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RETRO 60'S AMPEG!!!SHOULD I BUY?!

C

Cates

Oct 30, 2009
59
0
www.myspace.com
#1
Sorry for the CAPS, but I just saw an unbelievable find today in my local music shop.

VINTAGE 1960's Ampeg Full Stack with a 100w tube amp head!

$700

I'm friggin going crazy right now. Is it a good deal? Should I buy it? There was an issue with tube oxidation they said they would be fixing tonight since they said they just got it in not too long ago.

The thing sounded absolutely gorgeous and the tone control was awesome for a setup that old.

Will I have to worry about repair problems and tube replacement down the road?

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
The person selling it might have been wrong...it could be a 70's setup for all I know because I'm not really seeing anything online from the 60's that looks like the setup I saw. It's definitely pre-80's though.

Ok, just checked a pic...definitely 70's.
 
#3
Cates said:
Sorry for the CAPS, but I just saw an unbelievable find today in my local music shop.

VINTAGE 1960's Ampeg Full Stack with a 100w tube amp head!

$700

I'm friggin going crazy right now. Is it a good deal? Should I buy it? There was an issue with tube oxidation they said they would be fixing tonight since they said they just got it in not too long ago.

The thing sounded absolutely gorgeous and the tone control was awesome for a setup that old.

Will I have to worry about repair problems and tube replacement down the road?
Click to expand...
Maybe, maybe not. Tube amps are funny that way.
 
#4
Cates said:
Sorry for the CAPS, but I just saw an unbelievable find today in my local music shop.

VINTAGE 1960's Ampeg Full Stack with a 100w tube amp head!

$700

I'm friggin going crazy right now. Is it a good deal? Should I buy it? There was an issue with tube oxidation they said they would be fixing tonight since they said they just got it in not too long ago.

The thing sounded absolutely gorgeous and the tone control was awesome for a setup that old.

Will I have to worry about repair problems and tube replacement down the road?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

theres someone by me on CL selling a late 70s stack for 1500. so... sounds good to me.
 
#5
What do you mean by full stack? What is the model of the head?

If it's a 70's 100 watter then it's most likely a V4 or V4B. If it's a V4 and it has two cabs those are probably the two original 4x12 cabs. If it's a V4B is it an 8x10 or a 2x15?

As far as maintenance, it will probably need a cap job (around $200-250 for a V4), and there may be other issues depending on how well it was treated by previous owners.
 
#7
coreyfyfe said:
What do you mean by full stack? What is the model of the head?

If it's a 70's 100 watter then it's most likely a V4 or V4B. If it's a V4 and it has two cabs those are probably the two original 4x12 cabs. If it's a V4B is it an 8x10 or a 2x15?

As far as maintenance, it will probably need a cap job (around $200-250 for a V4), and there may be other issues depending on how well it was treated by previous owners.
Click to expand...

Now that I think about it, it's probably just one 4X12...I'm second-guessing myself now, but it's either a 4X12 or an 8X10...either way, it's loud enough for what I need. And yeah, V4 sounds about right. It was only connected to one cab. What is a cap job and why will it/might it need one? Would that be something I would have to get right away or get down the road depending on if it has any problems?
 
#9
If its a V4 or V4B in very clean shape with a nice clean original cab I'd say that's a pretty nice deal. Especially if its a local small mom 'n pop shop (support local businesses!) I saw an original V4B with different year but original cab for 1000 at my local music store last summer. It sounded like a mystical forest of everything holy. I think they ended up selling it apart for something like $900. You can get very clean early 70's V4 or V4B heads for $500-$600ish on ebay (even lower I'd say - its usually hard to price when there are 3 of them at a time and usually everyone overprices them, like SVTs)...and they cabs are so big and brutal people usually price them to sell.

I'd say, what matters is the condition, model, and model year. If it's early to mid 70's, pretty clean, and the V4/V4B...go for it.
 
#14
Cates said:
Now that I think about it, it's probably just one 4X12...I'm second-guessing myself now, but it's either a 4X12 or an 8X10...either way, it's loud enough for what I need. And yeah, V4 sounds about right. It was only connected to one cab. What is a cap job and why will it/might it need one? Would that be something I would have to get right away or get down the road depending on if it has any problems?
Click to expand...

The power capacitors deteriorate and cause hum. They weren't really designed to last for decades.
Only an urgent upgrade if you want to sound good. :D
 
#15
vin*tone said:
The power capacitors deteriorate and cause hum. They weren't really designed to last for decades.
Only an urgent upgrade if you want to sound good. :D
Click to expand...

There was a LITTLE bit of hum, but it was nothing too distracting. Plus, I play with my trebble set on "9" (out of 10) anyway, so I'm used to a little hum.

As for the "lasting for decades" thing, the storekeeper said that the amp had been worked on "recently"and the tubes had been replaced.

I dunno...I'll take a much closer listen to it tomorrow.
 
#16
Here:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

If it sounds good as-is then they could be fine. Re-cap it as a birthday present for yourself one day. I did it to my B15 and was a huuuuuge improvement.

Hum can be kinda like having a stone in your shoe- you get used to it but when you finally get rid of it you realise how irritating it was.
 
#17
brian nec said:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
this is one for sale by me if you want to compare. to rich for my blood...
Click to expand...


Cates said:
Thanks but no thanks...

The main reason I'm considering getting this amp setup is because of the price. If I was going to be spending more than 1K I would have bought a carvin 1200W with an 810 by now.
Click to expand...

Cates, He just posted that link so you could tell us if it looks like the model your buying...
 
#19
anderbass said:
Cates, He just posted that link so you could tell us if it looks like the model your buying...
Click to expand...

Ohhhhh...gotcha lol

Yes, it looks a lot like the setup I was playing through.

I can't remember how high the cab was though...I'm pretty sure it was about 4' tall, and with the grill cloth color being sort of silver...did they have 810s that looked like that in the 70's? It could have been a 610 now that I think about it...it did seem too short to be an 810 and too tall to be a 412...oh well, I won't know till tomorrow.

I heard the V4 412s can be used for both guitar and bass, is that true?
 
#20
Cates said:
I can't remember how high the cab was though...I'm pretty sure it was about 4' tall, and with the grill cloth color being sort of silver...did they have 810s that looked like that in the 70's? It could have been a 610 now that I think about it...it did seem too short to be an 810 and too tall to be a 412...oh well, I won't know till tomorrow.

I heard the V4 412s can be used for both guitar and bass, is that true?
Click to expand...

They certainly did have 8x10s like that. Was it completely square or did it have an angled back with the towel bar handle? If it's a 6x10 it would be the newer AV series, that's the only ampeg 6x10 I know of that came stock with silver grill cloth. The V4 2x15 cab would be really deep, like deeper than a normal 8x10 would be, so you'd probably notice that. The early 70s ampeg 8x10s were about 46.5 inches in height, so four feet is about right, could be that. If it is, I'd say go for it. I paid $850 all together for my head and cab (bought separately).

If it is a 4x12 then yes they can be used for both guitar and bass.
 

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