Ampeg Bass Heads - Understanding Gain Structure

[@KayMuller]

As someone who has owned svts for many years. I would say that I was just so happy to see Ampeg go back and build the supper valve again. The solid state or valve built by Ampeg needs to remain champion. Best of best. I love Ampeg and am still using my 1973 every day. I have found that the use of a 4-10 or 8-10 is the tweak for me. And have used Fender Jazz And Ps God Bless Ampeg

[@warrenosborne1539]

By far, the best bass amp on the planet.

[@BassPlayer9000]

This gave me a good laugh when he said " you never want to use Ampeg and wimpy in the same sentence" 😂😂😂

[@Losbass]

Excellent video, wish there were more useful manufacturer videos like this floating around, so consumers can grasp the proper way of setting up their sound gear! * Note to all manufacturers!! hello hello .. Ampeg does it right!

[@jthunderbass1]

Thanks so much. Gain at 2o'clock fir my SVT is KILLER! Had no idea till today! I finally like the amp!

[@bassistbob4017]

Same here. The gain between 1 and 2 o'clock is the sweet spot. But I try to take the advice of diming up the master almost full up and control the volume with the gain control. Best advice ever. I get a much cleaner sound.

[@jamescammack6720]

Thanks for the lesson Dean I just got my first SVT pro seven, Great amp

[@stevenwaide1]

Wow, you just improved my sound and understanding 100%. thank you so much....great info. i put it to use immediatly !!

[@leemeldon8315]

Red light on/clipping with every note = Ampeg tone.

[@toddredman4952]

This is going to be very helpful, as I have an SVT 7 pro. Didn't know any of this, but damn sure I will be dialing mine in at the next rehearsal. Thank you very much sir.

[@maxxm28]

Great post and very helpful! Thanks very much.

[@rome8180]

Who's worried about getting a little a bit of overdrive in their signal? You won't be able to hear it when you're playing with a full band, but it'll help your bass cut through more. Mixing engineers add overdrive to bass all the time for this reason. You'd be surprised at how many famous bass tones are mildly distorted, even in songs where you wouldn't expect it.

[@Makuz1988]

Very good video, the same you would do with a mic pre for example and all this differs very much from how a guitarist would level his amp - which always confuses me.

[@tylerwest524]

Dino is the man!!!

[@j.asalazar9534]

Some videos like that would be good for the GVT guitar amp series

[@stevendallman8938]

I gigged with a '72 SVT for years. I did purchase an Ampeg master volume that patched into the preamp out which acted as a pre-PI master, and it killed the tone, much like he demonstrates with the CL. I now gig with a PF-500, which I love, but the gain structure is touchy, and annoying momentary shutdowns by the Class D protection circuits are annoying and failures of this amp (my first one died the 2nd time I turned it on) are legion. The PF800 hopefully sidesteps the PF500's shortcomings.

[@rotorhead58d]

i have a heritage SVT with a heritage 810 cab and a PF-800 with a PF 210 and a PF115 and i love both rigs. they sound amazingly similar. but...my SVT gets the most compliments from bass players and guitar players by far. i've owned old SVT's as well as other rigs but my heritage sounds better than all of them by far.

[@rorobishop9661]

well of course its just history and its the only tube amp

[@superfletch7969]

thanks Dino! brilliant video. help me out big time brother 🤘

[@andrewmoore6235]

I know you said overdriving the amp won't cause any harm except for maybe needing to replace the tubes more often, but is it harmful to overdrive a solid state amp like the Portaflex series? (PF-350 in my specific case)

[@joelbrimm1609]

You may experience some clipping, but thats about all that'll go wrong.

[@jimford4338]

Helpful, thank you.

[@SeverinoSE]

I'm currently playing in a Metal band right now where I play mostly fingerstyle, not much slapping. It may sound like a no-brainer but do I set the gain according to fingerstyle playing or is it better if I slap and pop a bit since those produce stronger signal peaks? Thanks.

[@stevenbender66]

Very helpful. Thank you sir.

[@CDSJ80]

Do I still press the “15db button” for a non active bass during the same gain structure setup?

[@MtlRedAtheist]

Does triggering the peak indicator light risk damaging the pf-500 or svt-7 pro?

[@Emguilar]

Thanks! That was really usefull! Love Ampeg

[@richardburchett]

Great video. Thanks.

[@manupc]

Great example! Thanks!

[@warrenosborne1539]

Thanx man. I fiddle farted with my 77 SVT and just got it where it sounded good. The old girl didn't have a pre/post gain. I recently got a VR, and I use it on small gigs,, I actually think, along with my wireless, that I get a better sound than the SVT, and without the backache. Wholly shit batman, am I being defacing?

