I like SVTs, they're my go-to for gigs. The V4B is basically the same thing. So for me I'd go that route. It sounds like that might be your taste too.
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What's the gig? 410 is only much chop on outdoor giant stages for monitor. When on a cramped back stage it blows mids at your knees. As a room filler without PA support it lasers tone to the front.
So get a vertical stacking 210 pair.
Then you can put a micro on top or a v4 under à là JimmyM and his little spreader shelf table thing that puts the weight of the stack into the edges of the v4 box.
So get a vertical stacking 210 pair.
Then you can put a micro on top or a v4 under à là JimmyM and his little spreader shelf table thing that puts the weight of the stack into the edges of the v4 box.
I played an outdoor gig this past weekend. They had an Ampeg SVT & 8-10 for use. (I'm old-school and used to lug an SVT around..). Instead of using their setup (which sounded Awesome!), i was curious to try my new lightweight gear so I used a ABY into a Gallien-Krueger MB212 and a Phil Jones D-600 into a Compact 4. It blew away the sound of the Ampeg setup (though there's a lot of factors involved....But i was thoroughly impressed!..)
I have an old non master volume V4B and I think it sounds great with my 810 but I've been eyeballing a 212 as well. It seems like a good cab to jam or practice with and take the 810 for gigs. I think a lot of people forget that you can run just the top 4 speakers of all 8 is too much volume. Have the speakers up high and I can roll that cab instead of deadlifting a 410.
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Anyone using a V4B with a lightweight cab like the Bergantino Neo 2x10 which only weighs 30lbs?
Seems like the big Ampeg heads are typically seen atop Ampeg cabs.
Seems like the big Ampeg heads are typically seen atop Ampeg cabs.
The V4b is a great sounding head, new or vintage, and that 212 is a great cabinet. Together, they make a very, very, very good sounding rig.
That said, i disagree with those who are saying there's absolutely no comparison between lead sleds and minis. There are plenty of excellent sounding, loud and reliable mini heads on the market and there's an awful lot to be said for a 4lb, 500W head that you can throw in the front pocket of your gig bag.
I have minis and I have lead sleads (and I've played lots of gigs with SVTs and fridges). I like both and I use both and I don't think the minis suffer tonally because of their size.
I have heard bad sounding and underpowered minis, but that's true of big amps, too.
That said, i disagree with those who are saying there's absolutely no comparison between lead sleds and minis. There are plenty of excellent sounding, loud and reliable mini heads on the market and there's an awful lot to be said for a 4lb, 500W head that you can throw in the front pocket of your gig bag.
I have minis and I have lead sleads (and I've played lots of gigs with SVTs and fridges). I like both and I use both and I don't think the minis suffer tonally because of their size.
I have heard bad sounding and underpowered minis, but that's true of big amps, too.
1000W : Noble Amplifier Company 25 lbs and some lighter cabs. I really like my Fender Neo cabs. 47 lbs for a 410 ...
Yeah, there is (opinion alert). They don't sound as good. I explored them for a couple of years and am back to an old MOSFET lead sled. All tube is next when I gather the nuts to buy one.
So this is an aside, but what kind of bands are you guys freaking playing in? I hear a bunch of guys saying you need the 300w SVT to keep up with a band, but man I play in a loud band, 3 pieces, loud drummer and we are usually the loudest band of the night. I play a 135w Bassman from the 70's and never crank it above 4. Unless you guys play in much bigger rooms than we do here in Philly/DE, I don't run out of gas with a 100W tube head at all.
I played all through the 80's in very loud bands with a V4B and 810 and never ran out of gas, either.
The '70's Bassman amp is a sweet sound but from a volume standpoint it's only a third of the equation, the cab being another third and the venue being the other third. A 135W Bassman on a 810 cab in a medium to large bar is plenty loud. But that same head on a 212 in an outdoor stage setting might not be nearly enough.
