Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi All.
I have managed to save enough money to upgrade from a cheap Rig consisting of a 1x15, 2x10 and 300watt solid state head. The rig has served me very well for a few years and has always been way loud enough for pretty much any gigging situation, primarily Large pubs and clubs. I now want to get a SVT classic series 2x10, and 1x15 cabs and I can only stretch to the 100watt V4BH head. Do you Ampeg affianados recon it'll give me the volume I need? I'm reckoning if Valve guitar amps are anything to go by then 100 toob watts should be just about as powerfull as 300 solid state watts.
Ok, well thanks for your time, and also let me know of any good Ampeg Forums as I've not been able to find any.
Thanks.
Steve

how big is the gig?

Steve,

I have an Ampeg V-4BH from 1996, the first year of the reissue. I love it dearly for tone, but I have to believe that a 300 watt solid state amp would be louder than the V-4BH.

The V-4BH (at least the new ones) has an XLR out on the back panel; I use a mic cable from that to our PA - when we need extra bass volume, we use the PA to push it up. The V-4BH is loud enough up to about 200-250 people (approximate guess), depending on the room, if that's any kind of approximate measure.

I love my V-4BH. It might not be loud enough for you without help from the PA, though.

You could buy a vintage SVT head in good shape for 700-800.00 on ebay if you are patient. The V4-BH heads must cost that much new.

get a 70's V4B if you can... save some money, and you can squeeze about 120W out of them with a tube change and a few tweaks.

I had the opportunity to play both and loved the 70's , but was not impressed at all by the V4b-h

Ok, thanks chaps. I'll probably just be a little patient for a couple more months, sell off some gear I never use and go for the big gun, the SVT-CL, probably the best move.
Thanks again.
Steve

Yeah you won't be upset great amp. In some ways I like the sound better then my SVT2. More of a uh classic sound. I can get light overdrive out of the CL pretty easy. And with a rick, man forget about it!

Bob, have you been watching SVT's on ebay lately? I haven't seen one go for less than $1k in many months.

I had a V4B in the 70's, it was my first real bass amp....was as big as an SVT but lower in wattage and the cabinet was a 2X15 folded horn in instead of 8X10s. It was still cool and it honked....

No not for a while Rob, I didn't realize the prices are still rising. I'd get a vintage SVT head over a classic also.

yes for at least 1100 + shipping!

damn!

How much are the SVT-CL's?

You might also consider an SVT-II (non-Pro). Same power amp section as an SVT with a slightly different pre. Sounds much like a vintage SVT and can be had for ~$900. They're from the mid-late 80's and are generally in better condition then most early 70's SVTs.

The SVT-II (or SVT-300 power-amp only) paired with an SVP-CL Pre (close to 70s SVT preamp section) will get you very, very close to a vintage SVT in a less costly, generally more reliable config.

I don't know...my early 80's MTI made SVT that is much like the Magnavox era 70's ones has been dead reliable with only 1 cap failure, and that was due to a factory miswire. I got it used around 1997 for $800. They're bringing more than that now I hear though you could probably get one for around the same cost as the one you mentioned. With any of these old amps, once you replace the filter caps and some of the coupling caps and resistors, you're good to go for another 30 years usually.

& 5 watt cathode resistors