Members theAntihero Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 So i came across an Ampeg V7 head in fair condition and im curious about it. I didnt have a chance to plug it in today unfortunatly, but id like some info on em. Are they anything like the v4's? Also they wanted $450, is that a good price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agiknee Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 get it now. i regret not buying one when I had the chance for 600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted January 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Can you tell me anything about it besides buy it now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John S. Shinal Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Kind of an oddball, it seems, made during the post-Magnavox era by MTI. Never seen one myself. Some info here : (note the page arrows) http://books.google.com/books?id=O36Ro9MSkccC&pg=RA1-PA234&lpg=RA1-PA234&dq=Ampeg+V7&source=bl&ots=X2Yz4D3Sho&sig=spNBVUJCGIVflAIuxcTE503bf4A&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result The power amp section looks pretty ordinary, a quartet of 6550 tubes for 100w. THe switchable output impedance is pretty unique. Hard to say whether you will get much grinding distortion from it, it was a new design for the early 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beardsman Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 good luck finding any info on this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted January 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Kind of an oddball, it seems, made during the post-Magnavox era by MTI. Never seen one myself. Some info here : (note the page arrows) http://books.google.com/books?id=O36...um=8&ct=result The power amp section looks pretty ordinary, a quartet of 6550 tubes for 100w. THe switchable output impedance is pretty unique. Hard to say whether you will get much grinding distortion from it, it was a new design for the early 80s. Cool, info! Much appreciated. good luck finding any info on this... Yeah im getting that. So far beyond what was just posted ive found nothing of note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orangekick Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well... I paid $200 for mine, but it came without power tubes. I also don't have a footswitch. This amp is pretty loud and has a great low end if you like stoner rock/ doom kinda tones. I have actually used this as a bass head a few times with good results. The treble can get kinda hairy when it's cranked and the mids have a tendency to get a little skronky. lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted January 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Well... I paid $200 for mine, but it came without power tubes. I also don't have a footswitch. This amp is pretty loud and has a great low end if you like stoner rock/ doom kinda tones. I have actually used this as a bass head a few times with good results. The treble can get kinda hairy when it's cranked and the mids have a tendency to get a little skronky. lol... Wow someone actually has one of these! So, do you think it would cover the ranges that a RedBear does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted January 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 So why is it someone posts about it and i reply with a question and they never return? Is it my breath??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John S. Shinal Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 If you're likely to get this, I'm sure it can be made to sound reasonably smooth, but it will take some expertise from a good tech. 1. Not all 6550 tubes sound alike, but yes they can sound very good dirty. Many Marshalls shipped to the US with 6550s when they had early problems with EL34s not surviving shipping wear & tear. You can talk to NBS Electronics in Denver if you want some good advice on various tube flavors. Call Willie http://www.nebsnow.com/LordValve don't email him you'll get your answers quicker. He's a cool guy if you're nice. He'll sell you tubes as cheap as you can get them anywhere, and he brutally tests them beforehand - you won't have early faliures from him. 2. The amp is going to need properly biased for its new tubes, and may also need a few minor parts changed. This is not expensive, but cold biased tubes or a flaky resistor in the wrong place is going to make your tone sad. 3. I've only seen a schematic for the power amp section, NOT for all the typical Ampeg preamp stuff. Someone who knows his way around a V4 should be able to handle this one though. 4. BARGAIN. This is an odd amp that is not well known or popular. Offer less than they are asking, and show them a fistfull of cash when you do it. Walk if they say no, "no big deal." I bet you get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hua and a tele Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 It's not like the V4's. The V7 was a new designed amp made by MTI after magnavox sold ampeg to them. The amps were manufactured by Benidai in Japan. The only design that they used from the magnavox era was the SVT. They can be used with a 4,8, or 16 ohm speaker load. The V7 is the same preamp as the V3 so any info you find on that will apply. I believe the V3 was more common than the V7. The preamp has 4 12ax7's and one 12at7 with four 6550's in the power section. It has two channel's with channel one being the overdrive channel which had a pre volume,post volume and mid shift switch. Channel two which was the clean had just a volume control and the two channels shared an eq. It has built in reverb. The channels, reverb and the eq shift can be switched with the footswitched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hua and a tele Posted January 22, 2009 Members Share Posted January 22, 2009 Another note, for that kind of cake I would just hold out and find a "real" pre-magnavox or real early magnavox ampeg. If you look long enough you can usually find any of the V series amps(V4,V2 or combo versions Vt22,vt40) for around that price. You can also find my second favorite ampeg model around $450 which is the B series amps(b25,b25b,b22x). which are smoking 60 watt heads. The B-series are all the same b25 is the base model, b25b is the same with the addition of reverb, and the b-22x sometimes called the jupiter is the same with the addition of reverb,echo, and tremelo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members theAntihero Posted January 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted January 23, 2009 4. BARGAIN. This is an odd amp that is not well known or popular. Offer less than they are asking, and show them a fistfull of cash when you do it. Walk if they say no, "no big deal." I bet you get it. Its only been there for a bit so i think ill wait awhile and see if they'll deal. Another note, for that kind of cake I would just hold out and find a "real" pre-magnavox or real early magnavox ampeg. If you look long enough you can usually find any of the V series amps(V4,V2 or combo versions Vt22,vt40) for around that price. Ive been wanting a V4 for quite awhile, thats actually the reason why i took an interest in the v7 in the first place. I'm not gonna pay $450 for it anyway, ill let it sit in the store for a little while and offer less, or maybe even throw in some gear im not using. Thanks to both of you for the info, its much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ThisIsExile Posted January 23, 2009 Members Share Posted January 23, 2009 get it. if you dont like it you could use it as a good power amp. well, as long as it has an effects loop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SGJ Posted July 1, 2021 Members Share Posted July 1, 2021 I’ve got one and it crushes !!!! use it fir both bass and the thing is a beast. Definitely a head for the doom/stoner genres but I think would be great for most styles of music dependant on pedals and guitar/bass set up. Not much of a tech guy myself but this thing puts most other heads I’ve played through to shame. Hope you get this or have gotten it already and see how killer this head is for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr Sammiches Posted June 16, 2022 Members Share Posted June 16, 2022 I played one of these 20 years ago - still have it somewhere. From what I remember it requires a footswitch or all the channels are on. I ended talking to some folks who had worked on the design (as I could not find a footswitch anywhere) and got to the clean channel by connecting two of the ports with a paper clip. A whole lot less muddy after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larry1959 Posted March 21 Members Share Posted March 21 hi, new to this i have a randall rg100es in very good condition and also an ampeg v7 on a ampeg se-412 box . just wondering the value of this equipment, all works and in good condition. thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted March 21 Moderators Share Posted March 21 10 hours ago, larry1959 said: hi, new to this i have a randall rg100es in very good condition and also an ampeg v7 on a ampeg se-412 box . just wondering the value of this equipment, all works and in good condition. thank you look on e-Bay and reverb.com for recent sales and listings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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