Premier Rock Forum

Owen wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 12:50 pm One of these new Ampeg V4B reissues. A 100 watt bass amp, seems like a winner. It's not a need, but one showed up for a good price.

Depends on the price, I guess. I didnt know they reissued these so I looked it up. $1600 for a new 100 watt tube head doesnt scream "I bet this is well built" to me. I did some hunting and found a gut shot and lo and behold:
This is all to say I would expect it to have the reliability and ruggedness of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Others may disagree, though.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 2:36 pm

Owen wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 12:50 pm One of these new Ampeg V4B reissues. A 100 watt bass amp, seems like a winner. It's not a need, but one showed up for a good price.

Depends on the price, I guess. I didnt know they reissued these so I looked it up. $1600 for a new 100 watt tube head doesnt scream "I bet this is well built" to me. I did some hunting and found a gut shot and lo and behold:

This is all to say I would expect it to have the reliability and ruggedness of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Others may disagree, though.

Way less than $1600, thinking I can get it for $800. It's mostly going to just go to and from practice.

The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

I have two TL606 cabs that I love but I play through an 8x10 at our jamspace and I just fit in the mix of our band better with it. The 8x10 however won't fit in my van without needing to remove the last row, so I just bought an old SVT 6x10 for $300. I believe it to be the greatest cab format ever. A 4x10 doesn't sound like an 8x10, but the 6x10 is close, and it fits in more vehicles. It's great. Convince me otherwise or shower me with praise for my insight!

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 5:01 pm The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

This is also true. The board-mounted tube sockets in these things break all the time.



That shot that Dr. Balls posted is from one of the Loud reissues. I wonder if the Yamaha reissues are any different, or better.

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 5:01 pm The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

Hard disagree on that. I played and gigged with a V4 for almost 10 years with the original power tubes. Head was used about 7 hrs a week. Had zero issues other than the standby LED going dark (which required me replacing 1 resistor). Least maintenance of any tube amp I’ve ever owned. Has two others as well that were also maintenance free (though played less).

I *just* missed TS 25B combo at $60 so... a second chopped down to a head has got to be worth throwing a $100 at, ya?


Even my TS 10 sounded oddly great, tiny speaker aside, before it went kaput.

tommy wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2024 9:27 am

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 5:01 pm The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

Hard disagree on that. I played and gigged with a V4 for almost 10 years with the original power tubes. Head was used about 7 hrs a week. Had zero issues other than the standby LED going dark (which required me replacing 1 resistor). Least maintenance of any tube amp I’ve ever owned. Has two others as well that were also maintenance free (though played less).

Yeah me too. I played a V4B for a long time and have an Ampeg V2 still and they don’t require any more maintenance than anything else I’ve got. Maybe they suck to fix but between using the two amps for years and years I don’t think any of them have needed that much service. They do sound like god though, except the V4B (not V4) doesn’t work very well for guitar.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2024 10:07 am

tommy wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2024 9:27 am

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 5:01 pm The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

Hard disagree on that. I played and gigged with a V4 for almost 10 years with the original power tubes. Head was used about 7 hrs a week. Had zero issues other than the standby LED going dark (which required me replacing 1 resistor). Least maintenance of any tube amp I’ve ever owned. Has two others as well that were also maintenance free (though played less).

Yeah me too. I played a V4B for a long time and have an Ampeg V2 still and they don’t require any more maintenance than anything else I’ve got. Maybe they suck to fix but between using the two amps for years and years I don’t think any of them have needed that much service. They do sound like god though, except the V4B (not V4) doesn’t work very well for guitar.

Yep, one more dissenter here. I'm wondering if the later versions were better build & more reliable. I have only experience w/ the master volume or "magnavox" black-lined versions. The only issues w/ mine (and ugh I have 3) are the reverbs not working which hasn't really been an issue for me. I trot one out for use at the Campout every year as well as occasional blasting room use just for grins when I feel my tinnitus isn't loud enough to crowd out my thoughts.

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2024 10:07 am

tommy wrote: Tue Jun 11, 2024 9:27 am

twelvepoint wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 5:01 pm The original V4s are pieces of shit that always break too, so there’s that.

Hard disagree on that. I played and gigged with a V4 for almost 10 years with the original power tubes. Head was used about 7 hrs a week. Had zero issues other than the standby LED going dark (which required me replacing 1 resistor). Least maintenance of any tube amp I’ve ever owned. Has two others as well that were also maintenance free (though played less).

They do sound like god though, except the V4B (not V4) doesn’t work very well for guitar.

There’s a super easy “fix” for that I did to one channel of my V4B. The V4 has an input switch. The V4B is fixed as the lowest (cleanest) setting. They share the same PCB (Magnavox era with master and no distortion anyway). You can go in there and solder a resistor to the empty spot in the board. Takes 2 seconds after you have the chassis pulled. The panel access to spot is available on top and bottom. Easy as pie. After doing that I had a bass channel and a guitar channel. Basically like a high/low channel on a Marshall. I can’t remember if I went with the middle position or the full position when I chose my resistor, and the amp is long gone. I think I posted my results on forum of that V4 website. I can’t seem to view the forum on my phone, but I would have used the name teledeluxe.