Tube vs Solid State Bass Amps

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Tube vs Solid State Bass Amps

Рет қаралды 248,181

Күн бұрын

Just got the SVT VR (3:21) and wanted to do a side by side comparison of this tube amp to my solid state Gallien Krueger (2:13). Skip to those times if you dont want to listen to me, and just want to hear the amps.

Пікірлер: 338

@Theospeak1 13 жыл бұрын

I just bought an SVT-VR and matched 810AV to replace my old workhorse, a first generation Ashdown ABM 500 EVO and matched 410H. There is no comparison between the two rigs. There's no way to get an accurate representation of the sound from an SVT-VR over a camcorder and most computer speakers. It is an absolute wall of sound that travels through you. At first, the tone may sound thin or midi, but plug it in alongside a DW set and a Super Reverb or a JCM800, and the tone is perfect. Amazing.

@videomaniac108 8 жыл бұрын

The SVT by a mile, but you should have done a comparison with both amps flat.

@darcproductionsinc 11 жыл бұрын

Great that you took the time to do this. Having owned many amps, I always favor the Tube tone, being a stoner rock, DOOM bass player. One thing to note, make sure to always have your tube head plugged into a cab so the load has somewhere to go...or something bad may happen to your head.

@darrenmt76 12 жыл бұрын

I run my Stingray5 thru a GK 700RBII head and Epifani UL2 2x12 cab 700w @ 4ohms. I can make it sound very full and warm. To get an Ampeg tube tone with breakup when required, i simply use an Xotic BB bass pedal. The GK heads are great, flexible amps that are super reliable. The key is really knowing how to tweak the eq.

@jeffie801 12 жыл бұрын

I have an Ampeg SVT Classic, and ever since I got it every time I play on my old solid state amps I can't help but miss that tubalishes tone.

@golfhound 4 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I had an SVT back in the 70'/80s. Hartke LH series plus the GK are hairline close to and SVT at 1/4 the weight.

@alwaysopen7970 13 жыл бұрын

I just got my 1975 Carvin B-3000 amp back from their repair shop - cap came lose after 35 years - and it is still a beast. It is point to point SS and has a sound unlike any other SS amp I have ever played. I got it new back then and it was the shit as far as what other players were using. 250w @2ohms. It still has the lifetime warranty.

@RuroiniStenchin 12 жыл бұрын

Well you have the ampeg running way louder, I'm convinced you can get closer to that tone with the GK

@golfhound 4 жыл бұрын

A Hartke LH 500/1000 also has that Ampeg SVT sound. The Hartke LH series is a hybrid amp (tube pre-amp + ss amp)

@samn5564 3 жыл бұрын

I'm sure of it! GK 700rb can suit 98.4678% of needs. However, I've learned that they do not appreciate a freight train if signal-friggers in front of them. The ampeg will suit that purpose better in most situations, IMHO!

@Jcaburianhimself 12 жыл бұрын

with a good road case the Ampeg is easy to move around, playing with a tube head and a solid state head, there is a big difference in how it cuts through the mix. Tubes are more noticeable. When using solid state; it still cuts through but it's not as pokey. Either way I love both!

@alvagoldbook2 11 жыл бұрын

I'll put it this way. Even a mediocre tube bass amp sounds better than most SS bass amps. There are always exceptions to the rule, but it's a pretty good rule to live by.

@FrenchBeefCDN 14 жыл бұрын

HUGE difference. I am getting my Svt-3 pro tomorrow, and I have an SVT-410HLF waiting for action. Can't wait. My first tube amp, and decent cab.

@Ramiiam 10 жыл бұрын

Jazz bass + flatwound + GK = win.

@kylelikeskjvbible 8 жыл бұрын

Sounds so much better with the SVT, its a shame that its so good. I wanted a solid state since they're lighter and was thinking about the GK but the Ampeg SVT is so much nicer.

@thebutton7932 6 жыл бұрын

you're fooling yourself, very little can be discerned from this . . you obviously like SVT's though , so go get one

@michaelmarshall1713 6 жыл бұрын

Get a DNA ( EDEN original builder) which will give a great sound without the weight. But I own a SVT as well.

