sounds like cardboard.
 
#8
I have a pair of 3-Pros, and other than an issue with getting the bias adjusted, they have served me well for the last 10 years. But, if I had to do it all over again with a Pro series head - and if I had the cash - I would have went with a pair of all tube 2-Pros
 
#9
I've been playing metal of a similar kind to what you describe for quite some years now and used a 4PRO for a couple of those years. My honest opinion is that although the tone was great the power was lacking and I would occasionally find myself struggling to keep up with the guitars, I was never truely happy with this amp (I also had numerous reliability issues despite mine being the preferable US built type). Many here will disagree and say that the 4PRO is a loud reliable amp, I'm just letting you know of my experience.

I certainly agree that of all the ampeg PRO range heads the 2PRO is the master, if you can afford that then choose that!

Also, take into consideration the cab/cabs you will use. As your in a tech/prog/brutal metal band I would seriously consider an 8x10 or 2 4x10 to help project your tone at serious volume.:bassist:
 
#10
Like i said svt2pro if you can afford it is the best of the pro series in my opinion, if you want massive massive power that is class d they have one coming out in the next couple months the svt8pro its got massive power but like i said, 300 watts of pure tube power from an ampeg is one of the best sounds out there, whether its the svt classic or the svt2pro.
 
#11
ok so the SVT 2 Pro is the big daddy.

What's there to be said about the others? 3 pro seems probably a little lacking, 4 pro, good but maybe need more headroom, 7 pro ($800 online).

more curious about the tone differences, any tonal explanations would be welcome. My GC sucks so I can't try these out easily.
 
#12
I think your decision depends on which cabinets you plan on running. If you are operating two 4 ohm cabs, you might want to consider one of the stereo amps either the 4PRO or the 5PRO.

I am here to sing the praises of the 5PRO even though most bass players/ampeg loyalists will call the whole series cheap knock offs of the real thing. If you are looking for the real thing, get one of the all tube classics. If you are looking for a reliable verstile bass amp with lots of features, go for one of the PROs.

You might be able to score a used SVT 5PRO - which has; Distortion channel that you can blend with the clean channel, compression, octave, two power amps that could run at 2 ohms each, Each amp can recieve full range or crossover highs and lows for Biamping. All sorts of great patching and outputs on the back, even a seperate effects loop for each channel.

If you score a used 5PRO, get yourself a top notch power conditioner too. Most every model Ive heard has a hiss at full volume without one.
 
#13
i first owned a ampeg svp cl with a power amp and i liked it then got rid of it, and got a svt 3 pro, i liked the 3 pro a lot! but it didnt have enough power to compete with a 1959 marshall plexi and a mesa duel recti. so i got rid of it and bought a 2 pro, and then later added another svt2pro. one 2 pro is more then enough to do anything, pure tube i cant reiterate this enough if you are looking for power and great tone, a svt 2pro or classic is the one. 300 watt of pure tube tone i love tube sound! but i did like the 3pro a lot as well solid state output but preamp tubes, but it was weak.
 
#16
I've only had any meaningful experience with the 2PRO and 4PRO and can say that tonally two are in the same area with the 2PRO being fuller, warmer with alot more grit/grind on offer. Basically its got more balls! You will never get girth of tone similar with a 4PRO.

You mentioned the bass players from Dillinger (SVT CL), Between the buried and me (SUNN 300T) and Opeth (Laney Nexus tube), all tube amps if your liking these tones.
 
#19
I as well have been into those types of metal stuff for a while now.

I had volume issues with my 4-pro when I had 2 mismatching 4x10 8ohm cabs piggy backed in bridge mono (thus being 4ohms right). Forget about even using 1 8ohm cab, that was ridiculously quiet for obvious reasons.

Once I got the 810e life was gooood - I no longer have to push my volume to almost clipping, my tone was smoooth, punchy, and cut. My only volume problems I have now is to make sure I'm not too loud, point my cab away from guitar players etc. Both setups pulled the same power/ohms but the 8x10 doesn't have any ports...and the 2-4x10s did. Maybe that contributed to the volume issues I experienced, dunno.

I will tell you when I went from a QSC850 poweramp + Bass Pod to a SVT4Pro the whole game changed. I as well spent a tax return on it, probably in '03 or '04 when I think they first came out. I've only had to repair it once early on...some solder joints in the preamp got rumbled apart or something.

As far as the 8x10 advice goes man, do it. I did the 4x10 and 1x18 in a 2 channel mode for a while with a xover, I even then did bridgemono to pull more power. Both were very, very lackluster.

P.S. I've been eyeballin the SVT-6 and 7...the 4 takes up 3 spaces in a rack...but I've also been wanting to try some alltube action. Oh well that's another thread - good luck with your new amp decision.


Captain Marvel said:
I've been playing metal of a similar kind to what you describe for quite some years now and used a 4PRO for a couple of those years. My honest opinion is that although the tone was great the power was lacking and I would occasionally find myself struggling to keep up with the guitars, I was never truely happy with this amp (I also had numerous reliability issues despite mine being the preferable US built type). Many here will disagree and say that the 4PRO is a loud reliable amp, I'm just letting you know of my experience.

I certainly agree that of all the ampeg PRO range heads the 2PRO is the master, if you can afford that then choose that!

Also, take into consideration the cab/cabs you will use. As your in a tech/prog/brutal metal band I would seriously consider an 8x10 or 2 4x10 to help project your tone at serious volume.:bassist:
Click to expand...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back