Hey Zach,
I recently acquired a late-’80s or early-’90s Ampeg VL502 amp
with a matching SS412AS 4x12 cab. The amp’s serial number
is L52DDB0094. The original owner hardly used it, and the rig
spent most of its life in his basement. It’s in excellent condition
and still has the original tubes. While I vaguely remember these
first coming out, info on them seems pretty scarce. What I do
know is this rig sounds great—in a “modified Marshall” kind of
way. What can you tell me about this Ampeg?
Thanks,
—Mike in Austin, MN
Hey Mike,
Cool amp—I sure don’t see many
of these anymore! The Ampeg
VL502, along with all the amps
in the VL Series, was designed by
amp guru Lee Jackson. Jackson
established himself as an amp
modifier in Los Angeles during
the 1980s, specifically with
Marshalls. Jackson worked as a
designer for several companies,
including B.C. Rich, Fender,
Pignose, Metaltronix, Harmony,
and, of course, Ampeg. He is
probably best known for his
XLA-1000 amp, a direct copy
of the amps he built for Zakk
Wylde, Steve Vai, and George
Lynch. Currently, Jackson produces
amps and effects under his
own name in Austin, Texas.
In 1986, St. Louis Music
(SLM) bought Ampeg out of
bankruptcy, acquiring two truckloads
of various items and parts.
SLM resumed production, first
reviving the SVT line, and then
followed with a line of guitar
and bass amps generally based
on established Ampeg designs.
Ampeg was a very traditional
company during the ’60s and
’70s, and Everett Hull (Ampeg’s
owner at that time) despised
rock ’n’ roll music. Ampeg’s artist
relations department indicated
that since music was changing
in the late ’80s and early ’90s, a
musician’s needs had to be met in
order for Ampeg to make a profit.
The R&D department hired
Lee Jackson in the fall of 1990 to
design a line of guitar amplifiers
that became the VL series. These
new amps were released in 1991
and utilized several features never
before seen on an Ampeg.
The VL Series included a
single-channel model available
in 50-watt (VL501) and 100-
watt (VL1001) versions, and a
2-channel model with reverb in
50-watt (VL502) and 100-watt
(VL1002) versions. The massive
3-channel VL503 was later introduced
in 1993. All were heads,
and they could run either 6550
or EL34 power tubes with a bias
switch to properly adjust them.
They also included a built-in
attenuator, cascading gain stages,
a 5-way mid-frequency contour
switch, and an effects loop. The
2-channel amps also had separate
Master Volume and Reverb controls.
Maybe the coolest feature
was a lock-and-key system to
prevent unauthorized use!
Speaker cabinets were available
in a 2x12 configuration
with Celestion G12K-85 speakers,
as well as 4x12 configurations
with Celestion Vintage 30s,
Celestion G12T-75s, or Ampeg
Customs. I remember these
amps being very heavy. The VL
Series didn’t stand for anything
in particular, though some users
joke that it stood for
very loud.
Innovation is usually what
drives the guitar industry, but
unfortunately the VL Series (along
with many of Ampeg’s other new
designs at the time) was relatively
short-lived. The single-channel
VL501 only lasted through 1992,
and the VL1001 was produced
through 1993. The 2-channel
reverb VL502 and VL1002,
along with the 3-channel VL503,
were manufactured until 1995. A
product’s successfulness can generally
be gauged on life span, so
the VL Series wasn’t received very
well (production numbers were
unavailable for the series).
Since Ampeg had been such
a traditional and conservative
company for so long, many
musicians were simply used to
that. Why would a guitarist buy
a relatively unknown Ampeg VL
when companies like Marshall
and Mesa/Boogie had established
themselves as the builders of
high-gain amps? I’d guess that
sales records would answer that
question. Since the mid ’90s,
Ampeg has returned to its roots,
mainly offering guitar and bass
amps based on the company’s
vintage designs that produce
clean, full tones.
Based on the serial number,
your VL502 was built in
December of 1991, and it’s
worth between $400-$500 today.
However, these amps have earned
an almost cultish status over the
years because of the association
with Lee Jackson. It’s not surprising
that your VL502 sounds like
a modded Marshall at times,
since that’s how Jackson made
his reputation. For a US-made
tube amp that produces all the
tones you need, this amp is definitely
a treasure!
Zachary R. Fjestad
is author of
Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars,
Blue Book
of Electric Guitars, and
Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
For more information, visit
bluebookinc.com or email
Zach at
guitars@bluebookinc.com.