Ampeg SVT 350H

theres a saying beware of wolves in sheeps clothing & thats what this so called "tubeless" svt is- having owned the real mccoy tube model this 350h is a bad joke since its made by saint louis music -it nothing but crate amp in ampeg clothing same cheap plastic parts that break input jacks ,eq sliders etc it looks good but thats all kinda like those 50 empty marshall cabinets that judas priest took on tour in the 80s

it is just an amp period.so so sounding the solid state ampeg b2 sounds better this aint much better sounding that the crate bh220

this amp is a piece of junk it is a amp repairmans dream come true even the crate holds up much better hence the name crate ampeg has really lost it on this poor excuse of an amp

ive used quite a number of amps swr peavey fender acoustic (reliable plus) but this ampeg 350h takes the cake as the worst amp ever along with the gk 200b galien krapout- if you want real svt sound get a back brace go back to the all tube 85 lbs monster

Not sure what year mine was built. US built. One Channel + switchable 9-band graphic EQ. Input pad (-20dB), limiter, effects loop, balanced DI. Couldn't really ask for much more. (perhaps a tuner mute and footswitch for Graphic EQ)

It isn't the most versatile amp ever built, but Ampeg have done a great job capturing the classic tube sound in a solid-state format. If you buy Ampeg you expect the Ampeg sound - that's what you get.

Plenty of power for small/medium sized venues, and I guess you could use it for larger venues too depending on the FOH (this was the bass amp requested by Dinosaur Jr, according to a friend who organises an annual outdoor festival in Norway)

I use this amp for small/medium sized venues, and have used it regularly in the studio with great effect. Get this going through a good cab (SVT-810 or SVT-610HLF) and you'll be cooking

I usually use 2 different basses (Ibanez SR-506 (bartolini mk1 pickups) and a MIJ Fender fretless Jazz bass ('62 Jazz Bass pickups)). These 2 basses couldn't be more different and both sound great through the head. The active circuitry and extended range of the SR-506 are really complimented by the head, and the Jazz sounds like, well a Jazz bass through an Ampeg (what more can I say?)
Long story short - every bass i've played through the amp has sounded great!!!

I play a very wide range of styles (whatever I get paid to play) and this amp suits everything from rock, pop, funk, jazz, indie etc. , i've always been able to dial up the right sound on the amp without the use of extra stuff, live or studio (but I guess this is due in part to the fact that the Ampeg sound is applicable to most styles of music).

I've never cranked the amp all the way up to 10, as I usually DI or close mic the cab when playing live and use the amp for monitoring, but the sound remains the same at low and high volumes and with bass around 8 or 9 and the master vol & gain past 12 o'clock this thing rumbles!

I've never had problems with unwanted distorton/clipping. With the gain high one gets that nice Ampeg distortion similar to the tube alternatives and with a Jazz bass, heaven! However, the clean, punchy sounds possible with this amp are really quite unbeleivable. I play a lot of Jazzrock/Fusion (i.e Dave Weckl Band/Mike Stern) and with a good quality compressor and my SR-506 - none more punchy!

The only thing I've encountered with the SVT-350 that annoys me slightly is when i'm in the studio - the fan is NOISY! Placing the amp and cab/s either side of a baffle solves the problem, but why don't Ampeg solve the problem so we don't have to?!

Haul this thing up and down stairs regularly, bang it on the floor (never dropped it thank god) and it still works without any problems. When I bought it one of the EQ sliders was broken off, but you can still move it up and down with your fingernail

Built like a rock, got mine in good comdition and it still is in good condition. Never experienced any problems with the dreaded Ampeg black covering and it's constant tearage either

Never dealed with them. Would be skeptical now they've moved shipment to the east though.

I've compared this amp to loads of gear (lots of gear I can't afford) and I would honestly say this is one of the best amps i've played through. I've compared the SVT-350 to most other Ampegs and I must say, this is one of my favourites. Obviously, you can't beat the SVT-CL in search of THE Ampeg sound, but this thing comes close. I also think this looks better than the classic (personal preference I know). Plus, the SVT-CL doesn't have the Graphic EQ like this does, which I wish it did!

