The Ampeg Classic Series V-4B reissue head is a faithful recreation of the V-4B 100-watt, all-tube bass amp head. The original goes back to 1971 and this looks like a “baby bro” to the Ampeg SVT head at about 1/3 the power and less than half the weight (41 lbs). You get the vintage rocker switches, the integrated chassis suspension system and the Ampeg SVT “crank” of the those old amps but in a more portable unit. The V-4B is the same width as the SVT-CL and SVT-VR head and fits securely onto any Classic Series Ampeg cabinet including the all-new SVT-112AV and SVT-212AV.
The V-4B uses four 6L6GC power tubes, three-band tone controls and three-position switch for mid-tone control, plus a balanced line out for direct recording or live. Besides modern reliability, updates include an integrated DI with ground lift, a -15dB input for active basses and a range of different speaker output impedances.
The new Ampeg V-4B reissue sells for $1,819.99 MSRP. For more information on the V-4B and other Ampeg Classic Series gear, check out http://ampeg.com/products/classic.
By Barry Rudolph
miniBio: Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/mixer with over 30 gold and platinum RIAA awards to his credit. He has recorded and/or mixed: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and Robbie Nevil. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and also teaches recording engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. http://www.barryrudolph.