@jackbassII 11 жыл бұрын

I started out playing a '71 Ampeg,SVT then in the late 80s switched to the Galien with Hartke cabs. It blew up on stage one night in the late 90s.. Stumbled onto a '75 SVT the next day. While the Galien was a great amp and very road worthy, going back to the SVT was like coming home. Just had it re-tubed and biased and am powering a Mesa 2-12 and Mesa 4-10+15. Awesome tone! The SVT is a beast to lug around, but it is so worth it.

@ewadge 14 жыл бұрын

I've done the same comparison at my local store who carries both. For me it is GK all the way but they are really apples and oranges. I can understand why people might like Ampeg's tone more than the GK. The GK doesn't have the huge lows but it is a real punch machine.

@oblioblivion6138 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, I owned the vintage blue SVT and loved it until my tech moved away and I couldn't find another guy to baby it the way it demanded. It is very forgiving amp when working properly. It smooths out all your rough edges even when your technique falters. It sounds very organic and its loud as hell. 300 watts seems more like 1500 watts by today's standards. Anyway I just bought a gk rb1001 mark II because I know how reliable they are and priced very reasonably. You have to play with good technique with this amp because it doesn't sugar coat your tone much. The thing is it puts you in mix mix like no other head I've had. I've got quite a few complements already.

@rmccain99 6 жыл бұрын

I like what the GK can do on any given day. I have a 1001rb and it rocks.

@gnr87x 12 жыл бұрын

I believe at 2:14 he is using the gallien krueger (Solid State) and at 3:30 is the Ampeg (Tube).

@utubeboob9 10 жыл бұрын

Dude, you just got stoned didnt you?!

@bgamervideo2714 5 жыл бұрын

dunno about him but, i just did

@zigabizjak5234 2 жыл бұрын

@@bgamervideo2714 same

@Itsbillhillman 10 жыл бұрын

I would think that if I were comparing ss vs. tube, I would set the tone either flat on both amps or tweak both amps to their respective best tone settings. The GK is a very versatile amp. The ampeg is pretty much a 1 trick pony.

@cyrusmcconnell 10 жыл бұрын

In hind sight I would have done several things different. Ill do a new video soon

@samn5564 3 жыл бұрын

Duuuuuude... That GK sounds paramount through that pair tens! Maybe rub your clean bass signal thru that, and then your guitar effects thru the other rig! Bi-amping, albeit simply, to keep a bass in your sound when you add the effects! Would s monster rig, and really accent the range of that Spector!

@angryretardcereal 10 жыл бұрын

The key to Ampeg tone is having the matching speakers. Their heads are amazing but youve got to match it up. -Diehard Ampeg user.

@PANICBLADE 9 жыл бұрын

Ok so wait. First off, great video. However, you dialed the SVT into an ideal setting but then tried to MATCH that tone with the GK? So this isn't a test on which amp is better or solid state vs tube, but a one sided demonstration of one amp's ability to mimic a single ideal setting, but WITHOUT doing it the other way around or using more settings. I also noticed you boosted the mids on your Ampeg, yet cut them on the GK by setting the contour so high, and the volumes didn't match to begin with, which is what instantly will sway any listener in an a/b test trying to discern quality to the louder one (unless the amps are too loud, in which case they will pick the more quiet one.). So they probably could've gotten A LOT closer to each other considering how quiet and scooped the GK sounded compared to the Ampeg here. No the GK won't really do what an Ampeg SVT does, but the SVT can't touch most of the things the GK could do, you said yourself, it's more versatile. Plus there is a huge difference right away considering that SVT is worth over 2k dollars while the GK used is only 700 dollars, even though you couldn't help that. Like imagine a video where someone compares a gibson les paul traditional and a mexican standard strat but tries to dial in the strat to sound like the les paul by switching to the between position and turning down the tone control on it and only using that tone for comparison. That would be fine if it was PART of more content in the review: like maybe do the same the other way around, use settings idealized for a few different styles of music for each, etc. I'd like to see this Ampeg go up against the 2001rb. That thing has an extra distortion channel and 1080 watts of power bridged.

