Ampeg bass heads?

[Danny G]

I've found the fridge 8x10s aren't so bad to move around, if they have the built in handle and dolly casters.

If I can find one, I've always wanted to acquire an SVP (tube preamp section of the SVT-II non pro) and run it thru my peavey CS-800 power amp.

Would probably sound good. And be heavy as fuck to lug around.


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[Mr. Foxen]

He's a dedicated Ampeg hater, I would take his Ampeg comments with a grain of salt. Personally I love Ampeg 8x10s, the color they add to your tone is what I want from a bass cabinet. The same way an old Marshall cab adds it's own coloration to a guitar tone. I've never seen even one heavy band using the 3-way cabs he likes (3 way meaning woofer, mid range and tweeter). But the number of bands killing it with Ampeg 8x10s is legion. "One handed carry" - nobody in the audience cares about that.

None of this is correct. An Ampeg simulator is 50% of my pedal board and I've never used three way cabs, plain 2x15s and 4x12s. Way easier ways to remove the lows and highs from your tone have come about since the 60s.

[Lumpy]

I said you like 3 way cabs, not that you use them. If you don't like fEarful cabs, then maybe stop recommending them? And if you consistently knock Ampeg when you comment on them, then I think that qualifies as well. But maybe I'm confusing you for somebody else?

Not trying to start a fight, but I think my comments are fair.

[Mr. Foxen]

I have an old SVT-II (non pro)

All tube rack mount version of SVT

However mine developed a problem where it would crackle, like a dirty pot. But it wasnt a pot. Took it to best Ampeg tech in Austin and he was baffled.

When I was teching for Kings X saw that Dug Pinnick had one in his garage.

I asked him about it and he said "Yeah I LOVED that amp... But it developed this crackle that no one could fix..."

Was it a random scrunching sometimes? Sometimes carries on, sometimes goes away and fine for a while? Had an SVT II pro, but the early pro that was more in common with the plain 2 (this was notable because Al Cisneros was borrowing it and its the last one he likes). Anyway, it had that problem and eventually found it was some electrolytic caps buried deep within it that were running too close to tolerance and crapping out sometimes, not in a position you can test them in running type conditions (if its all open so you can get at them, they aren't getting as hot). Not sure how the dude found them, but we'd all had a poke about in it trying to find what it was and it turned out to be them. Think it was a case of carrying on using it anyway until they degraded enough to crap out most of the time instead of just sometimes.

[Mr. Foxen]

I said you like 3 way cabs, not that you use them. If you don't like fEarful cabs, then maybe stop recommending them? And if you consistently knock Ampeg when you comment on them, then I think that qualifies as well. But maybe I'm confusing you for somebody else?

Not trying to start a fight, but I think my comments are fair.

I like my 2x15s more than three ways for what I do, hence I use them not three ways. If someone says what they want and its best served by a three way, since they go lower and higher than the cabs I use, I recommend a three way, because I'm not the sort of idiot that recommends what I use to people who want different things from a cab than I do. Tweeters are optional, so its generally a 2 way for the purpose, and pretty sure there is no shortage of heavy bands rocking the various woofer/midrange cabs, noteably the Peavey 18s +8s/10s, but they are way behind the times. I like Fearful cabs just fine, they have a range that covers lots of area, and have substance for the price. I'm plugging the related Fearless line to a bunch of people currently that are asking after my sound, because my cabs are out of production and the Fearless Dually is the nearest available cab. I haven't got a lot good to say about Ampeg because Ampeg haven't got a lot good in the last 40 years or so, but people ask after them a lot. All the good parts come in the half pound Tech21 VT pedal which I recommend a lot.

[Mr. Foxen]

Have you guys found the Tech 21 bass driver pedals to be loud enough straight into power amps? I think I remember reading that the line level is .7 or 1V although I have an older one without the line level switch. The input sensitivity of my power amp is 1.23V.

Think the swing is 1 or 1.2v. The 1.23v is to drive the amp to max voltage swing, and that is probably more than you need, so may well be fine. That is pretty low sensitivity though, is it a valve slave?

[Danny G]

Good to know re: caps on the SVT-II, I would love to bring that amp back into service.

Loved that thing while it worked.


