New old amp day! Ampeg V4 question

two fingers · #1 12-20-2012, 02:04 PM

EDIT: NEW INFO BELOW WITH MORE PICS OF THE TRANSFORMERS.

So, my trade deal finally went through and I got her home today. Oh my! This thing sounds HUGE. The tone is just clean and BIG. I was only playing it through my Avatar 1-12 backup cab in the house, but on 1 it just rattled the windows!

So, I attached a few pics. The serial number seems to be gone. Right above the words "Serial NO." there seems to be some goo where there used to be a sticker maybe? So, is the serial number anywhere else on the amp? Inside maybe? And if not, maybe you guys can help me narrow down a time frame for this amp. It's Magnavox era for sure. Hopefully the pics will help.

Thanks guys!

two fingers · #2 12-20-2012, 02:05 PM

Here ya go.

two fingers · #3 12-20-2012, 02:06 PM

The goo.

Tuned · #4 12-20-2012, 02:43 PM

Looks like 1971-1974. Ampeg was bought by Magnavox in 1971, pretty sure it was 1974 when they changed the power/polarity/standby switches to plastic.

coreyfyfe · #5 12-20-2012, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuned

Looks like 1971-1974. Ampeg was bought by Magnavox in 1971, pretty sure it was 1974 when they changed the power/polarity/standby switches to plastic.

The change to the white switches was with the 75 models, but there is always some overlap. My SVT is still this style and dates to the very end of 74. That amp is from 71-75 but the only way to date them is by component date codes. The serial numbers from the unimusic/magnavox days are basically meaningless.

Those caps look original, check the date stamped into the cardboard outer covers.

nashvillebill · #6 12-20-2012, 05:01 PM

The serial number sticker was held on with glue that dried up, my sticker fell off decades ago.

JimmyM · #7 12-20-2012, 05:11 PM

Serials are impossible to tell dates with on 70's heads anyway. Cool score! Used to have one just like it.

MrDOS · #8 12-20-2012, 05:24 PM

More accurate dating can be gleaned from pot and transformer codes. Post em if you can!

two fingers · #9 12-20-2012, 06:33 PM

Will do when I can. Man this thing is STRONG for 100W! Not a bit of hum in it either. Got a real casual gig on January 5th. I am going to blow the dust out of some 15's with this thing. It's a bit of a closet classic. The guy I got it from used it as his main amp for only a few years and then put it away a very long time ago. The only thing I need to do is put the grounded power cable on it. Other than that and a good wipe down this is ready to go. And the tone!

GreaserMatt · #10 12-20-2012, 08:20 PM

Black switches = early 70's; you got a good one...

J-O · #11 12-20-2012, 08:24 PM

Nice score! I have one with the white plastic rockers. I suspect it's a mid 70's. I love mine. It sounds incredible, and gets way louder than I thought it would.

two fingers · #12 12-20-2012, 09:22 PM

I took some pics of the guts. I haven't opened it up all the way yet (first thing in the a.m.). This thing is MUCH cleaner than the pics show. They seem to pick up every spec of dust. You can see the transformer codes. The tubes appear to be all original! They all say Magnavox on them. The original schematic is still there and the date on it says "6-70" but that might not be the production year. Whadayathink guys? It this a 1970? A couple of the (aluminum?) plates that surround the tubes have the number "73" within a bigger number.

two fingers · #13 12-20-2012, 09:23 PM

Couple more...... Thanks for the info!

two fingers · #14 12-20-2012, 09:43 PM

Wait. More info! Serial number in the case is 26302. Here are a couple more pics including the one showing the date in the corner of the schematic and the little "tag" in the case.

two fingers · #15 12-20-2012, 09:45 PM

And the corner of the schematic........

B-string · #16 12-20-2012, 10:06 PM

The date codes on the pots will be you're biggest clue to year of manufacture. DO NOT get talked out of those original tubes. They are better than anything you will find these days.

two fingers · #17 12-20-2012, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

The date codes on the pots will be you're biggest clue to year of manufacture. DO NOT get talked out of those original tubes. They are better than anything you will find these days.

10-4! It sounds GREAT as is. So I'm not changing anything until it "tells" me to. If it ain't broke.......

I still can't get over how strong it is. It just about tore my garage off the house through my two Walkabout Scout 15" cabs. And CLEAN. Don't get me wrong. It sounds like a tube amp. Warm, fat, round, yadda yadda. But this one is just CLEAN as well.

B-string · #18 12-20-2012, 10:21 PM

The V4/V4-B are the most Hi-Fi design bass amp you'll find. It was a great design and mine with 7027A's actually measured 122 watts at 1% THD. Very capable amp!

KramerBassFan · #19 12-20-2012, 10:39 PM

I wish mine was that clean!

JimmyM · #20 12-20-2012, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by two fingers

10-4! It sounds GREAT as is. So I'm not changing anything until it "tells" me to. If it ain't broke.......

I still can't get over how strong it is. It just about tore my garage off the house through my two Walkabout Scout 15" cabs. And CLEAN. Don't get me wrong. It sounds like a tube amp. Warm, fat, round, yadda yadda. But this one is just CLEAN as well.

Dude, clean tube sound is the bee's balls! For some reason, people only associate tubes with dirt and compression these days, but when you run a tube amp clean, it's the cleanest and most uncompressed sound you'll ever hear.