@collinthomas9083 9 жыл бұрын

I know the appeal of tube amps, but I just can't deal with the weight of them. I'll stick with my Line 6 POD HD500 and Carvin MB12 stack. Price isn't even an issue, I could buy 4 Ampeg VRs right now if I wanted to, but chiropractors would put me in debt after owning one.

@Barb_Wire 9 жыл бұрын

+PANICBLADE About the price thing, you can find used SVT's (especially classics) almost anywhere for usually $800 to $1000. I even saw a first year SVT II go for $650 on eBay recently.

@cyrusmcconnell 9 жыл бұрын

+Barbwire Cockring wish I would have seen that, but honestly I've never had a problem with it in 5 years

@PANICBLADE 9 жыл бұрын

Barbwire Cockring I actually got my 2001rb for like 600 somehow. It surprised me to find it that low.

@Barb_Wire 9 жыл бұрын

+Cy McConnell Believe me I was tempted to grab it, but after all I already have an old SVT... And $600 for the 2001rb is an amazing deal, I've used the 800rb a few times and thought it was an awesome amp.

@isaacquevedoalmarza8736 6 жыл бұрын

Que tengan sonidos diferentes , no significa que uno sea mejor que el otro. La pregunta es, cual te gusta mas? y para eso debiera escucharse solo el sonido de cada amplificador, para no discriminar el equipo de antemano y al final mostrar a que amplificador pertenece el sonido que mas les gusto.

@mofrak 12 жыл бұрын

He had the SVT on standby, which effectively shuts off the amp but keeps the filaments lit. I swap speakers and cabs all the time with my tube amps in standby.

@tuboqueser 12 жыл бұрын

I saw a Mariachi band the other day playing a crappy stand up bass, he was playing it through an original SVT VR with the strap handles (70's era) and i remember asking myself, my god why does that bass sound so good. Sure enough i saw the beautiful head sitting on the floor next to him once the band stop playing. Those amps are amazing but extremely heavy which is probably why this guy had his on the floor next to the Cabinet (Weird no brand Cab BTW).

@babywano 11 жыл бұрын

What amp should I get for a 40 person jazz band (bass and/or guitar) they play loud though, my price budget is $300 I only want to spend $200-$250 though. Thanks for any help

@MichaelWilliams-fl4hx 9 жыл бұрын

I loaned a friend 300 and took a Ampeg 8X10 as collateral. Well I plugged in my GK800RB into that Ampeg cab and OMG what a tone that was! I wonder what an Ampeg head would sound like in comparison.

@Haiasiriku 8 жыл бұрын

lol

@Mumumumykul 8 жыл бұрын

I DONT WANT TO BUY TUBE AMPEG BUT EVERY VIDEO IS MAKING ME WANT A TUBE AMPEG

@DarkWolf5250 7 жыл бұрын

Christian Ferguson Personally, the Ampeg sounds far better to me. I've tried a few Traynors and hated them... Never was able to get it sounding as good as my SVT 2-Pro.

@bflo1000 6 жыл бұрын

PVs are good value for the money also......

@bflo1000 6 жыл бұрын

Traynors don't have the massive low end that Ampegs (especially vintage) are known for. FWIW, I'm not the least impressed by the Chinese made V-4B..............Sounds pretty cheap if you ask me.

@DarkWolf5250 6 жыл бұрын

bflo1000 Traynors also have awful control over the mid frequencies, so it's practically impossible to dial in an Ampeg type sound with them.

@belowthesmile 13 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. Very cool. Its videos like this that make me glad there is a KZfaq!

@mouthmw 4 жыл бұрын

My 700RB-II also clipped and sounded distorted in the low end when I had it, but I really cranked that sucker - still a great, punchy amp if you don't need loads of power and headroom. I'd add that it worked really well with an Ampeg 810 when I had it. I have a 2001RB now, and that thing has headroom in spades and the most powerful low end I've ever heard that doesn't clip at all. I think it could easily go one on one with a monster 300W all tube SVT, or any amp really. It really turns into tonal preference at that point. That said, I use it for vintage rock (P with flats) and more modern stuff (Stingray with rounds) and it excels at both. I pair it with a 410 RBH cab, but it slays with any good cab.

