Ampeg SVT

The Ampeg SVT is a bass amplifier made by Ampeg.The SVT which stands for "Super Vacuum Tube" was designed by Bill Hughes and introduced in 1969. The SVT bass head produced 300 tube driven watts at a time when most amplifiers made less than 100. The SVT has been through many design changes over the years but is still in production today. The SVT head was coupled with an 8 ten inch speaker enclosure.

There are three types of vintage SVT amps. The first, and most rare are the "blue line" SVT's. These are called that because of the blue text and lines that surround the tone controls. The lines and text are actually engraved into the metal, unlike the later models. Another attribute of "blue lines" is that used 6146 power tubes. 6146 tubes were out of production for a number of years and many "blue line" SVT's were converted to the more common 6550 tube, which is said to alter the tone. The second version of a vintage SVT is what many call the "black line" SVT. The lines and text are black instead of blue, are not engraved, and run 6550 power tubes instead of 6146s. Later 70's models have the same features as the "black line" SVT's except the lines around the tone controls have rounded corners and curve into the tone controls.

At the 2006 NAMM show Ampeg unveiled the SVT Vintage reissue head. The most current reissue, despite begin touted as an exact replica of the original "blue line" SVT, is not. It uses 6550 power tubes instead of 6146s, 12AU7s instead of 12BH7s, 12AU7s instead of 12DW7s, and missing is the 6C4 preamp tube. guitar-stub