Bass cab questions for an Ampeg SVT

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MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
Hello to all

So I have finally saved enough to purchase my dream rig - an Ampeg SVT.  I am almost settled on the Heritage SVT as it's made in the US and people don't report any of the issues that arose from Vietnamese production.  That and the SVT-VR seems to inspire mixed reactions from people.

So now I need to decide on cabs - I live in London and don't have a car so an 8x10 or 6x10 is pretty much out of the question.  But a 4x10 or even 2x 4x10s could work well.

My question is that my understanding is that the Ampeg sound is very much about an 8x10 sealed cab.  The 4x10s that Ampeg makes are ported.  So even if I get 2, I would not get the same sound as an 8x10.  Would you guys recommend getting another manufacturer's sealed 4x10s or just going with the Ampegs?

From what I have seen Digital Village has the best deals on Ampeg.  Any other ideas?

Thanks fellas!
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    If you don't mind me saying so, if you don't have a car don't buy an SVT!!!

    The head alone is a big lift, it's as heavy as an entire Fender Twin combo and can't easily be lifted with one hand since it only has end handles. Even a 4x10" that will handle the power properly and sound solid is not a one-person lift really.

    I'm not afraid of heavy equipment at all - I own two 98lb guitar combos and a 114lb bass combo - but there's no way I would even consider something like this if I didn't have a car and a very short carry from my music room to it.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
    I get your point.

    Thankfully - the cab company can come right to my door and drop me right at the door of the studio .

    But I get your point.  I just haven't heard anything get remotely close to the sound of a SVT.

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  • After owning and playing through a couple of different ampeg cabs in the past aside from the 8x10 the 410HLF is by far the best! 

    It packs so much of that ampeg punch but also has an insane amount of bottom end! 

    There isnt really much need for another cab if you use that! 

    If you were after a 'taller' rig then two of the the 410HE would do it, however you dont get anywhere near as much lower end out of them. 

    When i had my SVT had two of them and then i traded one for the 115 which gave me tons more low end and a much rounder tone when combined with one 410! 

    IMO, if you are just getting one 410, get the HLF if you want a bigger rig get the 410HE and 115HE. 

    I would get to a shop and play through them yourself though. What i like may be totally different to what you like as now i play through a big fat juicy Orange. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    edited October 2013
    Nor me, but I have accepted that they're just not practical. Kind of funny considering the weight of my combo! But that's actually at the upper limit.

    I did try a 6x10" with an SVT - which sounded very good, pretty close to the 8x10" but surprisingly a *lot* more portable, it would actually fit in the boot of my Renault Scenic without folding the seats - but it was still a massive lift. Even the sort of 4x10" you'll need to make the amp worth having at all is going to be in the 80lb+ range, and bulky enough that it's very awkward to carry on your own.

    Remember that if you intend to use only one 4x10" at any time it must be 4-ohm, too - there are a lot, but it does rule out some of the more popular lightweight cabs.

    Seriously, I would put the SVT down as the sort of thing that's lovely to play through when someone else is providing it, but just a bit too much if you're on your own. There are a lot of modern bass amps that sound great and are a fraction of the weight, even if they don't have quite that monolithic power.

    I would be careful about assuming the modern SVTs are all that reliable either, even the US-made ones. At the very least you need to expect regular valve failures and the cost that goes with that.

    If you really want to go for it despite all this, I'd probably get the Ampeg SVT-410HLF.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
    YEAH boyos

    So I ordered the SVT-410HLF based on your recommendations.

    What I don't understand is why Ampeg doesn't make a 15" cab that is 4 or 2 ohms.  Making it basically impossible to use a SVT head with a 4x10 and a 1x15.  Would there be phase issues?  Or what?  There has to be a reason.

    I have always really dug the sound of a 4x10 with a 1x15.
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  • If you run two 8 ohm cabs in parallel it can be plugged into a 4 ohm socket. 

    Its all on here... 


    you would basically run out of the 4 ohm socket into one cab, out of the same cab into the next. 
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  • RamirezRamirez Frets: 11
    If you run two 8 ohm cabs in parallel it can be plugged into a 4 ohm socket. 

    Its all on here... 


    you would basically run out of the 4 ohm socket into one cab, out of the same cab into the next. 

