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The Ampeg V4B

#41
Vintage V-4B's came with 7027 tubes... similar to 6L6 in power; just slightly different sounding w/ more headroom. I had such a head and the unique voicing of the odd pre-amp and power tubes made for a very great bass amp. V-4B did not come with Distortion or Master Volume... but the V-4 (guitar amp) did.

There was a Master Volume plug-in accessory (one for solid state amps, another for tube amps) that is very cool. It does add some overdrive tone when cranking the pre-amp, but my best use is with an SVT in the studio... turning the master volume down until you don't hear any power amp idle noise through the speakers makes for a great mic sound (and dead quiet when not playing).

All V Series amps came with 7027 tubes, but an upgrade kit was available to allow use of 6550 tubes. This mod is recommended if more power is your thing, but V Series amps are very loud in stock form. The 6550 mod is not very expensive and relatively easy for experienced techs.
 
#42
I had that set-up for awhile .... it's a nice sounding rig till you go past 10:30/11:00 on the volume, then it's grit/distortion, big time ... if your playing in a loud metal band with no P.A.support, then the V4-B will disappoint, but if you like a rich tone with just a hint of grit, this set-up is just the ticket, if you like hauling around a large rig ... if really loud is you thing ...... a properly set up SVT head and a 810 will deliver the volume

7636907178_609c13e800.jpg

Ampeg V4-B by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr
 
#43
Pills Are Yummy said:
Perhaps i'm not being clear enough. it's modded for master volume, so now it has headroom
Click to expand...

Master volume mod won't do a thing for headroom. The only thing it will do is let you get more grit from the preamp section at LOWER volumes. It's no different from guitar amps. They crank the input gain (in your case, the volume) and lower the master volume. That just pours signal, and thus voltage, into the preamp tubes allowing you to get distortion at lower volumes. But, again, it will do NOTHING for "more headroom", or even louder volumes for CLEAN tone.

All that being said, the V4 is the strongest 100W amp I have ever seen. I used mine with a sound company's backline Ampeg 8-10 and it KILLED. We were on a HUGE stage outdoors and had no subs out front. It KILLED for that show. Unless your guitar players are stupid loud (and I really mean STUPID loud) then it should sound amazing at plenty loud volumes. If your guitar players ARE loud enough to drown out that amp, then they are idiots and should be beaten repeatedly with heavy, hard, cheap, blunt objects.

Now, with all THAT being said, don't buy the thing if you can't try it out at a place where you can open it up and see (hear) what it can do. I bet you'll be very surprised at how loud it will get.
 
#44
RobbieNuke said:
Vintage V-4B's came with 7027 tubes... similar to 6L6 in power; just slightly different sounding w/ more headroom. I had such a head and the unique voicing of the odd pre-amp and power tubes made for a very great bass amp. V-4B did not come with Distortion or Master Volume... but the V-4 (guitar amp) did.

There was a Master Volume plug-in accessory (one for solid state amps, another for tube amps) that is very cool. It does add some overdrive tone when cranking the pre-amp, but my best use is with an SVT in the studio... turning the master volume down until you don't hear any power amp idle noise through the speakers makes for a great mic sound (and dead quiet when not playing).

All V Series amps came with 7027 tubes, but an upgrade kit was available to allow use of 6550 tubes. This mod is recommended if more power is your thing, but V Series amps are very loud in stock form. The 6550 mod is not very expensive and relatively easy for experienced techs.
Click to expand...

Having recently gotten my V4, and done a lot of reading here, I have learned a couple of things about running the 6550's. Word is they are a bit hot for the amp (and I don't mean heat, but voltage/current etc.). So most don't recommend doing it for extended periods of time because of wear and tear issues on the other components of the amp.
 
#46
I was going to say what about the 6550 mod. My 6550 modded V-4 is seriously loud with a 2x15 cabinet. I don't think I've ever been above 11:00, I've dang sure never been above 12:00. I don't think I've actually ever heard much if any overdrive from it to tell you the truth. It's just fat, round and pillowy.
 
#47
Totally will work in your situation. i have the exact same set up in a 2 guitar band and it is plenty loud enough. now, we are not motorhead or anything, but it is full on distortion rock/blues/stoner band. we have been asked to turn down plenty of times. I was researching the exact same way as you on talkbass and was scared into thinking v4b and the 8x10 would not hang, BUT IT DOES!!!! let the haters playing crazy high wattage solid state amps salivate at your 100 watt beast.
 
#48
RobbieNuke said:
V-4B did not come with Distortion or Master Volume... but the V-4 (guitar amp) did.
Click to expand...

The guitar V4 of the first few years did not have master volume or distortion either. These did not show up until the later versions.

Though as you wrote a master volume accessory was available to plug into the "ext amp" jack. It merely consisted of a potentiometer which grounded the preamp output.
 
#49
JimmyM said:
Sorry George, but the power section has the output transformer and the power tubes, and they make a huge difference in tone as compared to just the preamp. Run a DI from the speaker out of it and compare it to the pre out alone.
Click to expand...

It's not often I disagree (sort of) with Jimmy, but the 70s Ampeg V-series preamp and EQ are crucial to the tone - if I had to pick one to lose, on that amp it would be the power section.
BTW, I used my '71 V4B with a squareback 8x10 in some pretty big NY/NJ clubs back in the 70s. With PA support (and providing that your bandmates aren't knuckleheads), you'll be fine.
Make sure that the V4B is running up to snuff.
 
#51
68Goldfish said:
I was going to say what about the 6550 mod. My 6550 modded V-4 is seriously loud with a 2x15 cabinet. I don't think I've ever been above 11:00, I've dang sure never been above 12:00. I don't think I've actually ever heard much if any overdrive from it to tell you the truth. It's just fat, round and pillowy.
Click to expand...

A V4/V4B properly modded for 6550s will get you more clean headroom, but there will be a tonal difference from the 7027A / 6L6. A little more sterile, depending on the type of 6550 used. You might get 150 watts - not an appreciable gain IMHO - mine are stock.
 
#55
JimmyM said:
Sorry George, but the power section has the output transformer and the power tubes, and they make a huge difference in tone as compared to just the preamp. Run a DI from the speaker out of it and compare it to the pre out alone.
Click to expand...

Now that Jimmy's mentioned it, a speaker DI is a great way to boost a V4's presence, as long a decent PA's on hand.
 
#58
vegedge said:
you will be plenty loud enough. a ton of people in my area run v4's for bass and guitar. look at alot of hardcore bands like defeater/ code orange kids. they both use mainly v4's and shred
Click to expand...

So true.. My buddy played a ampeg v4 guitar amp with his bass through an 8x10 and i thought it killed.. I'm planning on touring with an ampeg v4-b with a american standard jazz bass through a svt 6x10 and i honestly couldn't be more stoked. Before that i was running an american made SVT classic through an ampeg 8x10 and i never felt like i was getting the power or punch that i wanted. It was always just way too clean.
 

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