Ampeg SVT-3Pro

This is the older black with red and blue graphics model. It has enough bells and whistles for most applications. The only thing missing is a limiter for the power amp since it is solid state and would improve reliability and high volume tone.The power is there but doesn't seem as loud as other amps of the same wattage.

I've owned and played through many ampeg models and would allways use a real SVT if my back could handle it. I only bought the ProIII to save weight. It has all of the usual Ampeg tone shaping circuits but doen't quite live up to the original all tube SVT.The low end is a bit muddy and the EQ frequencies are a bit too narrow and not centered in the most usefull points. Seems to like 4ohm better than 8 and the actual power output is lower than the manufacturers rating. It's supposed to be 275W @ 8ohms and it's actually about 225W. I am an amp tech when not playing bass so this is fact, not opinion. Ampeg used to be conservatively rated when it came to power but now SLM exagerates a bit.

The amp has been reliable for the past 2 years. I did have to replace a couple of noisy pre-amp tubes but that's just normal maintenance. I allways use it without backup.

I allways service my own equipment.

Ive been playing for 20 yrs and have owned and played many brands and models. I'm not a fan of most "modern" sounding amps. I think todays bass players are becoming addicted to treble frequencies to the point of excess. This amp won't do SWR "broken glass" tones but it has enough high frequencies for any "useful" bass tone. I play a variety of musical styles including blues, r&b, rock, punk, and experimental. This amp will fit most any situation and it does give some tube warmth but lacks the punch depth of a "real" SVT.

Well it's been well described in here, so I won't bother doing it. I'll just say that it suits me fine. I only think it could come out with a mute footswitch, but that's not really worrying.

I have primarily a Ibanez Soundgear 800 and a 400. Both active. I also use a Fender Standard Jazz and a Deluxe P-Bass Special. I play mostly punk-rock so this amp has the rock thing going. It's very versatile and with a wide range of sounds to choose from. Play it trough a Trace Elliot 4x10 cab, but i think i'll buy a 1x15 extension for smaller gigs. It's my first real amp, because the others that i had before (Crate, Fender) were just big versions of practice amps! It behaves very well with both the Ibanez and the Fenders, altough with the P-Bass it tends to naturally distort more than i would like, but that's probably due to the compressor settings (an old ibanez unit). I will never part with this amp! EVER!

Only broke once in a gig, due to a fuse blown up. Replaced, since then not a single flaw! Perfect!

Never needed them

It's one of the ultimate amps that you can buy! Great for both live and studio which makes it one of the best amps out there!! Hey..it's an Ampeg..what would you expect?

Made in 2001. Works for every style I've ever tried, from country to metal to praise and worship. It's got low, mid, and hi controls with a 5 way mid selector, 9 band footswitchable EQ, hi and low boosts (they work great for small venues) -15 db attenuator (get great sounds at low volume) a bright switch, and a mute. I guess i could have more stuff (actually it does, i didn't describe the rear panel becuase i never really use it). But it does all I need and more. 450 watts of solid state power can keep up with a good 2x12 combo, a drummer, and a PA (I don't run through it). The tube preamp is just wonderful. It's mostly why I bought the amp. It gives you that extra little zing and life that solid state just doesn't seem to have. So I guess some tech-freak could ask for more stuff, but it has just what I need.

Sounds like a dream. I run my my Fender Mexican P-Bass Special into it and can get all sorts of tones ranging from slap to overdriven grunge. I use it primarily for country and classic rock, and it does the job masterfully. It has a variable speed fan so it doesn't get loud unless you do.

Can I depend on it???? Well, let's just say it's been through the mill and hasn't lost a beat. From being rained on at outside shows, to being hauled around in sub-zero temperatures, to surviving a multiple rollover (end over end actually) car wreck while sitting loose in the trunk and not in a rack case, it's still sounding just as good as the day I bought it. Just becuase I'm paranoid, no I wouldn't gig without a backup, but if i had to i would.

I've been playing for three years and sold all of my other gear to by this head and an Ampeg 4x10 cab. If it were stolen I would go into a deep depression and then start saving for another Ampeg. Overall, I just love this head, it's not too heavy, it does all I need, and it looks good doing it.

new one, I come from a swr st220, under 4 ohms it's twice as powerful, I use it with a BSE 410 enclosure. it has all that's really useful and it is very versatile

I use an 5 strings Ibanez ATK 405 bass, wich is really a good bass for the price (I previously had a MM Sterling, and I am not frustrated at all by the IBZ). With the SVT it sounds huge! It is good for all styles I love from electro-afro-jazz to death metal.

no idea

5 years warranty!