@elancaster808 9 жыл бұрын

Ampeg is very noisy compared to the GK. Also you have the contour knob on the GK at around 4:00, bring it closer to flat for your low end. I recommend you run it flat for the "warm round" tone you are looking for. You are basically overriding your EQ with the contour knob.

@dmoore0079 12 жыл бұрын

Both tube and solid state have their purposes - it just depends on what you're looking for tonally. If you want an overdriven edge to your sound, the 'rounder' 'smoother' clipping of tubes will sound better to most. If you want clean and lots of headroom, solid state is usually the way to go, since it tends to clip much later than a tube amp. Personally, I like the cleaner headroom, and prefer solid state. It's just a matter of preference

@michaelleigh 3 жыл бұрын

On bass I think you can get away with solid state but I still prefer tubes. I had a '70's Ampeg SVT and so did a friend. Love the sound. You can get that raunchy sound Ron Wood had in the Jeff Beck Group and what Ronnie Lane had in the Faces. They work well with Fender P basses! I've noticed most bands to this day are still using Ampegs, whether new or old. With 10 inch speakers they are so punchy. When I was using the SVT, other bass players would say, "I used to have one, but too heavy to carry around, then they'd ask if they could use my amp that night instead of what they brought. I recently bought a '60's Kalamazoo Bass 50 with 2 10's and it sounds like an Ampeg!

@cyrusmcconnell 13 жыл бұрын

@southparkfan1999 on channel one there are 3 rocker switches, the one on the far left controls an "ultra low" option which drops your low frequencies even lower. The second controls your midrange, it has 3 settings one for low mids, one for high mids and one for in between the two (normal). The one on the far right allows for "ultra high's" essentially taking your high frequencies higher. Channel two has two switches above it which are the ultra low and ultra high switches for channel one

@robertobrien2903 2 жыл бұрын

I have a GK RB1001 with a GK 4 ohm 800 watt 4x10 cab and a Mesa M Pulse tube bass head with a Mesa 400 watt 8 0hm 1x15 cab. I think the extra headroom of the 4 ohm cab gives my GK a sound your cab is unable to do. The Mesa sounds super creamy with the 15 with just the right amount of thump, punch and purity of tone while GK can do this as well at a similar volume to the Mesa at my optimal room volume. The GK can get quite a bit louder with that 4 ohm cab and with the proper GK Bi-amp cable I can get that GK growl without blowing my tweeter. I like having the two different rigs for different styles but I think the best thing to do is to figure out how to get everything dialed in just right for an amp to do what it can do best. I think a 4x10 like mine would help give you GK the right sound and a sincere Ampeg 1x15 cab would help both of your amps find their true identity and sound.

@gnrduff1 12 жыл бұрын

I am a GK man. I prefer the grind and growl with the cleanliness as an option on a GK at least (not as much other SS amps) to the very traditional hairy tube goodness of an ampeg. Just a matter of taste, guys.

@charlesthomas84 9 жыл бұрын

Did I hear some Big Sir being played?

@TipsOnTheFly 9 жыл бұрын

2:24 cat does a crazy run... lol

@cyrusmcconnell 13 жыл бұрын

@southparkfan1999 if you see the reply about the switches this will make sense, basically i bridge the two channels to round out and fatten the tone. I keep channel one with a flat eq, and the switches set to no ultra high or ultra low and midrange in the middle "normal" position. Then i set channel two up to use the ultra low for a boost on the low frequencies. I dont boost the highs because i have a horn in my cab and a bright sounding bass but the lows really help make a fat tone

@projectiledude 12 жыл бұрын

Thanks man....needed a direct comparison like this. Have you tried the SS Ampegs, like the 2RE, and how does that compare to your GK?

@bestgood8820 10 жыл бұрын

2:13 and 3:21

@kingofthestoneage5 12 жыл бұрын

@seifs4 Do you know exactly what Flea plays on the recordings? Were you there? If not then you don't know exactly what he or anyone else uses in the studio. Just because someone has an endorsement doesn't mean they use that gear for recording or even live in some cases.

@PeterDad60 Жыл бұрын

Dude sounds like he's struggling not to fall asleep!

