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Ampeg B410 Head- Why so obscure?

I

IHeartAmpeg

Feb 10, 2009
41
1
Knoxville, TN
Disclosures
4 strings are all I need
#1
OK, so I've just bought an Ampeg B410 head off a mandolin player via Craigslist. He said he's received more argumentative mail over this thing than anything he's placed on Craigslist. I think I know why.

First, What's a mandolin player doing with Ampeg anything?

It's an extra wide, carpeted head. Odd. Model # screenprinted on it is B410, and on back panel, B115 and B410 is printed by power cable. Standard 2 channel, high/mid/low pots, rocker switches for output ranges, and for ultra-hi.

Why can't I find mention of this thing anywhere in the Ampeg archives, Google searches, etc.? Was it just one half of a 4x10 combo? Why is it so wide it would fit well atop a 4x12? Anyway, I own it now and had to find out if any BassTalk'ers can enlighten me. BTW, it sounds pretty damned good running the 4x10.
 
#3
If it's the one I'm thinking of, the B410 and B115 were combo amps in the 70's which later became separate heads/cabs. The head/cab 4x10 version was model# B40 (I have the B40 cab). They originally came tolexed and the heads were wide to fit on the wide cab. If you check out the ampeg book there some information in there which is what I'm basing my recollections on.
 
#4
RickenBoogie,
Yeah, it's just a head. It is way wider than any other head I've seen (by about 4-5 inches). The model # on the face (and back panel) is "B 410".

By all Ampeg searches I've done, they have reserved that model name for a cabinet. "Part of a broken up combo" is my best guess so far.
 
#7
kosmicwizard said:
Cool. Is it all tube? Can it drive a 4x10 and a 1x15 at the same time?
Click to expand...

Well, kinda cool. It's a SS amp. No tubes. :crying: I got it as a practice/backup amp. Thing is, it is very clear, loud and unmistakably Ampeg.

It's driving a 4x10 cab rated for a 4 ohm 300w load, and it honestly fills it up with the Low Output Channel (Ch1) Vol. set at about 3.

btw, I got it for $200.
 
#8
Google turned up this pic of a G410 (same amp with guitar-centered eq points/speakers)

close up:
ampeg_g410-panel-sm.jpg


full body:
ampeg_g410.jpg
 
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#11
Ah ha! I'll confirm existence of this mystery Ampeg in combo form.
I have one lurking down at the studio.

I think it's labeled Ampeg B410 also, but it's an actual 4x10 combo.

Photo to follow, in the meantime.. here's a music video in which it stars.
(that's my lady on the horse)

Link Removed

First up, it's really WIDE and heavy.
It has tiltback wheels like the Ampeg 8x10 and rat fur. It has roughly the same two channel topography as the original SVT eg... rockers, bright switch and mid Q select, however no bass Q rocker.

I was given it by a local backline company as it's too obscure too offer to touring artists and they'd got plenty of use out of it over the years.

They too had tried and failed to date & identify the mystery amp??

The person who designed this preamp must have been fairly clever.
IMHO it's a really, really good approximation of the SVT sound despite its solid state genes. As you turn up the input gain I swear it starts to get a lot more aggressive. I've noticed it really shines with bass fuzz!!

I have an SVT VR and this is the amp I use for small gigs and rehearsals. The wide nature of the cab build makes for great projection onstage. Would love to know wattage and what speakers are in it. There's an output jack for an additional cabinet too.

Rob
 
#12
Just received a PDF of the orig. owner's manual and spec pg. that came with this one...

120w RMS into an 8ohm load
Same guts popped into the B40, B115, and B410.
Only the B40 is shown with a removable, separate head, even though I have physical evidence now that the B410 (and thus, probably the B115) were made as removable, separate heads.

I'm playing this head through a 4ohm cab rated for 300w, and well, it's really nice and efficient. Only a whisper for output until you hit the 9 o' clock position w/ the volume, then, oh yeah, it really gets fun around the 10 and 11 o'clock positions.
 
#13
HeroesofAlma-
Thanks! It was nice to see one alive, doing what it does best. Great video, too.
As wide as this one is, I could only imagine that the combo would be in a backbreaker cab.
Maybe it's considered the physical trainer for SVT ownership.

I'm now trying to dial in on the date of mfr., since the ser# was printed on a sticker, of which now only the backing remains. I'm kind of hoping the numbers stamped into the power cord hangers have significance. There are factory stickers all over this thing, even the power specs have tiny stickers to update the thing from the screenprinted 2 amps to 3.2.
 
#14
From the Loudtech Ampeg specialist corresponding w/me...

"Sadly, since the B410 was produced from 1973 to 1979 (the Selmer/Magnavox era), there were very few changes to that unit, and to Solid State amps in general."

This, along with identification irregularities from Ampeg, makes identifying the models very difficult.
 
#15
Notice the similarities to the G410 panel...

head01.gif


head02.gif


The factory sticker-updated the rear panel to death...

head07.gif

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Note the rocker switches and 3Q ranges...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Finally, from the manual...
B410-B115_detail.gif
 
#17
I've had it since the 80's. Mine is not originally a separate head - I broke apart my combo. The piggyback outfits were probably made available at the end of the production run. I can't remember how I managed to sell off the orphaned cab ( I must have sawed the top part off and carpeted over the wounds?) and keep the naked head, but I do know this: this amp answered the question "how big is too big for a combo amp?"

I've had Acoustic 370 and SVT before and those are no foolin - you need a van, But this one was just small enough to fool ya. :hiding:

It was a horrible thing to lug around without a van. Break it in 2 and it's a whole new ball game.

I now have the head and I need to make a cabinet for it. Edges are too sharp.
 
#18
I landed me a B-410 combo, dating to 1979 I believe, and it's awesome! A tall beast with fuzzy carpet exterior and tilt-back wheels. I took it out last weekend and it sounded great with my active 1980 Fender Precision Special bass. It got snarly and broke up real nice as turned
20150911_213312.jpg
20150817_083347.jpg
up. It's unmistakable Ampeg tone, although solid state. My new favourite amp!
 
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#19
When I last used the Ampeg B-410 I used it with a DI box. Next gig, I'd like to line out but unsure which jack to connect to. There are two on the rear right that read...
2015-09-18 06.25.02.jpg
20150816_165347.jpg
EXT. AMP. 600 OHM, and one on the rear right which is unmarked. Please help. Thanks!
 
#20
coreyfyfe said:
If it's the one I'm thinking of, the B410 and B115 were combo amps in the 70's which later became separate heads/cabs. The head/cab 4x10 version was model# B40 (I have the B40 cab). They originally came tolexed and the heads were wide to fit on the wide cab. If you check out the ampeg book there some information in there which is what I'm basing my recollections on.
Click to expand...

I too have a B40 cab, but mine is covered in the black rat fur from the factory. V4 / V4B heads fit on it perfectly.
 

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