[NAMM] Ampeg SVT Micro Head

Nearly four decades after the release of the original Ampeg SVT (in 1969), a 300 watts of all-tube amp, Ampeg is introducing a miniature version of the amplifier, known as the SVT Micro Head ($399.99 street price), in a size typically better suited for smaller venues and recording studios where a ginormous SVT rig would be both too large and loud.

Resplendent in the classic SVT attire – including the silver face, black tolex, chrome corners and silver-blue grille cloth – the Ampeg SVT Micro Head is no mere plaything. Despite its diminutive size (5.5" H x 12" W x 10" D), the head boasts a real Ampeg preamp and 150 watts of RMS solid-state power.

For recording sessions, the SVT Micro Head has an auxiliary stereo input that is mixed with the main input and drives the headphone output. This allows the player to listen to a click or guide track while simultaneously recording both direct, through the “preamp out” jack, and using a microphone on the speaker. For live situations, the familiar Ampeg preamp controls – 15dB pad, gain, bass, ultra-mid, treble, volume and limiter defeat – allow the player to dial in a great sound quickly and easily. The universally compatible switching supply and compact size furthermore allow traveling musicians to go anywhere without worrying about what backline awaits at the venue.

In tandem with the launch of the SVT Micro Head, Ampeg is also simultaneously introducing the SVT-210AV ($299.99 street price) loudspeaker enclosure, the portable alternative to a full-sized SVT cabinet. Featuring the classic Ampeg style and sound, the SVT-210AV houses two 10-inch Eminence speakers in a compact (24" H x 13" W x 11" D) sealed cabinet rated to deliver 200 watts at four ohms. Weighing in at approximately 30 pounds, the new cabinet is more than a little bit easier on the back than its refrigerator-sized, 165-pound big brother, the SVT-810AV.