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Ampeg V4B Cab - Folded horn enclosure

#21
v4b.jpg


I wanted one for years, and finally found an empty one nearby on craigslist. I got new grill cloth put on, put in 2 original Altec 421A speakers, and it sounds amazing. I moved it once to use it at practice, and I'll probably never move it again unless we play a huge outdoor gig. They weigh a ton.

Chris
 
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#23
I really don't understand why the Ampeg factory stop produce this model I had one on 1980 ... for me it was the best bass amp at all time until up today and this Ampeg cabinet with 8/10 inches is too far from this old model ... V4B 2X15 Horn Cabinet Speaker is the best bass amp and I can't find Ampeg better then this model ...
Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum
Or they can't produce this model because of the 7027A tube?

36053_403858494265_830474265_4143975_7637981_n.jpg
 
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#24
Jose Amarante said:
I really don't understand why the Ampeg factory stop produce this model I had one on 1980 ... for me it was the best bass amp at all time until up today and this Ampeg cabinet with 8/10 inches is too far from this old model ... V4B 2X15 Horn Cabinet Speaker is the best bass amp and I can't find Ampeg better then this model ...
Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum
Or they can't produce this model because of the 7027A tube?

View attachment 896903
Click to expand...

Tastes changed. 4x10s with tweeters became popular as did bass playing styles that demanded snappy high end. Plus PAs got bigger and better so the need to fill the room from the stage diminished. It probably cost a lot more to ship those big heavy cabinets from Ampeg to the dealer than it did a couple 4x10s.

Or we can probably blame it on Geddy Lee who moved away from an 8x10 plus a V4B cabinet as his backline.

I really haven't kept track of tube production but it's likely that 7027As became scarce when everyone else was using 6550s, 6L6s and EL34s.
 
#25
Jose Amarante said:
I really don't understand why the Ampeg factory stop produce this model I had one on 1980 ... for me it was the best bass amp at all time until up today and this Ampeg cabinet with 8/10 inches is too far from this old model ... V4B 2X15 Horn Cabinet Speaker is the best bass amp and I can't find Ampeg better then this model ...
Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum
Or they can't produce this model because of the 7027A tube?

View attachment 896903
Click to expand...
When Magnavox sold Ampeg to MTI in 1979, MTI immediately discontinued every single Ampeg product except the SVT and 810, then tried to introduce new products that tanked. Then by the time that St. Louis Music started producing new Ampeg products besides the SVT and 810 in the early 90's, big giant folded horn 215's had fallen out of favor with the bass buying public.

There is some good news, though...Ampeg brought back the V4B in 2013, and even though it's not made with 7027a's or any of the other oddball tubes they used back then, to my ears the new ones sound just like the old ones, and they're 20 lbs lighter. They still haven't brought back the big 215 cab and it's doubtful they will, but at least you can get the heads again.
 
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#26
JimmyM said

When Magnavox sold Ampeg to MTI in 1979, MTI immediately discontinued every single Ampeg product except the SVT and 810, then tried to introduce new products that tanked. Then by the time that St. Louis Music started producing newAmpeg products besides the SVT and 810 in the early 90's, big giant folded horn 215's had fallen out of favor with the bass buying public.

There is some good news, though...Ampeg brought back the V4B in 2013, and even though it's not made with 7027a's or any of the other oddball tubes they used back then, to my ears the new ones sound just like the old ones, and they're 20 lbs lighter. They still haven't brought back the big 215 cab and it's doubtful they will, but at least you can get the heads again.

So it must be a good news ...
 
#28
I'm probably the biggest fan boy of the V4B cabinet on TB. I used one with an SVT head for more than 8 years of roadwork in the seventies. No roadies, no FOG usually, and a Hammond B3 for desert. For the style of music, funk and disco, mostly, it was awesome. The guys with the typical 810 rigs were always amazed at the tone.
Now here is what I know to be a false assumption by many. This cab was not some super subwoofer. What it did was shoot the low-mid chest thumping percussive tone into the room. Super focused. And yes The upper cutoff was about 1.5K, which actually was a good thing as it left room for the guitar a keys, spectrum wise.
Epilogue: I have had two back surgeries LOL.
 
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#30
I had a v4b cab with the original Altec 421a drivers, Wow! that thing was loud per watt.
I still have a mid seventies v4b but I greatly prefer it with a pair of the Ampeg 115's in studio with the very old option Altec Alnico 418 series II driver.
The trouble with folded horns are they sound a little bit boxy and can be quite boomy!, not what I want for my sound really.:)X
 
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#33
timv said:
The catalogs I have from 94 and 95 give some interesting info on the 810E also rating it at 350watts.
That's for another thread though...
Click to expand...
This is a good topic for sure. I thought the earliest 810e's had lower power handling too, but something Jerrold Tiers said on here years ago about them using 100w speakers as long as he could remember made me think that they were all 800w. Next time I get an early 810e on a road gig, I will turn the amp up all the way and see if it blows :D
 
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#34
I am using a mini Ampeg at home ( Ampeg SVT Micro Bundle )
I will wait until someday the Factory to produce a
20150216_024705.jpg
( Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum )

For those who never use the ( Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum) is okay to use a 8x10 cabinet but for those already
used a ( Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum) a 8x10 cabinet is nothing to compare is too from the ( Ampeg V4B 2x15 Folded Horn Cabinet Speaker Conundrum)
 
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#35
I used to play my Ripper (which is more a midrangey sort of bass) through an Acoustic 150 head into an Acoustic 301 cab (which is an 18" folded horn) and everyone who's heard it thinks it's a great combination.

That was my "small venue" amp and cab when I didn't want to bring my "big" rig - which was an Acoustic 360 stack.

Still got that old 301 cab. Nuff said? :)
 
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#36
JimmyM said:
This is a good topic for sure. I thought the earliest 810e's had lower power handling too, but something Jerrold Tiers said on here years ago about them using 100w speakers as long as he could remember made me think that they were all 800w. Next time I get an early 810e on a road gig, I will turn the amp up all the way and see if it blows :D
Click to expand...
That would be an interesting way to find out LOL!
I distinctly remember my 1976 SVT810 having 240 watts RMS on the jack plate. I used it with a 1976 V4B so I suppose there was little risk of blowing speakers. No matter what the rating said, still to this day the best tone I've ever gotten from my amp rig though!
 
#37
throbbinnut said:
Link Removed

I wanted one for years, and finally found an empty one nearby on craigslist. I got new grill cloth put on, put in 2 original Altec 421A speakers, and it sounds amazing. I moved it once to use it at practice, and I'll probably never move it again unless we play a huge outdoor gig. They weigh a ton.

Chris
Click to expand...
I had a single piece of wood under the front of mine. The Acoustic 360 had it. The original rubber feet would come off if you moved the cab an inch. :) These cabs look nice with grille cloth off. But you Ampegophiles would never go naked. :):):)
A Sunn 2000s head reeks serious havoc on top of a V4b cab.
 
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#38
Yes in 1980's I had a Acoustic too cuz that time I was still working in the night club ... but now I have a mini Acoustic at home and the mini Ampeg
 

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#39
johnpbass said:
That would be an interesting way to find out LOL!
I distinctly remember my 1976 SVT810 having 240 watts RMS on the jack plate. I used it with a 1976 V4B so I suppose there was little risk of blowing speakers. No matter what the rating said, still to this day the best tone I've ever gotten from my amp rig though!
Click to expand...
Yeah, well the early 810's are definitely low power handling, but I was talking about the 810e's made by SLM starting in the early 90's.
 

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