[@fergalmcbride8769]

Anyone on here have experience running a tube pre amp into a portaflex head? Would Dino's advice apply. I mean, set the pre amp to the sound you like then adjust the gain on the amp to just before clipping? Or should you avoid clipping altogether when using a pre amp?

[@amygdolor]

It would depend on the preamp and how you're running it. Are you using a tube or SS preamp? Are you running the preamp into the front of the head, in an FX Loop or directly into the power amp? This is likely why you haven't gotten answers, there's a lot of differences depending on the type of preamp and how you're using it. Generally, people prefer to clip a tube preamp, but not a SS preamp, which was pointed out in this video.

[@AmirAkhlaghi]

Thanks dino!

[@GravyDaveNewson]

Thanks Dino.

[@TheSmogCutter]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@blazamike]

Hello Dino, I use my Svt 4 pro in the Bi-amp Mode and sometimes in the Full range with Lows mode. I use a Bxt 115 hl-4 for Lows and a Bxt 410 hl-4 for my highs.I was told these cabinets were designed for full-range only,is this true? They sound fine to me in both modes.Being that they are full range cabs. won't they be just fine when using the cross-over? And will it hurt my tweeter When I use it in Bi-amp mode? Thank you.

[@BlazingRiCO]

Hi Dino, I bought a brand new SVT7 Pro yesterday and I wanted to adjust the gain like in this video. When I play with the master volume fully down the peak light doesn't seem to react. Do I something wrong, or did I miss something ? Thx in advance.

[@sdrury01]

Thanks! Good info!

[@jamescammack6720]

Great info...thx man..

[@1964danielito]

I have a PF500 and 810 cabinet 4 ohms. It's normal that fault led illuminates wher the amplifier turn on?

[@holysmoker]

+Daniel Toral It is normal. It's part of the startup self check from what I understand. It should only be on for 5 to 10 seconds.

[@1964danielito]

Thanks alot

[@WillRanSaxMan]

Hey Dino, I think my pf350 head peak and limiter leds are not working. Whenever I turn on the amp only the fault led comes on. Please respond quickly.

[@andyg3]

hey dino I bought a secondhand svt 450h with 115 cab, and its amazing. but the peak light starts to come on when its on about 2. is that normal?? other amps i have used dont normally come on until they are set half way. cheers!

[@MrPrytania1]

Dino quick question: So this calibrates one Bass with your amp? You'll have to note the settings if you use more than one bass with a single amp. You might even need to check on settings if you change cables or anything that goes along the single path, right? Always look forward to your videos! -Ron

[@mikegreenebass]

Ten yrs and we’re still waiting on an answer 😅

[@ronj9448]

@@mikegreenebass Haha yeah. I know a bit more now and can say the answer to my question is "yes if there is a qualitative difference". Active vs passive pickups, cheapo vs high quality patch cords or anything that will change the what is going down that "pipe" into the amp will require some re-tweaking. Wow a blast from 10 years ago. Thanks Mike.

[@keithbarnes9434]

I have to be able to make a bass cab I love you

[@littlewoodenboy1971]

So valuable.

[@jnnyg65]

"Jack & Jill went up the hill, they both had a buck & a quarter... Jill came down with $2.50 OHHHH!!!"

[@bogoid]

that dopesmoker reference...

[@Qance]

What dopesmoker reference? i didn't notice ;D

[@MarshallIngrassia]

eq down. master down. gain down. 15db engaged. still peaking.... 7 pro.

[@FEAROWNAGE]

666th Like!

[@tortillaman2491]

Authentic bass amps made in China.

[@bassistbob4017]

The svt tube head (Heritage) shown in the video is made in the USA 🇺🇸

[@tortillaman2491]

@@bassistbob4017 Little green men from outer space took me up in their UFO and told me not to buy tube heads that weigh more than the speaker cab.

[@bassistbob4017]

@@tortillaman2491 I used this exact head at my gig last weekend. It got the whole crowd onto the dance floor. There's no other amp like this one.

[@tortillaman2491]

@@bassistbob4017 I give it 5-7 years and Ampeg will be the last one still making all-tube heads for bass. It's a fading, non-selling, out-of-style product in that everyone wants small, lightweight bass gear now.

[@bassistbob4017]

@@tortillaman2491 I've tried every amp on the planet, everything from solid state to hybrid to class D to tubes,... There's no substitute for what the svt amp can put out in terms of sound. It's unique. No other amp can compare. The Ampeg svt head has an inviting warm round sound to it, which is why it costs so much. It's simply the holy grail of amps.

[@skidder652003]

every room is different acoustically, Im always changing my eq on my SVT-CL for the room, this video is pointless.

[@handgunner1911]

your opinion means nothing.

[@handgunner1911]

ive been playing over 25 yrs and have always used ampeg.but the new ampegs are junk.i wish i didnt have to say it but they are.cheap components and way to much money for something that isnt american made. its a shame that america and its people are being sold down the river.