Ampeg SVT-CL Reviews

4.8/5.0 based on 3 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Nate Edwards

I searched for my bass tone for a long time, and when I happened upon this amp, I stopped looking. Any bass I plug into the SVT-CL gets bigger, girthier, more thunderous, and when you push the preamp hard you get that irreplaceable SVT growl. Awesome for rock, R&B, funk, blues, just about anything. And if you own any synthesizers and want to give them more power in your mix, run them through an Ampeg stack - you will never be disappointed.

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Customer Reviews

Woody
from Baltimore, MD
April 28, 2011 Music Background:
Pro Musician

I came back

I've been playing bass for 52 years (started young) and I came back to the best. I started with An Ampeg B15 ( the best bass amp then). I've had many, many amps and many, many basses including the 300W Classic w/ 2- 8x10's and a Fender Jazz. I'm now back to to what I started with, a SVT Classic w/ 1-8x10 and a Fender Jazz. You can't beat the SVT unit. You'll get any sound you need and it's NOT WIMPY.

Eskimo Spy
from Fort Worth, TX
January 8, 2011 Music Background:
Musician

THE Sound

This head is fabulous. Deep bass that's not distorted or boomy, warm, rich mids, and highs that don't drop out, yet aren't glassy and thin. I coupled this with an Aguilar DB 410, and it's the best rig I've ever owned. The head is pricey, but the tone is worth it.

Ryan Howard
from Tulsa, OK USA
November 30, 2009 Music Background:
Gigging Rock Musician

The Big One

I'll start off by saying that I've owned this amp for about 7 years, and I play it at every practice and at every show. This is a phenomenal amplifier, and it's a classic for a reason. The tone that this unit provides has thick, deep lows, clear highs, and a gutsy midrange. If you're looking for that old-school Ampeg growl you will definitely find it here.

The problem is, that's about the only tone you WILL find here. The sound you get from this amp is fantastic, and it will fit right in with any genre. But that one tone is all you get. The knobs on the amp help you dial that wonderful tone in, but you're not going to turn a few knobs and say "Wow, this setting sounds completely different!" The only way to get a really different character out of this amp is to change the tubes. I switched in a set of sovteks that had a nice, clear, open, sound and then slapped in a set of JJ's which had a whole lot more of that growl that I bought this amp for.

The other negative aspect of this amp head is the weight. It is HEAVY! I pair my CL with an Ampeg 6x10 cab, and the head is HEAVIER THAN THE CAB! At least it feels that way. I'm not a small guy so I can deal with lugging this beast around bars, up and down stairs and such. But it's definitely something to consider before you purchase. How much is earth-shattering tone worth to you?

Ampeg SVT-CL

300-watt All-tube Bass Amp Head with 1/4" and Speakon Outputs