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2013 Ampeg V-4B 100W Reissue Pt2

#2,741
M4verick said:
I strongly consider getting this head as I wanted sth from Ampeg for a long time.

I know the amp is made in china (and it's all tubes). Are there any known problems with the head ? Is it reliable ?

To get it i'd need to sell all my gear so it will be my main amp for a while.
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Let's put it this way...I once dropped mine from over 3 ft onto my concrete garage floor, and the only thing that happened to it is it broke a preamp tube and scratched the tolex a little. I've had it for 2 1/2 years and haven't had any other problems with it in that time. That said, tubes will go out on you from time to time, but that's just the way it is. The amp itself, though, is solid.
 
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#2,742
Thanks for your replies. Jimmy, your posts ere probably the biggest factor which convenced me to try ampeg ;)

Last question is about the Power, as I'm a mesa D-800 owner (500w ss) and I have owned Hartke 3500 in the past. Both amps were enough for me needs.

How would you compare 100W tube amp to 500W ss in terms of loudness ?
 
#2,743
M4verick said:
Thanks for your replies. Jimmy, your posts ere probably the biggest factor which convenced me to try ampeg ;)

Last question is about the Power, as I'm a mesa D-800 owner (500w ss) and I have owned Hartke 3500 in the past. Both amps were enough for me needs.

How would you compare 100W tube amp to 500W ss in terms of loudness ?
Click to expand...

IME most tube amps in real world usage can perform like SS of higher power, but you simply can't expect anywhere near the same clean SPL from an amp that has 1/5 the power of another, nor the headroom.
 
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#2,744
M4verick said:
Thanks for your replies. Jimmy, your posts ere probably the biggest factor which convenced me to try ampeg ;)

Last question is about the Power, as I'm a mesa D-800 owner (500w ss) and I have owned Hartke 3500 in the past. Both amps were enough for me needs.

How would you compare 100W tube amp to 500W ss in terms of loudness ?
Click to expand...

One Drop said:
IME most tube amps in real world usage can perform like SS of higher power, but you simply can't expect anywhere near the same clean SPL from an amp that has 1/5 the power of another, nor the headroom.
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I agree totally with One Drop. The V4B will get louder than most 100w SS amps, but only because its transition from clean to crunch is more subtle and easier on the ears. Watts are watts, though, and a 500w amp will always be louder. That said, the V4B ain't a quiet amp by any means. But if you're looking for sheer loudness out of a tube amp, get an SVT.
 
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#2,747
Ok, here's the crappy cell phone jam room shot.
 

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#2,753
BassGreaser said:
How did it sound on that big stage?
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It sounded effin awesome!
You probly can't see where my controls on the amp are set. ..photobuckit... aren't great at repro quality. ...
But I had it set with the Master Volume at about 9 o'clock & the Gain up around 3 o'clock. . Wanted some grind whew I dug in. Had the bass's volume set at about 8/10 and would turn it up when I wanted the grind.
Very growly and warm. And clean when I backed off. ..dirty when I wound up!
Fantastic!
 
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#2,754
After spending maybe close to a year with my mint V-4BH and loving it I've been looking for a 100watter (or less) for home mostly. After a lot of looking, reading and asking questions I finally decided and pulled the trigger on the V-4B VR. I made a crazy bid on a referb from Ampeg and they said no to and came down a few bucks. Very few. A week later I talked with them again and explained my logic for the offer and they met me almost there so I'm very happy with the deal I got. It has a small blemish (I didn't anticipate) in the tolex on the top to the back, but unless you're looking for a flaw you'd never notice it.

I received it yesterday and and have played a little at home. It sounds good to me. A little more aggressive than the V-4BH. But that has Ruby's in it verses the JJs, and I think the pre on the BH is more like an SVT in that as Jimmy said 12 noon isn't exactly flat. (I tried his "true flat" setting on the BH, and I think the ole boy knows them tone machines a right smart amount!) The BH actually has a sweeter sound in that it's a little more smooth. I don't have the BH at home so I can't A/B them now. The test for the V-4B will be tomorrow and not in the basement where nothing ever sounds that full or good.
 
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#2,756
Thanks. Now I'm in "need" of a really, really warm and full cab w/more than one speaker. At home in the finished basement everything sounds kind of small and harsh. So I'm open to suggestions anyone may have.

I really like the looks of the Ampeg 212 VR--but the specs looks lesser in the low end than the SVT 112HE I got rid of. It wasn't much in the lows and had an upper mid hump that was just unpleasant and honky sounding. Best thing I ever did was get rid of that and get a used EBS 212. Wow! What a difference. But finding the prolines used are almost unheard of. But I surely like the idea of the cab matching if possible.
 
#2,759
I was very, very pleasantly surprised when I took my ri-V4B to my monthly, large biker bar gig where I usually use either my GK MB800 but more often now my Peavey MM1000. Either of these amps' into my Gen 2, BF BT-T and any of my active J5's or passive Am St P5 just fills this room with no PA support. So I took the V4B to hookup first time at this place into this awesome 4ohm cab. I have been using my MM1000 more frequently so it was in its bag on stage ready to change out if I got buried by our loud, tubed up gitard as sometimes happen as the nite goes on.

As I said, I was very impressed by what I was getting out of the 100W, V4B, even gitard said he liked what he heard. This tells me that I'm always fretting about needing 800-1000+ watts at these rooms that we gig. Which tells me I don't need as much power as I felt I do. And it especially tells me that the 100W V4B will cover these same gigs that I do with my 800-1000w amps. Very cool.

If I wasn't so lazy to carry the V4B to gigs as easy as it is to take my much lighter, smaller more powerful micro-amps, I'd known sooner that it's capable of doing way more of my gigs.

Now, I've been good about loading the V4B into back of my SUV, expecting to use the MM1000. When I see that the load in to the venue is easier than I expected, I go ahead and haul out the heavier, V4B with either the BF cab and lately the Ampeg 112AV at lower volume gigs. I haven't used the 212AV in some time but need to drag it out more often. But it's so cool to hear the V4B even out of the 112AV and next 2-3 gigs will be just that rig as they are lower volume gigs. But I know the V4B can do much more when I need it to. And the more I carry it, the less so damn heave it feels to me now, knowing that it's going to sound and just look so cool. :bassist: I will post a pic of the V4B+112AV rig soon. Gitarders just drool over the way this little rig looks and sounds.
 
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