    Wouldn't that be series with most cabs, and give a total impedance of 16Ohm? I think most head with two speaker outs have them in parallel, or at least switchable.

    I'm with ICBM. I love an SVT when it's already provided and set up on stage for me. Otherwise I'm perfectly pleased with my Zoom B3 pedal :D ! So pleased in fact that I'm selling my Orange.  When I actually need backline (which isn't that often as it's 2013 and PA systems are pretty good!), I run it through a (90w!) keyboard head and one or two old 15" PA cabs.

    I've come to the conclusion that the bigger the gig, the less I need an amp - I only find an amp useful for pub gigs nowadays.
    Not the model boy of the village
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357

    Bass player in one of my bands has his 8 x 10 and SVT classic head in  hardcases, The cab only just fits through a door and is a 3 lift when loading. I love the sound though, it's the holy grail of rock bass tone imho. We have the 1x 15" cab in the studio and an SVT Classic head which are also nice

    Di is shite though, it's post fader which is a pain. And yeah reliability isn't great
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    The daisy-chain output on a cab is always parallel on any I've ever come across, so you do get a 4-ohm load with two 8-ohm cabs. The problem with that for the SVT is that you can't run just one cab if you want to. (Well, you *can*, but you won't get the full power and tone, and it's slightly risky for the amp.)

    I think the reason Ampeg don't do a 1x15" SVT cab is simply that the whole design philosophy of the amp is based around 10" speakers, and it may not sound right. I'm pretty sure I know of players who use 1x18"s with them though, along with 4x10"s. The relative efficiency is probably a better match.

    Funnily enough I also use my Zoom B3 mostly now! I thought I might be the only one... :) Oddly the SVT model on it doesn't sound right, it has a strange 'phasey' tone that I don't like - I use the Fender Bassman usually, or the Marshall Super Bass for really dirty stuff. My bass combo doesn't leave the house now, and won't unless I need to play somewhere without provided backline - most of the gig venues round here have perfectly usable house amps. Sadly none of them are SVTs.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
    Ok so excuse my ohm idiocy.... But now that I bought the heritage 4x10 which is a 4ohm cab, there is no way I can run it in parallel with an 8ohm 15. In fact, if I got another 4x10 I would be running it into the svt at 2 ohms? Right?
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  • If im honest, i dont understand it terribly, i used to run mine as stated above as thats what i was told in the shop. Nothing ever blew up and it sounded great! I should really look into it a bit more... 
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  • RamirezRamirez Frets: 11
    ICBM said:
    The daisy-chain output on a cab is always parallel on any I've ever come across, so you do get a 4-ohm load with two 8-ohm cabs. The problem with that for the SVT is that you can't run just one cab if you want to. (Well, you *can*, but you won't get the full power and tone, and it's slightly risky for the amp.)

    Funnily enough I also use my Zoom B3 mostly now! I thought I might be the only one... :) Oddly the SVT model on it doesn't sound right, it has a strange 'phasey' tone that I don't like - I use the Fender Bassman usually, or the Marshall Super Bass for really dirty stuff. My bass combo doesn't leave the house now, and won't unless I need to play somewhere without provided backline - most of the gig venues round here have perfectly usable house amps. Sadly none of them are SVTs.

    Well, that's something new I've learned! Luckily, I've never had a rig with two cabs!

    I haven't used the SVT much on the B3 - I tend to stick to the Bassman too, and occasionally the Fliptop. Great piece of kit, and a real bargain. I don't bother with an amp for recording at ll now. A big part of the SVT sound is the fact that you're hearing it directly from ahuge cab I think - that gets lost once it's recorded, and also once you're through a PA, so really I think it's quite pointless from a practical gigging/recording perpective!

    There's no denying they do sound great though - everytime I've played through one I've always thought "ah yes, THAT's the sound!"
    Not the model boy of the village
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  • MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
    Ramirez said:There's no denying they do sound great though - everytime I've played through one I've always thought "ah yes, THAT's the sound!"

    Now that is EXACTLY why I purchased it and will put up with the pain in the ass of carrying it around!

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    Mosfed;56961" said:
    Ok so excuse my ohm idiocy....



