New Amp Dilemma...Ampeg SVT II Pro to...Old Trace Elliot… but which one?

[donslow]

so, after much deliberation, I've decided that my much loved USA SVT II Pro and 4x10 cabinet (and basses but that's another story) are soon going up for sale / trade

 

Why oh why I hear you cry?!

 

Many reasons but long story short, its just not getting used as it should and probably wont be any time soon, seems a waste to have such a beast of an amp just sitting there gathering dust and pleading to be used

 

so what next?

 

I'm gassing for something but I'm not sure what, maybe something orange, maybe something trace, maybe something Ampeg, maybe something else altogether...

 

something that'll give a nice clean tone but bark, scream and shout when needed

 

looking for...

smaller (space is becoming an issue but not so much that it IS an issue)

lighter (not discounting heavier combos which COULD negate the above point)

less power (maybe/probably)

something I could use at home and practice as well as small gigs (asking for the impossible?!)

 

I find myself amongst a minefield of amps to look at / choose from and possibly asking a bit too much

 

Basschatters...what would you do? what would you look at / suggest?!

Edited December 11, 2021 by donslow

[la bam]

This isnt a shameless plug, but the best compromise to a big old heavy full valve amp I found was my gk 550 fusion that's now up for sale. Weighs at least half of what the svt ii does, and has 2 channels with 3 valve preamp - so you can have one clean and one dirty, and a whole host of big head characteristics. It does give that valve driven overtone even when clean and its backed up by a monster a/b power section.

 

I've tried every other ampeg svt substitute - svt 7, svp pro and power amp, class d stuff, ashdown ABMs - you're not gonna get that svt ii elsewhere, but the gk is a fantastic option.

[Lozz196]

Clean tone that will bark, scream & shout, well I think GK fits that bill, as does @la bams 550 Fusion above

[donslow]

I’m all open to suggestions but the fusion 550 is way more power than I’m using let alone need…

 

…unless I missed something?!

[Pow_22]

When i was looking for THAT ampeg sound in a smaller amp i tried allsorts and the best i found (which i still have) was an ebay bargain Mesa 360 M-Pulse.  Does the whole valve thing with bark/growl but also cuts through with massive low end and clear as a bell

[Dood]

15 hours ago, donslow said:

I’m all open to suggestions but the fusion 550 is way more power than I’m using let alone need…

 

…unless I missed something?!

 

Think of the volume control like the accelerator on a car. We spend most of our time at the lower speeds. It doesn't do any damage and you've always got the extra should you ever need it

[Dood]

P.S. I realise it isn't any help whatsoever, but I sold my first SVT 2 Pro many, many years ago. but... I..errrr... seem to have bought another more recently. It probably won't ever go out to a gig, maybe it will, but it's super nice in my little studio space for recording! Sure, it's overkill, but hey, we might all get hit by an asteroid tomorrow  

[fretmeister]

The Tech21 VTBass 500 does a very nice Ampeg tone and it's plenty loud enough with the right cabs.

[Cat Burrito]

I went from Ampeg to Orange and have never looked back. I have the back breaking AD200B head but also an Orange Terror head for smaller gigs. The Mk2 doesn't suffer the early breakup of the originals and I absolutely love the tone. Not for everyone but what it does do, it does very well indeed. 

[donslow]

Thanks for all the replies so far

 

just to clear some stuff up somewhat

not really looking for another ampeg sound especially, 

 

the main reason(s) for selling is that (another long story short) I’m just not very good at bass and find myself playing guitar a lot more lately (20+ years on guitar, 7-ish as a bass player)

 

I enjoy playing the bass but have finally come to terms with the fact that I don’t need all this great gear when I’m picking a bass guitar up less and less, yeah it’s handy to have and I do like having it but realistically, it’s not my strong point so would be happy with a less expensive amp that I can use at home or for small practices/gigs (when I need to play a bass) that would do much the same thing

 

I sold my big expensive guitar rig some years ago in order to buy my big expensive bass rig and have a “that’ll do” guitar rig, I’ve come full circle again and plan to hunt down a (same as I had before) big expensive guitar rig and have a “that’ll do” bass rig

 

i know trace stuff gets a lot of love on here for not much, as does orange but my ampeg being my first proper, problem free head, I’ve got very little experience with much else so really, looking for cheap, decent and small gig/practice/home use worthy (asking for too much maybe?!)

 

any of that make any sense?!

Edited December 10, 2021 by donslow

[Happy Jack]

20 hours ago, donslow said:

I’m all open to suggestions but the fusion 550 is way more power than I’m using let alone need…

 

…unless I missed something?!

 

Estimating the volume that your rig will produce based on the claimed wattage of different brands and designs of amplifier is unlikely to be the pathway to enlightenment. 