I've owned or tried countless amps and basses for twelve years (just like they say at ampeg's), this amp has something more: it's warm, loud, tubelike feel, it has a lot of quiet/nice silky transparency...the only thing I regret is it doesn't really look like the little monster it is: I know it's not very important, but I'd like my eyes to feel the same as my ears do.

I picked up my SVT 3 Pro a few weeks ago used for $400. It not only has massive power output, it has the fattest clean sound no matter the volume level. I never get any unwanted noise, it rack mounts, and it is very user friendly. I run two Carvin cabs off of it. One is a single 18" and the other a pair of 12" drivers. I will definitely be picking myself up an Ampeg 8x10, because the Carvins are awesome, but they certainly aren't doing the SVT 3 Pro justice. If you want a no nonsense, strong (Physically, and tonally) bass amp... Ampeg is the way to go.

I have a 1996 Tobias Growler with a Bartolini stack pickup that runs off of an 18 volt preamp. No matter how high I crank the Ampeg head, it doesn't distort or get too noisy. I get the slightest bit of noise once the MASTER knob gets past about 80-85% of its fullest rotation. The tone always kicks ass. I also run a distortion pedal with a Morley wah for the Burton/Newsted feel.

I dont have a backup for this amp... but If I did, it would be another SVT 3 Pro. Hell, I'd just have two and a bunch of 8x10 cabs.

I got the remainder of the 5 year warranty when I got it used. Im sure that I won't be having any difficulty with this amp, and if I do... it's covered, man!!!

Playing guitar since September 1999, jumped over to bass March 2002. I'd definitely replace the head with the same one if something happened to this one. I hate nothing about it and love all of its kick ass features.

This amp cost me $850 at Guitar Center brand new. It has a Ultra High and Low boost which is great, a 5 frequency selector, a band EQ which u can turn on or off, bass, midrange, and treble. ON the back it has 3 main inputs. 1 for 8 ohms, which runs at about 275 watts, 1 at 4 ohms which runs 475 watts, and a main speakon input which runs all the ohms and watts into a cab that can support it. I use this cuz of course i am playing it with a brand new Svt Classic 8x10E. The 2 tubes in it really give it a nice sound, oh and it has its own tube gain control. this amp is fucking powerful.

I am using an EDB605 Ibanez Ergodyne bass. With my active pickups i can press the -15db button which reduces too much noise from the pickups but it makes it kind of low so i have to mes with my bass eq. i did not hear any noise until about 8 on the master out of 10, and when i did i turned up the transformer balance and that was gone. I could not be happier use areal bass and run it through nothing less than an 8x10, and none of this hartke or gallen kruger crap, use ampegs 8x10.

I had a problem with this but it was because of guitar center. They gave me some jacked up one and it broke the first day i got it, the next day they gave me a wrong speakon cable and it blew a fuse. By this point i was pist guitar center is 1 hour from my house so i went back got a new set of strings and 21 ft. monster cable for free and a new fuse that they put in went to my drummers house turned it on, and it only sounded like 5 watts where coming out. Now im really pist, yesturday morning I set it up in my garage this time using asurge protector so whatta u know it works. Now that this is taking care of as long as u got the right stuff it will last. so if u dont get bad service with a bu ch of fucking idiots its a freakin TANK! with or without a rack case i guarantee get this amp and get it with an 8x10 u will not be sorry

30 days with guitar center but a5 year warranty with ampeg both SVT3 PRO and SVT 8x10E CLassic are 2002 brand new out of the box. But guitar center sucks so i gotta give this one a little low, but im sure Ampeg's customer service is great.

i have been playing bass for 3 years now. My biggest influnces are Slayer, Rage Against The Machine, System Of A Down, Otep, and Cryptopsy. SO a variaty. Anything from the funk of Rage-to Death metal Like Cannibal Corpse. Cmon people. LES CLAYPOOL FROM PRIMUS USES THIS HEAD HOW CAN IT NOT BE GOOD?

2002 Ampeg SVT-IIIPro. It has a lot of very useful features and some that are just gimmicks. Personally, I would like a headphone jack as well. It has 3x12AX7 tubes in it at least and their website says that it has 2X12AU7 tubes in it, but an Ampeg brochure I picked up said it had only has the 12AX7's in it...go figure? I believe that every bass amplifier should come with a fan just to keep things running smooth.

I play a Fender Jazz and a Washburn 5-string into a distortion, chorus, and flanger pedals straight into the input. It's great for rock, blues, and metal even though the overdrive isn't close to what an all-tube (like the SVT-II's) is like. Cleans up nicely by turning down the gain. One thing I did notice is this amp responds better to FX pedals. With my solid-state amp, my distortion sounds harsh and very metallic, but with this head it's heavier and fuller and sounds so much better.

