Ampeg cabinets that fit under the original V4B head

Chris 'Wighat' Jordan

Chris 'Wighat' Jordan

Apr 27, 2005
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Port Aransas, Texas
#1
When I got my 70's Ampeg V4B I was frustrated with it's 26.5 inch width. I like matching heads and cabs and I don't like to see the head hanging over the sides of the cab. Most Ampeg cabinets are 24 inches wide. Here's a list of all the Ampeg bass cabinets that are at least wide enough for the V4B to sit on without hanging over the sides.

Edit: the following list has been updated to include additonal cabinets discovered in thread discussion.

Vintage, period-appropriate cabs:

V4B - a folded horn 2x15. 48"H x 26.5"W x 24"D

V6B - a direct-radiating, ported 2x15. 41"H x 27"W x 15"D

B25B - a direct-radiating, ported 2x15. 40"H x 29"W x 12"D

B40 - a direct-radiating, sealed 4x10. 30"H x 27"W x 14"D


Cabs that were made after the original V4B head was discontinued, early SLM-era cabs without white piping:

SVT-18E (not the SVT-18) - a direct-radiating, ported 1x18. 24”H x 27”W x 16”D

SVT-410E - a sealed 4x10 (no horn like the later 410HE has). 24”H x 27”W x 16”D

SVT-1510E - a direct-radiating, ported 1x15 with a sealed 1x10
27" wide, height and depth unknown at this time


Cabs made after the orginal V4B head was discontinued, SLM-era cabs with white piping:

V4B (V4BH-era) - a folded horn 2x15. 48"H x 26.5"W x24"D

SVT-412HE - a direct-radiating, sealed 4x12. 29.25"H x 27.5"W x 18.25"D


There may be some MTI-era cabs. Maybe the same ones as the three early no-piping SLM-era cabs listed above.


If you think I missed something, please say so.
 
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#2
wighat said:
When I got my 70's Ampeg V4B I was frustrated with it's 26.5 inch width. I like matching heads and cabs and I don't like to see the head hanging over the sides of the cab. Most Ampeg cabinets are 24 inches wide. Here's a list of all the Ampeg bass cabinets that are at least wide enough for the V4B to sit on without hanging over the sides.


Vintage, period-appropriate cabs:

V4B - a folded horn 2x15. 48"H x 26.5"W x 24"D

V6B - a direct-radiating, ported 2x15. 41"H x 27"W x 15"D

B25B - a direct-radiating, ported 2x15. 40"H x 29"W x 12"D

B40 - a direct-radiating, sealed 4x10. 30"H x 27"W x 14"D


Cabs that were made after the original V4B head was discontinued:

V4B (V4BH-era) - a folded horn 2x15. 48"H x 26.5"W x24"D

SVT-412HE - a direct-radiating, sealed 4x12. 29.25"H x 27.5"W x 18.25"D

SVT-18E (not the SVT-18) - a direct-radiating,ported 1x18. 24”H x 27”W x 16”D


If you think I missed something, please say so.
Click to expand...

Well, I always had mine atop a squareback SVT 810, and the V4 4x12 guitar cabinet works nicely with more bass-friendly speakers...
 
#4
lowend1 said:
Well, I always had mine atop a squareback SVT 810, and the V4 4x12 guitar cabinet works nicely with more bass-friendly speakers...
Click to expand...

The V4 (4x12 guitar) cabinet is identical to the B40 (4x10 bass) cabinet except for speakers, baffle and jack plate.

bobyoung53 said:
The old V4-B's sounded great and loud with their original folded horn double 15 cabs, course they're even to worse to move then SVT cabs.
Click to expand...

Yes, but an unfortunate by-product of that design is the beamy frequency response is limited to 70-1000 hz.
 
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#5
wighat said:
The V4 (4x12 guitar) cabinet is identical to the B40 except for baffle and jack plate.



Yes, but an unfortunate by-product of that design is the beamy frequency response is limited to 70-1000 hz.
Click to expand...

You're probably right but they were very efficient and sounded really good if you like bottom. I used one once with only a B-25B head (60 watts) at an outside gig many years ago (1973?) and everyone loved it, the bass went right through you. The bass didn't seem directional at all outside, it gave the band a nice cushion to play on top of. The bass player in a local band around my area used to use two of them with an SVT head and a Rick bass, sounded really good.
 
#10
probably doesn't really count but I wonder how wide a BT-18c is.
you'll never find one anyways lol
has anybody ever seen one.
extremely rare 2x18 portaflex cabinet. can't find a catalog that shows width but you can tell it's definatly wider than a BT-15c
 

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#11
wighat said:
You might be thinking of the SVT-18.

The SVT-18E is wide enough sitting upright.
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm hip to the 4-ohm/500 watt B-18 model.

