Need Advice on Lightweight Portable Ampeg Rig

[sheedo]

Hi,

I need some advice for a new gigging setup please!

I have used combo amps all my life, mainly Laney, Ashdown and Fender Rumble, but now I want to get something with more portability and that is kinder to my back.

I have always craved an Ampeg setup of a Head and Cab/cabs, but the weight of some of them is a killer. I play in a 4 piece rock / blues covers band, and my amps are DI'd to the PA, so I don't use huge stage volume, just enough to hear over the drummer and guitarist.

After alot of research I have been thinking about two SVT-210AV cabinets, they are compact and light and supposedly sound pretty good.

I was going to pair these with either a Micro VR head, which would give me the full 200W if I had two cabinets attached, or else I was going to pair it with a V-4B valve head which has 100W output but is all tube.

I usually use a P Bass or a 4003, and an Empress Effects Compressor

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, or if anyone has a similar setup I would love to hear what you think.

 

[ahpook]

I'd not call a V4B particularly 'lightweight' at 41lbs, but Your Musculature May Vary.

 

 

 

 

[Downunderwonder]

You might want to try picking up a V4 before getting too invested in that idea. 

[gjones]

I played a gig in Glasgow recently where the house amp was an Ampeg Micro CL. I took along my Markbass combo, just in case the amp just wasn't loud enough, but when I got to the gig the Ampeg head was going through a Session 1x15 and was pretty loud. Considering we were playing rocky blues with quite a heavy drummer, I was very impressed at the volume a 100 watt transistor amp could put out. We were going through the FOH PA but even if we weren't the amp could have handled the gig (and the master was only halfway).

Edited February 6, 2024 by gjones

[basshead56]

Definitely consider the Micro VR head to go with the two 210 cabs.

 

I had this exact rig for a few years and it was genuinely epic! it could handle jusr about any situation and certainly never felt as small as it was/underpowered.

 

I would happily have another one if I could somehow justify it, but seeing as how my pF800 rig barely even gets switched on at the moment, kinda hard to...

Come to think of it, the only reason i moved mine on was i wasn't gigging enough and i was playing more upright at the time.

 

If you're committed to going the Ampeg route, consider a PF series head (500 or 800) and a matching cab.

Or even the rocket 500 combo - great tone, feature set and portability.

[sheedo]

Thanks, very interested to hear about the micro vr setup and your impressions. I am slightly concerned about reports of fan noise from these amps though, and a fairly average DI sound…did you ever have any issues with either?

[sheedo]

2 hours ago, basshead56 said:

Definitely consider the Micro VR head to go with the two 210 cabs.

 

I had this exact rig for a few years and it was genuinely epic! it could handle jusr about any situation and certainly never felt as small as it was/underpowered.

 

I would happily have another one if I could somehow justify it, but seeing as how my pF800 rig barely even gets switched on at the moment, kinda hard to...

Come to think of it, the only reason i moved mine on was i wasn't gigging enough and i was playing more upright at the time.

 

If you're committed to going the Ampeg route, consider a PF series head (500 or 800) and a matching cab.

Or even the rocket 500 combo - great tone, feature set and portability.

 

3 hours ago, ahpook said:

I'd not call a V4B particularly 'lightweight' at 41lbs, but Your Musculature May Vary.

 

 

 

 

Yes the micro VR is certainly more portable, i guess the V4B has a nostalgic charm about it!

[basshead56]

Can't say I found the fan to be particularly noisy.

I was aware it was on but certainly not excessive.

And not aware of any DI issues. I only used the DI on the amp a couple of times as i usually preferred to take a line out of whatever pre I was using

[sheedo]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the power capabilities of the V-4B (100w) with two of these 2 X 10's as opposed to the Micro VR (200w) ?

Would it work onstage using a PA with a full band ?

I have often heard it said that tube watts are louder than transistor watts...

[sheedo]

6 hours ago, basshead56 said:

Can't say I found the fan to be particularly noisy.

I was aware it was on but certainly not excessive.

And not aware of any DI issues. I only used the DI on the amp a couple of times as i usually preferred to take a line out of whatever pre I was using

Hi, what is the best way to do that - does this bypass the DI on the amp ?

Would you be able to share your signal chain ?

 

[chris_b]

An SVT3-PRO at about 26lbs might fit the bill, but if you are experiencing back problems you should really be looking further down the road, to D class amps and neo cabs.

[Norris]

A Rumble is too heavy?! Good luck finding a light weight Ampeg 

[PaulThePlug]

Lightweight and Portable Ampeg, DI out, Cheap... Behringer BDI21, Zoom B1 On ( or Four)

 

Edited February 7, 2024 by PaulThePlug

[BassAdder60]

I’m a V4B user for gigs with the SVT212AV cab

 

Very loud valve amp used in a four piece rock band 

 

Best amp I’ve ever owned by a long way and worth the weight  

 

My master volume at a typical pub gig is 9 o clock !! 

Edited February 8, 2024 by BassAdder60

[sheedo]

1 hour ago, BassAdder60 said:

I’m a V4B user for gigs with the SVT212AV cab

 

Very loud valve amp used in a four piece rock band 

 

Best amp I’ve ever owned by a long way and worth the weight  

 

My master volume at a typical pub gig is 9 o clock !! 

That's a dream setup! I bet it sounds warm and amazing!

[BassAdder60]

50 minutes ago, sheedo said:

That's a dream setup! I bet it sounds warm and amazing!

It’s the best rig I’ve ever used 

Cab is fantastic ( a little heavy but worth it ) and the V4B just sounds great regardless of how you set it. 
 

Works very well with a PBass and suits rock very well 

[Alien]

Is 'lightweight and portable' even in the same ballpark as Ampeg?  I thought the two were mutually exclusive!
I know the more recent stuff's been getting lighter, but Ampeg are never going to be competition for Barefaced are they?

 

[jrixn1]

4 hours ago, Alien said:

Is 'lightweight and portable' even in the same ballpark as Ampeg?  I thought the two were mutually exclusive!
I know the more recent stuff's been getting lighter, but Ampeg are never going to be competition for Barefaced are they?

 

The Ampeg Venture 2x10 and 4x10 are lighter than Barefaced.

 

 

 

[BassmanPaul]

If you do go the pair of 2x10s route stack them on their ends to create a vertical 4x10. They work so much better in that configuration  out in the room and you'll be able to hear yourself better on stage.

 

[Dan Dare]

Why must it be Ampeg? They may have been the only show in town a while ago, but things have moved on since then. A lot. Beware thinking all Ampeg gear works like a SVT plus an 8x10. Their stuff is generally decent, but it's far from the only option. Certainly not the cheapest, either.

[BassmanPaul]

If you are buying new I'd be looking at what @agedhorse has at Mesa.  You would also have a direct connection here to the designer.

 

Edited February 11, 2024 by BassmanPaul