Ampeg SVT-4PRO 1200-watt Tube Preamp Bass Head Used

Name: Ampeg SVT-4PRO 1200-watt Tube Preamp Bass Head
Brand: Ampeg
Rating: 4.5 (15 reviews)

Professional Bass Amp Head with Tube Preamp, 1/4" and Speakon Outputs

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Item ID: SVT4ProU1

Ampeg SVT-4PRO 1200-watt Tube Preamp Bass Head

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New for $1,999.99

Condition Notes:

This item is in good condition with some signs of use but is in perfect working order. Scratched in many places. Front right rack ear is bent. Comes with power cable but missing the manual. This item ships in upgraded Sweetwater packaging.

These images are of the exact item advertised, and provide as accurate a representation of its condition as possible. If you need further information, please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.

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Ampeg SVT-4PRO 1200-watt Tube Preamp Bass Head

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The Amp That Defined Bass Sound

Designed for players that want the familiar power and tone of an SVT but need the tone-shaping capabilities afforded by modern bass amp designs, the SVT-4PRO is a rackmountable bass head built for the touring pro. SVT-4PRO offers an expansive palette of tonal options. The frequency control allows you to select the center frequency for the midrange control, giving you five distinct voicing options for the midrange. And if that's not enough, you can use the 9-band graphic EQ to fine-tune your sound - or use it to set up a footswitchable second channel with a volume boost for your bass solo.

Resources

From the Manufacturer

SVT-4PRO 1200-Watt Tube Preamp Bass Head User Manual

Bass Guitar Amp Buying Guide

Rex Brown Talks Pantera Rig, Indelible Memories & the Enduring Abbott Spirit

Apr 22, 2024

History of the Ampeg SVT

Dec 21, 2019

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Tech Specs

Type: Hybrid
Number of Channels: 1
Output Power: RMS: 1600W @ 4 ohms Mono-Bridged, 2 x 900W ; Continuous: 1200W @ 4 ohms Mono-Bridged, 2 x 600W
Compression: Yes
EQ: 3-band (5-position Midrange), 9-band Graphic
Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7
Inputs: 1 x 1/4", 2 x 1/4" (power amp)
Outputs: 3 x speakON, 4 x 1/4" (speaker), 4 x 1/4" (line, preamp), 1 x 1/4" (tuner), 2 x 1/4" (bi-amp), 2 x XLR
Effects Loop: Yes
Footswitch I/O: 2 x 1/4" (effects, graphic EQ/mute)
Footswitch Included: No
Cooling System: Internal Fan, Heatsink, Side/Rear Air Vents
Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
Height: 5.6"
Width: 19"
Depth: 15.5"
Weight: 39.5 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number: 99-026-0305

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Just thought I'd chime in with all the gear reviews, lol.
I've had mine since 2006? In all that time (23 yrs?) it's never given me one single problem or issue.
I once had the preamp tubes changed, simply because I'd played it for so long I thought they just had to be worn out by now, right? Lol no, looking back, I probably should have left the originals in there. It sounded fine. It still does. My point is, it just continually kicks a...

I'm a gear head with gadget-itis for sure and I got this because I wanted the power plus all the ridiculous speaker connection options it has. It's like no other I know of in the Ampeg lineup that has these crazy options for connectivity.
It's actually a stereo amp. It's got two amps, A and B and you either run one single side alone into a cabinet or run 2 cabs separately in a left and right setup using A for one cab and B for the other. OR if (and ONLY IF) the cab can handle it, you run both A and B into one cabinet "Mono-Bridged" and you get the power of both sides into one cabinet. That's where the 8x10 comes in. It's pretty amazing.

