Anyone using an Ampeg V-4 for steel?
Moderator: Dave Mudgett
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Nicholas Dedring
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Anyone using an Ampeg V-4 for steel?
Decent deal on one here locally... sounds interesting: 100 Watts of 7027a or 6L6 tubes, with reverb. Built for Guitar or bass, and the price is right. Anyone with experience with these beasts? Any headroom issues? Voicing problems? Thanks for any advice.
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Tom Diemer
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I used to have a V-4. That thing has more power than you would believe. Clean, powerful, and heavy. It didn't distort like a marshall did - clean all the way to 10, but you couldn't take the sound pressure above 2 or 3. I had 2 4x12 cabs with mine. Dang that thing would get loud. lol
I would think it would be a great steel amp, the reverb is about the best I ever played through - perhaps better than Fender. Mine had way more power than a Twin (I had one of those at the same time) even though the rating was the same - 100 watts RMS.
They made a couple of combo amps back then - VT22 and VT40 (V-4 and V-2 heads built into a combo cabinet with speakers) I'll bet they would be excellent steel amps. Rich low end, nice highs, and superb reverb. Very heavy to transport though. One of those I believe was a 4X10 cabinet, the other a 2X12. Both were tone beasts like the V-4.
I would think it would be a great steel amp, the reverb is about the best I ever played through - perhaps better than Fender. Mine had way more power than a Twin (I had one of those at the same time) even though the rating was the same - 100 watts RMS.
They made a couple of combo amps back then - VT22 and VT40 (V-4 and V-2 heads built into a combo cabinet with speakers) I'll bet they would be excellent steel amps. Rich low end, nice highs, and superb reverb. Very heavy to transport though. One of those I believe was a 4X10 cabinet, the other a 2X12. Both were tone beasts like the V-4.
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Les Pierce
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Will definitely balance you out, with it in one hand and your steel in the other. Plenty heavy.
I wouldn't try 6L6's in there. Way too much voltage off that power transformer. There are some good articles on the Internet concerning tube substitutions, etc. about the V4 and V4B. Read up on it first. Some of those tubes might be hard to find, and cost a little more than you might expect. (I was recently trying to find the stock power tubes, and found a pair at $40, used).
Take care,
Les
I wouldn't try 6L6's in there. Way too much voltage off that power transformer. There are some good articles on the Internet concerning tube substitutions, etc. about the V4 and V4B. Read up on it first. Some of those tubes might be hard to find, and cost a little more than you might expect. (I was recently trying to find the stock power tubes, and found a pair at $40, used).
Take care,
Les