I recently tried one of the new batch of Classics to emerge from Vietnam or China (wherever they're made now) and in all honesty, i'd take my 350 anyday. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't better alternatives available (Eden, EBS, aguilar etc.) but I can't afford them, so with the money I have THIS is the best. You don't have to buy a $1500+ SVT-CL to get the sound of one! Plus, if you're an Ampeg junkie like me then it'd be a crime NOT to love this amp =D

Features are listed below. No need to repeat them. This is a 2001 model. Pretty basic set-up.

It's hard to get a variety of tones from this amp. I played straight up rock 99% of the time, end every now and then toyed with some blues and jazz. This amp wants to be a tube SVT but it aint gonna happen. It doesn't sound much like a tube amp. It sounds like a well-done solid state amp.

Jack up the mids and emulate most of the newer twangy punk bass sounds (ie, NoFX, Bouncing Souls, etc). Roll them off and push up the bass and you get a heavier sound for some mid-90s grunge stuff. The 9 -band slider EQ is handy for fine tuning your sound but don't expect too much out of it.

I played a Fender MIJ P-bass with replaced SD Quarter Pounders and it did exactly what i wanted it to, all the time, without variation. The cabs were an Ampeg 210 and Mesa 115 and it made for the perfect rock rig. It was not really loud enough though. It clipped easily against my over-zealous drummer. If you're playing anything larger than a small-ish club and don't plan on mic-ing, you will need more power. 350 watts solid state is not enough. And don't forget you need to be running at 4 ohms to get that 350 watts.

Never had any problems with it. Built well. It never let me down, except when it clipped...

The empty space under the amp is useful for storing cords, pedals, strings, and other stuff.

Never had to contact them.

It's a starter club head for rock. I would not pay full price for one. Try to find a used one, it's a much better value. If it were lost or stolen, i'd buy something with a tube pre-amp to get some actual tube tone and gain.

9 band graphic, 3 band control, limiter, pretty basic

Sounds OK, but man it's weak, there's no way this thing can honestly be putting out 350W, the limiter comes on way too soon, without the limiter it clips badly. I would never use it in a live situation.

Got it used, it had already lost 2 knobs, and most of the graphic sliders, thats a pretty poor design flaw, still works though otherwise.

I tried to get replacement sliders for the graphic from Ampeg, their 'tech support' guy told me to get in touch with their new parent company, which I did, they never got back to me.

I've had it for maybe 6 months now. I didn't choose to buy it, I really wanted the cab that was being sold with it, and bought this head as well. I'm trying to find a decent replacement for it, and someone mug enough to buy it.

Solid state, one channel - SVT.
Ba da boom.

I use an 05 Fender P Highway 1, passive, standard P pickups.
This head is ace for playing straight out rock tunes, and is versatile enough to play off-Rock styles of music - like indie, funk, blues, jazz. It's pretty clear and provides plenty of punch, assuming you're standing less than 10 ft in front of it like I do.

Bought mine used in April 06. Survived shipping from Florida to Alberta, so yeah this thing is tough.
I'd could definitely gig without a backup, my cabs would go before this head would.

Mine's been good so far, no problems yet.

I've played guitar for 9 years, switched to bass 2 years ago. I knew I'd go Ampeg and I was told SVT was the way to go. This head is superb. They discontinued it and the newer model is a 450, so a little bit more headroom. Get one!
The only thing I don't really like about this head is the weight, at 42 pounds you're gonna need 2 hands when hauling this thing.
The spring loaded side handles are ace.

Overall a pretty basic head,this 350 watt solid state doesn't cut it though.

It doesn't sound awful, but thats when your playing in your room, this amp IS NOT meant to for use in loud/band situations. Even cranked all the way up at 10, it is inaudible while playing in a band. I returned it two days after i bought it, and picked up an SVT 3 Pro. Much better.

ONly had if for 2 days.

I wouldn't recomend buying this head, there is just no punch at all, i can't even believe that ampeg made it.

This head was purchased in 2002 - suspect it was made the same year. The 9 band equalizer is great for dialing in whatever style it is that you want. I use Fender Jazz, P-Bass and a Musicman Stingray. The pad button was useful for the active pick-ups on the Stingray. The only real feature I see being useful on an amp in this price range would be a mute button - no idea why it was left out.

