• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

2013 Ampeg V-4B 100W Reissue

Status
Not open for further replies.
#223
Im just going to keep posting this question until Ampeg responds....

How does this new reissue compare to the original V4B at one end of the spectrum, and the V4BH at the other end of the spectrum in terms of usable volume, "muscle', "oomph", etc? is it the dynamo of 30+ years ago and suitable for loud rock, or is it more tame like the V4BH? The lighter weight has us wondering whether Ampeg has chosen to use smaller iron than the original and thereby lessening the brute force from that of the original... If its like the Original V4B, DAMN ARE WE EXCITED!!!.. if not, we'd like to have that info to factor in.

either way, Im sure its a great amp and am glad its going to be available, but Id like to know how this matches up so I can know if I need to set aside funds immediately for a "must have" amp, or if I should wait til I want to pick up an amp that I would love tonally, but may not hang with my needs onstage.
 
#224
There's a V4B thread on Ampeg's Facebook page where Ryan addresses that exact question...

"Infinite balls compared to the V-BH."

"The circuit is dead on and tone is all there."

Dino says the same thing in his video, except he doesn't compare it to the V4BH. Dino once told me the Heritage 810e was designed to sound as close as possible to the old flatback 810 from the early 70's, and sure enough, he was right. So I take what he says about it pretty seriously, regardless of his position in the company.
 
#227
JimmyM said:
There's a V4B thread on Ampeg's Facebook page where Ryan addresses that exact question...

"Infinite balls compared to the V-BH."

"The circuit is dead on and tone is all there."

Dino says the same thing in his video, except he doesn't compare it to the V4BH. Dino once told me the Heritage 810e was designed to sound as close as possible to the old flatback 810 from the early 70's, and sure enough, he was right. So I take what he says about it pretty seriously, regardless of his position in the company.
Click to expand...

I'll check that out Jimmy!
I heard the thing in the video about the circuit and tone being the same, but I'm sure you could nail the "circuit and tone" and still not have the "balls".. especially if they skimp on iron. if it is infinitely more than the V4BH, then that is a good sign!
 
#228
I think the V4BH came out at a time when SLM was trying to lure more than the Ampeg faithful into the fold. This time period also brought us the B series of amps, which were all about luring non-Ampeg fans to Ampeg. LOUD doesn't seem to give a crap about doing that. They still have the 450H and B2RE, but I think they only keep them because they still sell. The rest of their new stuff is totally designed to make trad Ampeg fans happy, so I see no reason why they wouldn't have nailed it with the new V4B. Anything less would be a step backward.
 
#229
WretchedExcess said:
So I'm scratching my head about this V4-B reissue. If you want an amp that's going to have all of the balls of the original, then it's going to have to run at really high plate voltages. There aren't any real 7027 in production today, all that we really have are 6L6 that aren't the equivalent of the 6L6 of yesteryear. And of course, that means they're not anywhere close to being a real 7027.

There haven't been any disclosures to indicate whether LOUD is being true to the original design with high plate voltages, or if they're taming the voltages down a bit in order to be easy on their choice of a less robust tube. The problem is that we might be looking at a lose-lose situation from an engineering standpoint.

If they're being true to the original design, with it's high B+ voltages, then their choice of 6L6 was just stupid, as the current production 6L6 aren't likely to last very long under those operating parameters. OTOH if they've chosen to lower the plate voltages to run the tubes under less strenuous operating conditions, then the result is going to be a less ballsy amp.

It's evident that they've given up on using real 7027, so they chose to change the tube specification. But what amazes me is that when they changed the tube specification, they decided to move DOWN a tube grade to a 6L6. What they should have done would have been to move UP a tube grade to a 6550. But doing that would require a circuit redesign, and the result would be a new amp rather than a reissue. Maybe the people who own the Ampeg name today aren't up to the challenge of engineering a new amp of this caliber from scratch. After all, the Ampeg name is now owned by Loud Technologies, which is colloquially known as the House of Crate.

If Ampeg were smart they would have chosen a tube that could easily handle the required operating parameters, like the 6550.

If they're taming the voltages to be easier on modern day 6L6, then IMO the amp isn't going to be much of a V4-B reissue, as the high voltages are what it takes to get the tone and power that earned the V4-B it's reputation.

