Ampeg V4B 70´s - Clean tone with loud volume its possible?

[patxianton]

Hi, This is my firts post. Im a bassist player from Navarra in North of Spain. First, sorry for my english, is quite bad...


Recently, i have bought an AMPEG V4B from the 70´s.

This afternoon i have been in my garage, trying it trough a peavey black widow cabinet wiht 1x15 + 2x10.

The amp has got a nice sound, but if i wanna play at loud volume, i have to increase the volume, and the amp begans to overdriven more and more...

I have been reading posts about the ampeg V4B, and all people says that sounds great, but if i wanna a CLEAN tone with LOUD volume, it´s possible?

Thanks a lot!!

 

[emblymouse]

Hi! My first amp wass a V4B bought new in the 70's. Long gone, but I considered it to be a clean tube sound. Now, loud is in the ear of the beholder. I don't know how loud you want to go but I'll bet fresh tubes would make a difference in at what point it starts breaking up. That amp is only 100 watts but it is a solid 100 watts I ran mine through a V-9 cabinet- 9 10's! Loud enough for me and the it kept up with the 50 watt Marshall it had to compete with.

 

[B-string]

Your ears won't bleed but that should be one loud amp. Used one for a long time with a 215 cab and clean volume was never an issue. The trouble may be the speaker cab?

 

[GregC]

Hi! My first amp wass a V4B bought new in the 70's. Long gone, but I considered it to be a clean tube sound. Now, loud is in the ear of the beholder. I don't know how loud you want to go but I'll bet fresh tubes would make a difference in at what point it starts breaking up. That amp is only 100 watts but it is a solid 100 watts I ran mine through a V-9 cabinet- 9 10's! Loud enough for me and the it kept up with the 50 watt Marshall it had to compete with.

I have one now, and I'd agree with you.

patx, welcome to TB! You can get pretty loud and clean with the head, it all depends on the cabinet(s) you're using.

 

[patxianton]

Your ears won't bleed but that should be one loud amp. Used one for a long time with a 215 cab and clean volume was never an issue. The trouble may be the speaker cab?

Maybe is a cab trouble I`ll try with ampeg cabinets... I had an ampeg V4BH 90´s and always sound enough clean and loud for me.. SVTCL its too much volume for me...

All the tubes are new, i put the tubes into the amp today, the previous owner kept out the tubes for the travel..

Maybe it´s bad connect any tube?

 

[patxianton]

I have one now, and I'd agree with you.

patx, welcome to TB! You can get pretty loud and clean with the head, it all depends on the cabinet(s) you're using.

Thanks Grec!

Ok, i´ll try with other cabinets. Here in a small city of Spain its difficult find and try vintage ampeg amps... Fender & Marshall Yes, but not ampegs..

 

[MIJ-VI]

Hi patxianton. Welcome to TB!

As a rule of thumb: a small amp + a big cab = a loud rig.

Going for a low mid growl instead of deep bass will yield more volume too.

 

[JimmyM]

Maybe is a cab trouble I`ll try with ampeg cabinets... I had an ampeg V4BH 90´s and always sound enough clean and loud for me.. SVTCL its too much volume for me...

All the tubes are new, i put the tubes into the amp today, the previous owner kept out the tubes for the travel..

Maybe it´s bad connect any tube?

maybe it needs biased. your cab rig isn't the loudest ever, but you should have at least as much clean volume as your v4bh.

 

[patxianton]

maybe it needs biased. your cab rig isn't the loudest ever, but you should have at least as much clean volume as your v4bh.

Ok, tomorrow morning i´ll leave the amp with a very good technical of amp tubes (he builts his own brand amp tubes and it was best authorizer dealer of ampeg several years in Spain)

 

[nysbob]

If you match it up with a pair of fairly efficient 15"s it will be mighty loud before it starts to break up.

 

[georgestrings]

If you match it up with a pair of fairly efficient 15"s it will be mighty loud before it starts to break up.

+1...