Edit: Come to think of it I did replace an obviously burned out cap in it, but was not electrolytic and was right there on the board in plain sight. Didn't solve the problem...


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[Mr. Foxen]

I'll ask the guy for specifics when I speak to him.

[moose23]

I've found the fridge 8x10s aren't so bad to move around, if they have the built in handle and dolly casters.

If I can find one, I've always wanted to acquire an SVP (tube preamp section of the SVT-II non pro) and run it thru my peavey CS-800 power amp.

Would probably sound good. And be heavy as fuck to lug around.


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I'm picking up the SVT IIP preamp which I've heard great things about. Gonna either run it with my Peavey Mace power section or Trace Elliot SS power amp.

[liquidsmoke]

Have you guys found the Tech 21 bass driver pedals to be loud enough straight into power amps? I think I remember reading that the line level is .7 or 1V although I have an older one without the line level switch. The input sensitivity of my power amp is 1.23V.

Think the swing is 1 or 1.2v. The 1.23v is to drive the amp to max voltage swing, and that is probably more than you need, so may well be fine. That is pretty low sensitivity though, is it a valve slave?

It's a SoundTech PS802.

[eoin_not_ian]

I have never been that impressed with the new style SVT Classics. VRs are nice though. I did think about getting one but ended up with a Trace Elliot V6 eventually.

3 Pro is nice but fairly underpowered compared to the others. I tried the 6 and quite liked it though. I don't rate the SVT450 though.

Tend to find the Ampegs to be a bit expensive in the UK when you can pick up a second hand Trace Elliot or Ashdown head for a few hundred quid. Anyhow, you can pretty much use any amp with a Tech 21 Bass Driver or VT Bass and get close enough to the 'Ampeg tone' with a number of amps. Also, I really rate the Hartke LH500/1000 amps.

[moose23]

Was tempted by another Tech21 pedal but figured the SVT IIP for €200 and real tubes was a better option.

Your username eoin_not_ian always amuses me, my first name is Cian so been called both many a time.

[eoin_not_ian]

Yeah, my name is Eoin as in pronounced 'Ian', but in Ireland its apparently pronounced like 'Owen' and in parts of Scotland its pronounced like 'Ewan. I generally try to be flexible in terms of what people might be trying to call me.

On topic, yepp I would go for the SVT IIP as well. I have found the Bass Driver DI great for recording quickly. I generally prefer using my EBS Valve Drive for playing through an amp. Tubes is tubes and all.

[Jake]

My real name is "Jake" but most people pronounce it "fuckface."

[RacerX]

My real name is "Jake" but most people pronounce it "fuckface."

aha.

Thanks for the tip—all this time I had been pronouncing it, "Burt Reynolds."

[moose23]

Yeah, my name is Eoin as in pronounced 'Ian', but in Ireland its apparently pronounced like 'Owen' and in parts of Scotland its pronounced like 'Ewan. I generally try to be flexible in terms of what people might be trying to call me.

On topic, yepp I would go for the SVT IIP as well. I have found the Bass Driver DI great for recording quickly. I generally prefer using my EBS Valve Drive for playing through an amp. Tubes is tubes and all.

That Valve Drive is nice but not enough output to drive an amp or or a power amp. Got the SVT IIP this morning, sounds great with guitar but have no bass here today.

[eoin_not_ian]

Yeah, my name is Eoin as in pronounced 'Ian', but in Ireland its apparently pronounced like 'Owen' and in parts of Scotland its pronounced like 'Ewan. I generally try to be flexible in terms of what people might be trying to call me.

On topic, yepp I would go for the SVT IIP as well. I have found the Bass Driver DI great for recording quickly. I generally prefer using my EBS Valve Drive for playing through an amp. Tubes is tubes and all.

That Valve Drive is nice but not enough output to drive an amp or or a power amp. Got the SVT IIP this morning, sounds great with guitar but have no bass here today.

Nah, I wouldn't use the Valve drive to drive a power amp either. It adds a nice 'tube' warmth to whatever amp I tend to use and I generally find it more transparent that the Tech 21 stuff. It can get pretty filthy in terms of fuzz but I tend to prefer actual fuzz circuits for that. After buying the V6 though I have barely use it though.