Valve Amp - who’s still using them?

[dagrev]

4 hours ago, police squad said:

what cab are you running there

Ampeg Heritage 410. It was more money but well worth it. I like Ampeg amps, but cabs are a mixed bag for me. Some like the classic 410HFL suck in my opinion. This one if fantastic. My Ampeg 212 is a great cab as well and would be my next favorite. 

[dagrev]

4 hours ago, police squad said:

I now have my ampeg V4B and it sounds immense

first gig on saturday with my Police tribute, looking forward to it

I have one of those as well--to go with my 212. Fantastic head when pushed and the tubes start compressing. Sweet! Problem for me is I never need t be that loud. My V-4HB sounds different. Bigger and smoother, whereas the V-4b AV is brighter and has more mids (both being flat). The old BH has the same pre as as SVT, the new (old old) v-4bs are a little different.  

[dagrev]

3 hours ago, BassAdder60 said:

Just out of interest are you mostly a pick or fingers player ?? 
 

I found the V4B to be the best sounding amp with both techniques especially adding Ultra Low when pick playing 

 

Couldn’t fault the sound and the feel you get playing an all tube amp.

 

I always felt mine really sounded it’s very best second set onwards ( IE been played loud for around an hour ) 

Power tubes well warmed up and it just sounded better. 

Both pick and fingers for me. I never use the ultra low. 

Yes, great heads. Not only do they sound glorious when pushed--they look as good as they sound. 

[Reggaebass]

I’m not overly familiar with the Ampeg B18 , I like this guy’s videos and it sounds really good here 

 

[BassAdder60]

Funny thing after gigging an SVT-CL and V4B I now use a MB LMIV amp !

 

Honestly it’s nearly as good !!! 
 

Definitely easier to move around 

Edited August 13 by BassAdder60

[Beer of the Bass]

I was enjoying gigging with my PF50T at the weekend. The PA was a small setup that we used for vocals and flute only, so I had it into the zone where it was just starting to get hairy on the louder sections, always a satisfying place to be. 

[police squad]

I've tried my V4B thru my Ashdown RM410 cab at the weekend

It sounded great before the guitards turned up so loud I couldn't hear anything (and subsequently I had to stop the gig, on another thread)

I've got some Ampeg silver grill cloth, which I'm going to cover the Ashdown in, so that it matches

[Reggaebass]

Another one from Jo choui, great tones here from the different amps and setups , and I quite like the groove he’s playing, never heard it before 

 

[ian61]

Such a ubiquitous tone....You feel like you've heard it for ever, guess in some ways we have. Lovely.

[Woodinblack]

On 25/08/2025 at 09:30, Reggaebass said:

, and I quite like the groove he’s playing, never heard it before 

 

Its from men I trust, and from info he has posted, when recording he goes straight into the desk without an amp.

 

 

[Agent 00Soul]

I saw Men I Trust in London in 2024 - the bass really stood out in the live mix.

[msb]

On 25/08/2025 at 05:30, Reggaebass said:

Another one from Jo choui, great tones here from the different amps and setups , and I quite like the groove he’s playing, never heard it before 

 

Thank you for posting that. Jo built an amp for me last year. 

[Reggaebass]

40 minutes ago, msb said:

Thank you for posting that. Jo built an amp for me last year. 

I’ve messaged him a few times and he’s always replied, seems like a really nice guy and he knows his stuff 

[msb]

We had become Facebook friends. He’s simply a tone nut , and loves to test and compare things , and is a builder. And with his YouTube channel , he can share that. I like to think I’m nerdy about such things but he has taken that to another level. And I love and respect that. He is a great guy. I’d love to meet him in person some day. 
The amp he built for me is a straight 500 watt power amp to power a preamp. I use it on every gig. 

[msb]

 

Here’s that amp he built for me. Simple straightforward power amp. It suites me preamp perfectly. He has built quite a few preamps based on the classic B-15. 

[ossyrocks]

I'm going to start gigging this one soon. I haven't done yet, even though it's been around for a while, and there have been a few reasons for that, not least having a hernia!

 

But I got that sorted in July and I feel sufficiently recovered to start carrying this around. I spent a few hours yesterday trying different pre-amp valves in it. Martin Garton had put a Mullard ECC81 in the V1 position when he built it, he said he did this to keep it clean. However, having spent some time swapping things around, I've settled on an RCA 7025 in V1 now, and the amp is much more immediate and responsive, as well as being louder. It hasn't really affected how soon it breaks up either. I also worked my way through the rest of the pre-amp, and I think I've settled on the best set of valves which are all good vintage RCA, Amperex, Mullard and Philips.

 

The other key element I have added is an HPF. The one I'm using is a Rafferty clone of the Fdeck HPF. I'm rolling off everything below about 60hz I think (there are no markings on the knob!), which really tightens the whole thing up. Without it, the amp tends to be over bassy and flubby, and lacks the punch I would like. The HPF totally transforms the amp in a very good way.

 

I now just have to overcome my aversion to amp head overhang, which is proving a little difficult.

 

Rob

[msb]

I had several of those 50 Bassman heads , wound up selling them to guitar players. 
 

Great little heads , and not all that heavy.

[ossyrocks]

1 hour ago, msb said:

I had several of those 50 Bassman heads , wound up selling them to guitar players. 
 

Great little heads , and not all that heavy.

This one is a little heavier than standard as it has a big upgraded output transformer, but yes, still manageable....just.

[rwillett]

Is that the head you brought to the NW Bass Bash last year?

 

If so, we clearly we have a different opinion on the word "manageable"...