Ampeg V4 Purchase in the Works - Head + Matching Cabinet

[whoatherechunk]

Alright so I'm totally stoked to get this bad boy. Problem is I live in El Paso and this is on the west coast. Good thing is my friend is gonna test it out and let me know how it is. I will most likely buy it anyways because it's a steal at $700 (what do you guys think). Anyways, I would like to know about the cabinet. How many variations of V4 cabs have there been? I know that that V4's have variations with the Ampeg face plate and whether it has reverb or not. This one does not have a face plate and does have reverb. Thing is I also want to use this as a guitar rig so I'm totally stoked. Neat thing is......I can also use it as another bass head . Gonna have my Boogie 400+ and hopefully this!

Any comments/suggestions.....run them my way!

 

[JimmyM]

I think it would kick. Not sure $700 is a steal but it's not bad. Great head, and could probably do double duty well.

 

[johnk_10]

i think that its a good deal if the amp doesn't require any major repairs. and even if it does, they are great amps and IMO, always worth investing in as they just don't make amps like they used to.

 

[whoatherechunk]

hey......the two guys i was hoping that would comment on this! thanks guys!

johnkk: i'll have to ask you on tips on how to properly retolex one of these babies

 

[johnk_10]

hey......the two guys i was hoping that would comment on this! thanks guys!

johnkk: i'll have to ask you on tips on how to properly retolex one of these babies

okie dokie.

for starters, on both the head and the cab, the proper way is to make one piece of tolex wrap all the way around the sides and slightly overlap on the right side of the bottom. then, on the speaker cab, a single piece is applied to the back. since the low profile Ampeg tolex from the '60's-'70's isn't available anymore, i use Marshall black levant tolex. it is the thinnest, has the lowest profile of the modern stuff and is the closest tolex to the vintage stuff right now. i believe that Bruce at fliptops uses the same tolex. i bought a yard of his tolex to compare it to the Marshall levant tolex that i get wholesale and it is an exact match.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Looks like the cab has been regrilled at one point, as it's black and not silver. That's the same head I have though, never had a badge (no holes drilled for one), an all around great amp. I'd say $700 is a good price with a cab. The reverb on these is pretty sweet too.

As far as variations on the cabs, I believe the V4 came with a 4x12 and the V4B a 2x15. Not sure if they made a bass 4x12? Johnk might know more about that.

I use mine with a B40 cab (originally matched with the B40 head), which is pretty much the flatback 8x10 cut in half.

 

[whoatherechunk]

I was thinking the same thing about the cabinet. It looked a bit awkward to me but eh....maybe I can regrill it in the future. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[spectorbass83]

Awesome deal! And let me just say from personal experience that this set up just plain SMOKES as a bass rig and a guitar rig. I used the V4 with an Eden 4x10XLT and an Ampeg 4x10 HLF both sounded incredible.

 

[whoatherechunk]

Thanks spector,

Yeah I'm totally planning on using this as a guitar rig as well! I'm going QOTSA style!

 

[spectorbass83]

Thanks spector,

Yeah I'm totally planning on using this as a guitar rig as well! I'm going QOTSA style!

Very nice!
That set up should be perfect for achieving that sound.

 

[whoatherechunk]

it's all mine! a friend checked it out in LA and he says it's killer. i'm gonna go retrieve it in a month! in the mean time it's gonna be in poor ole storage

 

[Chris V.]

Colour me jealous.


But congratulations, man. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[chaseth]

I just purchased a vt-22 which is the combo version of the v4. Its pretty beat up and but electronically its been tooled up and put to specs. I am trying to find out how to cosmetically put it back in order. does anyone know a resource they can point me in, in how to replace tolex/grill cloth?

 

[whoatherechunk]

ask johnk. he posted on this thread....and knows a bunch about these amps.

 

[whoatherechunk]

alright guys i finally picked this baby up. as a guitar rig....it absolutely kills. time to test it with my bass stuff!

 

[rodl2005]

Congrats Chunk!!! Killer amp-hows the cab>? What spkr/s are in it??
btw- where'dya get that pic for yr Avatar?? I sear it looks JUST like My Great Grandpa! Seriously! My family are decendants of the orig. inhabitants of Tasmania -pre Euro colonization.. .. . . . . . . . . .

 

[whoatherechunk]

rodl2005: the head is killer and the cab is great (guitar wise). i have not tested my bass gear since it is at my drummers house. as for the speakers if anyone can help telling me how to take off the back cabinet piece or whatever method to get to the speakers....that would be great.

as for the avatar, it's socrates. i'm greek .

 

[johnk_10]

the grill cloth panel is held on with four plastic hook & loop fasteners at the corners, so you access them from the front. i use a small blade screwdriver and gently pry it at the two top metal corners (so it doesn't dig into the wood), and then pop it off the bottom.

here's a pic with the grill removed:

 

[sedan_dad]

Anyways, I would like to know about the cabinet. How many variations of V4 cabs have there been?

Thats the thing I really miss about Ampeg.
In the 70's there were no variations of a model.
The model name ment something. When you said you used a SVT head and bottom there was no question as to what you were talking about.Same with a V-4 stack.
SVT head= 300 watt all tube SVT
SVT cabinet= the 810 fridge
V4= 100 watt tube guitar head
V4 cabinet= 4x12 guitar cabinet
V4B =100 watt all tube bass head
V4B cab= 2x15 in a folded horn
and so on V9, V22 what have you.
Look at the old 1973 catalog from Ampeg.

 

[johnk_10]

i'm greek .

i'm greek too!