Ampeg V4 4x12 Restoration

[Blackburn]

Just finished completely restoring a mid seventies V4 cab that I got for cheap. I wish I had before and after pics but I only managed to get the original shop photo that was online, and photographed it as to enlarge it.

This thing has been to hell and back but I managed to sand it all down, pry out all the metal cups and corners, replaced tolex, corners, feet, grill cloth, and logo (luckily the water damage only seemed to be confined to a small corner of the wood that was fine and not warped). Good ol American workmanship! These things are solid! I can see why Ken dug these so much.

Just had to share. Only three ASW Crossroads to go!

[ampgeek]

Well done mate. That looks like a very fine job!!
I have done a few of those over the years and can confirm their quality and sound.
If only they only weren't so f%c&i@g big and heavy!!
Rock on,
Dave O.

[Blackburn]

Thanks!

These things really are hefty. Two of the original Rola speakers were left and added a good bit to the weight, not that I have much use for them anyway. I just thought of them as a cash back rebate if I sold em.

[Reeltarded]

Looks great!

[Progear]

Excellent job, brother..

[Firestorm]

Once a cat sits on them they become extremely hazardous to those of us with life-threatening cat allergies. I have a haz-mat team at my disposal. Don't delay; once that cat spit gets into the tolex you have to use bleach to recover them.

Nice job, though.

[Leo_Gnardo]

A V-4 cab covered with grey ozite and loaded with 4 Altec 417-8H has been my go-to test cab for over 20 years. Built solid all right, with birch ply. They build boats out of that stuff, no wonder it survived a water experience.

Excellent looking refurb!

It's the cat's meow! BTW yours is mighty big if he's covering most all the top.

[Blackburn]

Thanks a lot, guys. I really wish the original logo was good enough to keep on there, but I did even more damage to it getting the rusted screws that mounted it out of the grill. I'm on the lookout for a mid 70s white plastic one, btw.

Sorry about the allergies, Firestorm. Leo, I was hoping the two speakers that came with mine were going to be Altecs, but they were Rolas. I'll probably be posting them in the FS section soon. I'm curious about your V4 cab. That covering sounds cool. And yes Leo, my cat's girth is much more evident when he's sitting or lying. He helped in the restoration.

Mods, this should probably be moved to the speakers and cabs section. One of my first posts...

[Leo_Gnardo]

Leo, I was hoping the two speakers that came with mine were going to be Altecs, but they were Rolas. I'll probably be posting them in the FS section soon. I'm curious about your V4 cab. That covering sounds cool. And yes Leo, my cat's girth is much more evident when he's sitting or lying. He helped in the restoration.

My V-4 cab came that way. Already modified. Found it in a local mom & pop store @ 25 years ago, with a PV VT-120 parked atop. My eyes bugged out when I saw the white frames - knew what that meant! Consignment - wouldn't separate the two. So I bought 'em, everyone telling me the VT-120 was a stone and couldn't be sold. Replaced a bad output tube and kicked it out the door for $300. And the rest is history. That cab's taken everything I've thrown at it, from a Champ to an SVT.

Cats are good for inspecting cab interiors, gotta make sure there's no mice!

Like your post, right where it is.

[Blackburn]

Leo, I was hoping the two speakers that came with mine were going to be Altecs, but they were Rolas. I'll probably be posting them in the FS section soon. I'm curious about your V4 cab. That covering sounds cool. And yes Leo, my cat's girth is much more evident when he's sitting or lying. He helped in the restoration.

My V-4 cab came that way. Already modified. Found it in a local mom & pop store @ 25 years ago, with a PV VT-120 parked atop. My eyes bugged out when I saw the white frames - knew what that meant! Consignment - wouldn't separate the two. So I bought 'em, everyone telling me the VT-120 was a stone and couldn't be sold. Replaced a bad output tube and kicked it out the door for $300. And the rest is history. That cab's taken everything I've thrown at it, from a Champ to an SVT.

