New Amplifier - Ampeg SVT 3

[arnoldziffel]

i bought a used Ampeg SVT 3 pro .
my best sounding amplifier for any purpose . the preamp is brilliantly voiced . it is perfect for every instrument i've thrown at it .
strat, mustang, jazz bass, p-bass, full acoustic jazz box.

through a celestion g-12 65 4x12 for guitar or 4x10 peavey eminence for bass and synth ,

i'd never considered ampeg .

magic , all around.

[Woody Sound]

For years my bass player buddy gigged with that Ampeg bass amp that had the head that flips over and folds upside down into the top of the cab for easy transport. Sort of a cool hybrid combination of a cab/head and a combo. I forgot its name. (Porta-something?)

[arnoldziffel]

that's a portaflex .
supposed to be a great amp .... never played one.

the svt 3 pro is the preamp side of the monster svt, with a massive 450w/4ohm ss amp.

the brilliance is in the 5-tube preamp.

not some bs "hybrid" , using 1/2 of a 12ax7 @ low voltage....

[Woody Sound]

that's a portaflex .
supposed to be a great amp .... never played one.

Yes that's it! If he was having a bad night playing he would refer to it as the Porta-Potty, because he thought he was playing like s*** into it.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

For years my bass player buddy gigged with that Ampeg bass amp that had the head that flips over and folds upside down into the top of the cab for easy transport. Sort of a cool hybrid combination of a cab/head and a combo. I forgot its name. (Porta-something?)

There were 3 models - 12”, 15”, and 18”. I used a B15N Portaflex for about 10 years and absolutely loved it. This was 1963-73, and I was trying to get the fattest bass I could from my 175. I realize now that it was too much for jazz guitar, and I since grew into a more realistic understanding of good bass tone for solo guitar. I eventually switched to 7 strings, so I had real bass and didn’t have to fatten or muddy up the rest of the sound.

The original (from 1960 through about 68) Portaflex series was wonderful for bass, though. It was a sealed cab that projected tight, full tone for almost any music that didn’t require fast transients and good high frequency response. They’re not for snapping & popping or modern bass sounds. But you hear them on many, many hits from the ‘60s on. They were only 30W RMS from 2 6L6s - but they did the job in studios, theaters, etc for most of the bass greats in radio, TV, pit orchestras, and commercial recordings for decades.

Of course, a B15 is no match for an SVT.