This amp suited my style very well. The only thing it needed was to go louder! It was touchy at louder volumes - it clipped out frequently when it was being pushed to its max - Even at smaller venues and after hours of tweaking the settings. For a non-tube amp it did have a very warm sound until you hit louder volumes - especially on the highs it had a tendency to sound somewhat tinny. The lows were there but lacked that nice warm phat buttery tone expected from an Ampeg. Overall a great sound for a solid state - I don't think I have played a better sounding one. So I'll give a 7.

Not a single problem with the electronics of the amp while I owned it - however the volume/tone knobs have come off a number of times and I've seen a few out there with their eq tabs broken off. Not a big problem, but they could have made those a little more solid. Other than that I think this rig will last forever. ONe of the positives of solid state (At least an Ampeg one).

Never had to contact them.

Playing 10 Years, since upgraded to a tube driven head for big phat WARMTH. If I didn't already sell this one, I probably would have replaced it with the one I upgraded to although I was generally happy with the 350H and sold her to what I hope is a good home. If you are making the jump from combo to a rig this is a good place to start if you find a used one, BUT you can probably get a warmer sounding tube amp for $100-$400 more in a similar wattage. An amp is an investment so don't be afraid to spend a bit of extra cash.

I beleive mine was made in 2004. I purchased it used with a 6x10 Classic cab ($1000 for the pair, with the tags still on both!). My style is slightly odd, I play in a Punk/Hardcore/screamo band (real screamo like Reversal of Man, Saetia...not like The Used or Story of the Year) and we have some very ambient breaks (with keys)and other assorted "weird" things. I also dabble in just about everything... I would say it is not versatile enough for me...It seems like a very straight ahead head. It has a 9 band eq, Bass, Ultra Mid, Gain etc....Solid State Preamp and power sections, standard stuff. Something I wish it had was a little presence...I honestly get nothing from this head in terms of feel and umph...It could very well be the cab, being that the cab can handle 1,200 watts, the 350 probably doesn't push it very well...I would suggest a 4x10...I feel my cab is wasted potential.

I'm using a MusicMan Stingray 4. I just can't get the sound I want from the head...The Q seems to be really push and pull. If I push up the bass I lose treble, If I push up treble Bass gets super muddy. I also play with a SUPER heavy handed drummer and a super loud guitarist, so I need to pump this thing and trying to push it though a 6x10 is impossible at such volumes, (it seems to me anyhow).

The Fan is noisy. Trying to keep up with my bandmates is next to impossible with this head/cab combo.

This amp is very straight ahead in sound style...almost cheesy rock, as i said before, I like presence. This doesn't have it... The head does clip horribly at high volumes and distorts, not the good kind of distortion...the ugly kind.

have you ever plugged into a head you can't afford and it just has that bowel-moving presence? This doesn't have it.

Dependable is something that it is. I've practiced with it for 6 hours straight several times and Its sounds the same (I wish it sounded better of course...) Have taken it from show to show and it works great...however, these knobs are cheap! I always have to make sure the head is packed in the van perfectly so none break off...I feel like they may break on me just turning them (or sliding the eq sliders. ICK!). It would also be more reliable if it was a rack mount head....but then it would look as gnar for all you pop punkers. If you were to extensively tour with this head, you should case it. I'm glad I got rid of the head before summer touring time.

This is a solid head.

never needed.

I believe the warranty is five year transferrable...I never atempted to transfer it.

I've been playing for about 6 years. If it were stolen or lost I'm pretty sure I'd be pissed just cause I wouldn't have anything to sell on eBay to get a new head (which I did, a Mesa M-Pulse 600, which is just what the doctor ordered). I liked that i got it nearly free with the cab it came with. I liked the reliability of the head (circuitry, not the KNOBS!) and the look (however, sometime I feel like a tool that couldn't afford an SVT Classic, so I got a head that looks like it). Comparing it to other products in the price range I think its a decent head. I had an SWR Workingman's 15 prior and didn't like how clean it sounded, I heard great things about Ampeg so I bought the head and cab on eBay. For the Price what else is there? Hartke (which I never really liked), Low(er) end Ampegs (B2r, which I would have liked for durability purposes, not tone though), Gallien (great sounding heads), etc. and for the price and deal I got it for, I say I got a great deal. I would have never taken a second look at this head if it wasn't included with the cab.
I am somewhat biased I guess, It was probably the cab and the slightly abstract style of music I was using it for that made me dislike it. I need a head that could bring me bottom end and treble without distorting and sounding supper muddy...this head is one or the other. This is a Straight ROCK head...nothing in between. I'm being fair and giving this a 6. Because under my conditions, the head isn't great. The head is NOT a great recreation of tube tone either (like Ampeg claims it is) because TUBES have PRESENCE!!! and loads of it!!!

