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Why are Ampeg SVTs so popular?
- Thread starter Whitenoise17
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- ampeg svt
May not be the holy grail, but it’s a dang good piece of equipment. Go to a music store and check one out for yourself.
Boatload of power and a GREAT EQ. Pretty much any tone you want is in there - which is why you see them used in many genres of music.
I disagree! Many players play some lightweight class D stuff here! And they do enjoy it. Heavy amps are getting harder and harder to sell these days.
Everytime I see such a thread about all tube amps, it makes me feel I have to own one. But the thing is I've never been so much impressed everytime I tried such amps. And the weight is a bit of a problem for me. I remember when I rented that SVT 2 Pro.... I felt like a dead horse was stuck in it.
They are good amps, and just like every other company, have made good stuff for many years (also a few dogs AND a dog and pony show on occasion), as well as being a bit of ground-breaker in the early years (especially the B15 and SVT).
Some people (as you may have already found out) don't find them to their taste. But to those that like them, they are the guitarists' equivalent of Marshall amps, the Ludwig Vistalite for drummers, or the Hammond B3/Minimoog/Mellotron to keyboardists- that is to say, they have a certain "sound sound" (some call it "baked in") that just sits well in most hard rock settings.
I always find it interesting to "line up" a few different brands (Ampeg, SWR, Fender, Markbass, for eg.) at a music store, set them all to their (relative) flat positions and compare the tones.*
Then again, the P-bass** should by all rites of technology, be a dead in the water instrument by now, given all the "new and improved" technologies we have to make low frequency noises, and yet it is still a benchmark to some (notice, I didn't say ALL?).
* Disclaimer- I've owned a V4B/215 cab, V2 and briefly, and Japanese-era SVT head, and still to this day LOVE my new(er- about 3 years old to me) 810 cab. However, the deal breaker is the head at 85+lbs. At least the 810 has casters and a dolly-bar! To keep balance in the (Bass) Force, I use the 4lb, 800+ Watt Quilter Bass Block 800 head now (pushed by an Ampeg SCR-DI). Sounds a LOT like that SVT head; and I mean A LOT!!!
** Take a p-bass, plug it into an SVT, and something in the universe of "TONAL MAGICK" starts to happen. Hmm...
Some people (as you may have already found out) don't find them to their taste. But to those that like them, they are the guitarists' equivalent of Marshall amps, the Ludwig Vistalite for drummers, or the Hammond B3/Minimoog/Mellotron to keyboardists- that is to say, they have a certain "sound sound" (some call it "baked in") that just sits well in most hard rock settings.
I always find it interesting to "line up" a few different brands (Ampeg, SWR, Fender, Markbass, for eg.) at a music store, set them all to their (relative) flat positions and compare the tones.*
Then again, the P-bass** should by all rites of technology, be a dead in the water instrument by now, given all the "new and improved" technologies we have to make low frequency noises, and yet it is still a benchmark to some (notice, I didn't say ALL?).
* Disclaimer- I've owned a V4B/215 cab, V2 and briefly, and Japanese-era SVT head, and still to this day LOVE my new(er- about 3 years old to me) 810 cab. However, the deal breaker is the head at 85+lbs. At least the 810 has casters and a dolly-bar! To keep balance in the (Bass) Force, I use the 4lb, 800+ Watt Quilter Bass Block 800 head now (pushed by an Ampeg SCR-DI). Sounds a LOT like that SVT head; and I mean A LOT!!!
** Take a p-bass, plug it into an SVT, and something in the universe of "TONAL MAGICK" starts to happen. Hmm...
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True! I've owned G-K for many years too (a pair of original 400RBs). A great amp, with its own unique sound!
In the interest of Full Disclosure, I find P-Basses “meh” at best too, more TB heresy, so my underwhelmed opinion on SVT’s can be factored into my general unfitness to exist on TB. 
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buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
The real reason Been Franklin was out flying a kite in the rain.
I wouldn't say they are THE holy grail. But they certainly are on the short list among holy grail amps.
Honestly, it's as mucj about the feel of the sound as it is the tone for me.
There's a weird contradiction going on. It kicks like mule, but also has this amazing "squishy" aspect to it. Also, the cab has a lot to do with it in my view. A wall 10" speakers about 6 feet away from you will simply "wrap you up" in your sound.
Again, you have to feel one to "get it".
As stated above, rent one for a show and really let it eat at show volumes. Then all of your questions will be answered.
Honestly, it's as mucj about the feel of the sound as it is the tone for me.
There's a weird contradiction going on. It kicks like mule, but also has this amazing "squishy" aspect to it. Also, the cab has a lot to do with it in my view. A wall 10" speakers about 6 feet away from you will simply "wrap you up" in your sound.
Again, you have to feel one to "get it".
As stated above, rent one for a show and really let it eat at show volumes. Then all of your questions will be answered.
Just to back to up what I wrote in Post #10.
SVT's are not all that powerful.
They produce close to 300 watts (at 4 Ohms).
The cabinet is what is loud; lots of drivers, efficient, and no power wasted with pushing extreme low end.
Just like the Walkabout; the SVT has great tone but will not do loud and clean with inefficient cabinets.
Either of these amps driving most 1x15 or 2x12's are at the edge of clarity on a loud bar gig without FOH support.
My GK 1001RB doesn't sound the same but does sound great and makes the above cabinets play very clean and very loud.
I've been told by the Mothman that the first person that tries to change the laws of physics with "tube watts are
louder than SS watts" will be eaten.
SVT's are not all that powerful.
They produce close to 300 watts (at 4 Ohms).
The cabinet is what is loud; lots of drivers, efficient, and no power wasted with pushing extreme low end.
Just like the Walkabout; the SVT has great tone but will not do loud and clean with inefficient cabinets.
Either of these amps driving most 1x15 or 2x12's are at the edge of clarity on a loud bar gig without FOH support.
My GK 1001RB doesn't sound the same but does sound great and makes the above cabinets play very clean and very loud.
I've been told by the Mothman that the first person that tries to change the laws of physics with "tube watts are
louder than SS watts" will be eaten.
I love them. I was playing bass before they came out. Ampeg already had huge fans because of the B-15. When introduced the SVT wasn’t the only game in town. We did need more than Fender Showman and Bassman! Players were rocking the Sunn 2000s with two cabs with the iconic 2x15 JBL D140s. The Acoustic 360 came out and made some more history.
So my informed two cents though is it isn’t right for every kind of music. It’s range isn’t optimum for all genres. There are musics where the mix isn’t busy and the full range of an extended range bass is optimum.
Like Marshalls its popularity in Rock and Metal is also as a stage backdrop.
People can be lemmings (not Lemmy!) and purchase because others do. Like Camrys and other iconic products little choice may go into their selection other than “well others seem to like them.”
Now before anyone has a stroke there is nothing like an SVT third set in a roadhouse gig on a hot summer night. Your P bass sitting right there in the mix!
I sold my SVT head, but I have found that the SVT 810 Cabinet can handle what ever I throw at it. I have been powering the 810 with a GK 800rb and it always sounds great. My only gripe is the weight, not worth bringing out to a gig paying $400 for 5 members.
I use my svt3pro usa ranging from jazz to fusion, reggae, pop, rock... Everything really. And it always wins in every genre sound-wise to me. This, paired with either a pbass or jazz bass is how I imagine the sound should be.
Because they sound friggin great. They're so good that folks still opt to carry their 90lb head around PLUS a cabinet when there's plenty of perfectly fine amps out there that cost half as much and weigh under 10 lbs. There just isn't anything yet that does the same job.
And you will never know until you play one.
For some yes. For some no. For some carrots.
