VTypeV4

There were head versions but they were all valve, namely the Quatra and Hexa Valve models. There was also a Twin Valve but that had the lesser featured 7-band EQ section. There were no hybrid heads (that I'm aware of), only the 1225V combo..

Love an 'adventure' thread! Keep it coming. 😀

I put the 01V into service on the live scene this evening to see how it performed. I had no trouble with it - everything worked as it should, all parameters were familiar and navigating the console was reasonably straight forward although the (slight) lack of surface controls was a minor issue compared the 02R which is arguably unfair with 01V being physically so much smaller. 01V action wed819 by VTypeV4, on Flickr I'll do a more in depth look at the little Yamaha as it gets used more..

DSC01673 by VTypeV4, on Flickr And that one.. Ha!

01V 819 by VTypeV4, on Flickr Trying an alternative solution - picked this up today for very few pennies. I'll see how it performs next week. 😀

These really are very cool - nice one..

I had a 715 (one of the last old generation ones - black with the illuminescent panel) which was exceptionally loud given it's conservative 150w rating.

The last one I watched on eBay did £1875..

It's not quite the same but I fitted JJ 6L6GC into my Bassman 135 a couple of years ago - they've been solid..

I've never had a Trace hum although I tried a series 6 (GP12) once with a dodgy transformer that was physically humming - not through the speaker but the transformer itself. Not sure if that's the issue you have here but it might be worth checking - run the head with no speaker to confirm.. And yes, it's an SS power stage so it's fine with no load attached..

There's something just a little bit magic in those glowing bottles.. Glad you're happy with the Laney, it looks fantastic and has many features that I like the idea of too - it walks the walk AND talks the talk seemingly..

DSC01673 by VTypeV4, on Flickr

135 number ten by VTypeV4, on Flickr Love mine - oldskool cool..😀

I hope so, he's done some great stuff over the years..

I've always had good results and good service from them. I had a Sound City years back which blew up not long after I'd had it so pilfered the valves and sold it on. Two of the six EL34 were JJ so dropped them into my 60w custom head (pictured above) with a notable improvement over the Sovtek '34s that were in it previously. This was my first experience of the JJ brand. Many years later, the V4 had a re-tube by Long Time Fred of this parish when it was his and he had a full line of JJ ECC83 (standard small plate types) put in - I think there's seven in total! I've swapped a few out over the years opting for Sovtek LPS 12AX7 in the driver and inverter stages but just as a 'see how it responds' experiment - the differences are negligible to these ears.. So, ECC81, ECC83S. ECC803S (long plate), EL34, KT77 and 6L6 are well up to the mark in terms of price point, performance and longevity - I may plump for some JJ KT88 when the V4 is due next time..

Trying to be a little arty with this one.. 135 number ten by VTypeV4, on Flickr I should have had two gigs this weekend but sadly both were pulled last minute so I took a picture instead. 😀

Super cool - the Fender look (or sound for that matter) never seems to go out of fashion..

I've dropped some new pre-amp valves into the Fender Bassman 135 this week - I chose some JJ ECC803 types. They're a large plate version of the ubiquitous ECC83 / 12AX7 valve found in most amps these days and are apparently better suited to lower gain circuits and hifi applications that require more headroom. I've used them in my 60 watt hand-built amp too and they seemed to work great so thought I'd drop them in hoping for great results again.. 803 Fender 135 b by VTypeV4, on Flickr 803 Fender 135 by VTypeV4, on Flickr I've also put a new '81 in the driver stage as it had an incorrect Chinese ECC83 in that place. I've retained the original (Fender branded US RCA valves - they're still good!) for a rainy day. I'm happy to report that they work great! Big fat, warm, smooth with just a touch of natural compression when pushed - no all out drive - so they're working just as I'd hoped. At least as good as the old US valves but worth a lot less! Beavis nearly by VTypeV4, on Flickr Beavis nearly by VTypeV4, on Flickr Beavis (60 watt hand-built) is bit higher gain than the 135 - think '70s Marshall. I've used the 803 types in both pre and driver stages and they've been rock solid offering an improvement over the Chinese valves they replaced - again, cleaner, louder, fatter etc.. If you're after a bold clean valve sound with smooth, natural, unobtrusive compression then the JJ ECC803S come very highly recommended from me. Second only to my favourite ECC83, the Siemens production ones from the '80's. Buss bass by VTypeV4, on Flickr

I've done some dep gigs this weekend - 30 songs with less than 24 hrs notice! It's not been an easy one as it's an '80s cover band at that.. Risky Roch by VTypeV4, on Flickr The Trace, the Warwick and the SWRs pictured at a club in Rochadale.

TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr TOh may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr X32 Derek WW by VTypeV4, on Flickr X32 Derek WW by VTypeV4, on Flickr Sod may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr Sod may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr Sod may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr Sod may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr Sod may19 by VTypeV4, on Flickr So, lots of work on the live scene these last few months and not an 02R in sight (other than my own, of course) or indeed any Yamaha for that matter. A&H, Behringer / Midas seem to be flavour of the month with a lot of places lately - no complaints here as they're all easy to work with and quickly achieve a decent mix..

Does it have an FX loop? If so, try plugging a bass into that and see if you have anything.. Due to the size and tech involved, it might be a 'send it back' job as they don't look like fun to work on - best of luck.

I once paired my 600SMX with 4 cabs - a Martin Audio 18" sub and a Trace 1153 (1x15) on one side and a 1048H (4x10 & HF) plus a 2103H (2x10 & HF) on the other.. It was an experience!! 😀 Regarding your 500 (much like my old 600), it is - as suggested further - up two separate power stages offering 250w / 4 ohm / channel.. The later 600w Series 6 and SMX versions were very much the same just with an additional (but probably unnoticeable) 50w per channel..

The old Fender design is also similar - my Bassman 135 is somewhat 'interactive'.. My advice is to keep twiddling and see how you go plus contacting Ashdown to ask about the EQ mod may be a good move also. I tried a CTM100 in Brighton a few months back and found the EQ quite gentle but managed to dial a useable sound (in the shop at least) reasonably quickly. I rather liked it and would probably work quite well for me but I don't need another valve amp.. Best of luck.

I rather like the look of this too - I'd probably benefit from a pair of WA 1176 or UA 2LA2 far more but.. Having said that, I don't have £1k+ spare atm...

Ssl 1 by VTypeV4, on Flickr SSL Super Posh by VTypeV4, on Flickr So, this has been fun - haven't had chance to mix on it yet sadly but it's been great for tracking!