Amgeg VT40 WOW!!

[sl1960a]

I bought a mint '74 Ampeg VT40 in October, but it died the first gig I tried to use it on. After trying to figure out what happened I took it to a great amp tech in Peoria, IL - ended up replacing the filter caps for the B+ voltage. I gigged with it last night - WOW this amp is a MONSTER!! Sounded WAY better than when I test driven it when I bought it. I was apprehensive since I've used my Rivera BM60 religiously since 2001, but I ain't gonna lie to ya, that Ampeg ROCKED!! Killer lead tone!! AND LOUD?!?! What? Huh? Can't wait for tonight's gig!!

[scott1568]

Keep that amp.

I had one about six years ago. It was my first tube amp. It was sickly though. It had a blown speaker and someone put a resistor in line so it would work. It was real farty when turned up, but there was a sweet spot. The reverb was nice. At the time I couldn't afford to bring it up to spec, and I can only wonder about its full potential.

Mine was a 4 x 10 combo. I had a tech do some top end work on it and I brought it to an open blues jam one night. All of the snobs were making stupid comments (if you played anything but a Fender at those gigs you were an outcast).

I ended up selling it and buying a Hot Rod Deluxe at an incredible price ($325 brand new with cover). The Hot Rod was more portable I guess. It is now gone.

So a few months after I got rid of the Ampeg, the Tone Quest Report does a review on MY AMP that I had gotten rid of. Needless to say, according to them, it was an unknown prize that could be had on the cheap.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I won't ever cave in to tone snobs again, because I think that was part of the reason for getting rid of it. It is a PIG to carry around though.

Keep that amp.

[Leonc]

There's a good deal of love for VT-40s around here. Enjoy!

[soulohio]

i have two VT40's and one of them needs gone over. the other is a monster...they are really great amps. important to get them looked at though...lots of tubes and goodies in there that can go wrong...

[sl1960a]

Yep, I talked to the tech for a while when I brought it in. He's an old timer - said all new stuff is junk (he had a lot of amps in for repairs - you name it - Crate, Krank, Mesa, Marshall, Peavey, etc) - said the old stuff is the good stuff. They're well built and have great iron (transformers), but they have to be maintained. His biggest issues with new stuff is crappy, cheap components and crappy iron. He didn't have anything nice to say about any new amp except the Bassman LTD - said they were okay, tone wise.

When I picked up the amp he said the old 7027 output tubes that were in it really made the amp sound good. He said when I replace them with newer ones later it won't be the same. All I know is the amp (4x10) is almost mint condition and sounds GREAT!! It has a lot of different tones in it too (found on old Ampeg manual online) - I can get it to sound close to a Fender Twin Reverb or grind like a Marshall.

It's probably too loud , but I am very happy with it.

[soulohio]

please post a link to the VT40 manual and some of your settings.

[dewman]

Dana, here you go...

mids all the way up and she sings like the best Marshall. Scooped mids is very Fender territory, although I felt it had too much highs with the suggested settings, so lowered it but found it very fenderish. Damn I miss that amp...hope she's doing well for ya!

http://www.ampegv4.com/manual.php

http://www.ampegv4.com/images/Ampeg_Manual_P6.jpg

[bosstone]

Originally Posted by sl1960a

Yep, I talked to the tech for a while when I brought it in. He's an old timer - said all new stuff is junk (he had a lot of amps in for repairs - you name it - Crate, Krank, Mesa, Marshall, Peavey, etc) - said the old stuff is the good stuff. They're well built and have great iron (transformers), but they have to be maintained. His biggest issues with new stuff is crappy, cheap components and crappy iron. He didn't have anything nice to say about any new amp except the Bassman LTD - said they were okay, tone wise.

When I picked up the amp he said the old 7027 output tubes that were in it really made the amp sound good. He said when I replace them with newer ones later it won't be the same. All I know is the amp (4x10) is almost mint condition and sounds GREAT!! It has a lot of different tones in it too (found on old Ampeg manual online) - I can get it to sound close to a Fender Twin Reverb or grind like a Marshall.

