are ampeg v4b-av available?

[origami]

i am thinking of getting ampeg v4b. in paticular a v4b-av. i guess they exist?

i really don't need a SVT-CL because i already have a gk1001rb-II for big shows/solid state sound. i'd love to have a good tube head for recording, small gigs and practicing that may mimic my beloved old 70's tube silverface Fender bassman 50 head that i sold. It made a good John Paul Jones tone and 'geddyish' when it was maxed out.

i have thought seriously about the ampeg v4b. hopefully stage volume will be enough if i did deside to use it for big shows.

musiciansfriend has the v4b at: $899 [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

but I saw this on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/AMPEG-V4B-AV-10...ryZ43372QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I knew ampeg made AV versions of the SVT-CL, 8x10, and i've run across discontinued? AV versions of the SVT-350h and 410he. and there was that gene simmons one too.

my question: is the ebay (v4b-av) item a discontined item, or something new not on the ampeg site? or is available somewhere else for the same price ($899) as the regular (black) v4b?

thanks
MM

 

[Kelly Coyle]

I'm no expert, but I did just buy a V4B-H for $400 used, and I've seen a couple of others for similar prices. They tend to sit because for rock players, in particular, they are kind of underpowered.

That amp doesn't look right to me. Either it's old, or it has "retro" styling. It doesn't look a bit like mine. The description is confusing, too. Mine (not av) doesn't have any MOSFETs that I know of; maybe the AV is a hybrid? I don't know -- I think it's messed up.

 

[Kelly Coyle]

On the other hand, you can read the V4B-av right there in the picture. I looked around, too, and can't find any other reference to that head. I still don't know what the MOSFET business is about, but I prefer the classic Ampeg look to mine. But I like mine fine. And it was only $400.

 

[origami]

i've looked all over and cannot find a AV model of the v4bh??? i zoomed in on the back panel and it says 100 watts output. it is what it is, i've just never run across it. it think it says says "v4b-av" not "v4bh" . i am very interested in locating more of these heads (but not for $1100) i am a sucker for the classic look, but i want a new head not the 1970s ones (even though they probably sound better).

anyway, what is the difference between the vb4 and the vb4h? i know the older vb4h had the funny looking "V" for a while.

i can see the 4 power tubes so that rules out the mosfet power. note*the specs say tube OR mosfet and usues a "T" to denote tube power.

it definately not the svt-cl AV (300 watts) or the 350h-av (no graphic eq). like i said the only other AV stuff was/is the 810, 410, svt-cl, gene simmons (really a 350h), punnisher cab (2x15), and the b115-av. that i know of.

i guess this a call out to the ampeg experts.. what is this thing.. some kind of one off?

 

[Jerrold Tiers]

Update:

We made the V4BH as an AV.... in April.

They sold out at Namm, and I don't know who has them. Any store that does NOT have them in stock already isn't getting any, it was a one-time deal.

Normally there is very little internal difference between the regular and an AV. Cosmetic stuff, there will be a different look, but not usually any electronics change (not ALWAYS the case). In this case, a brushed panel is part of it.

Oh, yes, it is tube power amp, all 4 6L6 worth of it..... the seller copied off the "standardized blurb" format that (for some reason) we use....accounting for the "multiple-choice" formatted feature list...... (yes, that format seems silly to me too, but obviously someone likes it).

 

[origami]

thanks for the info....

my birthday (isn't any day ending in "y" a good excuse to buy gear) is coming up and i may order one, but only if it is around the same price as the regualr (black) v4bh, but none of the major online retailors have it listed anywhere. i looked!

i know a 410av gathering dust at a shop that'd look sweet with that head.

i did not see the v4bh-av for sale anywhere besides the ebay item, and i've never seen it at a sam ash or GC or even back in the MARS days.

since you say the v4bh-av is current, can it be ordered from an any ampeg dealer? can it be ordered direct from ampeg?

mm

 

[Intrepid]

I played through an old 70s V4-B. I'm not sure how similar they are. It was plenty loud for smaller gigs(like a coffee house) and practice. Heavy as hell though. Something like 70lbs.