- georgestrings

 

[MIJ-VI]

V4B (and other older Ampeg models) schematics:
Invalid Link Removed

 

[johnk_10]

IMO an efficient 2x15, 4x12, or of course, an 8x10 cab can really put out alot of volume (and great tone) with a vintage V4. i like running mine best with two 15" JBL K140's.

 

[patxianton]

IMO an efficient 2x15, 4x12, or of course, an 8x10 cab can really put out alot of volume (and great tone) with a vintage V4. i like running mine best with two 15" JBL K140's.

Which 4x12 cab?

And an ampeg 4x10 HLF usa? I find other cab Ampeg 4x10 B40 from 70´s

 

[Cates]

Which 4x12 cab?

And an ampeg 4x10 HLF usa? I find other cab Ampeg 4x10 B40 from 70´s

The 4X12 that I would think to be preferable would be one of the vintage 4X12's that came with the V4(not to be confused with the V4B)...of course that could be hard to find. It would be easier for you to look for an 8X10. An ampeg 4X10 HLF should be fine though, if you don't want to get an 8X10.

 

[johnk_10]

the 410HLF works okay with it but isn't as loud as my 4x12 or 8x10 (of course). one nice thing about it though is that since the 410HLF has a lot of subs, you can cut the bass control a bit on the head, saving powerto use it for mid bass thru the upper frequencies.

the 4x12 i'm referring to is a vintage V4 guitar cab that i have, which i installed four eminence deltalite II 12's in it. its pretty efficient, has alot of speaker mass, is fairly light weight and packs quite a punch. in some cases, when you like a head's tone, but need a bit more output, modifying a cab with more efficient speakers or building one from scratch (like a fEarful 12126 or 151566) allows you to get more out of it than any other way. i would imagine that a 151566 would really crank with a 151566.

 

[cjSwygard]

I agree. With efficient speakers, the V4B really comes to life.
I bought my '72 V4B in 1973 with (2) V4B cabs - 2x15" (Altecs) folded horns.

I had to compete with a loud drummer, Hammond B3 & Leslie -miced thru a Fender Dual Showman, (guitars) Fender Twin Reverb,
& a Marshall "stack"(probably 50w). Back then, we played about everything from Deep Purple to Doobie Bros.

(I may be wrong but I think my cabs were 4ohms each - amp set for 2ohms[?].)

The sound was so deep and heavy that eventually my bandmates would only let me use 1 cabinet.

Also, there is some magic in the 3-way Mid selector (sort of a 3 position parametric).

I used to get complaints from bartenders. Bottles would literally vibrate off shelves and tables.

That amp served me well for 7 years - through the ToP, EWF, Chicago era - until I got a smaller setup for a stage monitor.

 

[rllefebv]

Can I pleeeezzzeee post a picture of my rig again??? Cool!

patxianton - If you can find an Ampeg V4 4X12 guitar cab and load it with the Eminence 2512s that johnk_10 mentions, I believe you'll be very happy! After a long wait, the right cab fell into my lap (empty even!)... Loaded it with speakers and was in heaven... Finally got to gig it with the band last week. Loud wasn't a problem

-robert

 

[Cates]

Can I pleeeezzzeee post a picture of my rig again??? Cool!

patxianton - If you can find an Ampeg V4 4X12 guitar cab and load it with the Eminence 2512s that johnk_10 mentions, I believe you'll be very happy! After a long wait, the right cab fell into my lap (empty even!)... Loaded it with speakers and was in heaven... Finally got to gig it with the band last week. Loud wasn't a problem

-robert

Man, I got that same exact rig and it is a BEAST. I don't know about what kinda speakers are in it, but the thing sounds gorgeous. There's just something great about tube-driven distortion.

 

[lazyone2]

Make sure the ohm setting in the back of the amp matches the ohms of the cabinet you are using. Also the biasing of the tubes might be off. I used mine with an old SVT 8x10 cab. Not enough volume was never sn issue in a small to medium club. I got to old and it got to heavy so I don't use it anymore. If anyone is interested in buying it , let me know.