Ampeg Heritage question

Tim1 · #1 05-24-2010, 04:44 PM

Just read the Bass Player review, where they mention the thicker circuit boards as a key feature. I am very happy with my Vietnam VR which has been faultless for me, but out of curiosity - does anyone know whether the circuit boards on the newer Vietnam/Korean VRs and CLs are thinner than those on the earlier USA versions.
Or, to put it another way, are the circuit boards on the Heritage CL amps thicker than those on the earlier USA CL amps?
Purely asking out of curiosity....as you do.....

JimmyM · #2 05-24-2010, 04:45 PM

darn good question. not sure what the advantage of thicker boards is, except the obvious. but from what they said, it doesn't make a tonal difference.

Razorjack · #3 05-24-2010, 04:49 PM

Marketing hype, "a fool and his money..." and all that.

JimmyM · #4 05-24-2010, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorjack

Marketing hype, "a fool and his money..." and all that.

bollocks with your "fool and his money" stuff! this is ampeg, not some dude who imports cheap chipboard cabs from china and sells them on ebay.

Jim C · #5 05-24-2010, 05:10 PM

I thought you had said that Ampeg imports cheap chipboard cabinets from Vietnam and sells them at dealers across the US

johnk_10 · #6 05-24-2010, 05:10 PM

my 2007 vietnam VR's pcb's all have 'SLM Electronics' silk-screened on them and appear to be the exact same ones as all of the USA VR's that i've seen/worked on. i don't know about the ones built after 2007 though.

beans-on-toast · #7 05-24-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

my 2007 vietnam VR's pcb's all have 'SLM Electronics' silk-screened on them and appear to be the exact same ones as all of the USA VR's that i've seen/worked on. i don't know about the ones built after 2007 though.

In July 2008 they were still using the same SLM label on their silk screened boards.

One can only hope that Ampeg's thicker PC boards means thicker copper traces and not just thicker boards.

johnk_10 · #8 05-24-2010, 07:02 PM

i still think that it's strange that they didn't start with a made in USA SVT-VR instead of the CL. i mean, IMO, that and the B15N are what really established their 'heritage'.

Tim1 · #9 05-24-2010, 07:24 PM

So I guess that the answer to those who say if you want a Heritage just get an older CL and change to the Heritage tubes is that it still won't be a Heritage as the Heritage has the thicker boards and copper wiring??
Totally agree with you, johnk - it always seemed logical to me that the VR would be the first Heritage amp, but I still got to say that the price difference between the Heritage and the overseas production model is too great for me to justify a Heritage. Especially when the BP review hinted that the VR had a marginally preferable tone.

JimmyM · #10 05-24-2010, 07:33 PM

from all accounts it's the cab that makes the difference with the heritage series. how do you improve on the svt head's design, you know?

btw, sorry i snapped. i'm all upset about this simon monjack thing

johnk_10 · #11 05-24-2010, 07:59 PM

as far as changing tubes, i was playing around with my VR today and noticed that one of the cleartop RCA 12AU7's that i installed in it a couple of years ago started making a few buzzing sounds on certain notes when the amp is on top of the cab. i tried an EH 12AU7 in it, but didn't like it as much as the cleartop RCA, and fortunately i had a NOS GE 5814A (triple mica) in my tube box. so put that one in there and it is awesome again.

since it was opened up, i also wanted to see just how big of a difference, three years later, with fresh ears, that the NOS preamp tubes made while now running it thru my El Whappo Jr.

back in 2007, i put a NOS telefunken 12AX7 in position #1, an RCA cleartop 12AU7 in #2, an Amperex Bugle Boy 12AX7 in #3, the 5814A in #4 and an NOS RCA 7025 in #5. when i substituted the telefunken with a JJ ECC83, it not only lost a bit of gain, but it got kinda muffled & cloudy (and i actually like JJ's). same thing when i tried a Sovtek, an EH12AX7 and a RI Tung-Sol 12AX7, so i'm absolutely convinced that the Telefunken is making a big difference in the way that mine sounds (big, fat, clear and vintage). i've posted before, that my VR sounds exactly like my '69 (it really does) and i really couldn't be happier with it, so it really doesn't matter to me whether they ever release a USA VR or not. IMO, my VR is almost 'magical' now.

JimmyM · #12 05-24-2010, 09:01 PM

just needs that grillcloth and you're all set.

btw, i would so buy a few yards of that heritage grillcloth and doll up my svt with that if they sold it. historically accurate or not, that's some badass grillcloth!

how big of a difference are we talking about with the tubes? is this something that's smack you in the face noticeable or subtle? because i'm not finding much to dislike about any of the heads i've played, new or old. or even cl's <gasp!>