Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

SVT crisis


tonewheels
 Share

Recommended Posts

Having a masssive dilemma.

Getting on a bit in years and decided that humping my 1974 SVT and 8x10 to gigs, rehearsals and even duo gigs was getting a bit silly.

Quite impressed with Barefaced attitude and tech competence and went with a 2x12 Super Twin with a GK MB Fusion 500 head. Quite nice!

Went for the One10 too because it's so cute and good for rehearsals.

Got the SVT stack out of storage to sell and made the huge mistake of plugging in to check that it was working. Oh, bloody hell that sounds good.

Playing with the idea of Getting rid of the 8x10, the BF 2x12 and 1x10 (both cloth of course) and getting a a BF Retro 210 which I can partner with the SVT or the GK.

And, of course, the SVT can drive into 2 ohms so I can get another for more welly if necessary.

Any opinions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as carting the SVT about isn`t an issue, as it`s the sound you like, I reckon the SVT and the Retro 210 would be good, but [u]two[/u] Barefaced Retro 210s I`d bet would be awesome. And you can get a splitter cable/box to enable use of the two 210s with the GK.

That said, I`d only buy the one Retro 210 to start off with, it may well be plenty for what you need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently made the mistake(?) of dragging my (relatively) heavy weight ceramic magnet speaker loaded Bergantino HT112ER and EX112ER cabs out of storage and trying them with my Bugera SVT copy and was amazed how great it all sounded. Tubes plus ceramic wins hands down in my recent experience but my back says MB LM3 plus my Bergs is my gigging rig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1444203003' post='2880998']
If you can't lift it it doesn't matter how good it sounds. Don't torment yourself.

I believe Ashdown valve amps sound pretty good with Barefaced cabs. . . and there's always a Retro410, 610 or 810.
[/quote]

They do indeed, I love mine with my Supercompact.

Edited by Fisheth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1444203003' post='2880998']
If you can't lift it it doesn't matter how good it sounds. Don't torment yourself.
[/quote]

There is wisdom there, it takes a second to injure your back and a lifetime to live with that injury. Whilst I'm a huge Ampeg fan (I've a B-15 and V4-B, neither at SVT power or weight), aTech 21 VT Bass though a lightweight rig will get you close enough for most audiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, at least you know what you might be giving up as it sounds the business to you.


For me, 'bloody hell, that sounds good' trumps 'quiet nice' but there are practicalities
to consider.
I'd keep the big rig as there isn't anything like a big rig with Iron in it..IMO..and that is your No 1
to come out on special occasions or really discerning gigs where you can get help with the load-in...
and use the B rig for all else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some wonderful amplification stuff in my studio including full-on valve (Matamp) and valve preamp (Demeter) plus top-end solid state power (Digam).

I love the sound it all makes, and I love playing through it.

Back in the real world of The King's Head and The Red Lion, Survival Studios and my own garage, my newly-acquired Tonehammer 350 (thanks Lozz) plus first-generation Barefaced Midget is more than adequate for anything I've done this year.

Sad, but true.

The Tonehammer weighs about as much as the book I'll be reading tonight. The Midget weighs more than my bass (in a gigbag), but only because I use very lightweight basses.

YMMV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I've pulled the trigger on a Tech 21 VT Bass DI pedal so we're going to have a merry day trying various permutations of pedal, GK Class D and Ashdown ABM heads, SVT head and Ampeg 8x10 and Barefaced 2x12 and 2 x One10 cabs. Will report back with samples. May Youtube it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Had an interesting day trying various combinations.

First conclusion is that the SVT is just too bloody heavy to consider using at my age (heading towards my 7th decade)

Second conclusion is that the Tech 21 VT bass pedal is just a fuzz box. Returned

The GK sounds great, definitely a keeper.

Tonehammer TH350 amp loaned to us was, again, a bit of a fuzz box.

The Super Twin sounds fantastic but not in the near field when it's on the floor

The greatest advantage of the 8x10 is its vertical size giving good ground/floor boudary bass extension and ear level punch.

Playing around with One10 gave bass extension on the ground and punch raised to chest level. Going to start a thread on this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Way back in my giggin´days I played larger gigs with my SVT+8x10". For smaller gigs I left my 8x10" in our tourbus and carried the SVT with me, using a single Boogie 2x10". Later I went through several other amps to go with my smaller cabs but in the end nothing came close to the SVT+8x10" combination. Today it resides in my studio and honestly I´m glad if the bands I record like my B15 or Bassman 135 rigs more. The sound/volume ratio is a lot better with these. But then... still nothing comes close if you want that sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1444206053' post='2881026']
There is wisdom there, it takes a second to injure your back and a lifetime to live with that injury.
[/quote]

Wise words indeed. I've realised I'm too old for the SVT.

Even sadder, the Hammond and two Leslies have got to go. Sound like God but I struggled just to get them off the trolley into the van. An end to my Hammond playing days I'm afraid. The digital clonewheels out there are, without exception, sh*te.

It'll be the Twin Reverb next......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1444211321' post='2881084']
I`ve found that the SVT3-PRO - with a change of pre-amp valves for more gain - is pretty near the full SVT, and is much more doable. Pairs nicely with a Barefaced Super 12 as well. The heft of the sound is nicely there.
[/quote]

My exact rig - and mightily trouser flapping it is too. Sits just right on the top as well, so it doesn't look like a noisy mushroom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rather think the technical 'faults' of the Ampeg cab are what makes it sound great to a lot of people. All that beaming of upper frequencies/comb filtering/mid bass peakiness/cone break up/lack of true deep bass gives you a speaker that delivers sound to the bassist if they are in line but gives a sound that is warm and sits nicely in the mix to the audience. Lot's of cheap speakers gives you high efficiency so the amps don't work too hard and all that cone area means you aren't going to run out of cone excursion.

You live in Surrey and like Barefaced so why not take a trip down to Brighton with your SVT and see if they can give you a sound you like as much as the fridge before you start parting with any money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason that 810's got their foothold is because they could go loud on stages where monitoring wasn't always so great
so the cab was a sound source for the bass and also the band.
The fact that you didn't have to EQ it and it wasn't offensive sounding in terms of the wrong frequencies made
it friendly to soundmen as well.

It is still the benchmark today. even tho it only needs to be a bass monitor. It will not be mic'd though, 99% of the time

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...