I've been playing this head for 25-30 years and I'm still playing through this head…. It delivers Every sound any Ampeg head has…

I played through a solid state amp--a Fender Bassman ( the one with the 1/2 Moon decal on tne front panel--from the '90's?) for about 5 years, then a one tube amp that mostly was solid state (Hartke LH1000). Since I certainly got a lot of bass sound from these amps--they did what I needed for the bands I was in--I did not know that the warmth of a tube amp (with some modern features) could fundamentally affect my enjoyment of playing bass. The SVT - 3 Pro felt like I had grown up. The tubes add a dimension that makes the solid state amps sound very basic. More of the character of your playing can come through with the SVT; it makes the bass a better sounding instrument. The band sound is colored by this amp sound that makes the rhythm section more dynamic and mysterious. I used it in a prog rock band so far. The solid state amps would not have created a multilayered landscape the way the SVT-3 Pro. At least I experienced this amp i my life; it just took me a while to afford it.

Can't talk highly enough about these amps. Great tone and solid reliability. Bought a pair 20+ years ago and still going. The only maintenance I've had to do (other than swap tubes) is replace a couple of broken off EQ sliders (my fault) and I've had to have the MOSFET bias adjusted. For amps this old, I'd say that's better than good. Some folks may say they seem underpowered, but they aren't setting the input gain hot enough. You need that light to flicker. Don't know if the modern import version is as dependable, but the old SLM 3-Pro is IMO one of their best designs.

Over the last 25 years I've owned and played through it all. Mesa, GK, Orange, Ashdown, Fender, SWR, Peavey, Aguilar, Hartke, and on and on and on and every once in a while I think "I should try the new thing." but then reality slaps me back into the present and I concede to the trusty tried and true Ampeg SVT. When I play festival shows (or other situations where back line is provided) I ask for one of two things: An SVT Classic, and if that's not available, an SVT 3. Here's the thing friend: In the pro world, touring and festivals, you often don't have a choice of your esoteric point to point boutique head you use in your studio, home, and on your own time. You're often sandwiched between other bands and you have little time for turn over, and most likely, no time to do anything but a line check. You need to hit that amp's EQ and levels quickly into a tone you know you can depend on and trust. Ampeg SVT's are all essentially the same front end, with an added parametric EQ on the 3, 4, and older rackmount 2's, and they are everywhere and often. It's why you seen them on the majority of big stages. If you know your way around one of these, you essentially know them all. Personally in my rehearsal studio, and when I bring my own rig live, I use an SVT 3 through a 4x10 (it's an older Ampeg cab that pushes 600 watts at 4 ohms). That ohm load insures that I can use all 450 watts with ease and I can shape my tone with the tube gain knob and the master without the fear of clipping or blowing anything (along with my pedal board...let's face it, kinda gotta have some good gear on the ground these days). It's also a hell of a lot lighter and easier to transport. Trust me, the closest tone you can get to an all tube SVT Classic is an efficiently EQ'd and leveled SVT 3. One common mistake that a lot of SVT 3 users make is using multiple cabs that drop the ohm level. You're gonna lose volume when you do that. The 3 is meant to be a lighter and more portable compliment to an SVT Classic and does just fine with 4x10's, 6x10's, or the big 8x10 fridge. When you start stacking cabs is when you start losing some head room. The point of the SVT 3 is simplicity and reliability. Keep it simple stupid and you'll be more than pleased.
Think about it...Ampeg has basically been making 3 versions of the SVT for decades now, and for good reason. They sound awesome, are built solid as a tank, and have become a dependable go to for the pros. If you can't get a good sound out of an SVT 3 Pro it's not the amp, it's you and your ears.

4.5 stars because no amp is perfect and one minor issue with any Ampeg is occasional clipping, but, I mean it's a rare occasion. Do me a favor and just buy this thing so that if fate has it that your band and my band are playing hipster fest flex in Echo Park and I'm stuck sharing your backline at least we'll both be happy :)

I owned the 1st series of this Amp that I bought in the 90's. It finally gave up the power supply, and parts are no longer available for it. So I used something else since I didn't have the $ to replace it. Finally, my Sweetwater rep, Ed Nystrom let me know about a "B" stock that was available, and I got it. Had a bad hiss out of the box. Tech support over nighted a couple of new tubes, I popped them in, and voila, I am back in business with the best bass sound I have ever had. I really had missed my ampeg, and especially the compliments I was accustomed to receiving about my superior bass sound. Once again, Ed and Sweetwater came through for me. I didn't even have to ask for the overnight delivery. My SWR Goliath III is pumping again! There simply is no substitute for quality, and it has the Sweetwater 2yr warranty!

WOW! This is one of the best sounding heads I've heard in recent time. It doesn't give you the exact tone of a CL but it comes close if you push it. Don't listen to the people that say this amp is under powered. They are wrong.

I'm running mine through a SVT410HLF. This thing will bring the walls down! The tube front end really adds a flavor of that old school Ampeg tube sound that all of us Ampeg aficionados love. The 9 band eq really adds a something I've never heard from a Ampeg head before but in a good way. This head is very flexible.

I mainly play Extreme Metal. Think Cannibal Corpse and The Faceless. This head will keep up and give you the sound your looking for all day long. I can't believe how much gain this head has and the headroom is impressive.

Overall this head is built pretty well and should hold up just fine on the road. The fan isn't too noisy but you might want to isolate the unit in another room if you use it to record since the fan isn't dead silent.

Now for a small issue I had with my unit.

To be fair I did purchase this from Sweetwater as a demo unit. As such you really don't know what it might have been subjected to or why it was returned if that was the case. After a few weeks of using my new amp I started to get a crackle over the speakers.

