Yes. And also the holy grail of chiropractors.
I kid, a bit. I've heard amps I like better. I own amps I like better. But if I show up somewhere and an SVT is in the backline, the only thing I'll have to say is "thank you very much!"
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Why are Ampeg SVTs so popular?
- Thread starter Whitenoise17
- Start date
-
- Tags
- ampeg svt
Yes. And also the holy grail of chiropractors.
I kid, a bit. I've heard amps I like better. I own amps I like better. But if I show up somewhere and an SVT is in the backline, the only thing I'll have to say is "thank you very much!"
I got a Hotone Thunder Bass SVT modeler, and it’s good enough to scratch the itch for one and weighs FAR less hahaha. They sound great, but a lot of amps sound great. For me, lightweight combo amps are more practical so I don’t even consider the SVT.
Play one and you'll see. Through an 8x10 cabinet. The voice of Bass God.
They sound great. Period.
It doesn't hurt that the SVT is the original high-power bass amp. But if you've ever played through one, their reputation is no mystery.
It doesn't hurt that the SVT is the original high-power bass amp. But if you've ever played through one, their reputation is no mystery.
Sponsoring. Ampeg likely sweetens the deal by providing them at a discounted rate, if not free, to be "the bass amp company" on stages.
People have found ways to get around without them but if you have a brand you want to sound like, you have to decide if you want to pony up the cash to sound "just like that" or if you want your own sound. Me? I didn't think Ampeg had the presence I was going for when I tried a friend's practice amp and I stuck with my Peavey combos.
Yep, about 3 years ago. There was a chip in it that was determined to be the culprit, the company that made it came out with a better chip, and it's been solid ever since. 7 Pros with the revised chip should have Rev. H or higher on their motherboards. That was a real headscratcher for a while until they made that newer chip.
Chef
In Memoriam
Is an SVT/810 a totally groovy sound?
Yup. No debate there.
Carried a head and two cabs for a while.
I'm not going back.
Technology has improved my load in/out so it's not worth the hassle, to me.
YMMV, and that's fine.
What's not fine is calling people names who choose not to use whatever piece of kit anyone wants to talk about.
So: don't do that here.
Yup. No debate there.
Carried a head and two cabs for a while.
I'm not going back.
Technology has improved my load in/out so it's not worth the hassle, to me.
YMMV, and that's fine.
What's not fine is calling people names who choose not to use whatever piece of kit anyone wants to talk about.
So: don't do that here.
This may classify as being slightly off topic but....
Are seriously in Antarctica?!
Nawt. Won Antarctica in a poker game...beach front property for miles and miles... So I declared it to be a Republic... Somebody down there owes me some rent money for all those geek stations...
Just haven't planted the official flag yet... Too damn cold... and Penguins...Geeze...
SpeechlessNawt. Won Antarctica in a poker game...beach front property for miles and miles... So I declared it to be a Republic... Somebody down there owes me some rent money for all those geek stations...
Just haven't planted the official flag yet... Too damn cold... and Penguins...Geeze...
Everyone talks about the efficiency of Class-D amps. Well, much like a speaker, tube amps are very efficient at converting electrical power to heat. Class-D amps can’t claim that.
In sloughing off that wasted energy, the sound of a tube amp is distilled down to yield a complex note, much like a fine wine. The SVT excells at that. It’s the yard stick by which other amps are measured.
In sloughing off that wasted energy, the sound of a tube amp is distilled down to yield a complex note, much like a fine wine. The SVT excells at that. It’s the yard stick by which other amps are measured.
Sure, Ampeg sponsors shows occasionally, as do all MI companies with an advertising budget, but there are a heck of a lot of shows they don't sponsor and they'll still have an SVT and 810 on hand for bands without their own backline to use. Bass players just plain ask for them a lot. I talk to a lot of folks who run backline companies and Ampeg, Hartke and GK are the most requested bass amps with the SVT being the most requested.
They cost a lot to buy. So owners do their best not to throw them down the stairs.
They are repairable after breakdowns.
So they tend to survive. They kept making them even when they weren't selling that great.
So there are a lot of them.
You can still get good tubes for them.
Who doesn't like the sound?
They are repairable after breakdowns.
So they tend to survive. They kept making them even when they weren't selling that great.
So there are a lot of them.
You can still get good tubes for them.
Who doesn't like the sound?
I've always wondered if bands request it because they enjoy playing it or just because everyone asks for it, so they just do the same....
This is a little long winded:
I respect your opinion and find no fault with your logic. As far as it goes. For example, if we were discussing the news media and the vast cluelessness of the people sheeple who buy into the #$%$#, your comments would resonate perfectly with my views and feelings. But we are talking about musical instruments. In particular, we are talking about bass amps which are indeed a vital component of a musical instrument, the electric bass guitar. Which indeed is a vital component in many, many groups performing music.
Statistics, information or mental capacity, per se, are not relevant factors regarding why our fellow human beings "like" some bands, and not others. Or why they may prefer certain music vs. other music. The fact that an audience doesn't know what an SVT is or probably isn't even actively listening to the bass player for that matter is actually perfectly irrelevant to whether they want to boogie down on the dance floor when they hear a band they like. A band which undoubtedly would have a skilled bassist, that is, a bassist who statistically speaking may very well be using an SVT since so many popular bands do just that! The audience doesn't have to know why they want to boogie down, and actually, thinking about something like that kills the vibe.
Ritual responses to music like dancing or love making are not cerebral in nature but rather are autonomic responses to loud primal rhythmic and harmonic stimuli. In fact, functional intelligence and logic, per se, is suppressed by these responses which is why they are so desirable and sought after. For example, nobody falls in love by intellectually analyzing the various characteristics of a potential mate and then adding up the score. Why someone is attracted to someone else and can't keep their hands off them is not something people think about like that. Nor do they want to. It's subliminal. Okay, so leaving out the idea of a bass solo, bass guitar in particular is almost purely subliminal. People don't actively listen to the bass guitar or think about the bass they hear and feel all that much. Yet, it has a profound emotional effect on an audience. Don't believe me? Stop playing in the middle of a song.
The point is there is arguably something about the way the Ampeg SVT / 810e combination sounds (when sufficiently cranked, that is) that happens to be intrinsically pleasing and emotionally inspiring to many, many bassists who use the combination when performing / recording. This may indeed lead to a more inspired performance that an audience will indeed respond to. But there's no reason to think that the audience themselves is not cast under the same spell even if they don't know, or care why. It just is, what it is. Groovy!
Last edited:
IMO, tube SVTs sound very good most of the time, with most cabs and most basses. I have 3 70’s SVTs, as well as mutiple V4s, and 60s fliptops of the entire line. I can’t deny that I now prefer to carry lighter heads. I also believe that much of the desire for an old SVT is the mystique of it, and will freely admit that, while the sound is very good, the feeling is a bit like driving a classic muscle car...a lot of positive memories, but there are, for me at least, better heads for my more frequent use. An SVT stack does provide a serious image on stage though, and anyone who denies that stage image is important should be more honest with themself.
Last edited:
In my opinion, the SVT is the benchmark of bass amps. Like the Fender Precision bass; it's sound simply works very well in a band mix, without a lot of fuss. It's eq section is my favorite of any bass amp available, it's very effective at offering many, many great sounds. Although the SVT sounds incredible through many different speaker cabinets, I believe the 810E is it's ultimate companion. And although it sounds great at any volume, being on a bigger stage where you can crank it up a bit is where it really shines.
