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BGRA: Ampeg SVT III Pro
| Manufacturer |
Ampeg |
Model |
SVT III Pro |
| Reviewer |
Doctor of bassology, 20 years playing |
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| Experience |
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Item owned |
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| Review Date |
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Price paid |
$675 at guitar center |
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Wattage | Ampeg says 450 at 4 ohms--who knows? |
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Effects | effects loop |
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Controls | bright and lo switches |
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Other | miscellaneous others (DBX out, etc) |
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Not an amp for slappy tappy or for really fast solo type playing--get an SWR or eden blah blah for that. Basically I wanted a B-15 with more flexibility and power and I'd say this is it. VERY close to a B15, you can dial up a Jamerson tone, a memphis tone, etc. Mate it with a fifteen inch cab and it's very old school, very deep, "warm" and tubey sounding. It has five preamp tubes, which is a lot and really gives it most of the SVT vibe if you want that. . The EQ is usable if a little gimmicky and the tone controls are effective. Guys here say it's a rock amp, but it's a great amp for R+B or soul and country, for holding down the bottom, but not for out front stuff, at least not with the cab I'm using. It has that punchy low tone -- the way to be heard as a bass player is not to fight for the upper frequencies -- ya gotta cede that ground to the other guys and go low. Reggae, my son, reggae is the key...
Volume is adequate for bar gigs with drums and two guitars, haven't pushed it harder, don't want to, that's why they invented P.A.s.
It's very heavy for a 400 watt amp, but not overwhelming. Transports easily in a rack bag. Not a high end amp, but good value for the money. Controls are a little too small though, and it's a little hard to use in the dark.
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| clarity |
 | (80%) |
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| value |
| (75%) |
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| overall |
| (80%) |
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