@otherthrakker 11 жыл бұрын

Either way it's the same signal chain going in both amps, if one sounds better than the other, then one sounds better than the other. I actually prefer that he uses the additional pedals because that way you can see how the amplifier responds to different effects.

@yutuubfreak 13 жыл бұрын

awesome bass sound both those amps 2 seperate cabs. gk for the very lows the ampeg for low mids to the high

@BokorugroRR 11 жыл бұрын

I like the solid state more, it's simply a matter of taste and style.

@alvagoldbook2 11 жыл бұрын

Ampegs are known for their lack of compression, especially at low gain settings, which is nice, since you can dial in your own compression. SS technology is getting better, especially with carefully designed FET circuits, which can mimic tube sound, but with the added reliability of a SS circuit.

@user-sv8ce7lw6t 14 жыл бұрын

what were you playing, i play a little bit off bass and want to play that it sounds nice, i only know a few tabs :(

@christiaanmeerbeek924 Жыл бұрын

I have a gk1001 and I once had a 410hlf heritage. O M G what a sound. To bad the hlf was too big to carry around

@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur 11 жыл бұрын

Both great amps and both have great track records...

@mowler8042 3 жыл бұрын

I've only owned solid state....Most expensive one was a Markbass and to be honest I liked my free thrown out by one of my customers Peavey 35 watt combo more than the Markbas CMD102P Last week I was very lucky to find a Traynor 200 watt all tube with a Traynor 410 cab and it's just night and day compared to anything I've played through no comparison to a Solid state. Sure it's very heavy and I guess delicate but you see bands on stage with them so it must be worth the effort.

@MightySaturn5 12 жыл бұрын

@tyronehuff or perhaps a pre that splits and sends two outs, one to a 100 watt tube power amp (driving a guitar 4x12 cab) while the other drives a bridged Crest pro series power amp, this could easily power a 2x18 cab which should balance well with the upper bass-mids from the 4x12...the end result would probably be a sweet overdriven bite with an impacting 50 hz thud accompaning it

@darwinsaye 3 жыл бұрын

I'd run a guitar through the Ampeg and bass through the GK. Ampeg sounded great the way you were playing relatively lightly, but I don't like the way tube bass amps flub out when you really attack the strings hard with a lot of bass dialed in the tone stack. Never played a GK, but my go to back in the day was a Traynor MonoBlock II (which I never should have sold), and later on a Marshall IBS 3520. I guess it really depends on the gig though. Tube amp would be fine for Motown or anything sub-rock.

@TheNoiseBomb1997 11 жыл бұрын

Is it just me, or is the theory that tube amps sound warmer and less glassy than tube amps a load of dry, demented dog shit? I loved the tone of the GK here, didn't care much at all for the Ampeg.

@realityheadon 12 жыл бұрын

Tube Amp has a distinct fullness, Solid State sounds more detailed upper & lower frequency. Tubes seem more musical (ie. the notes between the notes).

@MetalClosey 13 жыл бұрын

@cyrusmcconnell YEah, this is alright, there's no signal being passed through the tubes or output section, I'm sure if you left it on for a very long time with no load (In standby) some damage may occur, but realistically, nothing will happen.

@TheCiubz 12 жыл бұрын

The Ampeg is a powerful rock amp, and has that mid scoop pounding tone. The GK can do those mid-range fusion, funk and jazz tones. They are both gr8 but they are way too different to be compared. I personally would choose the GK for quite a few reasons, but would mind owning a svt-cl + 8x10 stack also :D

@faithnoman 11 жыл бұрын

Much of the time, yes. The best SS heads are the ones with character, which work great for rock n roll, much like their tube brethren

@nickkorkodilos8666 12 жыл бұрын

I've played both in different situations for many years. I always seem to prefer the Gallien Krueger amps to the Ampeg.

@nephilymbass1 13 жыл бұрын

nice video, Personally anyone that likes the tube SVT tone should get a Tech 21 RBI in my opinion. Sounds amazing and its a single rack space and not to heavy either. my old head never sounded the same after the tubes were changed.