It's probably too loud , but I am very happy with it.

Do yourself a big favor and find some good, old 7027s.

[soulohio]

Doing very well, Dewey. Thanks!

Originally Posted by dewman

Dana, here you go...

mids all the way up and she sings like the best Marshall. Scooped mids is very Fender territory, although I felt it had too much highs with the suggested settings, so lowered it but found it very fenderish. Damn I miss that amp...hope she's doing well for ya!

http://www.ampegv4.com/manual.php

http://www.ampegv4.com/images/Ampeg_Manual_P6.jpg

[RDM]

Here's what I had in my VT40:

V6 - JJ 7027
V5 - JJ 7027
V4 - JJ ECC82
V3 - JJ ECC832
V2 - JJ83S
V1 - JJ83S
V201 - NOS GE 6K11
V202 - NOS GE 6CG7
V203 - JJ ECC83S

I just got rid of her last month. It was bittersweet. I loved that amp.....but it just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Got a Bassman LTD, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

[sl1960a]

Originally Posted by dewman

Dana, here you go...

mids all the way up and she sings like the best Marshall. Scooped mids is very Fender territory, although I felt it had too much highs with the suggested settings, so lowered it but found it very fenderish. Damn I miss that amp...hope she's doing well for ya!

http://www.ampegv4.com/manual.php

http://www.ampegv4.com/images/Ampeg_Manual_P6.jpg

That the manual I found - for the Marshall tone I didn't need to crank the tone controls (especially the mids) that high, but had the mid tone button to the left (300hz?) - The settings I used Saturday were channel 1 - power sensitivity - middle, volume - between 9 and 10 o'clock, ultra high boost - on, treble just past 3 o'clock, mid - on 300Hz control on almost 2 o'clock, bass - almost 4 o'clock, reverb - whenever we played music by the Outlaws. I played with a modded Blue Driver on all the time and played a tele w/GPS lil Puncher pickups or a stock Gibson faded V. I would have rather just went in without any effects with the volume at 12 o'clock, but the volume would have been too much.

Has anybody out there tried the master volume plugged into the preamp out (was a stock addition to these Ampeg V series). Does it work or does it kill the tone?

[dewman]

one amazing trick is to connect an additional cab, preferably one with a ton of low end like a ZBest, to the 8 ohm ext speaker and run that and the 4x10s in tandem...be prepared to wet your pants...

[sl1960a]

Originally Posted by rondillonmusic

Got a Bassman LTD, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I hear ya on the Bassman LTD - I posted on your "what pedal" thread. I am going with this Ampeg for a while, but may go to the Bassman LTD - I am extremely jealous of our other guitar player's tone. He can get a really great clean, country, rock, and thick lead tone by just using his guitar's volume control. He is one helluva player too. He used an early Barber Direct Drive for a set this weekend - sounded great. He's used my old Rat one time too (sounded great). I like the Ampeg right now though - it's new and it's cool to hacve a bit of a different tone with two guitars (hell, we have a smokin' keyboardist too - check out our latest weekend demo (from a couple of months ago at www.myspace.com/thebogartjonesband).

[RDM]

The VT40 is an amazing amp. Completly underrated. However, I had to come to grips with it. Just because it's a great map didn't mean I had to keep it. If I was in a financial position so I could buy a BMRI, without selling the VT40, I would have done it in a heartbeat.

It's a smokin' amp.....just not for everyone.....like almost every other amp out there.

[El Jefe]

Not the same by any means, but I just got a V-7 head in the mail today. I don't have a cab for it right now, but I ran it through the 12F150T's in my vibrolux and it sounded great. Took some dialing, but it sounded really good and HUGE. Way more bass than the vibrolux puts out. I can't wait to try it through a real cab with some fuzz and overdrive. The built in preamp gain on the V-7 seems to be kinda crappy, but that's not what I bought it for anyway.