My big rig is an SVT-VR on a Berg 610 and I've never had an issue being heard regardless of venue. That said, it was way overkill for 90% of the settings I used it for. For that reason I put together a Musicman HD150 watt Hybrid tube amp and Bergantino HT322 rig that now meets all my indoor needs, my SVT rig is strictly for outdoor gigs.
I'd suggest the OP get the V4B and a nice Berg 212 or 215 or 610 cab depending on the venues he plays (small bar = 210 or 212, medium to large bar/dance hall or outside = 215 or 610). I don't like to go physically bigger than the 610 cab, the load in/out is just too much hassle for the negligible increased benefit of the two additional speakers in an 810. And I'm not fond of 410 cabs which to me are more of a pain to move than a 610 tilt back cab. If I go smaller than 610 it's gotta be a 210 or 212. YMMV
I'm in that camp as well, even with my loud band the V4 has not really been an issue for me. But, I've played with bands that are louder, and I've played with guys who don't EQ the same way I would or guys who want huge stage enveloping low end that you won't get with a 100 watt tube amp through a single/small cab, etc, so I can sort of understand it. Not that I would want to play in a band like that, but it's something to keep in mind that it can be hard to compare situations across the internet.
Where you playing in Philly these days? Been a while since I've been down there, last few times we hit Dobbs but I think like 2 of the few venues I had played have closed.
True, again I don't know what other people are playing. We play dive bars, some rooms are small, some rooms are decently big, Most gigs I played with an Avatar 2x12. My only outdoor gig was played with a 2x15 I built. No PA support.
Dobbs closed, I play the Fire, and I have shows booked for us at The Grape Room and Bourbon and Branch for this fall. Down in DE we play Oddity Bar and 1984 Barcade
You are going to get opinions all day long on this, but the short answer is that "it depends". Lumping all Class-D SMPS amps into one group is as short-sighted as lumping every all-tube head into a group. I played through a Peavey VB2 that I absolutely hated, it was an all-tube head, but that's just ONE tube head. I've had others that I didn't care for, but I like SVTs and the Orange AD200B as well. A good amp circuit is a good amp circuit, doesn't matter if it's tube or SS, if it's good it's good.
Now does that mean there aren't characteristics to a tube amp that are unique to it? No, the harmonic saturation and natural compression are both things unique to all-tube amps. Does that mean you can only get those with a tube amp? Idk, you could probably get a compressor and some dirt pedals that might get you close, but idk, it's not my expertise.
The first time I became a believer was when I bought a GK MB200 as a cheap throwaway amp. I needed something quick for rehearsal and they had a floor model for sale. When I came home and used it, I was blown away at how good it sounds. There are some more tonal flexibility options on my 700RB-II, but the MB200 sound fantastic and is definitely a GK head when it comes to tone and character. I've played many others (Genz Benz, Ampeg, Markbass, etc.) that were great amps and didn't feel anything was "lacking". I'd say going with a smaller cabinet is more of an issue than going with a smaller amp, but with some of the nice neo cabs out now, you don't always have to break your back for good tone. I use my GKs with an Avatar Neo 2x10 cab and have held my own in some REALLY loud situations. Just make sure you listen with your ears and not your eyes, I favored my GK and 2x10s over a Traynor YBA200-2 and vintage 2x15s cabinet even for vintage sounding tones. I could be schlepping that 2x15s around, but I'm glad I'm not
I'm not disagreeing that there are great sounding smaller options. As I said earlier, I didn't mean to imply that small is bad or large is good. Everything is in the preference/style/ear of the player, YMMV, yada-yada.
I would say, that the Prodigy, at almost 30lbs. with a 3-tube preamp and 4 stage power tube amp, is not necessarily what I was thinking about when I was commenting on solid state class D's small enough to fit in your pocket.
You have to admit that it's a HEFTY amp - not necessarily in weight but in comparison to a TC Electronic BH250 (for example).
Nice compact rig, BTW. I'm sure it sounds awesome!
! As I said, been a couple years. I liked that place, full back line made for an easy night.
