Which of These Amps?

[Zbysek]

I need help deciding which one to buy:
Ampeg SVT III (non pro)
Eden WT-330
Eden WT-400
Epifani Performance Series 4000
Gallien-Krueger 400RB III
Gallien-Krueger 700RB
Genz Benz NEO PAK 3.5
Mesa Boogie M3 Carbine
SWR Bass 350
SWR ST-220
SWR SM400S
SWR SM500
Trace Elliot AH200S
Trace Elliot AH250SMX
I can't try any of them before ordering. I will purchase from Guitar Center.
My main gig is a real country and blues band. Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, CDB, Cody Jinks, Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton.

IMO, all of the amps you listed are decent ones (at least) and could be used for your band.

At the same time, all of them have been discontinued, AFAIK.

Is there any particular reason for choosing discontinued amp? If yes, I would go for the one which was manufactured by a company which is still in the business (GK, Mesa, Epifani, Ampeg), or which provides continuing customer support (Genz Benz).

 

[bucephylus]

My experience with Eden was much less than great.

I gigged and ADORED a VT.25 back in the day. But, some of the components failed; and when I sent the amp back to Eden, they claimed a lot of the parts were no longer available. They offered to rebuild the amp with completely different parts. I told them that, no, I was not interested in paying for a Frankenstein amp, please just keep it. Instead, they went ahead and cobbled the thing and shipped it COD back to me. Ummm....just no; absolutely NOT.

Few years later, when the WT-400 came out, I spent literally two hours twisting knobs on it in the bass shop, unable to find a single decent tone in the thing. Which was a massive disappointment, because I really wanted to like it.

Among those amps listed, I would use the Genz Benz Neopak, the GK 400RB, or the SWR SM-400. One of those should be the most reliable. Used amps are a crapshoot. The Genz Benz and the GK are both still supported; the Genz Benz by @agedhorse , and the GK by the factory. GL

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I need help deciding which one to buy:
Ampeg SVT III (non pro)
Eden WT-330
Eden WT-400
Epifani Performance Series 4000
Gallien-Krueger 400RB III
Gallien-Krueger 700RB
Genz Benz NEO PAK 3.5
Mesa Boogie M3 Carbine
SWR Bass 350
SWR ST-220
SWR SM400S
SWR SM500
Trace Elliot AH200S
Trace Elliot AH250SMX
I can't try any of them before ordering. I will purchase from Guitar Center.
My main gig is a real country and blues band. Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, CDB, Cody Jinks, Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton.

I'm an Eden/DNA enthusiast. David Nordschow designed all the old Eden stuff until a few years after he sold it and left the company. Then he started DNA. All the Eden stuff is clear, articulate, and warm sounding. Neither of those Eden amps are made anymore of course because Marshall totally re-vamped all the amps after they bought Eden.

The Eden WT400 would be my first choice. It has a hybrid preamp into a SS power section. It puts out 235-watts into 8 ohms and 400-watts into 4 ohms. The WT400 will NOT handle a 2 ohm load. This WT400 is considered by many Eden aficionados to be the best sounding Eden amp...ever! Folks on the Eden forum who have sold them often come back looking for another because they regret selling theirs. The EQ on this and most of all of the WT amps except the 330, 390, and 405 has three semi-parametric EQ's between the bass (a shelving EQ) and the treble (also a shelving EQ). Each one has a one octave range and they slightly overlap.

This is an extremely flexible EQ and I use mine (I have the WT500 upgraded to 400-watts per channel/800 watts bridged) primarily to dial in the room (compensate for any frequencies the rooms sucks out or reinforces) and then dial in a little boost (1:30 to 2 o'clock) at ~250 Hz. If I want a little edge to my sound I'll dial in a little boost at 2.2Khz. EQ is very sensitive (cut/boost 15db) and a two click change will give you a noticeable difference in sound. The WT amps with the hybrid preamp all use a tube in the preamp to add warmth to the sound. The WT400 is the warmest sounding of the bunch.