I realize that I'm going to have to duck for cover as I say this, but I'm not at all excited about Loud Technologies bringing out a V4-B reissue that uses 6L6. I think it's going to be a disappointment. Depending on the voltages they used, it's going to be either a tube eater that will chew up and spit out 6L6, or it's going to be an emasculated poser that's designed to run on lesser tubes and will never reach the performance level of the original V4-B.

What they really should have done -- what I would have done if they hired me to engineer their new reissue -- would have been to design the V4-B to run on a pair of 6550 under operating conditions that are similar to having 1/3 of an SVT. Instead of doing that, the House of Crate just did a no-brains reissue of a circuit for which the required tubes aren't even available. In doing this, they chose to down-spec the output tubes to something that's not as good as what the original used.[/i]
Click to expand...

Interesting points. I would certainly look forward to Ampeg/Loud addressing these issues in this thread.
 
#230
The 7027 issue has been addressed very well in this thread already. Short of going back to 1971 in a time machine, you might as well forget about getting 7027's in a modern amp, because the 7027's made back then are not being made anymore.
 
#231
eyeballkid said:
Im just going to keep posting this question until Ampeg responds....

How does this new reissue compare to the original V4B at one end of the spectrum, and the V4BH at the other end of the spectrum in terms of usable volume, "muscle', "oomph", etc? is it the dynamo of 30+ years ago and suitable for loud rock, or is it more tame like the V4BH? The lighter weight has us wondering whether Ampeg has chosen to use smaller iron than the original and thereby lessening the brute force from that of the original... If its like the Original V4B, DAMN ARE WE EXCITED!!!.. if not, we'd like to have that info to factor in.

either way, Im sure its a great amp and am glad its going to be available, but Id like to know how this matches up so I can know if I need to set aside funds immediately for a "must have" amp, or if I should wait til I want to pick up an amp that I would love tonally, but may not hang with my needs onstage.
Click to expand...

I'm with you here EBK. :thumbup: I had a V4BH and while it was nice tonally, it gave up too early in the guts n headroom dept. for my needs.
 
#232
Well the lure of the V4B became too much to resist, and I've decided to buy one. I'm usually not an early adopter, but the guys at Ampeg have all said how much it sounds like the old ones and how it blows away the V4BH, and that was the original plan to get the V4B anyway till the Heritage lured me in.

I'll be damned if I let my wife get that horse, but I know it's going to cost me ;)
 
#233
JimmyM said:
Well the lure of the V4B became too much to resist, and I've decided to buy one.
Click to expand...

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTyKlG81qP6TeA5ONsbqDQzxbmyudlNDKyHaaR9nmxuQmN05Dyk1GbXoKd2.png
 
#237
I expect an honest review from you there Jimmy! (and Im sure I'll get it!)... btw do you have gig experience with the original?


ps... we all know Jimmy just made a phone call to ampeg and said "look guys, someone needs to give a trusted user review on this thing STAT!, and I'll gladly pay you Thursday for a reissue today...."
 
#238
JimmyM said:
Well the lure of the V4B became too much to resist, and I've decided to buy one. I'm usually not an early adopter, but the guys at Ampeg have all said how much it sounds like the old ones and how it blows away the V4BH, and that was the original plan to get the V4B anyway till the Heritage lured me in.

I'll be damned if I let my wife get that horse, but I know it's going to cost me ;)
Click to expand...

You're going to love the horse. :D:D
 
#239
eyeballkid said:
I expect an honest review from you there Jimmy! (and Im sure I'll get it!)... btw do you have gig experience with the original?

ps... we all know Jimmy just made a phone call to ampeg and said "look guys, someone needs to give a trusted user review on this thing STAT!, and I'll gladly pay you Thursday for a reissue today...."
Click to expand...
LOL!

In 1978 I bought my cousin's ex-husband's 73 V4B/810 and I used it till it got burned up in a bar fire in 88 or 89. So even though it's been about 25 years, I do have experience on it. I'll be happy to let anyone give me their vintage V4B to do a direct comparo with it, but so far that's worked out dismally for the SVT-CL I wanted to borrow to compare to my Heritage CL, and I expect it to go just as dismally with the V4B.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back