Ampeg SGT-DI Dual-Voice Preamp Compressor and DI

The SGT-DI is an awesome pedal/ preamp that sounds great. Is it the last thing you’ll ever need? Probably not, but if getting started or need an additional to your kit, it’s worth it. B15. I have a ‘66 B-15. It sounds exact. I have used the SGT at gigs with my B-15 so I didn’t have to mess around using a microphone. The overdrive channel is great to give that boost and growl B-15 do when turned up. The preamp gives more accessibility to key tones but maintains the touch sensitivity of the actual amp and tubes. SVT. Super close. It’s a legitimate gripe others have commented that it’s not the “best” but it’s probably top 3. Like the B15 setting all the really great tones are real easy to dial in. The OD circuit makes it grind like a stack. Having the B15 circuit makes the SGT my choice. If you only used SVT. Still my choice. Why? Quiet practice. Plugging my iPad in to quiet practice is huge. I don’t disturb my family, I get yelled at by my wife less, score. I didn’t believe I’d use that function much, but I’ve gotten to where I use it the most! Compressor. Boy this is griped about in other reviews. Not the most “useful” but I use it a lot! As an easy one knob compressor, like an orange squeeze or on board mixing board compressor, 100% worth it. The single knob compressor on the SGT does that sweet one knob thing to give more pop. It’s actually the perfect little add. If you need more, get one of the really nice ones out there. If you “need” the extra compressor features, you need the extra compressor anyway. Overdrive to fuzz distortion. The Grit channel is a huge plus. You may play with it on all the time! I love just a real light OD. It stacks with fuzzes well too. Build quality. I did receive 2 as the first had an issue. The first had a loose connection with the auxiliary input for my iPad and the silent practice. It became obvious early the silent practice was going to be a huge beneficial use. I returned and received a different. Longevity. I worry about longevity of cables going in and out, the way the solder on jacks on anything should give everyone concerned on anything electronic. With soldering experience they are easily fixable if you can find the part. But it’s still a big inconvenience.

This thing sounds great, whether I'm using my Fender Player Jazz Bass (with a series/parallel mod) or my 1980's Ibanez Destroyer. The grit option is very nice. Keep it low for a little bit of an aggressive accent to your pick attack, or turn it up for as much distortion as you like. Decent compressor even though people like to trash it for being a single knob compressor. The IR options sound good into headphones, directly into a PA mixer, or even in the effects loop or input of a lesser amp. The price is a little steep from a pedal perspective, but when you consider that you get an overdrive, a compressor, a preamp, and a DI box with IR loader, it's really not so bad.

I waited a whole year for this to go down in price, but no dice. Now that I finally tried it, I know why. The sound is seriously unbeatable in my opinion. It is built like a tank and looks great. I don't like the dual potentiometer and wouldn't mind it being bigger to have a separate control for each function. I think that would have allowed for "beafier" switches as well. That is all a personal preference though. I still give it five stars and recommend this for any bass player, even if you don't D.I. After 25 years, I finally have the sound I always wanted.

This is everything I hoped it would be. I own an early '70s V4 and a rackmount SVT pre, so a generic sounding pedal was not going to do it for me. The preamp probably exceeds the SVT in that it has a fully sweepable mid. Ultra Lo and Ultra Hi work just like on my V4. The Grit knob set at 9 oclock is just the perfect bite. I thought I would be all about the 810 Ampeg speaker sim but actually it was the "C" position that knocked my socks off with the modern SVT-212 cabinet IR, just beautiful presence and resonance, and of course you can load your own standard IR's so anything goes. The only mediocrity here is the 1-knob compressor, might help if you have a terrible pick problem, but I had a favorite comp pedal I wanted to use anyway. Great direct through floor monitors or in-ear systems.

I was so excited to purchase this unit with the hope that I can leave my amp at home. I set it up through a high end Bose PA and it sounds miserable. If I kick on the SGT is has an annoying high pitch whistle. I dial back the treble and flip off the Ultra High and it calms down but is still there. I tried different basses, cables and amps and it still sounds bad. I contacted Ampeg and they told me that since 30 days have passed I need to send it to a Warranty repair shop. That is a task in itself, their listing of shops is impossible to filter and I have to pack it up, wait for weeks / months to get it back and I really do not think this should be my problem. I have used Ampeg for the last 40 years and always had good luck with the products and service until now. This is what happens when cool companies sell out to conglomerates and quality and support evaporate. I would avoid purchasing this product and either stick with an amp or investigate competitive products.

After 9 months of use (2 to 3 gigs per month), the metal guard bar has come off. The unit is not effective in a Silent Stage scenario where all are using an in ear (IEM) setup. There is a situation that occurs called low frequency buildup. The bass sounds Ok when played by itself, but when the other instruments come in, the bass is muddy and boomy. The pitches are hard to hear and there is no clarity or sense of attack. Even playing with a pick, close to the bridge does not help. I bought this pedal to attempt to overcome this, but it did not help. Now that it has started to fall apart after less than a year, I am very disappointed, especially given the high price.

This little box has some power! I was going direct into the PA dry and after getting this. I have no idea how I ever played gigs without it. The sound difference is night and day. There are multiple options for a variety of cabs and sounds and they hold up to the standards I held for the ampeg brand.

I know this will be confusing. The five-star rating is for the condition and the speed at which I got the used item. The pre-amp/DI box is a one-trick pony. It's either a type of distortion or not. I've played/used Ampegs in the past, and I thought this would sound like an Ampeg cranked up. Sadly, it does not. It sounds like one of the combo amps you can buy now with the SGT circuit. The cab choices seem to make little difference in the sound. Of course, this is just my opinion. I have compared the Ampeg DI vs. the new Sans Amp XB Diver, which is much more versatile, at the same time.

Es perfecto, el 810 suena genial y el sgt le da un toque especial además me gusta mucho la perilla de medios le saco mucho provecho

Amazing they were able to fit a fridge sized sound it's such a small footprint.

Excelente pré-amp, fantástico! Atendeu todas as minhas expectativas e valeu cada centavo investido nele. Pode comprar sem medo, pois irá te surpreender. Super indico!

excelente Preamp, la calidad del Compresor es increíble, el Overdrive es manipulable y de fácil operación. Los botones son sencillos. Tiene entrada para monitoreo que pueda ocuparse con la salida. Tiene grandes diversidad de salidas y escoger la salida directa. XLR tiene una increíble multifunción

I've been looking for a way to practice bass quietly and preferably over a soundtrack, be it music from Spotify on my phone or from Scott's Bass Lessons online through my computer. This is totally killing it!!! I can easily mix the auxillary sound source to my bass playing and control the volume of each. It works right off the bat, no complicated setup. Everything easy-peasy. I can output it to my amp if I want to, or listen through my headphones. The sound quality is amazing. And, to top it all off, it shapes the sound of my bass quite nicely. I am a beginner, I don't have pedals. All I have is a nice bass and a small 50W amp that does nothing for shaping the sound. This is a wonderful tool for practicing!