The crazy amount of clean headroom you get is wonderful. This is not the Ampeg signature "growl" people go on about, this is pure, clean, articulate volume. I was in a rock band once years ago and remember having to turn up past half way quite often. The other guitarists were playing out of half stacks, a Mesa and Vox. So, being the tinkerer that I am, I made a Mono-Bridge cable (look on YouTube for instructions) and proceeded to run the whole enchilada into my Ampeg 410HLF 500 watt cabinet. Woah Nelly! At least twice the power and fidelity. Then one day at rehearsal, a band mate said, "hey, why is your amp glowing?" I was like, what??? The speaker cab has protection fuses that will literally light up when nearing failure! So yeah, I blew one of my drivers and the horn. Costly lesson.

Another fun time was when a bassist stood in for me and brought her own bass amp in to use. It was an Eden head with two Eden cabs. I think it was a 2x10 and a 4x10. She left it all there for awhile after she stopped playing for us. I was like, hmmmn... I moved that Eden head out of the way and hooked up the 4-Pro separate style to the two cabs! I ran amp A with only only lows the 2x10 on the bottom as a sub and ran amp B full range to the 4x10! It was heaven! I could use the front panel crossover to dial in the amount of lows that added to sound of the 4x10!! Super cool and fun! But you know, those expensive Eden cabs still didn't sound as good as my trusty Ampeg 410. I was surprised.

Ampeg rules. We all know that already. I have been tempted by the likes of Aguilar and Markbass, but I'm like, why? Every time I play something that's supposed to be great, I'm underwhelmed. The 4-Pro is not for everyone, few people need the myriad of options it provides. Including myself... I just run one side into my 410 and set the midrange selector to get the tone for whatever bass I'm using. Leave the bass and treble pretty much flat and you've got great bass for days.

Best bass head I have ever owned. Some guys say they had a problem with them shutting down in a rack mount. These heads vent from the sides. I drilled out the sides of my SKB rack and have never had any problems with ventilation.

My stepson is a multi-instrumental player, who's talent exceeds his confidence. We got him his first bass & amp about a year back to be able to play in the band for his mother's retirement party. A six string bass and a BA210 was sufficient for that, but not when he hooked up with some guys in NOVA area to form a band. Putting that combo amp next to the MESA Half stacks that the guitarists were sporting was definitely a call to action. We picked up an SVT15E cabinet to add some bottom, and SVT610HLF to add some volume but didn't have enough power to really drive it all. A search for Bass Amps lead us to look at Hartke and Ampegs, he wanted a tube sound, I wanted the reliability of a Class D power stage, and the SVT 4 Pro fit the bill.

While the price is an investment, a tool that gets used for hours every week is quickly amortized. The complexity of the controls fronted by a pretty capable pedal board is an investment in learning, that he's making. His ebullience at first turning it on has not diminished, and he's looking to augment the rack (Furman, SVT 4Pro, Drawer) with a Korg tuner to work at gigs.

I'm not a bass player, so I won't rattle on about tones, but will encourage the investment in a dream and a talent should you have the choice

Excellent customer service. Worked with me to make the purchase simple as possible.

There is a reason why all the top touring bass players choose the SVT 4 Pro: Nothing works or sounds like an SVT 4. Nothing replaces the thunder that comes from this head.

It's a workhorse and is one of the most versatile amps on the market. It combines the best of high power, clean tube sound, bi-amp capability with an adjustable crossover and two separate A & B power amps than can run in stereo or bridge-mono.

In bridge-mono, you have 1200 watts at 4 Ohms or 1600 watts at 2 Ohms ... grab one or two 610s or 810s, and you have unbelievable raw sound.

For me, the real appreciation came when I blew the front input to the head (don't ask - I was dumb). I switched over to my Boss GT-1B for pre-amp and effects, plugged in an ABY switch to split the signal, and ran into each channel with different output impedance loads for cabinets ... one 4 Ohm and one 8 Ohm. No problem. (WARNING!!! Don't do this in bridge-mono, kiddies!!)

As it is, I'm still running the same head 12 years later ... and yes, I have a backup SVT 4 that is newer.

Compared to a lot of the newer Class-D amps that are lightweight, the 40+ lbs. of this bad boy is a lot to lug around for a head.

But the sound you get is worth the extra weight!!