hi guys please help me
i know from 69 to 78 Keef and Ronnie were using Ampeg amps. Well i'm lookin for that FANTASTIC sound. What amp should i buy? The v-4 head with cabinets, the vt.22 combo??? Is there anyone of you who own those amps? Which is the best for Keith's sound? here in Italy is impossible to find those amps, i gotta try on Ebay but american amps work at 120v, here at 220.
thanks!

Mathijs is the guy you need to talk to...he says he plays that set-up.

They used mostly SVT's and on rare occasion the V-4.
I believe Saturday Night Live was Mesas through V-4s.
I use a early '70s V-4, with 4 12" speakers.
Mine has a master volume (put in by the previous owner).
I prefer the v-4 over SVT, size being the main difference,
the SVT has 8 10" speakers and is just huge, and I prefer 12" speakers over 10s.
BEsides if you're playing clubs, you don't need an SVT, but a V-4 will work.
Ampegs have more of a personality to them than Marshalls do, I think.
You'll get the Richards/Wood/Faces sound from the 70's tours,
just make sure it has the right tubes. I've known people who put different tubes
in those, and the sound suffers, doesn't sound like the same Ampeg.
I believe the original tubes were the 7027 (?). I could be wrong about that.
The v-4 has some switches that are crucial to the sound: Sensitivity,
ultra-hi, plus the midrange knob. Unfortunatly, I wouldn't recommend buying an amp
on EBAY, plus the size of these things makes shipping costs massive.
The VT-22 is a great amp, too. I haven't played on in years, so I'm not
up to speed on those. If you want the sound from the LA Forum in 1975, or 1972,
I suggest the v-4. They're still out there. Sometimes they need some cosmetic work, and there is place in St. Louis (I think) that will sell you the silver/black
Ampeg grill cloth and Ampeg label for the head, if you need one, or the "A"
that goes on front of the cabinet. Actually, for important gigs, I run
my Mesa through my V-4 (the 78 tour sound), which I think is a superior sound.

7027As are the tubes in Ampegs.

I bought an Ampeg V-4 head from the 70's recently..

I'm playing it through a shitty Marshall cab though (an AVT cab to be precise) and the tubes need to be replaced I reckon. I don't know a good cab to play it through and I'd like to get a master volume knob installed but I don't know where to do that or how much it would cost.

deuce, I would go for a 4x12 cab to play your V4 through. I use an older Marshall but hardly a relic, and they match up great.

cc

1969 - 1973: plug your Gibson Les Paul/Custom (1969 - 1972) or LP Junior (double cut-away, 1973) straight into your Ampeg SVT (or the lesser watt versions VT-22, V-4 or V-2), pre-amp gain around one o'clock and output master on three o'clock. Use earplugs to taste.


Cheers,
Wuudy

There's various versions: V4, V2, VT-22, VT-40. The V4 is 100 watts, V2 is 50 watts, VT-22 is a 2*12 combo with the 100 watt V4 as amp, the VT-40 is a 4*10 combo with either the 100 watt V4 or the 50 watt V2 as amp. For the real Stones sound, I personally prefer the VT-40, as the 4*10 speakers give a somewhat tigher rythm sound. Remember that 100 Ampeg watts is too loud for modern use, but there's a trick: just take out the two tubes far left and right, You now reduced 100 watts to ab out 40, without altering the sound.

There's two main versions of the Ampeg V-serie: the first one is from 1969 until approx. 1976, and featured five rocker switches above the volume and tone knobs. One of the rocker switches is called "sensitivity", and together with the treble pot, this is where the overdrive happens. The second version, from 1975 until 1980 didn't have these rocker switches, and there's only one way to overdrive these amps: turn the volume to 10, which blows you off the stage. I once tried to tame these amps with a load boax, but that doesn't work really well, as the sound became really gritty.

By the way, the SVT uses 6550A tubes, which is the American equivalent to the British KT-88. The 6550A is actually just a larger 6L6, and both tubes are still produced today. Sonicaly, there isn't any difference. The V-series amps use 7027A tubes, and some use 7591A tubes. It is very confusing, but the only difference between all these tubes is the maxiumum rating in watts. IN fact, there is NO difference between a standard 6L6 and a 7027! The 7027 has one pin more in the socket, but this pin is shorted anyway. You can replace any 7027A by any 6L6 tube without a problem. All modern 7027 tubes are just 6L6 tubes with a different label. The 7591A and 7581A tubes (found in the old Boogie Mark 1 amps) are just bigger versions of the 6L6. A standard 6L6 delivers 25 watts, a 7591 about 30, and a 7591 about 35. All these tubes are fully interchangeable. Just one thing: old tubes from the 70's sound much, much better than tubes produced today. An original set of G.E. 6L6 or Phillips 7581 blow any modern tube out of the water. This reflects in the price: modern 6L6 cost $15 each, G.E. 6L6 cost $150 for a matched set.

Mathijs

Who is this guy Mathijs?