Markbass VS Ampeg SVT

[cangaroo]

Hi there, here my two cents also :

MB
Pros : Price, Weight, Volume
Cons : Tone (don't misunderstand me, very good tone but i prefer my SVT-CL)

SVT (SVT-CL in my case)
Pros : Tone
Cons : Price, Weight, Volume (often i have to turn knobs to very high values to be heard)

[rickenbrother]

Cons : Price, Weight, Volume (often i have to turn knobs to very high values to be heard)

With that being said, do you prefer the tone of the SVT when you are soloed as well as when you are playing the the full band?
We spend most of our time in a band playing with the whole band, so that's when the tone that's most important, in my opinion.

[rickaddict]

Finally, someone agrees with me!

I can't imagine an SVT-CL not being loud enough. Where do you set your gain? If I set mine anywhere from 5 and above, putting the Master to 3 and above could result in a permanent softening of the cranium.

Your band must be crazy loud.

Hi there, here my two cents also :

MB
Pros : Price, Weight, Volume
Cons : Tone (don't misunderstand me, very good tone but i prefer my SVT-CL)

SVT (SVT-CL in my case)
Pros : Tone
Cons : Price, Weight, Volume (often i have to turn knobs to very high values to be heard)

[cangaroo]

It could be i own a defective SVT-CL, but setting mine at gain 5 and master 3 is absolutely not so loud as you describe. To have a decent volume (=be heard across two guitarplayers using 50w plexis and 4x12 cabs) i have to put values beyond that (like gain 6/7 and master . I'm using the SVT with the 410HLF.

Anyway you're not the first person telling me this, i think i'll check someone else owning a CL to do a compare ... maybe it's a tube issue.

[rickaddict]

It could be i own a defective SVT-CL, but setting mine at gain 5 and master 3 is absolutely not so loud as you describe. To have a decent volume (=be heard across two guitarplayers using 50w plexis and 4x12 cabs) i have to put values beyond that (like gain 6/7 and master . I'm using the SVT with the 410HLF.

Anyway you're not the first person telling me this, i think i'll check someone else owning a CL to do a compare ... maybe it's a tube issue.

Yeah, I'm no electrical whiz kid, but maybe something is wrong. I don't know how the different (from the U.S.) current in Italy gets converted and how/if that could effect things. Also, maybe check the ohm selector on the back of your SVT-CL. If you're running the head through one 410HLF cab, the selector switch should be on the 4ohm setting.

[cangaroo]

^^^

Yes the selector always been in the right position (4 ohm).

[blueflamerick]

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but you are using a speaker cable and not an instrument cable, correct?

[cangaroo]

^^^

yes i'm using a +1 -1 speakon jack !!

[johnallg]

Mattia, what do the bias leds on the back panel look like? Green or Red? My SVT-2 into my 410HLF is VERY loud at the same settings Jeff reports.

Also, pages 7 and 8 have suggestions and bias procedures: http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/SVTCL_OM.pdf Sorry, but in English.

Lastly, you are using the direct in for the Rick, not the -15dB in, right?

[rickaddict]

Ain't this forum great? There are a lot of excellent trouble shooting ideas here!

[cangaroo]

Mattia, what do the bias leds on the back panel look like? Green or Red? My SVT-2 into my 410HLF is VERY loud at the same settings Jeff reports.

Also, pages 7 and 8 have suggestions and bias procedures: http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/SVTCL_OM.pdf Sorry, but in English.

Lastly, you are using the direct in for the Rick, not the -15dB in, right?

Already done several times the Bias test (when the head is warm, say about after 1hr of using it) : it's all ok, both the leds are green and of the same intensity. Yes i'm using the passive input.

IMO The only way to tell if the amp's defective is to do a compare with another SVT-CL ....

[johnallg]

At this point, I'd say yes. But I would use your cabinet to see if that has a problem.

[cangaroo]

Compare done. With another guy owning exactly my same head and cabinet.

We compared both using our rispective cabs and switching the cabs. The result was that my head was a few more powerful (i guess due to the guy pre tubes worn out), anyway there was no difference in volume to tell that mine has a problem.

So i guess it's only a a matter of subjective perception of what is an "high volume" at this point ...
We both agreed that the CL (with the 410HLF Cab) is not always so definite sonically speaking, it works well if you play in a open environment while in little venues or pubs it goes lost in the mix ...

[rickaddict]

That's odd, Mattia. Maybe the Ampeg SVT's work differently with your electrical current than they do with the current in the US. That's my only guess at this point.

My old band used to practice way too loud. Both guitar players had a half stack and the drummer used to hit his drums and cymbals like a gorilla. The vocals were run through a PA. My North Sonic II ear plugs weren't enough for that band. I used the foam Hearos earplugs with db noise reduction level of around 30 or so. If I stood in front of my 410 HLF, I could feel my pant legs blowing around. Even with the foam earplugs, my head would hurt for a day or two after band practice. It really annoyed me because IMO it's totally unnecessary to practice at that level, but I couldn't get everyone to turn down and I couldn't get the drummer to play more softly. Even so, the master volume on my SVT-CL was never much above 3, and it had no problem overpowering the rest of the band if I wanted it to.

[cangaroo]

That's odd, Mattia. Maybe the Ampeg SVT's work differently with your electrical current than they do with the current in the US. That's my only guess at this point.

I don't really know much about the electric field. Maybe using a different AC value make the transformer work better.

Even so, the master volume on my SVT-CL was never much above 3, and it had no problem overpowering the rest of the band if I wanted it to.

What year is your ? Maybe at a certain point in time Ampeg changed something inside the circuit ...