The original SVTs, or Super Vacuum Tubes amplifiers were basically a monstrosity among tube powered bass amplifiers. Compared to their competition, they were substantially larger, heavier as well as louder than anything that was currently available on the market at the time. Ampeg created these monsters due to a loss in sales because their previous models were not powerful enough. But it was their quality as well as their power that allowed these SVT amps to continue even until now.

Although back in the 1970’s when the Ampeg SVT series bass amplifiers first came out there was only one model, today there are many choices for the bass guitarist to choose from depending on their needs and style of playing. But truthfully, deciding on using an Ampeg SVT series amplifier should be an easy one. The name is well known among bass guitarists, but there is a good reason for that. Ampeg SVT series amps are well known because they are good. Many of the original 1970 model amps are still in use today with only a couple trips to the repair shop in the last 40 years. The SVT series amps are by far a high quality low loss and low distortion amp making them a monster in the sea of professional audio equipment.

Since the dawn of the Ampeg SVT series amplifiers conception in 1969, the SVT amps have been moving the venue crowds without hesitation. Roger Cox and Bill Hughs along with Dan Armstrong and Bob Rufkahr got together to basically design what Ampeg dubbed as the “the biggest, nastiest bass amplifier the world had ever seen." It was out of this team-up that brought to life the Super Vacuum Tube amplifier, which created a rocking 300 watts. At the time of release, the Marshall Major was the big boy, but this amplifier of course stomped that into the ground by 100 watts. The head of this massive amp alone weighed in at almost 100 pounds and was powered by 14 tubes of which six of them were the massive 6146 power tubes.

Then there was the cabinets that went along with these heads, the cabinets featured two rows of 4 speakers, all eight were 10” speakers, then on top of that, the one head powered 2 cabs each weighing in at an excess of 100 pounds.

Upon creation of this marvel, the owners of Ampeg were so concerned about the liabilities associated with this monster that they were the first company to include a warning on their amp. This ever famous warning, ended up helping to increase the sales of the SVT amps, because lets face it, would you have wanted the same amp as everyone else, or one that reads "THIS AMP IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS THAT MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE." The only thing the original SVT amps lacked was the ability to tune the volume up to “11”

None the less the Ampeg SVT amplifier series have been a force to be reckoned with for the last 40 years.