Cats are good for inspecting cab interiors, gotta make sure there's no mice!

Like your post, right where it is.

Sounds like you scored on that one! I'm really interested in seeing that thing. I wonder if I'd dig those 417s. Good looking speakers. I'ma check Fleabay.

And yes, Tommy certainly loves inspecting my cabs, frequently entering the 2x12 Tone Tubby via its oval back.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Sounds like you scored on that one! I'm really interested in seeing that thing. I wonder if I'd dig those 417s. Good looking speakers. I'ma check Fleabay.

Not terribly picturesque. Just imagine yours, but covered in grey fuzz, black grill. Came with metal grills over each speaker but that looked too "yellow submarine" for me.

Altec 417's a little JBL like at low volumes, not as sharp a spike in the 5-6 KHz range, then when you push 'em hard, break up like Celestions, maybe G12-80, a little brighter overall. There's a reason Santana loved 'em for decades. Strange factoid, Alted being a stodgy film, theater and studio company, they designed the 417 for guitar use.

Besides that, they make a very nice single-unit hi fi speaker. I have a mono hi fi, cabinet and 10 watt Knight kit amp my uncle Harry made @ 1960. The EV 3-way Harry installed was shot so I put in an 417. At low and medium volumes, orchestral music sounds great, all the way from the ping of the triangle down to the rumble of a 30-inch bass drum. Just uncanny how good it is.

[cbass]

Oh Thats a bad ,bad kitty.Looks like it needs squeezed

[Bill Moore]

I have one of those cabinets that someone cut the original baffle, and installed an EV 3 way system, 18", 10", and horn, with the EV crossover. I've been wondering if I could return it to a 4-12 someday, and house the EV components in another cab.
I have heard that some of the cups were used for transport, is that true?

[Blackburn]

Sounds like you scored on that one! I'm really interested in seeing that thing. I wonder if I'd dig those 417s. Good looking speakers. I'ma check Fleabay.

Not terribly picturesque. Just imagine yours, but covered in grey fuzz, black grill. Came with metal grills over each speaker but that looked too "yellow submarine" for me.

Altec 417's a little JBL like at low volumes, not as sharp a spike in the 5-6 KHz range, then when you push 'em hard, break up like Celestions, maybe G12-80, a little brighter overall. There's a reason Santana loved 'em for decades. Strange factoid, Alted being a stodgy film, theater and studio company, they designed the 417 for guitar use.

Besides that, they make a very nice single-unit hi fi speaker. I have a mono hi fi, cabinet and 10 watt Knight kit amp my uncle Harry made @ 1960. The EV 3-way Harry installed was shot so I put in an 417. At low and medium volumes, orchestral music sounds great, all the way from the ping of the triangle down to the rumble of a 30-inch bass drum. Just uncanny how good it is.

You're making me even more curious about that thing! I'm not gonna let this go and I'll go as far as PM'ing you!

Good to know about the Altecs. I'm itching to try a pair or quad. Love the white frame and gray magnet.

I have one of those cabinets that someone cut the original baffle, and installed an EV 3 way system, 18", 10", and horn, with the EV crossover. I've been wondering if I could return it to a 4-12 someday, and house the EV components in another cab.
I have heard that some of the cups were used for transport, is that true?

I don't know without seeing it that there's much you can do, unless you are a fantastic woodworker. These cabs are really, really well made. You may find that buying another one is a cheaper alternative. I may be wrong.

And yes, these came with a bunch of metal cups mounted on the top and side. They secured the original Ampeg heads in place, keeping them safe from vibration. Mine had them, but they were in such horrid condition I pried them all out and tossed them. That was fun.

[Bill Moore]

Blackburn, could you tell me how the baffle is mounted in your V4? I was looking at mine yesterday,(butchered), I have a (possible old baffle) behind the replacement. All 4 corners have a triangle, (separate from the baffle), that are level with the new baffle. I'm just not sure how the baffle was originally mounted!
Thanks!