NAMM 2010 Ampeg news
| Posted in Music Technology
The Ampeg Heritage line is set to be launched at the NAMM 2010 show in America, offering a new US-made 300W all-tube bass head in the shape of the Heritage SVT-CL, plus two enclosures boasting Eminence drivers. Both designed and manufactured in the United States, the new range is being presented as combining simple features with a big Ampeg tone – a mixture sure to excite bass players’ curiosities.
Taking pride of place in the new range is the SVT-CL, which boasts, says the manufacturer, “premium components and construction for the professional bassist”. The 300 Watt head meets that claim with ‘Winged C’ power tubes in the power amp to deliver tone, plus a five position midrange selector and hi/lo switches. Also included are JJ equipped preamps and drivers, while the black faceplate has been designed to reflect the head’s classic standing in the Ampeg range. Altogether the SVT-CL weighs in at 85lbs.
Joining it in the Heritage range is the 4×10 Heritage SVT-410HLF enclosure, which Ampeg describes as “rugged, versatile and extremely portable”. The enclosure delivers 500 Watts RMS at 4 ohms, and contains four 10″ custom-made Eminence drivers alongside a 1″ horn. With a quoted frequency response of 28Hz to 18kHz, the SVT-410HLF also boasts a built-in attenuator to allow players to dial back the 15mm birth plywood cabinet’s top-end.
Striking a similar specification is the Heritage SVT-810E 8×10, pushing 800 watts at 4 ohms (dual 400 Watts at 8 ohms) with a maximum SPL of 130dB and a sensitivity of 100dB. The enclosure includes 10″ US-made Eminence drivers, and carries a quoted frequency response of 40Hz to 5kHz.
Also making its debut is the surprisingly lightweight Pro Neo range of Neodymium magnet loaded bass cabs, comprising the 4×10 PN-410HLF, the 1×15 PN-115HLF, and the 2×10 PN-210HLF.
Of the three, the 64lb PN-410HLF is the most powerful, delivering 850 Watts RMS at 8 ohms via four 10″ Eminence Neodymium woofers plus a 1″ tweeter, and offering a 45Hz to 18kHz frequency response with a maximum SPL of 127dB. The 59lb PN-115HLF pushes 575 Watts RMS at 8 ohms through a 15″ Eminence LF driver and a 1″ HF, and boasts a frequency response of 35Hz to 18kHz with a 128dB max SPL. Finally, the PN-210HLF weighs just 44lb and features two 10″ Eminence woofers – again loaded with Neodymium magnets – delivering 550 Watts RMS at 8 ohms with a maximum SPL of 125dB.
Last but possibly loudest, Ampeg is adding to its SVT range of heads with the SVT-8PRO, which is described by the manufacturer as “the most powerful Ampeg head ever”. Get ready to hold yourself down then, as the 8PRO delivers a lung-crushing 2500 Watts at 2ohms, 1300 Watts at 4ohms and 800 Watts at 8 ohms. Other features include a five-position mid-tone control, a tube-driven front end and a power reduction circuit to dial in a growling bass tone without shaking your flat to pieces.
Appearing alongside the 8PRO is a slightly more sober version, the SVT-7PRO. Well, we say slightly more sober – the head includes many of the features of its big brother but weighs in at just 15.5lbs. But don’t be fooled – though the 7PRO has been designed to appear small and portable, the head can reportedly still tear the hairpiece off a complaining neighbour with 1000 Watts at 4 ohms or 600 Watts at 8 ohms.
About Barney Jameson
A contributor, editor and in some cases creator of more music and pro audio magazines than he cares to remember, Barney Jameson is a veteran of writing about gear, and a pretty keen singer songwriter to boot.
Having started his musical education reading old copies of the Melody Maker while riding the tube to University in the mid-nineties, Barney once sang in a band called Sugarstone, troubling record company chequebooks not quite enough to make it a career option. Instead, he achieved his goal of starting a music magazine of his own when he founded Playmusic in the early noughties. Later on, having exploited VIP access to as many festivals as possible, he wrote about the pro audio industry throughout Europe and the Middle East, travelling to far-flung destinations such as Dubai, Doha and Muscat (nice mountains).
As the latest addition to the DV247 team, Barney has big plans. But when he’s not plotting online domination of the musical instrument world, he keeps himself busy writing songs on a battered old acoustic guitar and playing them to audiences in his home town.
Tags: Ampeg, Ampeg Heritage, SVT