NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

SongsForTheDeaf

SongsForTheDeaf

New member
So Its so cold out here that I have to let the amp warm up before I play but I could not contain my excitement..

I got a Ampeg VT-22 ! As you can guess from my username I'm a big QOTSA fan and you fans out there may know they use VT-22s both for recording and live shows.

I got a late 70s model with the distortion knob and no polarity switch. Its heavy but for sure not as heavy as I was expecting (said to be 88 pounds online) but it still will get me sweating buckets before gigs and after that is for sure.

It is also missing the Ampeg logo but that is not a big deal. It has Casters on it too so trucking it around won't be too hard but stair cases might be trouble some...

I will post a little review once I try it tomorrow at a decent volume with my pedalboard.. Either way I'm so excited to own one of these finally as they are so hard to get in my area!

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Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Very nice, I owned a couple late 70s Ampeg's and still own a couple late 60s and earlys 70s models. The later ones have a TON of eq range, ( more than the early ones, who have more range than any amp of it's time) so it is easy to make them sound bad, be patient as you dial it in. Loud as hell... I never used the distortion knob, I did not care for it on that amp. The magic of that amp is at high volume, it gets really fun when you push it.
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Yeah I don't plan on using the distortion knob.. I'm gonna spend all of tuesday just messing around with EQ and settings.. Wish I had this amp sooner as I'm recording my newest bands demos tomorrow at a studio and would have loved to put this beast to the test!

I can't even contain my excitement I'm euphoric my family thinks I'm suspiciously happy :lmao:
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

It's a solid score. I have a V4B 1/2 stack and a GV-22 combo. Have owned many Ampeg amps and loved them all
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

SongsForTheDeaf said:
Yepp something special about vintage Traynors and Ampegs.. I just wish they were not all so heavy
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Big iron in those, and big tone to match. Its worth a set of casters and lifting with the knees. Grats x 100.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

jon the art guy said:
Big iron in those, and big tone to match. Its worth a set of casters and lifting with the knees. Grats x 100.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
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Thanks bud! they sound so good it is worth the lifting!

Now to find pre amp tubes for this beast somewhere.. It says online you can put in 6L6 GC power tubes in without modifications, in fact when I checked out the tubes when I got it in it has Mesa 6L6 GCs in it already.. the other tubes look older
 
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Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

SongsForTheDeaf said:
Thanks bud! they sound so good it is worth the lifting!
Click to expand...

I once got a tube stereo hifi amp from the 60s (Lafayette 50 watter) I was gonna work on. It was the size of a boot box and weighed 95lb. Hard telling how it sounded as I turned it around for 300, but lord what a lesson I learned from that thing. No finger holds...nothing.

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Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Congratulations. It's good to see someone around here with some real taste in amps. In my book, it's among the best amps ever made, along with its stablemates the V4, V2, and VT40. I will never let my '76 V4 go! (That's the head version of your amp.)

Make sure to take advantage of the frequency range selection switches. Aside from the amp's "native" tone being to die for, the amp is also incredibly versatile, being able to stray very far from that basic Ampeg tone. It had probably the best tone controls of its time. It's no problem at all to get them to do very close copies of Fender or Marshall tones.
 
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Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

I had a 4x10 Ampeg combo some years ago and the casters were mounted to a board that screwed into the center of the bottom panel. Even when I took the head out and just used the cab with another head it still weighed like a dead body.

I guess I need to go down the hill and dig the head out from under the brushpile and see what model it used to be.
And if it can be saved.
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Oh the VT-40 ? that is a 4x10 model pumping out 60 watts. Very similar to the VT-22 I believe but the Vt-22 is 120 watts into 2x12 speakers.

I put a Ampeg badge on my VT-22 this morning.. I love the look of the classic ampeg so I had to throw it on !

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Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

I used to own an Ampeg V-4 and I used it to pump two Ampeg folder horn cabinets.

Loud and pushing a lot of air.

Problem that I ran into was finding replacement power tubes.

I dropped off the amp at Speaker Surgeon (Jeff Seal) got it fixed to use other tubes, but did not like the resulting tone (It was good, just not Ampeg tone) so I sold that amp to the Music Factory in Clearlake, TX...
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Yeah JJ makes some replacement tubes now for the V4 /VT22/VT40 but I think they are still pretty expensive. My VT-22 came with JJ and Mesa 6L6GCs in it which can be used on the ampeg v/vt series without any modifications.

I looked up a replacement package for the vt-22 on eurotubes.... over 200 bucks!
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Nice. I wish I knew more about old Ampegs, they're always popping up for decent prices around here. Theres a VT120 head on CL at the moment, that one anything special?
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

ex-250 said:
Nice. I wish I knew more about old Ampegs, they're always popping up for decent prices around here. Theres a VT120 head on CL at the moment, that one anything special?
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I'm gonna be honest I have never heard of the VT120 ...I'm sure a google search of it will give you some information though.

Ampegs are heavy though so keep that in mind. The V4 head is around 65 pounds and the VT22 combo is 88 pounds.. I'm sure the VT-40 4x10 is around the same weight if not heavier.

Ampegs have a unique sound so you should for sure try one sometime ! the EQ range is crazy on them too.. so much tones available with the rocker switches and the bandaxall tone stack. Very cool amps and they LOVE pedals if that is your thing.
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Congrats...amazing bass amp too if you pump it into the proper cab.
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

Kamanda~SD said:
Congrats...amazing bass amp too if you pump it into the proper cab.
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Nice! I might have to invest in some bass cabs and guitars. I heard Queens of the stone age used VT-22s on bass for their album Lullabies to Paralyze... I love the bass tone on the track Medication. So smooth but dirty
 
Re: NAD/finally aquired my dream map...late 70s Ampeg VT-22

SongsForTheDeaf said:
Oh the VT-40 ? that is a 4x10 model pumping out 60 watts. Very similar to the VT-22 I believe but the Vt-22 is 120 watts into 2x12 speakers.

I put a Ampeg badge on my VT-22 this morning.. I love the look of the classic ampeg so I had to throw it on !

View attachment 50824
Click to expand...

NEW STUFF ROCKS!!! :headbang:
 
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