@TacosAndThongs 13 жыл бұрын

I'm glad I found this video, because I'm deciding on a new bass amp right now, and my two choices were between an Ampeg and a GK, so this was a rather timely discovery. But now I'm even more at a loss ._.

@maxmeadb 13 жыл бұрын

i like the tape on the cabs

@tyronehuff 12 жыл бұрын

in general there is no comparison. I played solidstate for many years until I could afford a tube head. the low end is so much fuller and more responsive, the high end is warmer, there is more volume and more tone. the drawback is a big increase in weight in most cases, but if that's a concern just go for an Orange Terror Bass - 500 watts and around 10 lbs.

@TheDarkElfValenDreth 11 жыл бұрын

we got a genius here.

@GEEKMADE 10 жыл бұрын

great tone! all of these amps are sweet...

@Rd61372 7 жыл бұрын

I like the Ampeg better. As a bassist I have noticed that I have been chasing the ideal tone for years. However; the little things I have added to enhance my tone are normally only noticed by myself when performing live. I currently play through a Bugera hybrid "SVT" style head with a Spector Legend 4 and have amazing tone in my opinion but if I were to use a solid state head one night rather than the Bugera I would suspect the only person who would notice is me. LOL That being said when my tone sounds better to me I play better so it's still worth it in my opinion....and when in the studio I would always choose Ampeg or a tube head

@thebutton7932 6 жыл бұрын

Rob, I think you're right about being the only one to notice, BUT thats important, if it affects your playing . . . but there will inevitably be room problems, overcrowding of stages and other sound issues in your career, that will be less than ideal for you setup and sound . . . how will you overcome these? . . why is your performance tied so heavily to your perception of your tone? . . . . my advice dude, after 40 years of professional bass playing is this - save up . . save , save , save and save more . . and THEN . . buy a Spector USA bass. . . everything else (no matter how they sling it ) is LESS than a full USA made NS2 (for example) . . . I can tell you, you may well like the sound of your Legend 4, just imagine how happy you will be with the real deal . . . I have always been picky about basses , but I remember spotting theses fancy basses at Venue Music in Sydney Australia , back in (around) the early '80's . I wasnt much of a player then , but even I knew , these were good sounding basses. . . They turned out to be the first Spectors into Australia back when they started . . even as a novice without a clue, I could hear how good they were . . the great sounding bass is the key , not your amp . . . dont get me wrong, you will need an amp , but it wont be as crucial, when you have a top notch instrument . . and THEN , practice more . . . a lot more . . . as long as you can hear your bass clearly , that should be all you need . . .everything else is in your hands , literally . . . and only by repetitively practicing successfully, will you free those hands to get you to the point of being able to be creative, and not just some guy that plays covers or whatever . . . . you will probably disregard this , but I know what I'm talking about now (I didnt , for a long time) . . get a top notch bass and just play it as much as you can . . a good example that comes to mind is Joe Dart (look him up, he's current) . . a classic Jazz Bass tone and a shitload of practice and he's standing on the shoulders of giants., and playing great QUALITY bass lines (no gimmicks) and being one funky white man at the same time . . he's a good example of what I mean.

@SanFranciscoFatboy 9 жыл бұрын

SVT's seem to compliment other tube guitar amps better. When u are jammin with someone w/ a guitar tube amp they just seem to be the best ever. SVT's are also so much more sexier then a GK or MarkBass or Edens. They come with 2 handles, it is not THAT hard to move around. ( i just got my first svt, a 78 blackline for 900 off craigslist. ). Don't wait like i did, if you r gonna buy a bass amp to play with in a band get the svt. Your bandmates will love u for it. ( and use it thru their own cab, the 8x10 Reefer)

@CHIBIXULTRA 14 жыл бұрын

enjoying the big sir bassline in there

@theweirdkids790 12 жыл бұрын

Man did you have the ampeg on with no load???? That's a no-no for tube amps!

@angryretardcereal 12 жыл бұрын

Pre 2000s Ampeg: tube or solid state, there's really no way to go wrong.

@TZGreg 12 жыл бұрын

The conformist in me wanted to say that the valve head sounds better, but I reckon I actually prefer the solid state! To back that up I have a Genz Benz Shuttlemax 12.0 and the solid state channel definately gets a lot more work than the tube channel.

