I know a transformer was added, for the heaters(?), Filaments(?), I can’t remember, (I don’t have the service ticket available to me at the moment) as well as an added fan to keep things cooled down. The additional transformer supports 2 of the four 6550’s (heaters/filaments?) while the original transformer is supporting the other 2. The previous owner started the process and when I got it, it had the 6550’s in it already. I took it to my tech who basically discovered the first guy did not do it correctly at all. My guy has been working on amps for many decades, and is known by a lot of SFBay Area players from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and on. He has worked on every Ampeg amp that has been in my hands and all have performed perfectly and reliably, so I completely trust him to do it right. I recently also found myself with an early ‘70’s V4B and it has been serviced and now has all good 7027a, caps, etc. so it is a fresh in-modified V4B. At some point I will be able to A/B these and am interested to see if there is a huge difference in tone. I actually don’t expect an enormous difference, but maybe just more clean headroom out of the V4/6550’s.
The plan is to leave the V4B (7027a) and the B40 4x10 cab at one of my bands’ studio. I’ll use the V4 (6550) and V4 4x12 cab live for both bands I’m in. The other band, that I have been in for around 7-8 years, which has a bigger studio space, is where my old SVT and 810e lives. I have somewhat come to realize that there may not be to many places I’ll be playing anymore where an 810 will be necessary or appropriate. I seem to be in that middle ground of small stage venues where most times I will not be running through FOH (small bars) and the V4 will just handle those right. In the occasional venue where there is a “sound guy”, and everyone is mic’ed and/or direct, then the V4 and 4x12 will be more than adequate. And if I should ever be so fortunate to play a larger stage, I still have the old SVT/810e. If you showed me all the cool gear I have now, back in the 90’s, and said “some day this will all be yours” I’d say you were lying.
Last edited:
, ......TT!..
