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To all you former Ampeg V4/V4b owners

gully_P

gully_P

May 24, 2009
32
0
Yorba Linda, CA
#1
I am debating whether to sell my early 70's V4 and was wondering what all of you who used to own one and have ended up selling, use in place of it. More importantly, if you're happy with your decision of selling it for something else. I understand it's all preference but, all I really want is your thoughts and opinions on the matter.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
i didn't have a choice...my v4b burned up in a bar fire. i have an svt i replaced it with so i'm quite happy with it, but honestly it's overkill for my needs and i'd probably be just as well off with another v4b.

would i have sold it if i still had it? not on your nellie!
 
#3
Yeah, I would have kept my vintage V4B, with the spring cushioned chassis... Had to sell to keep my car... Should have sold the car! Bought a newer version years later, and it just wasn't the same. Sold it in a hurry, wishing I'd kept the vintage model.
 
#5
I bought one back in like '91 for $150 and sold it in '94.....extremely regrettable decision looking back. I've never been able to recreate the sound I got from it.
Now I can't even afford to look at one.

Don't get rid of it...if you do....I got some pocket lint and a few pennies I'll give ya for it :p
 
#6
I traded mine (+ cash) for a vintage SVT. If I had the extra cash laying around I would have kept the V4, but I knew the SVT was going to need at least a recap if not more (ended up needing more) once it got to me, so I wanted to have the money available. I do get to play one fairly often (one of my rehearsal spaces has one available) and miss mine every time I do.
 
#7
I traded mine in for an Acoustic rig like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXTadSDsHx4
I was a young gullible watthog! and seduced by the colour light blue and there was some serious oofhh in them two ohms of four 15".
I still have the mighty 408 cabinet!, I ended up making a 3 way multi power amp rack setup with a Mesa Studio Pre, JBL 260 digital system controller, + a pair of JBL 2206 12" mid in a slot port cab and a pair of 2380/2445 2" tweets:
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That would even allow me to subducate a metal guitard with a VHT pit bull!
I have the power to make him turn his amp down!.
I fire triggered kick drum through it at rehearsals now
I have gone back all tube:
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So now I usually play out with one or a pair of the old Ampeg Metal Badge 115's with the old Altec 418 series 11.
But for the folded horn cab and an alnico magnet rather than a ceramic one in the Altec's, I am back to square one!.
I usually gig the Roost Hiwatt clone which is a quite similar design to an old ampeg V4B ie at the moment 4 Mullard 6ca7
with the option of running 4 KT88 or 6550.
I would stick to the V4 like glue mate as I have been round in an enourmous circle to get back there in amoungst all that tubey goodness.:hyper::bassist:
 
#9
Am in the same boat; have a mint V4B with original tubes that I think sounds better than my SVT-CL; just not enough power and heavy so it sits
Downside of selling is that it is difficult to ship and doesn't appeal to the masses like the SVT
 
#11
Thanks guys, I appreciate all the input. My main problem with it is that I gig a lot and have a weak back to say the least. Sometimes I wish I had a little more clean headroom too which is going to result in getting a bigger/heavier more efficient cab. Then again from what you guys are saying is once I get a taste of it I will miss it when its gone. I do love the amp, I mean...I just spent $320 on it getting new power tubes, 1 preamp tube, diodes, full cleaning and more. Just trying to justify if it's worth it. Maybe soon it can be one of yours! If I decide to go that route.
 
#12
For a short time I had an early blue-line VT22, used it as a head with bass cabs. I loved the clean tones and it's in-between, edge of breakup tones were really chewy, great for roots-rock. But it went into flat-out overdrive too early, not nearly enough clean headroom for my tastes. It really illustrated to me how much wattage is needed for headroom on bass compared to guitar. With a guitar through the same amp (but different speakers), the volume could take your head off and still be relatively clean. If I owned a real stable of amps for different tones, I could have seen keeping it, but I wouldn't want to haul one around, it was a back-breaker.
 
#19
Maybe not exactly the same, but I sold my reissue V4BH, and have been using Mesa ever since. Now, I do love the Mesa gear, and it works and sounds just how I like, BUT, no matter, I do miss that low wattage ampeg tube tone. There's something pretty magical about it. I will some day have a (hopefully new) reissue B15 to replace that V4BH, if for no better reason than to expirience that tone while practicing alone.
 

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