@AUdioHipster 9 жыл бұрын

way more clarity in the tube... but the camera noise makes it hard to focus. Cheers very nice. Doyen

@J8D2 9 жыл бұрын

I think that's the cooling fan for the svt haha I've heard they're really noisy

@monsterjotunn5257 8 жыл бұрын

+T Scott they are. sold my CL a few months ago. love the tone hate the space it occupies.

@justinmaldonado5613 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah the ampeg kinda reaches out and pokes you with its fingers and the GK didn't sound bad at all it just doesn't have that 'touch you' character

@PureToneAmps 12 жыл бұрын

great review. SVT is a monster. Can't be compared. In weight and tone of course.

@cyrusmcconnell 14 жыл бұрын

@dbassboy94 its great for any venue, outdoor venues when you really need to be loud or large indoor venues. I've never played anywhere that held more than a couple thousand people but i've never had to turn my amp up past half way on the volume.

@GreenGlobalCom 11 жыл бұрын

you have the setting all wrong on the SVT. I like that you know to bridge both channels, but you must use the ultra low and ultra high to get the most of the SVT potential. Also let it get hot it sound better the hotter it gets during the gig. Also the reissue does not even come close to a classic SVT.

@cyrusmcconnell 13 жыл бұрын

@Buhzie15 i dont think you could say the orange gets a better tone, im not saying the svt has a better one but there is no way to judge the sound quality of this video. The ampeg svt series has probably been used to record more albums than any other head ever made. That being said i had the hardest time deciding between an orange and the svt ;-)

@aldosansan2335 4 жыл бұрын

2:22 - Magically a cat runs in!

@MightySaturn5 14 жыл бұрын

@cyrusmcconnell Yeah, if your Ampeg is in "standby" it is not delievering output so its safe to send in a signal even without a speaker (load) connected to it...by the way -your Ampeg sounds really good

@imbakebab 13 жыл бұрын

@TacosAndThongs Hi! I bought an Ampeg SVT-7 PRO and it has the "ultra high" and "ultra low" buttons, as mcconnell said, it really brings out a bright tone, the 7 PRO is really powerful with its 1000watts and its cheap, in europe about 700 Euros, i think its much cheaper in the US. The 7 PRO has a tube preamp and a solid state power section. Sorry for my bad english, you should really try the 7 PRO!

@MrLuckythelover 12 жыл бұрын

i dont think it matters what kind of amp you have as long as its powerful and have an eq and a compressor would help smooth it out.

@cyrusmcconnell 14 жыл бұрын

@Teobass88 I mean i wont argue your point but these were the amps in my possession at the time so this is why i choose them. I also agree there is much more difference in tube and solid state amps than what i say here but honestly half the reason i made the video is because there isnt much out there in the video world for the svt-vr.

@D3ft0ne 11 жыл бұрын

One thing is when he is playing it low volume, bass only... the complete other beast is when its mixed with guitars and drums, then let me hear the difference. I can get the "SVT" sound with guitar rig software if I want to. But for musician price difference is very important.

@seifs4 12 жыл бұрын

He's mentioned what he used in many interviews, even before GK set up an endorsement deal with him.

@mikewrightify 13 жыл бұрын

@DavidRavenMoon I use a mesa 400+ at rehearsles good amp and I do like the sound of the mesa 400+. my vr has better tone than the mesa, but the mesa to me too has a more pleasing sound over all. I run a a=b box so I can run both channels of the boogie together. but I play the vr more on gigs. it sounds great with my fender jazz bass. the ampeg only gets boxy with bad tubes and old strings. the amp is made with a great mid control. like I have said I have both amps .

@KyleCarrington 10 жыл бұрын

are all of your pedals "bass" pedals? Guitar pedals have high pass filters. i stay away from anything that is not true bypass as i find they affect your chain signal while not in use. the difference is very subtle, but it is there. cheers. nice demo

@thebutton7932 6 жыл бұрын

you might want to check out pedal mods . . its really easy to make those nasty guitar effects full range again , and even add a few other things to make them more versatile etc . . its quite interesting, and places like B.Y.O.C. have some quite affordable versions of things like the Mutron (funky pedal , but an original mutron is ridiculously expensive) , and their version is half the size and sound as good , probably better, really.