    But now that I bought the heritage 4x10 which is a 4ohm cab, there is no way I can run it in parallel with an 8ohm 15. In fact, if I got another 4x10 I would be running it into the svt at 2 ohms? Right?
    You can run either two 4-ohm cabs or a 4 and an 8 with the amp at 2 ohms. The only disadvantage if you use an 8-ohm 1x15 is that the power will be split 2/3 to the 4x10 and 1/3 to the 1x15, but it barely makes any practical difference and the overall load of 2.66 ohms isn't enough of a mismatch to worry the amp.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • RamirezRamirez Frets: 11
    Mosfed said:
    Ramirez said:There's no denying they do sound great though - everytime I've played through one I've always thought "ah yes, THAT's the sound!"

    Now that is EXACTLY why I purchased it and will put up with the pain in the ass of carrying it around!

    But everytime I plug the B3 in the studio I think ..."Ah yes. THAT's the recorded sound!" ;)

    So, really, the only place I see a use for something like an SVT and an 8x10 these days would be in a pub gig with no PA support for the backline. Strange.

    Not the model boy of the village
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    I still like to have a real amp behind me on stage, but the B3 gives me *my* sound through the PA if the sound engineer insists on DI'ing the input to the bass amp instead of the output - as a lot seem to want to. I find that annoying because I use the amp as part of my sound and I don't want the sound of my bass going through the PA by itself, so having the B3 enables me to fix that without having to have an argument about it... I can just set the amp to as close to a monitor as possible and everyone's happy. I also use it for my fuzz and distortion (and tuner) so it kills several birds with one stone. And to think I only bought it on a whim for messing about with at home! :)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • RamirezRamirez Frets: 11
    ICBM said:
    I still like to have a real amp behind me on stage, but the B3 gives me *my* sound through the PA if the sound engineer insists on DI'ing the input to the bass amp instead of the output - as a lot seem to want to. I find that annoying because I use the amp as part of my sound and I don't want the sound of my bass going through the PA by itself, so having the B3 enables me to fix that without having to have an argument about it... I can just set the amp to as close to a monitor as possible and everyone's happy. I also use it for my fuzz and distortion (and tuner) so it kills several birds with one stone. And to think I only bought it on a whim for messing about with at home! :)
    Quite. I used to get rather pissed off when sound men insisted on DI'ing before the amp. Since getting the B3 I couldn't give a rat's. As I said, I don't care about using an amp at all provided the monitoring is decent.
    The only downside with it is that you can't split the output and have a signal without amp modelling (or at least without the cab modelling) into your amp, and a fully amp modelled signal to FOH. Hence my switching to keybaord and PA stuff for my stage rig/monitor.

    Once I found it would replace my octaver and tuner for the same price I could get for them, I didn't hesitate. Now it's replacing my amp in terms of tone, and doing a lot more besides.

    All of which is, of course, beside the point. If you want an SVT and cal live with the drawbacks, go for it! I'd probably have one if I had roadies too.
    Not the model boy of the village
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  • JayGeeJayGee Frets: 1254
    Didn't the SVT traditionally used to be one amp and two of the big wardrobe 8x10 cabs in Ye Olden Dayes anyway due to nobody making a 10" driver with enough power handling....
    Don't ask me, I just play the damned thing...
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    One cab will handle it ok. It's just that you get even more volume and projection with two cabs, for the cost of one (very expensive) head.

    For outdoor gigs in particular, coupling the speakers to the largest possible volume of air is the most effective way of generating real volume, rather than amp power.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MosfedMosfed Frets: 25
    edited October 2013
    To get this to work do I wire them both to the amp, or in parallel? I would love to be able to use my 15" cab when appropriate.
    ICBM said:
    Mosfed;56961" said:
    Ok so excuse my ohm idiocy....



    But now that I bought the heritage 4x10 which is a 4ohm cab, there is no way I can run it in parallel with an 8ohm 15. In fact, if I got another 4x10 I would be running it into the svt at 2 ohms? Right?
    You can run either two 4-ohm cabs or a 4 and an 8 with the amp at 2 ohms. The only disadvantage if you use an 8-ohm 1x15 is that the power will be split 2/3 to the 4x10 and 1/3 to the 1x15, but it barely makes any practical difference and the overall load of 2.66 ohms isn't enough of a mismatch to worry the amp.


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