Used prices of heavy amp heads

[fretmeister]

I was just surfing ebay and saw a recent completed sale for an Ampeg SVT-4 Pro at only £280!

I know heavy gear isn't as popular anymore, but that seems astonishing to me. What are they, about £1200 new?

Madness.

As my band has just imploded and I don't have to worry about moving kit around I'm halfway tempted to get one as a house amp!  

[Beedster]

Mate, the bigger stuff by Mesa, Ampeg etc can be bought so cheap now it's almost rude not to get involved

[Reggaebass]

I’ve noticed that too, I really don’t need one but I’ve started watching the bigger  Ampeg amp’s , which editions are all valve ?

[TheGreek]

...and most of it sounds better than the lightweight "equivalents"...

[ryancowell25]

The SVT - 4 doesn’t. One of the most disappointing amp heads I’ve ever used. Great on paper but lacking in the real world.

But agreed a great time to pick up some fantastic amps that have gone out of fashion.

 

[peteb]

45 minutes ago, ryancowell25 said:

The SVT - 4 doesn’t. One of the most disappointing amp heads I’ve ever used. Great on paper but lacking in the real world.

But agreed a great time to pick up some fantastic amps that have gone out of fashion.

 

The SVT4 is pretty much the industry standard when touring bands are hiring in backline! They sound fine to me. 

The real bargains for the great old SWR and Eden amps. There are a fair few in the Amps For Sale section on here going for an absolute song. I really don't need another amp, but every now and then I get tempted... 

[40hz]

I totally get it with cabs, older ones are huge, cumbersome and very heavy, so I don't feel there's enough of a positive trade off for that, especially since most modern cabs just flat out sound better and can go louder and lower.

When it comes to amp heads though, age/weight don't bother me. It's all about the tone. Aside from some valve amps, even a lot of older 'lead sled' type amps aren't that heavy or awkward in the general scheme of things.

The price of some of these are a total bargain, especially considering most of the time, they flat out just sound better ( IMO, IME etc). 

[peteb]

7 minutes ago, 40hz said:

I totally get it with cabs, older ones are huge, cumbersome and very heavy, so I don't feel there's enough of a positive trade off for that, especially since most modern cabs just flat out sound better and can go louder and lower.

When it comes to amp heads though, age/weight don't bother me. It's all about the tone. Aside from some valve amps, even a lot of older 'lead sled' type amps aren't that heavy or awkward in the general scheme of things.

The price of some of these are a total bargain, especially considering most of the time, they flat out just sound better ( IMO, IME etc). 

I agree. Modern cabs are generally better and certainly much lighter than some of the horrors we used to lug around 30 years ago. but I can't understand the need for amps that you can pick up with one finger. There is always a compromise with something that light and Class D amps just don't sound as good as the great hybrid amps of a few years ago that you can pick up for peanuts these days. If you put them in a lightweight rack it is still an easy one hand lift, so why the obsession with making everything unnecessarily light?

[fretmeister]

16 hours ago, ryancowell25 said:

The SVT - 4 doesn’t. One of the most disappointing amp heads I’ve ever used. Great on paper but lacking in the real world.

But agreed a great time to pick up some fantastic amps that have gone out of fashion.

 

I haven't used one for years - and then only when the venue or rehearsal space were providing the backline. Usually with a well battered old 8x10

I much preferred them to other Ampegs I've tried / owned.

[E sharp]

22 hours ago, peteb said:

 so why the obsession with making everything unnecessarily light?

I know not everyone frequents a gym .....

But I've never understood why some players will happily pay money to lift heavy stuff , but don't want to get paid to lift heavy stuff .

[peteb]

13 minutes ago, E sharp said:

I know not everyone frequents a gym .....

But I've never understood why some players will happily pay money to lift heavy stuff , but don't want to get paid to lift heavy stuff .

I can sort of understand that attitude regarding cabs and even big all tube amps, but is a 2u SWR amp (for example) really that heavy?? As long as it is something you can easily lift with one hand then why would you gig with something even lighter if it's not as good? I've tried a number of Class D amps (even paid a lot of money for one) but I have always been disappointed with them. I ended up buying a Handbox R400, which is a convenient size and not too heavy without compromising on sound. 

Perhaps more people should frequent a gym, or at least keep themselves in some sort of shape. It would improve their lives in many ways, not least allowing them to use a better amp!

[Hellzero]

A pristine Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 2x12 with its original cover was sold for 550 Euros a few days ago on Bassic !?! The heavy beasts will soon be free...

[MartinB]

If I had a car, I'd be delighted that big, heavy, great-sounding gear is cheaper than ever!

But since I use public transport, I'm relieved that small, light, great-sounding gear is also available.

Bulk (volume) is almost as important as weight. An 8x10 cab isn't going to fit on the bus no matter how lightweight it is!

[Cat Burrito]

I saw that Ampeg head too but it bucks the trend. I am (pending an incoming payout) looking for an AD200B Orange head and the general guideline seems to be that these things do very much hold a lot of their value. Whilst I agree that the lightweight stuff is very much the preferred option these days, plenty still want (& pay for) those old school big valve beasts.

