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All Tube Ampeg Heads

#61
What? V4-b Reissue

Why? Bought into the TalkBass hype (it was that damned JimmyM guy...) :)

There is a certain girth to this amp, regardless of which cabinet you play it through. To me it sounds like what a bass is supposed to sound like. YMMV.

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#64
iriegnome said:
Please, a SVT-2Pro rack mount.. Is 850 a ok price for them? Since I am looking at a bunch of CL's for about the same price, is there a big difference between the two??
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Not really much of a difference other than the extra drive knob and graphic (I never used either), and I'd say that's a reasonable price.
 
#65
coreyfyfe said:
The second question is much more specific than the first.

That aside, I have a few. A 1956 bassamp, 1961 R12R, 1965 B15N, 1970 V4, 1972 B25B, 1973 V4, and a 1974 SVT. I like the ampeg bax/mid EQ. I like having options of tube amps at a variety of wattages and output configurations to match to the gig. The bassamp has been my main practice amp at home lately, I had planned to sell it once I finished fixing it but I haven't quite finished with it yet so I still have it. The B15N is a classic, use it mainly at home and in the studio. The two V4s - one is being restored, one I frequently used until recently, love the flexibility. The SVT is the king. Great amp. Only being able to pair it with 4 ohm cabs makes it a little less versatile than the others.
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I have a 1959 Bassamp 835, just brought it in for restoration and speaker reconing. I have a late 70's B-15S (60 watt B-15) and have two late 70's SVT heads with early 70's flatback cabs with all original speakers. SVT's are the kings, built like tanks and last forever with proper maintenance and will knock a house over and sound thick and very present. Ampeg tube amps all have that sound, warm and thick with plenty of punch.
 
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#66
rodl2005 said:
I was gonna buy a SVT-VR as it was my fave of the bunch and still had a DI built in, but a reliable source on here recommended that I try the (then new) Fender Super Bassman (300w and all tube ) and from the 1st note I played I knew I'd made the right choice. Not that I wouldn't've been happy with a VR, but the Fender Super Bassman has 8/4/2 ohm switch- which suits me as I'll often use a single 8 ohm 115 with it- drive the amp harder and get those 6 sweet 6550 power tubes into their "sweet spot" without being terribly loud. ...
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If you use an 8 ohm cab with the switch in the 8 ohm position it is putting out it's maximum power anyway. The only way to get less power out of a tube amp is to mismatch the impedances which I would not recommend, for ex using an 8 ohm cab with the switch in the 4 or worse 2 ohm position, you'll if nothing else wear out your power tubes a lot faster and could cause a lot more damage. I ran an SVT head into an 8 ohm load (max 4 ohms with a tube SVT) for several years before I realized it and ruined a good set of tubes in the process.
 
#67
Plutonium244 said:
I know a feller who has a 70's V4B in good condition for sale near me for $550. Seems like a good deal. Thinking this one over, but already have a Super Bassman and PF-50T. Might be hard to pass up a good deal like that... that IS a good deal, right?
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Yes. I owned a 70's V4B head and never had any problems with it, those 6K11 tubes are still available used and NOS on ebay and are not a trouble spot in V4-B's and 7027A's are made brand new so i wouldn't worry about getting parts for one of those. If you are handy with electronics you could also do a cap job if it needs it, if it hums it would need it, but those are great sounding classic heads, I wouldn't be scared off if you can get one for 550 bucks.
 
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#69
JimmyM said:
You are absolutely right that the V4B is not just a smaller SVT. I can get the same sounds out of both, but the V4B is flat with knobs at noon and the SVT's aren't. Now the V4BH of the 90's and early 2000's, I'm told, IS a smaller SVT, but I haven't heard one for myself so I'm going by what others have said.
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I had an early 70's V4-B head years ago and restored so it was in good shape, it did sound a little different than an SVT, didn't sound as big, I preferred the SVT and only used it for really small gigs, was a cool amp though, wish i hadn't gotten rid of it especially with the prices they go for nowadays.
 
#70
Burwabit said:
Reissue V4B. SVT tone in a 40lb amp.
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Is it really? I'm not challenging you, I really want to know. I'm not the kind of guy who feels comfortable walking into a GC and cranking an amp up to club volume to see how it sounds. I love the SVT sound, but an actual SVT is just too much for me, both in weight and in power. I play 80% dive(ish) bars, and I'm old with a bad back.

I want an amp I can push up into the sweet zone without injuring myself and others.

Is it the V4B RI?
 
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#71
JimmyM said:
You are absolutely right that the V4B is not just a smaller SVT. I can get the same sounds out of both, but the V4B is flat with knobs at noon and the SVT's aren't. Now the V4BH of the 90's and early 2000's, I'm told, IS a smaller SVT, but I haven't heard one for myself so I'm going by what others have said.
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Guess I should have read further before asking. Still open to info, though
 
#80
bobyoung53 said:
If you use an 8 ohm cab with the switch in the 8 ohm position it is putting out it's maximum power anyway. The only way to get less power out of a tube amp is to mismatch the impedances which I would not recommend, for ex using an 8 ohm cab with the switch in the 4 or worse 2 ohm position, you'll if nothing else wear out your power tubes a lot faster and could cause a lot more damage. I ran an SVT head into an 8 ohm load (max 4 ohms with a tube SVT) for several years before I realized it and ruined a good set of tubes in the process.
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I think this is precisely Rod's point. He wants to be able to safely use an 8 ohm cab and the Fender Super Bassman will accommodate it while SVT is only 2 or 4 ohms ( I too ran an SVT head into an 8 ohm cab for several years before paying a penalty).
 
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