After isolating the issue to make sure it wasn't any outboard equipment or interference, I determined it was the amp. Now I do tech all my own gear so I went to work on the problem.

Disclaimer: To be fair I never contacted Sweetwater about the issue since I really didn't want to deal with sending it back. I'm sure they would have taken care of me though without any hassle.They always do.

The problem was easy to fix. There were several cold solder joints on the main board under the header where the umbilical cable attaches. I did need to pull the main board from the chassis and retouch several solder joints. However after that was done the issue was gone.

This isn't to say yours will do this but since I had a malfunction It's only fair that I post my experience.

Even given the rocky history this amp has had, and even considering the issue I had with mine, all in all I'd buy this amp again. It just sounds really darn good.

Through trial and error over several years, I've finally found the punchy yet crispy clear sound I've been looking for! The EQ is fantastic! I'm still dialing in but completely satisfied!

First of all, many users complain that this amp had not enough headroom - volume and it's a very weak amp. Well, I'm here to tell you otherwise :-)! I've been playing bass since 1998 and this is by far the best amp I've every owned. I used an Ampeg B4R and HK Quantum 600 but they don't even come close to this beast. But, before we go any further, this amp only works with great gear. I use this amp with an Ampeg SVT 610 HLF cabinet, a Boss ME50B and Ampeg SCR DI pedal combined with a Spector Euro 6 LX Bass and Mayones Slogan 6 L Bassguitar and with the -15db pressed in, I will never bring the gain higher then 9 o clock and the master at 11 o clock, tube voltage at 14 o clock and the EQ at 50 % level. Because your ears will bleed ;-). The sound is amazing, from deep beefy lows to cristal clear slapping, this amp does it all. You need some time to figure this amp out, at first you might be dissapointed by the sound but after a few hours of testing, tweaking, experimenting,... you will get the sound that you need and you are on your way. This amp has endured ten years of gigging, recording, rehearsing and has never let me down. Ok, two times tube change in ten years but that's about it. And the best of all, at every rehearsel and gig they tell me to "TURN IT DOWN" ;-). In other words, let your ears be your guide and this amp will rule them all!! And I also did a test, this baby runs 450 watts at 4 ohm's without any problem!

I've been playing bass professionally for about 40 years. In that time, I've only played two other brands of amps...Peavey and Trace Elliot, and loved them both for the bands I was in at the time. But the time had come to update an aging rig, and so here we are.

My requirements were that the next amp were that it would be rack mounted, weigh under 30 pounds, have graphic EQ, and have a true class AB power section (sorry...I just don't like the class D digital stuff).

The Ampeg SVT-PRO3 quickly emerged as the front runner. A quick call to my Sweetwater Sales Engineer Rick, and two days later I've got my amp.

I opened it up to make sure the tubes were still seated and look at the build quality. I spent a lot of years designing automated concert lighting, so I know a thing or two about road-proofing a piece of gear. I'm happy to say that everything I would have done to protect the circuits in a ten grand moving light were done in this amp.

It went out for it's first show last night. I was a little nervous, as it was the first time with my full system (wireless, pedals, compression, etc), and sound check was going to be pretty tight. Up went the rig, and after less than five minutes of tweaking, I had the best sound I had ever heard on stage. I didn't even have to use the graphic EQ.

I'm "one of those" bassist that plays with a pick, and getting the right balance of clarity and grind without getting strident can be a little tough. The SVT-3PRO nailed it for me.

The only reason I didn't give the amp 5 stars is that I wish the input was a bit more sensitive, and having two Speakon outs would have been nice (I would gladly loose the 1/4" speaker outs).

So yeah, I get it now. With tubes in the tone stack and power amp drive section, this amp is pretty darned close to the original SVT, at about 1/4 the weight. And the five year warranty...that's just gravy!

I got this amp in along with the new Ampeg Heritage410 and I'm blown away. Best sound I've ever heard for bass and its definitley proffesional quality. Great service here to with my sales rep. Thanks for a amazing amp.

Back in the late 70's I had an SVT with the old "fridge" 8X10 cab and found that now I missed that "Ampeg" sound. Sweetwater hooked me up with the SVT-3PRO. I put this on an SVT410HLF cab and WOW! It's the 70's again without the sore back from weightlifting the old rig. The range of tonal control is amazing. The tube gain control really let's you shape the tube preamp response. The "ultra-hi and lo" switches make dramatic shifts in tone at the push of the button and the EQ is superb. I play 5 string bass and my "B" string has never sounded so good. My guitar players both use Marshall half stacks and this rig has no problem keeping up. My Hartke 3500 just became my backup head, but I don't think I'll need it.

Excellent bass head great features for my reggae career, on the road in studio anywhere its awesome. bless!

After my previous bass amp blew up for the second time, it was time to go shopping for something more reliable. I knew that an Ampeg wasn't going to disappoint, so it was between this and an SVT-CL. Glad I went with the 3-PRO. It covers any style you can possibly think of. The EQ section is very responsive and intuitive and doesn't take much time to dial in. I only use the graphic EQ to get more volume (it actually provides more than the master) It has that classic SVT tone without having to crank it. I consider myself a modern-purist, so if you want that SVT tone but don't need 300W of ALL tube power, pair this with an Ampeg 410HLF, and you'll be set for the life of your bass playing career. (unless your already playing stadiums and arenas, then you don't need this review).

I have had this head for about 7 years now and the tone and power is great. I have it paired with a 410hlf cab. It gives you that great ampeg tone! This thing is also built like a tank. I have it mounted in a rack and was backed into by a mini van before a gig. Still worked with no issues.