I bought this amp because of the reputation of solid-states for being reliable but it also has one (not both) of the testicles that a tube amp has. Pre-amp tubes last longer than power amp tubes and it should be a while before I have to replace them, and cheaper too. Has an internal fan which should come standard on every bass amp.

This is by far the most expensive piece of equipment I own and is the last piece I plan on buying. Now I know why musicians are always so poor unless they have a company paying for their equipment. There's only one feature that I wish it had (the headphone jack) but other than that everything is excellent.

I love the mute button. IF you are reading this you should already know what features it has. If not, read the rest of the posts.

Ok here we go. Im sick of all these people saying it has a lot of hiss. I almost guarentee if you buy yourself a NICE BASS (READ: fender jazz mexican or peavey etc are NOT NICE BASSES) then you will not hear hiss. I have a musicman stingray 4 string, and this thing is so much quieter than any other tube type amp you can buy. also read: there are 5 effing tubes in this thing. preamp tubes albiet, but tubes none-the-less. you will not get this thing as quiet as a all solidstate amp simply because of the tubes.

I've been gigging this thing for 6 months without a single incident. Rock solid.

Dunno. never had a problem with it.

This thing will get you whatever tone you want. Rock-punk-jazz-blues-irish celtic hymns-whatever. if you are a tone freak (like myself) you will really appreciate this amp. (hint: use the eq, the input gain where you hit red, and the tube gain all the way up). i am buying a 8x10 fridge soon, and i can't wait to hear how it performs with that. currently using a svt-410pro (discontinued 600watt model) can't speak highly enough of this thing.

12ax7 tube preamp, 450 watts @ 4 Ohms. Ultra-Hi, Ultra-Low boost, bass, treble, and midrange tone knobs, midrange style selector, tube and power amp gain, 9-band boostable and switchable EQ, effects loop, line in/out. For a complete list, check on http://www.ampeg.com

I play on this amp with an Ibanez EDB600. There is almost no buzzing, just pure, fat tube-driven tone. My bass has on-board active EQ, so I can play anything from the lightest, speed punk, to the fattest, grinding death-metal tones. Because of my active bass, when the gain is higher than 50%, the low E string causes distortion, using the -15db pad helps, but lowers my volume by too much, so I fine tune the bass level settings to bypass this problem.

I just got it, but its built like a tank and in its case, it will stand up to plenty of thrashing. I'd gig it without a backup. The 12ax7 preamp tubes supposedly last very long because such low current is transferred through them.

I've never dealt with them.

I got this amp at a steal. I have been eyeing the Pro line of amps for a while, and jumped at this right when I saw it. If it were stolen or lost, I would probably buy the same, because of its availability and pure kick-ass-ness.

Mine is a few years old: it has the blue/white graphics instead of the newer gray/white. As far as I can tell it works the same except for having only 1/4" and binding post speaker outs (no Speakons). Check out www.ampeg.com for the details.

The EQ is very usable: I leave the graphic bypassed and just use the knobs. My only niggle is that the mute switch should be next to the input, but a lot of amps don't even have one so I won't complain much. More amps should have the switchable/sweepable mids Ampegs have: I wouldn't mind if it were continuously variable instead of a 5-position switch, but it sounds very usable and musical.

No compressor or other foofery, but it's rackmount, so it's easy to add them if you want.

Overall it's darn close to perfection: they've had a long time to figure out what bassists need.

I use a bass with two J pickups, direct into the amp: no effects. I usually play 100% neck pickup. I turn the "tube drive" up all the way and give it just enough gain to light the clip LED on the peaks.

This, my friends, is the sound of rock and roll. Big and punchy, with just enough grit to sound huge. I can hang with a 100W half stack no problem. Back off the gain and things clean up nicely.

A lot of people think the "Tube Drive" doesn't do anything. It does, but only if you're driving the input into distortion (i.e. the light comes on). It's subtle, but it's what makes the difference for me between this and any other random bass head.

If I were a slap and pop wanker I might want more power to stay clean at high volumes, but then I'd probably own a Trace or GK or something else with scooped mids.

Also it's total overkill for home use. Unless you're gigging or practicing with a guitar half-stack you should get something smaller. For home recording I just use a Bass POD: no need for the neighbors to call the police.

Never had a problem, but I've never dropped or abused it either.

N/A

I've tried other heads but they usually only sound good when played totally clean (GK, Fender, Peavey). I like just a little dirt, and the Ampeg delivers.

I've played bass for about ten years off and on. If lost I'd buy it again because it sounds exactly like what I want. Heavy rock players should strongly consider this amp.