Help me choose a cab for my vintage Ampeg V4.

[Fender4Me]

I have a vintage Ampeg V4 that may be the best amp I have ever heard. I am currently using it with my Ampeg B25 cab but, that one belongs to my B25B and I need another cab for the V4. I havent had any luck finding a vintage V4 or similar cab so, I am thinking of going for a modern one. This question is for other V4 or V4B owners. What modern cab is a good match to these incredible amps? Thanks!

[demon666]

Berg NV series. Period.

[JimmyM]

When I had one, I used a flatback 810. An 810e would do very well with it, too.

[Fender4Me]

Did you get much bottom end with the 810?

[Bulltrout]

I used an Ampeg SVT 410 HLF with mine when I had it. Plenty of bottom with that combo.

[Turock]

SVT-410HE

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Fender4Me

Did you get much bottom end with the 810?

Of course I did

That's a myth that you can't get low end out of a sealed Ampeg 810. All it does is attenuate the lowest low freqs that often cause mud in a mix anyway. If you want those lowest low freqs, then get a 410HLF, but I've yet to play a gig where I needed more low end than a sealed 810 can give me.

[redhed]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Of course I did

That's a myth that you can't get low end out of a sealed Ampeg 810. All it does is attenuate the lowest low freqs that often cause mud in a mix anyway. If you want those lowest low freqs, then get a 410HLF, but I've yet to play a gig where I needed more low end than a sealed 810 can give me.

It seems funny to me that there are so many AMPEG non believers on TALKBASS, it seems every concert or club show I go to everybodys playing a SVT/810 rig! I know this is not what this thread is about but the negative things about AMPEG never seem to end and it couldn't be further from the truth......

[brimm51]

theres alot of people here reccomending an 810, now those replicate fantastic lows, however they are back breakingly heavy and inconvienient to move around. i would suggest a sympol 410, which is what i use. i soon hope to get a 210 to put it at ear leval for rehersal and gigs. i run a recently bought carvin BRX 10.4 NEO through an older carvin r600 series II head. im getting around 128 db from this 410 alone, with the 600 watts going into it, the cab is 1200 watt handleing. so if it was powered with something more you could only get higher on the decible scale (whith every doubleing of power, around three decibles are added on) ampeg heads have a fantastic tone but their cabs are a waste, the carvin 410 i have runs around 560$ so its cheeper than the average cabinet of that quality. carvin uses custom made eminence speakers, so they are better than any "not so great" celestion speaker most other companys use. oh and by the way, the carvin 410 replicates the low b without any problems.

[redhed]

Personally I would go with the AMPEG 810e, I love my V4BH through it

[Fender4Me]

I was kinda leaning toward a 4x10 cab, maybe an Ampeg or Aguilar. Ive never played through an sealed 810 cab. Thats why i was asking about the bottom end. I dont have a clue. I like the SVT 410HLF cabs.

[redhed]

The 410HLF is a sweet cab. Sounds different than the sealed tweeter-less 810e, kind of tough to move-no easier than a 810e.......well maybe!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Fender4Me

I was kinda leaning toward a 4x10 cab, maybe an Ampeg or Aguilar. Ive never played through an sealed 810 cab. Thats why i was asking about the bottom end. I dont have a clue. I like the SVT 410HLF cabs.

410HLF is quite the unique bird. If you like that kind of low end, stick with it.

[brimm51]

Originally Posted by redhed

The 410HLF is a sweet cab. Sounds different than the sealed tweeter-less 810e, kind of tough to move-no easier than a 810e.......well maybe!

having no tweeter would be making you sacrifice crisp highs and more defined mids, im not sure why they wouldnt put one in an 8x10, considering the low end they typicaly throw.

[rodl2005]

+2 for the Bergantino NV cabs. I ran my V4 thru both the 610 & 215. The NV610 is a superb match for the 100w V4. If I had the stages/need for an Ampeg 810, then those 2 extra 10" drivers & the extra height the Ampeg 810 has would've been great.
But, for simply superb tone, wonderful clarity (without sounding 'modern'), & the ease of transport, the NV610 simply does all of this well.
As the V4 was 100w, I tended to favor the 610 over the 215, as it was a louder cab. We're a pretty loud band-onstage- as our drummer gets into it & pounds the skins, & the sheer volume of an 8 piece band, made the V4 only just able to CLEANLY keep up (playing old school funk, soul etc, so needed a clean tone, with the ability of a little fur when I dug in).
As the NV610 is (iirc) meant to be modern take on the Ampeg 'flatback' / early 810, the V4 sounded great thru it. I often described the sound of my Stingray thru this rig as 'explosions going off'! In a great way :-p

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by brimm51

having no tweeter would be making you sacrifice crisp highs and more defined mids, im not sure why they wouldnt put one in an 8x10, considering the low end they typicaly throw.

If Ampeg started putting a tweeter on the greatest bass cab ever made, I would form a flash mob to picket outside of LOUD headquarters! The reason why there's no tweeter on the 810E is because WE DON'T FREAKING WANT A TWEETER ON THE 810E! Crisp highs? Bah...more like crinkling a potato chip bag, as my bro Johnny A from Staind says. And tweeters do nothing for more defined mids, as most don't even run below 3.5 or 4k.

[rodl2005]

+1 What was that Pink Floyd song

' We don't need no stinking tweeter,
We don't need no fought control' etc

[SVE]

^^^ I agree! No tweeters needed! I'd go for an 8x10; more drivers more efficient.

[banikek]

I have been playing mine thru two 1x15 cabinets. Trace Elliot 1153t. It sounds great with the band and makes for a nice modular rig.

[spellcaster]

I love the early 810 with just about any tube head I've tried with it but I do love the old JBL loaded 2x15 as well.