MM HD130 vs. Ampeg V4B

77PBass · #1 12-03-2010, 02:21 PM

Has anyone played through both? I own a V4B and I am interested in what the HD130 sounds like. I have a line on a mint HD 130 with matching folded horn 210.

JTE · #2 12-03-2010, 02:45 PM

I did back in 1977, and bought the HD-130. I just liked it better, but I wonder what I'd do now? My foggy recollection is that the HD-130 just seemed more natural to me.

The cabinet you're talking about intrigues me. I had a 212RH, and while the 210RH was in the catalog right at the end, I never saw one in real life, not even at NAMM.

John

banikek · #3 12-03-2010, 04:15 PM

Me? I love my HD-130. I have one of the older one's with the extra tube. Love the head. It has been pleanty powerful for almost all the bars/stages here in Minneapolis. Only place it was showing its limit was when we played First Ave. which I think is about a 5000 cap. place.

I also have the exact cab. So-so for me. OK if not played too loudly. I was going to try the cab out with my Farfisa just for a change.

I find that the head is much better sounding thru newer speaker cabs. I particularly like it thru and older GK 410t I have. If we ever play First Ave again (unlikely!) it will be running 2 4x10 cabs. Should not be a problem!

chris

BeauZooka · #4 12-03-2010, 04:27 PM

I have a HD150 running thru an Avatar 4x10. Great sounding combo and plenty loud! Unfortunately I do not have a V4B to compare it to.

77PBass · #5 12-03-2010, 04:58 PM

The output stage is tube, which to me is where a lot of the warmth, tone and thunder come from....I liken it to a rear wheel drive car like a BMW or old Mustang.

Would you guys with the HD's agree?

Jim C · #6 12-03-2010, 05:37 PM

I haven't owned both at the same time but my memory is that the HD sounded very good but had nowhere near as much tone control as the Ampeg.

It did have a very generic Fender tube tone (which I love) but did not have the attitude or voicing possibilities of the V4B.

Kept the V4B but am now selling it as the SVT allows me to use smaller less effecient cabinets.

KramerBassFan · #7 12-03-2010, 08:32 PM

I've owned (well, done work on, and "extensively tested"

) both of these, and you really can't go wrong with either one in my books. The Ampeg has, that classic Ampeg Sound... imagine that. But the MusicMan sounds just as good, especially with modern bass cabinets.

bongomania · #8 12-03-2010, 09:02 PM

I recently owned the MM65, the little sibling of the HD130, and my take is that it had more articulation, less "fur" or "mush" compared to some all-tube amps, while still being warm. But I haven't tried the V4B.

andertone · #9 12-03-2010, 10:02 PM

Just luck of the draw whether you bought Ampeg or HD130 when they first came out.
I bought my HD130 in 1976 after many Showmans, and kept it. Best with a nice efficient 2 x 15 cabinet (I use an EV B215M)

Tried it with many modern cabinets, and while it does work (Epi T112, Bergie HT112) just something about the vibe of an efficient speaker (used K140s for years) that brings out the crunch.

coreyfyfe · #10 12-04-2010, 06:12 AM

I had an HD130 and a V4, overlapping for a bit of time, but the HD130 didn't last long. The HD130 was definitely a more fender style tone, very clean (probably the SS pre-amp

) and it could get some nice power tube saturation in half power mode (or full power if you don't like your neighbors). However, the V4 was the tone I was looking for. Much fuller and warmer to my ears. Certainly a bit more fur than the HD130 like Bongo said, but that's just to say it sounded like a tube amp should - nice and thick when you really dig in.

77PBass · #11 12-04-2010, 07:22 AM

All great comments.

I really love my V4B (except the weight) and the HD 130 purchase would be adding to my stable of vintage amps, not really a must have. The price is very attractive ($550 for amp and speaker).

Since I love the ampeg sound, maybe I should use the cash towards a vintage SVT. I know of a B25B head but the watts/lbs ratio is impractical.

KJung · #12 12-04-2010, 07:29 AM

Had both heads back in the day. The MM was a totally different thing, as mentioned above. With the primarily solid state pre, it was more 'crisp and clean'. Of course, IMO it was kind of a goofy design, since you lost a lot of what makes a tube amp sound like a tube amp due to that rather modern, clean preamp, and you got none of the weight advantage, size advantage, power advantage or reliability/lack of hassle advantage of a solid state power amp. So, while it sounded good, in some ways, that 'reverse hybrid' was a bit of 'the worst of all worlds'.

Competent amp though, but without any of the growl and snarl and grunt of the V4B. Kind of 'a good amp for the time'... I would not bother now. For that amount of money, you could get a Genz Shuttle 9 or something that would blow that head completely out of the water.