 

Quite apart from the fact that my 100W all-valve Matamp is way louder than my 800W GK Class D head, a 200W Class D head does NOT produce one quarter the volume of an 800W Class D head ...

 

[police squad]

I would look at an Ashdown Rootmaster (RM) combo. I have the RM500 evo 2 head. I love it. Used to use Ampeg but wanted to go British (I know the RM is made in China)

Not too expensive, even new

 

[donslow]

35 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

 

Estimating the volume that your rig will produce based on the claimed wattage of different brands and designs of amplifier is unlikely to be the pathway to enlightenment. 

 

Quite apart from the fact that my 100W all-valve Matamp is way louder than my 800W GK Class D head, a 200W Class D head does NOT produce one quarter the volume of an 800W Class D head ...

 

Fair point…well made!

 

35 minutes ago, police squad said:

I would look at an Ashdown Rootmaster (RM) combo. I have the RM500 evo 2 head. I love it. Used to use Ampeg but wanted to go British (I know the RM is made in China)

Not too expensive, even new

 

had seen a few threads on these and am certainly intrigued 

[Tdw]

I am a valve amp fan and I find the eden wt amps to be a good substitute for a valve amp. I like the warmth and soft attack of the valve heads and am not so fussed about distortion/overdrive. They won't be quite like a proper all valve job but I find the wt heads to be warm and smooth. I've heard the aguillar db 750 is a great substitute but then again they are more or less the price, weight and size of a big valve head. I've also heard good things about the thunderfunk and the genz gb series. Also mesa big block 750, although again not cheap.

Edited December 11, 2021 by Tdw
more info

[donslow]

So after scouring the internet mercilessly I THINK I want an old school, made in England trace Elliot, maybe something in the 100-200w (or thereabouts) ballpark 

 

I have questions…if anyone could help with any of them, massively appreciated

 

Been looking into gp12 models a lot but what would be the best speaker configuration? 1x15? 2x10? 4x10? What would give me clarity yet oopmf?

 

I’ve read about the 2 pre shape models, quite like the idea of that, but confused with the smx, sm and series 6 versions, is there any major difference between the three and which one would be the better one to look out for?

 

im looking for best bang for the buck so to speak, are there any particular models I may have missed or should be keeping an eye out for? 
 

not overly concerned about weight as it probably won’t be moved enough to be much of a worry
 

more questions as and when they hit me…

Edited December 11, 2021 by donslow

[thodrik]

Generally with second hand Trace Elliots, each unit you are going to be looking at will be 20+ years old unless you are looking at the newer Peavey era units which were released around 2006-2012. So the most important thing is what condition the individual unit in  question is in rather than what models are the 'good' ones. 

The combos are pretty heavy, especially the 4x10 combos which are very tricky to move (I would highly recommend a separate head and cabinet if you want a 4x10 set up). 

For me, I think that the SMX 12 band amps are superior to the SM lines due to the extra  features(dual band compression, pre-amp tube for a bit more 'warmth etc). As a result the SMX heads generally go for a bit more on the used market, though the SM line are bit newer so you might find a head or a combo in better condition. The Series 6 stuff preceded the SMX line but is many ways the pinnacle of the solid state Trace Elliot amp tone. As far as I recall though the two separate pre-shape models only appeared on the SMX and SM lines, so if you want that feature I would stick to those models (though I never really liked pre shape '2''). 

 

The most common second hand Trace Elliot set up I tend to see online is the 7 band 1x15 combos. You can generally pick one of them up for £150-250 depending on the condition or model. A 12 band SMX 1x15 combo generally goes for around £300-350. So for 'bang for buck' I would look at the 1x15 SM300 1x15 combo, or generally whatever is on the used market within a reasonable drive. 

I love Trace Elliot and had a SMX300 head and GP7 SM300 combo for years. With that said, I would take a SVT II over most Trace gear apart from the V4, V6 and V8 valve heads (though even then it it would be a tough call and I have a V6).

In terms of the 1x15 combos, there are much better, more powerful and more flexible options on the market at this stage. However, if you need a functional 'that'll do' amp, it should be fine. Just have a look on the used market and see what is available. 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by thodrik

[moley6knipe]

Trace head and barefaced / green boy / fearless etc cab. Light, tough and loud but handle quiet well too. 
 

I used to have an SVT 3 PRO and trace  4x10

 

Now GK 700RBMkII into barefaced BB2. That’ll bark like battersea dogs home at feeding time. 

[Bunion]

Power amp with an SVP Pro preamp. 
Just to further expand on this, a decent lightweight power amp will allow you the freedom of trying out as many preamps as you want, be they rack mount or pedal units, usually at a saving on a full blown amp/preamp

Edited December 12, 2021 by Bunion

[donslow]

@thodrik thanks for the reply, has certainly helped clear a few things up