Ampeg amps for guitar?

Colorado Axeman

Colorado Axeman

Inspired
I'm looking to emulate some Bad Company tones, and was reading that Mick Ralphs predominantly used Ampeg V4 amps on the first few records. It looks like the Ampeg models on the Fractal are geared for bass, or can I use them with guitar to get the tones I'm seeking?
 
I'm nowhere near an expert but I believe the SVT and V4 share a similar preamp. The V Series were lower wattage models designed for guitar players. The SV Bass model in the Axe-Fx would seem to be the one to try.

Another approach might be using one of the Bassman models and changing the Tonestack to the SV Bass tonestack.
 
Use the SV 1 Bass model (not 2).

It is killer for guitar. Crank the master up to 6, turn on bright switch, then dial in the drive amount. You can experiment with the amp boost on/off.

It is one of my favorite presets in the 1400+ Naked Amps tonepack. I hear the Stone’s Get Your Ya-Ya’s out with it. It is crunchy without being saturated, great with humbuckersl
 
austinbuddy said:
Use the SV 1 Bass model (not 2).

It is killer for guitar. Crank the master up to 6, turn on bright switch, then dial in the drive amount. You can experiment with the amp boost on/off.

It is one of my favorite presets in the 1400+ Naked Amps tonepack. I hear the Stone’s Get Your Ya-Ya’s out with it. It is crunchy without being saturated, great with humbuckersl
Click to expand...


Thanks for the heads up - I'll give that a try tonight! Mick Ralphs used his Les Paul Jr on the initial records, so SV 1 + P90 pickup ftw
 
@Colorado Axeman Tagging onto @austinbuddy 's sage advice, also change the power amp tube to 6L6 from 6550.

That will more accurately mimic what the V4 does.

If you still find yourself not getting that sound, try using the 1970 Marshall model. I have found some success getting the Bad Co flavor of grind with that model.

Depending upon the song, Mick sometimes used open A, open C, and open G tunings with either an LP or an Esquire. Believe it or not, it really changes how the guitar chimes through an amp using those tunings.

Please let us know how you fare.
 
I got my Bad Company preset "Movin' On" last night

SV 1 amp, change power tubes to 6L6
Master: 6
Bass: 4
Mid: 6
Treble: 7
Drive: 5
Bright Switch: On

Sounds fantastic, possible better than my other favorite amp model... the Tweed Twin. I might set up an expression pedal on the Drive knob to transition between clean/dirty. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I can post it if anyone is interested.
 
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Colorado Axeman said:
I got my Bad Company preset "Movin' On" last night

SV 1 amp, change power tubes to 6L6
Master: 6
Bass: 4
Mid: 6
Treble: 7
Drive: 5
Bright Switch: On

Sounds fantastic, possible better than my other favorite amp model... the Tweed Twin. I might set up an expression pedal on the Drive knob to transition between clean/dirty. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I can post it if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

If you're still willing it would be great to check out your preset.

Many years ago a friend of mine had a VT-22 (combo version of the V4). We took it out in his backyard and turned it up LOUD - so loud in fact that my friend's mother heard it clearly several blocks away while she was driving home. It had a magical tone - a sort of overdrive shimmer to it. Speakers were mismatched - 1 JBL & 1 Eminence 12's. It was one of the best tones I've ever heard. It would also cause permanent hearing loss if you gave it a minute and a half. I've always wished that Cliff would model a V4. Maybe someday . . .

Best,
Scott
 
I had a V4 from the mid 70s until about '99. The one I had was somewhat unreliable and acted like it had a cold solder joint somewhere but no one I brought it to was ever able to find it. It only acted up when played at lower volumes. When I finally decided to move on from it I took it to a Sam Ash store to trade it in. The salesrep connected it to a full Marshall cab stack. I'd never used it on anything bigger than a 2x12. He turned it up halfway and hit a power cord to test it and I though he was going to blow out the front window! It stayed mostly clean with just a bit of grit and it had headroom to spare! After all that the SA guy didn't want to take in in trade but I was able to get GC to take it. I was actually happy to see it go. It was a frikkin' anvil and only sounded good at ear bleed levels.
 
Here's my Ampeg preset that I use if anyone wants to give it a try... it's a "kitchen sink" preset of sorts:
Scene 1 - vintage clean
Scene 2 - Rhythm
Scene 3 - Acoustic
Scene 4 - Lead
Scene 5 - 12-string Rick simulation

You'll need to change the cab to something else - I like the F062 VC30 cab with it personally, and the acoustic probably won't sound right because I'm using a custom cab for that.
 

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