We're not worthy, we're not worthy!"First world problems" - Having a hard time deciding which rig to bring to a gig
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2013 Ampeg V-4B 100W Reissue Pt2
- Thread starter Chef
- Start date
From reading through this thread, it seems that that is no problem for this amp (and other ampeg tubes?). Don't quote me on that, however.
Just got back from my first rehearsal with the V4B and 212AVs - (it's all been living room playing until now). It performed exactly as I hoped it would. Stayed relatively clean until we started to hit some of the rock tunes in the last half hour and the volume crept up. By the end of the night, I had the gain at noon with the master dimed and everything else set flat. With my PBass, it had to flat out been the best rock bass tone I've ever heard. And I was probably a touch loud. Was smiling all night. As we were loading out, a guy in the lobby of the rehearsal space looked at the V4B and said, "man, that's a nice amp. I've been trying to get my bass player to get one. That thing is awesome".
I know there will be situations where I'll want more gas in the tank - either for bigger gigs (where we usually don't put bass in the PA) or where I want sheer clean headroom. My Fender Super Bassman will cover those. Surprised at how loud this little sucker is, though. Nice to still be able to push those power tubes without killing everyone around me...
I know there will be situations where I'll want more gas in the tank - either for bigger gigs (where we usually don't put bass in the PA) or where I want sheer clean headroom. My Fender Super Bassman will cover those. Surprised at how loud this little sucker is, though. Nice to still be able to push those power tubes without killing everyone around me...
When you say 212AVs you mean two? That's quite a bit of horse power to be maxing out a rehearsal. Woo.
Had a big tonight at a yacht Club - 40th b'day party - took the V4B & NV412. Sounded great. Had it JUST on the break up point of the power tubes.
As great as it sounded. I'm still liking the Fender Bassman pro neo 115 tone more with this amp ( & the Super Bassman too btw). It's just got SOMETHING that I dig more. Maybe it's just that I like 15s...??? Dunno. But I always get more compliments on my tone and on how the BAND sounds, when I'm using the Neo 115 Bassman cab. Strange. Coz I LOVE my NV412! !
It just gets a real tubby, round sound when I've got the 115.
Darn it. If this keeps up I might have to get another matching Neo 115 Bassman cab. ......AGAIN! !
As great as it sounded. I'm still liking the Fender Bassman pro neo 115 tone more with this amp ( & the Super Bassman too btw). It's just got SOMETHING that I dig more. Maybe it's just that I like 15s...??? Dunno. But I always get more compliments on my tone and on how the BAND sounds, when I'm using the Neo 115 Bassman cab. Strange. Coz I LOVE my NV412! !
It just gets a real tubby, round sound when I've got the 115.
Darn it. If this keeps up I might have to get another matching Neo 115 Bassman cab. ......AGAIN! !
Just to be clear on something here for a tuber nuber:
If I take the Preamp Out of the back of my V-4B to run to a power amp, does it disconnect from the power section so that I can run with no cabs connected to the V-4B? No worries about the running-with-no-load thing?
If I take the Preamp Out of the back of my V-4B to run to a power amp, does it disconnect from the power section so that I can run with no cabs connected to the V-4B? No worries about the running-with-no-load thing?
NO!!! Do not do that. There are only a very few tube amps where you can do that.
So I gigged my V4B last night for the first time in a few months... Damn I love this amp! I ran a new to me 60's hotrod Pbass through it and it sounded unbelievable.
Set up the V4 as usual connected to the cabinet. Run a line from the pre-out to the higher power amp. The sound will come out of both the V4 speaker cabinet and the higher powered amp's cabinet.
There are ways to disable the V4's power amp. If you remove tube V3 or V4 for instance, no signal will be sent to the power tubes. I'd still leave the speaker cab connected to the V4B for safety reasons in case a spike gets induced in the power amp.
I've never tried this. It appears that if you inserted a shorting plug into the power amp in jack, it will disable the power amp and allow the pre-out to continue to work. A shorting plug is a ¼" plug with the tip and sleeve wired together. The tip is shorted to the sleeve, thus grounding the input.
- The speaker cabinet needs to be connected to the V4B. The power amp is still working, it just has a grounded input so nothing will come out of the V4B speakers.
- Turn off the amp, insert the shorting plug into the power amp in jack.
- Connect a cable between the pre-out and the external power amp.
- Turn on the V4B.
The pre-amp out will go to the external power amp. The V4B power amp should have no signal going to it so no sound will come out of the speaker cabinet.
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I guess my question is why would you want to? The V4B doesn't seem to be a great pre-amp choice - 41lbs and most of it's magic is in the power section?
Preamp's pretty magical too, though. I wouldn't try to split the two but it really is a good preamp.
Yeah, but I wouldn't lug that head around to get just the preamp. If you like the V4B, but need more power, I heard there's actually an amp out there with a very similar preamp, but with lots more power!
It's got all those outputs on the back and I was just wondering what they do and how, when and if I would use them. I'm just curious if it would work. I have a PF-500 as a 'backup' amp. I was going to experiment with using the V-4B as the pre and the PF-500 as the amp in case I needed more volume (running 2 of the 112AV's) or if something blew mid gig. I have not yet and don't expect to run across that situation, nor do I have any idea if the PF-500 is even any louder. I do use the I have a speaker level DI that I can use to go to FOH if needed, so I get all the yummy power section out. And yes, I know I could just hook of the PF-500 on it's own.
FWIW, I use the PF-500 and one of the 112 AVs for rehearsal, then the full rig goes to gigs. Works great!