I've heard rumors of a wider B-18E that may have been an earlyer production model, but
my B-18E is only 23-3/4" wide...
x 27-1/8" tall
x 15-3/4" deep.
(My actual cab dimensions , not including casters or protrusions of corner protectors)
 

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#12
anderbass said:
Nope, I'm hip to the 4-ohm/500 watt B-18 model.

I've heard rumors of a wider B-18E that may have been an earlyer production model, but
my B-18E is only 23-3/4" wide...
x 27-1/8" tall
x 15-3/4" deep.
(My actual cab dimensions , not including casters or protrusions of corner protectors)
Click to expand...


Wow! The mystery continues! For the record, post-MTI, I never considered anything but the SVT prefixed line of Ampeg cabinets - classic appearance and professional grade. I have a 27" wide SVT-18E. Check out these spec's from Ampeg:

svt18e.jpg svt18.jpg
 
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#13
IMG_0567.JPG


I don't know the exact years, but there was a period of time in the '80's that the SVT410E (no "H" - meaning the SVT410 had no horn back then) measured 27wide x 24 high x 15.5 deep. These are the same measurements of the current SVT410HE turned on it's side IIRC.

I had a pair of them that were purchased new by the original owner with an '87 Skunkworks SVT head.

The SVT18E and 1510E of the same period were also 27 inches wide.

There is an '80's 410E in the Phoenix CL right now (sans the orinal grill):

Hartke HA 7000 Bass Head and Ampeg 410 cab

00i0i_kCIwV0enzzH_600x450.jpg
 
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#15
wighat said:
Wow! The mystery continues! For the record, post-MTI, I never considered anything but the SVT prefixed line of Ampeg cabinets - classic appearance and professional grade. I have a 27" wide SVT-18E. Check out these spec's from Ampeg:

View attachment 955280 View attachment 955281
Click to expand...

The SVT18 was a completely different animal than the SVT18E. It was not full range like the 18E - and far more powerful
 
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#16
Bass 45 said:
View attachment 955514

I don't know the exact years, but there was a period of time in the '80's that the SVT410E (no "H" - meaning the SVT410 had no horn back then) measured 27wide x 24 high x 15.5 deep. These are the same measurements of the current SVT410HE turned on it's side IIRC.

I had a pair of them that were purchased new by the original owner with an '87 Skunkworks SVT head.

The SVT18E and 1510E of the same period were also 27 inches wide.

There is an '80's 410E in the Phoenix CL right now (sans the orinal grill):

Hartke HA 7000 Bass Head and Ampeg 410 cab

View attachment 955531
Click to expand...

Wow! Thanks for the info. Very cool. I looked it up and the current SVT-410HE is only 25" tall.
 
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#18
wighat said:
@Bass 45, are all the 1510's 27"? Early ones for sure, but I can't tell with the pics of later ones I've seen. Also, are you aware of whether or not the 10" driver has it's own chamber? A 3-way crossover, I presume.
Click to expand...

I have a 1989 catalog that shows all of the SVT cabs at 24 inches wide (except the 810 @ 26") - including the 1510HE (the picture from my earlier post - with the wider cabs was from 1987).

Yes - the 10 is housed in it's own chamber in the 1510. It would be neat to find one of those cabs - I don't think I've ever seen the early wide version for sale though - not too many around for sure. From what I've heard, the 10 needed to be upgraded because it blew easily - no big though.

*the drawings in the '89 catalog are the same from the '87 - so they were not updated yet.

IMG_0569.JPG
 
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#19
I will add that when the change was made in the dimensions of the SVT cabinets, the catalogs no longer mentioned the use of "3/4 inch solid jointed veneer core 7 ply plywood". 1989 may have been the year they switched to OSB - changing lumber may have prompted the change in the cab's dimensions (to make best use of the sheets of OSB that may have differed in size from the plywood).

On a side note, I am building a 2x15 right now and I was able to make complete use of a 4x8 sheet of 13 ply Baltic Birch (including cutting the scraps for internal bracing).

14316801_1250417988325141_3321874198383383734_n.jpg
 
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#20
Bass 45 said:
I have a 1989 catalog that shows all of the SVT cabs at 24 inches wide (except the 810 @ 26") - including the 1510HE (the picture from my earlier post - with the wider cabs was from 1987).

Yes - the 10 is housed in it's own chamber in the 1510. It would be neat to find one of those cabs - I don't think I've ever seen the early wide version for sale though - not too many around for sure. From what I've heard, the 10 needed to be upgraded because it blew easily - no big though.

*the drawings in the '89 catalog are the same from the '87 - so they were not updated yet.

View attachment 955558
Click to expand...

There are two or three nationally on CL right now. I seem them at Guitar Center now and again. I wonder if it's a good cabinet.
 
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