Ampeg V4 OR GK 800RB + VT Bass

[XsoGol]

Here's my dilemma...

I have a bead on a great used V4 (not a V4B) for cheap and I'm REALLY jonesing to get that tubey tone with my PBass or Thunderbird (I'm looking for a Martin Turner/Dave Hope/John Glascock-ish (that doesn't sound right....) type of rock tone...I play predominantly with a pick).

I already have a GK 800RB which I love, but does not do the tube thing so well (obviously). Would the SansAmp VT Bass pedal get me "close enough" to the tube tone I'm looking for or should I snap up the V4?

Thanks!

 

[paganjack]

it depends how 'close enough' you want to get...

if it were me i would get the V4, A/B them, then decide for real. the main difference between the V4 and the V4B is that the V4 has a reverb circuit, and maybe the tone controls are a little different [i think]

 

[RickenBoogie]

+1 If at all possible, try both amps side by side. Otherwise, it's a crapshoot whether a pedal will make you happy.

 

[XsoGol]

+1 If at all possible, try both amps side by side. Otherwise, it's a crapshoot whether a pedal will make you happy.

Good point. I will try to see if the store I can get the V4 from also has a VT Bass I could try.

 

[JimmyM]

I love the VT, but no matter how good it is, it's still a stompbox and just doesn't compare to a tube amp while you're playing, so I'm back to using tube amps just because I love the interaction with the tubes. Maybe it's not important to you, so yeah, your GK + VT would be the second best thing to an all-tube Ampeg. All depends on what's important to you.

 

[dubstylee]

Two Words: V 4

After owning this amp, I will never own another solid-state amplifier. I love the way it sounds, and in my opinion nothing can duplicate it.

 

[XsoGol]

Will a V4 sound as good/work as well as a V4B for bass? Is the difference just the reverb and slightly higher voicing?

 

[JimmyM]

Will a V4 sound as good/work as well as a V4B for bass? Is the difference just the reverb and slightly higher voicing?

That's pretty much it. The EQ points on the V4 are better for guitar.

 

[karter2000]

I have a nice old V4, and it works great for bass. Most of the techs I've talked to said that there is little difference between the V4 and V4B, even factoring in the different eq points.

I would certainly vote V4.

Lyle

 

[CrackBass]

GK 800rb + VT bass = great tone and fairly tubish, but it's not going to exactly emulate an all tube head.

 

[Rugaar]

I've compared my V4 to a friend's V4-B. The differences were negligible at best.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[coreyfyfe]

That's pretty much it. The EQ points on the V4 are better for guitar.

They aren't even that much different. The mid selector on the V4 is 300/1000/3000, on the V4B its 250/800/2500, and I would assume the bass and treble controls are also centered on similar frequencies.

 

[JimmyM]

They aren't even that much different. The mid selector on the V4 is 300/1000/3000, on the V4B its 250/800/2500, and I would assume the bass and treble controls are also centered on similar frequencies.

Gotta tell you...being able to select 800 is pretty important to me. 1000 is the gank frequency for bass, IMHO. Unfortunately, that's the one thing about my 69 SVT that the newer ones improve upon.

 

[johnk_10]

"They aren't even that much different. The mid selector on the V4 is 300/1000/3000, on the V4B its 250/800/2500, and I would assume the bass and treble controls are also centered on similar frequencies."

on my V4 and V4B, they both have a mid select switch that says 300/1000/3000.

on my 1970 V4, above the switch it just says "1 2 3". without the lo switch engaged on the V4B (and i never use it anyway), its almost impossible to tell one from the other.

 

[joeydavidson]

I use a VT and GK and it does sound very very close to a tube ampeg when going through my ampeg cab, but like Jimmy said the VT is second best to an all-tube Ampeg

 

[troyus]

The only thing better than a V4 if a full blown SVT!

And yeah as said, the mid selector doesn't have much impact if you don't use the "lo" toggle... which you probably will not.

 

[pedro]

Gotta tell you...being able to select 800 is pretty important to me. 1000 is the gank frequency for bass, IMHO. Unfortunately, that's the one thing about my 69 SVT that the newer ones improve upon.

I wish I knew stuff like that. I just randomly push buttons 'till I get a sound I like. Would be better if I had some idea of what I was doing.

 

[lbwdog]

I wish I knew stuff like that. I just randomly push buttons 'till I get a sound I like. Would be better if I had some idea of what I was doing.

Probably not!!...The bottom line is how it sounds, isn't it?

 

[Freddels]

I have a V4 and the difference b/w the V4 and V4B is that the V4 has reverb (but you don't have to use it).

I also have two SVT-II (non-pro)'s and that is where you'll get the better tube tone that I believe you're looking for.

 

[coreyfyfe]

"They aren't even that much different. The mid selector on the V4 is 300/1000/3000, on the V4B its 250/800/2500, and I would assume the bass and treble controls are also centered on similar frequencies."

on my V4 and V4B, they both have a mid select switch that says 300/1000/3000.

on my 1970 V4, above the switch it just says "1 2 3". without the lo switch engaged on the V4B (and i never use it anyway), its almost impossible to tell one from the other.

My V4 is 300/1000/3000 as well. I got my numbers from the manual on ampegv4.com.