The Eden WT330 is an entirely SS amp. It delivers 200-watts at 8 ohms and 330-watts at 4 ohms. It uses an entirely FET preamp into the SS power section (no tube). Two later versions of that amp were the WT390 and the WT405. Only difference between them was the power section. The WT330 has a simplified EQ with Bass, low-mid, high-mid, and treble - no semi-parametric controls. To get the Warmth that the other WT amps with a tube have, they use a tube emulator known as the "Golden Ear" chip. It's a really nice amp and it sounds great. like all the older Eden stuff, if you want distortion, buy a pedal and hook it up to the amp because the amp is super clear.

On all of these Eden amps you need to set the gain a specific way to get the best sound out of them. And then you need to make EQ changes no more than 2-clicks at a time and only change settings one thing at a time. If you decide on either of these amps, let me know and I can send you a pdf copy of their manual, which has the gain-set instructions in it. Or PM me and I'll tell you how to do it.

For me, there's no question. I'd get one of the Eden amps. OK...I'd go for the WT400.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Thank you.
Would a WT-400 be the same if it needs repair?
Which Trace Elliot did you have?

Eden authorized repair centers still repair them no problem and most techs that have been in business for long can also repair them. I had to have my 1999 WT500/800 repaired after it dropped on the concrete from the top of my 410 as I was moving it...I know...dumb move!

Since there are no longer any Eden authorized repair stations in the Seattle area and my amp was long past warranty coverage, I took it to Aviator Audio in Seattle. The drop loosened up the toroidal transformer so it had to be tightened and damaged a pot. They also replaced 4 resistors. Parts were no problem, timing was. These guys are usually slammed and it was 6-weeks before I got it back. I knew that going in though and I had a back up amp, so it was no problem.

Another thing about the WT400 vs. the WT300, the WT400 has a compressor bypass and the WT300 does not. I personally do not care for the auto compressor on the WT's because it's a pretty hard knee compression. It's great for slap and if you do a lot of slap, then its perfect for you. Otherwise...not so much. Can't turn it off on the WT300, you can turn it off on the WT400, plus the WT400 has more power...WT400 all the way.

Last time the WT300 was in an Eden catalog was 1998. The WT400 was still in their 2004 catalog.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

1st choice: Anything GK - they are bulletproof, sound great, and are serviceable. Eden's would be second choice. A lot of folks here favor the Genz as well.

I will second the commentary on SWR's and repairability. The Mesa M3 sounds great, but no one needs a 25# rack mount 300 watt amp. (Mesa introduced the M3 after the M6 and M9 but discontinued the M3 before either of its predecessors, which should tell you something.)

Just an FYI: Stay away from GK's Backline 250 and their 115bpx cab. Absolute crap. I've used GK stuff before that was top shelf, so when I started getting better gear after a long hiatus, their backline stuff was something I could get and use right away. It's also the cheapest one they make...was all I could afford at the time, but I never should have purchased it.

 

[DWBass]

Off that list.....GK 700RB.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

Of the amps listed, I'd choose WT 400. Very flexible EQ, reliable, DI out. Don't worry about the staggering array of knobs. Personally when finding "my sound" on an amp I'll set it as close to what seems "flat" as possible and adjust from there. On my WT 400 that was Enhance all the down, everything else except volume at noon. I got it home, set it up like that, plugged in... and never changed it. Sounded great set like that.

Had a couple of the old SWRs, they sounded very good but lacked power and the particular units I had were not reliable.

 

[bobyoung53]

I've used Ampegs almost since I first started playing and have used them for country and they sound great. I've never tried an SVT III non pro but supposedly they sound very similar to the SVT's and have the same preamp as is in the SVT II which was the all tube 2nd generation SVT head. I would expect it to sound big like most Ampegs. If there were no such thing as Ampeg, out of your list I'd probably go with GK.


Her's a thread about an SVT-III non pro.

Ampeg SVT III NON-pro, info & opinions?

 

[dpaulb]

I have ordered a SWR Studio 220 with a 1 year warranty.