Ampeg V4 1972-1975

Ampeg co-founder Everett Hull was decidedly ﻿not﻿ a fan of Rock n Roll. His early products were all aimed at jazz players, and early Ampeg amps were celarly designed to stay as clean as possible when cranked--quite the opposite of what most rock players were seeking. Even when Ampeg finally built a "Fenderesque" guitar amp with a crunchy drive and spring reverb in 1964, Hull obstinately included "Accordion" labels on the inputs. By 1969, though, Rock was firmly established and clearly not going away. Ampeg caught up, first revolutionizing the bass amp with the SVT in 1969, followed by a new lineup of guitar and bass amps for 1970. Among this new lineup was the V4, a 100W all tube guitar amp with spring reverb which, thanks to a cleverly crafted tone stack and several toggle switches, could dial in anything from chiming Fender cleans to fat Marshall crunch and everything in between. The Rolling Stones, whose relationship with Ampeg started in 1969 when they embarked on a tour of the US, made the V4 famous shortly after, using the amp on at least some of Sticky Fingers﻿ and most of Exile on Main Street. Loud and versatile, with killer clean and dirty tones plus a knack for taking pedals, the V4 firmly cemented itself as an all-time classic design. This particular V4 was built sometime between 1972 and 1975. This is considered an "early" unit, with no master volume control or distortion circuit. The amp is functioning perfectly, with a complement of recent JJ 7027s driving the power section. Cosmetically, the amp is in fair condition. Nearly all of the labels on the front panel have worn off, but a previous owner meticulously re-drew the black outline boxes with a ruler and a sharpie. There are some small nicks and tears in the tolex, but the cabinet is sturdy and there are no major tears or flaws. Power cord is the original 2-prong.