New old amp day! Ampeg V4 question

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

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.

I was that guy you talk about until I got this thing today. But man I can't get over it. I'm stoked!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by two fingers

I was that guy you talk about until I got this thing today. But man I can't get over it. I'm stoked!

I'm waiting for the new one myself, but I so loved my V4B. Only reason I don't still have it is it burned up in a bar fire over 20 years ago. The place was unoccupied at least, but we lost a bunch of gear in that fire.

[keith christian]

I've had a v4b for thirty-some years and I'll never let it go. Just wait 'till you stack it on top of an 810 cab!

[johng999]

I have a V4 and agree that it is pretty loud. Very good tone. I usually use a Reeves Custom 225 these days when I am using tubes - I love the tube amp touch response and the Reeves has enough headroom to stay clean with the venues I play.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by keith christian

I've had a v4b for thirty-some years and I'll never let it go. Just wait 'till you stack it on top of an 810 cab!

I might be SKEERT!

[johnpbass]

Originally Posted by keith christian

I've had a v4b for thirty-some years and I'll never let it go. Just wait 'till you stack it on top of an 810 cab!

+1
Played a V4B/SVT 810 combination for 10 years of gigging back in to 70s/80s. Best tone I've ever gotten from an amp.

[johnpbass]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I'm waiting for the new one myself, but I so loved my V4B.

New V4B is #1 on my GAS list!

[Tuned]

My V4 had a master volume knob, proved essential to slam the preamp precisely at different volumes. There's a point just before break-up where the harmonics really chime, it's just not the same amp at a different preamp level. I've since moved on to an SVP-CL/IPR combo and I don't miss the tube power amp, since it still gets that preamp chime.

You can make a master volume without modifying the amp by soldering a 500k audio volume pot to a cable with a 1/4" plug on the other end, plug it into a preamp output on the back. The knob works in reverse, when the knob is off the amp is wide open, when the knob is on all the way it shorts the preamp so no signal passes to the power amp. You probably don't want to run the amp with the preamp shorted for very long, but when used as an attenuator it's safe for the preamp.

[two fingers]

/\/\/\/\/\ Neat trick. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The ONLY thing that I thought could improve my relationship with this amp would be input gain control.

[TussinBot.]

the v4b was my first introduction to tube bass amps, which i acquired around june I believe. I dont see myself ever going back to solid state heads

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by TussinBot.

the v4b was my first introduction to tube bass amps, which i acquired around june I believe. I dont see myself ever going back to solid state heads

I'd keep something small around for those gigs on the 4th floor of a casino boat

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I'd keep something small around for those gigs on the 4th floor of a casino boat

Good call. As much as I am in the honeymoon stage with this thing, I don't think it will kick my Mesa Walkabout to the curb.

[TussinBot.]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I'd keep something small around for those gigs on the 4th floor of a casino boat

ha! I forgot about those, I have one coming up in the near NEVER actually...Currently I dont have a backup/mini head. Sold my gk mb500 off as it began sounding sterile, and got the v4b. I would like to try a walkabout and tonehammer 500, but as I dont have a gig (or a job...) right now I cant justify it. Maybe someday, but at the moment the v4b is killin it for garage jams.

[JimmyM]

Garages are easy to get in and out of...I say you're doing just fine with the V4B

[TussinBot.]

Hey Jimmy, this is OT but it seems the topic has been covered and I dont want to start a new thread. You use the portaflex cabs right? Can you comment on the tonal differences between them, the 15e, and possibly mesa diesel cabs if you have tried those as well? Im really digging my diesel cab but having a hard time finding another to pair with it for more headroom. The nearest guitarcenter to me doesnt have any of ampegs 15s...and I would bet the other ones nearby dont either, maybe hollywood, but id prefer not to travel my v4b if I dont have to. I dont exactly like tweeters in my cabs, one more thing to malfunction that I wont use, and I love the high end that comes with my evm 15l's. The diesel is ported unlike the pf15he but the low end is nice and tight like I would imagine a sealed cab would sound.

[JimmyM]

Haven't played the Diesel, and it's been years for the 115e, and I just said something about it that contradicts Ampeg's specs, so you can't rely on my fuzzy memory, I guess

But the PF115he goes considerably lower than any sealed cab I've heard, and with the tweeter off, you can still get what sounds to me like 4k out of it, which is good for a 15". Don't know how that compares to a classic EV speaker, though, as it's also been a long time since plugging into one of them.