Having purchased an Ampeg V-4B at local guitar show a few months ago, I was anxious to take it to a "full sized" show. The pandemic has impacted my opportunity to play out as much as anyone else. So, this past Friday night I had the chance to take the new (to me) amp out for spin.
The amplifier is a 2013 build, I think it has the original tubes in it. I was playing it through an Ampeg 410HLF. The cab is somewhat maligned here on TB, but I like it quite a bit. I played my Ric 4003 and a Hagstrom Viking through the rig for this particular show.
The band is two guitarists playing 30w to 50w Fender amps. A drummer with an acoustic kit, and a (loud) keyboard player. Everyone in the band shares vocal duties. We have a PA. I chose not to mic or DI the amplifier.
The gig itself was in a medium sized bar. We drew a crowd of about 60 folks, the bar holds much more.
So, the big question about this amplifier seems to be: Is 100W enough? I can tell you that this amp had plenty of clean power, even over a loud rock ensemble. The master volume sat at about 2:00, any more was too much. This amp is LOUD. Even so, it might need some PA support in a large club. Although, I'm not sure about that. I haven't played a room that size with this rig.
The Ric really sounded fantastic through it... but the Hagstrom really shined. The bottom on the Hag has always been fat and thumpy but it this amp made it more articulate. My bandmate closest to the the cab said he felt the bass as much as heard it.
I'm a "weekend warrior" player at best. If I were a working musician with several gigs a week this amp would not be my choice. It's heavy and difficult to move. But, taking it out once or twice a month is not really a problem for me. It may be in the future, but I'm enjoying this now.
I hope this post can help someone in the future make a decision about buying one. I really like the tone with this amp. However, the fact that it is so massive would be a turn off for some folks. Thanks for reading.
The amplifier is a 2013 build, I think it has the original tubes in it. I was playing it through an Ampeg 410HLF. The cab is somewhat maligned here on TB, but I like it quite a bit. I played my Ric 4003 and a Hagstrom Viking through the rig for this particular show.
The band is two guitarists playing 30w to 50w Fender amps. A drummer with an acoustic kit, and a (loud) keyboard player. Everyone in the band shares vocal duties. We have a PA. I chose not to mic or DI the amplifier.
The gig itself was in a medium sized bar. We drew a crowd of about 60 folks, the bar holds much more.
So, the big question about this amplifier seems to be: Is 100W enough? I can tell you that this amp had plenty of clean power, even over a loud rock ensemble. The master volume sat at about 2:00, any more was too much. This amp is LOUD. Even so, it might need some PA support in a large club. Although, I'm not sure about that. I haven't played a room that size with this rig.
The Ric really sounded fantastic through it... but the Hagstrom really shined. The bottom on the Hag has always been fat and thumpy but it this amp made it more articulate. My bandmate closest to the the cab said he felt the bass as much as heard it.
I'm a "weekend warrior" player at best. If I were a working musician with several gigs a week this amp would not be my choice. It's heavy and difficult to move. But, taking it out once or twice a month is not really a problem for me. It may be in the future, but I'm enjoying this now.
I hope this post can help someone in the future make a decision about buying one. I really like the tone with this amp. However, the fact that it is so massive would be a turn off for some folks. Thanks for reading.