[Lozz196]

I recently sold my Ashdown ABM600, the best amp I’ve ever had. At 13kg it wasn’t too hard to cart about in comparison to the big valve amps but my ageing frame protests whenever I carry anything, so I listened to what my body was telling me and kept my Ashdown RM500. If I ever join a gigging band again my RM gear will be sufficient, it sounds great and unless on a really big stage there’s not that much difference to the ABM.

[fretmeister]

On 07/09/2020 at 00:04, peteb said:

I agree. Modern cabs are generally better and certainly much lighter than some of the horrors we used to lug around 30 years ago. but I can't understand the need for amps that you can pick up with one finger. There is always a compromise with something that light and Class D amps just don't sound as good as the great hybrid amps of a few years ago that you can pick up for peanuts these days. If you put them in a lightweight rack it is still an easy one hand lift, so why the obsession with making everything unnecessarily light?

I've had 5 hernias...

[peteb]

11 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I've had 5 hernias...

The SWR SM900 on sale here is about the same weight as a lightish 5 string bass and half the weight of a Barefaced Big Twin. A SM500 or an Eden amp will be a bit lighter than that. I assume that if you have an amp then you use a cab with it? 

[Chienmortbb]

I lugged two bass cabs  at about 13Kgs and  two PA tops at about 15Kg into rehearsal on Sunday and my back said thank you when I picked up my modern, lightweight amp. 
 

I have no problem with people using heavy amps but please don’t call me out because I have used Solid State amps since my Sound City 100 was stolen in the early 70s.

[acidbass]

There's an Ashdown ABM500 for sale at the moment for £125 in the Ads section.  Incredible!  I paid £500 brand new for one around 8 or 9 years ago and loved it.  Would buy another in a heartbeat!

[grandad]

 

 

Old age and/or health is what's all about. In my 50's, my weekend warrior days, I would carry my Peavey head and Ampeg cab + the PA and that was OK. Now I struggle to open a pickle jar but do still gig occasionally and am grateful that my bass gear and PA are now less than 10.5 kg or 24 lb any item, and most much less.

It's great to have all this range of gear available, something to suit everybody.

Edited September 8, 2020 by grandad

[StickyDBRmf]

I remember as a "kid" picking up a SVT and saying I can't believe how heavy that is. I'm sort-of shopping for "something" in the stores and I pick it up to appraise it. (Mostly combos). I want to add I am now 62 and have back problems. I saw a SVT@ Guitar Center and wanted to see if memory was valid. (Up until last year I was still cooking for a caterer and could pick up a 50# bag of potatoes. I swear I thought the SVT was bolted to the floor. REALLY. I tried it again because I couldn't believe it - this time it moved, but SHEESH.

[fretmeister]

23 hours ago, peteb said:

The SWR SM900 on sale here is about the same weight as a lightish 5 string bass and half the weight of a Barefaced Big Twin. A SM500 or an Eden amp will be a bit lighter than that. I assume that if you have an amp then you use a cab with it? 

It's on wheels.

[ern500evo]

This thread has had me scanning around for all sorts of heavier amps! Trace Elliot, SWR etc. I think I’m at the stage where I’ve tried various class D’s, TC RH450 &750, GB Shuttle 9.2,, TH500, GK MB Fusion, DG M900. The last two I still own, and the GK has served me really well, but I’ve got a hankering for something A/B. Was tempted to sell them both and go for a new ABM600, but I’m now leaning towards going for an older EBS head, HD350, TD650 or even a Fafner  

[King Tut]

I think a lot of it depends on your band situation. A couple of years ago I was running my own band that I fronted as a singing bass player also supplying and running the PA and lights. So much gear to cart about and set up so anyway I could minimise gear and  have one less run out to the car was most welcome. I could fit my GK MB500 into my gig bag and still get a reasonable sound.

Now I’m playing in a touring band, we have the luxury of Roadies. I can concentrate on tone rather than convenience, hence the addition of an all valve brute of an amp. Just can’t bloody wait to gig it!

[ern500evo]

3 hours ago, King Tut said:

I think a lot of it depends on your band situation. A couple of years ago I was running my own band that I fronted as a singing bass player also supplying and running the PA and lights. So much gear to cart about and set up so anyway I could minimise gear and  have one less run out to the car was most welcome. I could fit my GK MB500 into my gig bag and still get a reasonable sound.

Now I’m playing in a touring band, we have the luxury of Roadies. I can concentrate on tone rather than convenience, hence the addition of an all valve brute of an amp. Just can’t bloody wait to gig it!

Well that’s also part of my reasoning, we’re not really gigging at the moment so it’s a good chance to have a play about with some amps at rehearsals and see which ones I really like. When we do eventually return to gigging, it’s mostly pub/club gigs now, but we all travel in a van together and my amp will live at our rehearsal space, so transporting it isn’t a huge problem either.