I want to make this review as concise as possible because I know that people appreciate the time and effort put into these things. Ok, first of all I just bought this head and I received it today. Contrary to what one of the reviews says, this amp is plenty loud. In fact, I believe that the 350 watt power rating is modest. I would be lying if I said that to me it seems extremely loud; more than I'd ever need. I haven't tried it in a band situation yet obviously because I just bought it today, but it's a lot louder than my BA210SP (220 watt Ampeg Combo with built in effects and two 10 inch speakers) and a lot warmer. I love the sound I'm getting from it. It has a lot of features that I'm sure you can find listed in the other reviews. I wish it had a head phone jack. I'm going to be using this solid-state amp in church, jazz band, and my own band. It's lacking a tiny bit in the features, but that's because, as stated before, this amp is all about tone. And that's why I give it a 9. I'd give it a 9.5 if I could though.

I play a Fender Standard Jazz bass, an Ibanez SR400 bass, and a Squier P-Bass special. The amp sounds beautiful with all three axes. It gives great tone no matter how much I push it. It's very quiet, and the fan does a great job of keeping it cool without any noise. I keep the fan in my room on so it's dead silent but you might notice a tiny (and I mean miniscule) amount of sound coming from the fan if your room is dead silent with no fan on.

Now, speaking of versitility, the SVT-350 is as versitile as you'd what an amp. Well, at least I think so. I'm not going to deny that it sounds warm, so if you're looking for an amp with more punch than low end, go with Hartke; you might as well forget Ampeg. This amp is warm to a point where the untrained ear (and even a good amount of people with good musician's ears) will mistake it for a tube amp. So the warmth obviously is there. But you can turn the mids and treble up and get a nice punch to your sound, but still with a lot of bass. I love a big, round bass sound, mellow but with a slight edge to it. The Graphics EQ on my SVT-350 allows me to get this sound. It's really nice, and very powerful. I boost the bass and mids a little bit but other than that it says its just to adjust for acoustics, but it does make a difference. If you like the ampeg growl, you get a little bit of it but you don't get it like a tube amp. If you don't like it, turn the gain down a bit and the master up. Overall, the sound is awesome.

Like I said, I just got this head today but I've been playing on an Ampeg BA210SP Combo for like six months and I haven't had the slightest problem with any part of it. If there's one company you should trust, it's Ampeg and I say that without studdering.

I've never had a problem with any of Ampeg problems, but I'm sure they're great. Five year warranty.

I've been playing for two years now. I own three basses, and am looking to purchase a Music Man Sterling in the future. My ampeg stack is my third amp, I also have a 15 Watt Fender combo (worst thing ever) and a 65 watt Ibanez Combo (love it to death). If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. I don't hate anything but I wish it had a headphone jack. Trust ampeg :)

This is a very recent 2004 or 03 production. I think that this amp is very versatile, this amp has a limiter circuit that helps prevent the blubber (distortion) you can get when go at it too hard on the E or low B. Has all the features that I require,The features have been covered quite well,

I am playing a Spector Q5 five string and a Carvin B5 five string both have active pickups I play R&B Rock, Modern Country, Southern Rock, 80's and so on70's Use some slap, playing with fingers, this amp handles it all very well. Amp is very quite, I am using an Ampeg BXT410, it is a 4 OHM cab, so that should be 350 watts. It seems to stay very clean unless you bypass the limiter circuit. Ithink this amp has a very warm sound, without the tubes.

Like all the Ampegs I have had in the past, I expect no trouble

Called the factory about the application and a cabinet recommendation, very friendly rep,

Been playing bass and guitar off and on 35 years, I have had too many diff amps Ampegs, Yamaha, Peavey, Gallien-Krueger,Fender, Ok I will stop.. I have looked at many diff amps this time, and in the price range I am not at all sorry on this one, if it were stolen I would buy another one. I wish it had came with a cover to protect the tolex, there really is nothing that I do not like about this amp.