@brandy1011 11 жыл бұрын

If you try to mimic a tube sound with a transistor amp, of course it does. GK is just a completely different sound than Ampeg.

@1okanaganguy 5 жыл бұрын

Ampeg sound fabulous even at low levels

@alvagoldbook2 11 жыл бұрын

I agree that there is a kind of "my amp is better than yours because it costs 1000's of dollars more" attitude out there. But being an audio engineer, it gives one a good sense of what you're missing with a solid state amp. I would certainly say that SS really does give tubes a run for their money when it comes to microphone preamps, and the best boards are SS, but when it comes to amps SS, in my view is next to worthless, especially with guitar amps.

@TheDavke 13 жыл бұрын

great review....but the dog on 2:22 is the best :)

@MrToonfish 12 жыл бұрын

When you're a touring musician and you don't have a bunch of roadies around (like me) an SVT VR is impossible ! I'm using two Markbass heads and a GK RB1001 as a backup. Ampeg are good for truckers driving some 18 wheeler.

@bassplayer2011ify 13 жыл бұрын

@cyrusmcconnell and there is your problem excluding there combo amps you bought the head that ampeg makes that doesn't have a gain

@connormacaulay7280 11 жыл бұрын

IDK about you guys but the distortion is MUCH better through the SVT.

@alvagoldbook2 11 жыл бұрын

Well, I'm not saying that solid state bass amps can't sound good. And this also assumes that the bass isn't being recorded with a tube pre in the studio. I regularly use my SS Trace Elliot bass amp, and I put the mic through the LA-610 and a Studio Projects VTB-1. Makes the amp sound exactly like a tubed Ampeg. Listen to the bass sound on Rancid's 2000 album. You'll never feel the same about solid state again.

@blockmatix 12 жыл бұрын

I like them both!

@herrdruhl 13 жыл бұрын

@TacosAndThongs May I recommend you research Thunderfunk amps. Much nicer tone than GK, Eden or SWR in my opinion, comparable to Aggie 751, but more flexible. Closest solid state amp I can find to the SVT tone. Just not as well-known as most amps.

@MichaelWilliams-fl4hx 9 жыл бұрын

What about hard driving solid State and clipping out? What if you are running two heads and 4 cabs? I think that will distribute the load over more amps and cabs. I have not driven all my stuff hard in a hall playing longer then 45 minutes but I would guess it would do fine.

@thebutton7932 6 жыл бұрын

TOTALLY WRONG . . BAD ADVICE . . . you need to investigate this . . dude, a 10 watt amp can easily blow up a 1000 watt speaker cabinet . . . when amps clip . . raw DC is introduced and cooks them very quickly and finally. . . This is why we should all have WAY more amp than speaker . . this is called "headroom" and is crucial, if you want to have gear that lasts and doesnt add to the light show with its smoke feature. . . (btw, a 1000 watt amp will have way more trouble getting a 100 watt speaker to fail . . . the speaker wont like it, but it will live . . . ALWAYS have at least an extra 30% headroom .

@alwaysopen7970 13 жыл бұрын

@kukovrein Buy tubes every year and bias it correctly? Why would you want to change the sound of your amp if it sounds perfectly fine? Tubes can last for decades - look up some old Fender or Marshall amps and see how many have original tubes. Tubes in an SVT can get abused as the filaments are jostled around while sitting on top of the 8x10 cab but I can't see sticking to you advice as a general rule for all tube amps in general.

@faithnoman 11 жыл бұрын

Sure, but keep in mind there are some older SS amps that have awesome overdrive and grit as well. I hate that this stuff always has to be a contest, when there are so many more variables than what the power section has. I love tube amps, but I also like some dirty SS amps with a SS preamp in them. No tubes to be found anywhere, just good tone. Again, not knocking tubes, but too many people listen with their eyes.

@mikewrightify 13 жыл бұрын

@DavidRavenMoon are you tone death?? I have been playing svt's for 30 years and have had gk's they are very harsh and sound thin, svt is the best. most people cut them down because they can't afford them