Designed to deliver the modern style and capabilities sought by contemporary bassists.
The Venture Series comprises the V3, V7, and V12 heads and the VB-112, VB-115, VB-210, VB-212, and VB-410 cabs.
“Venture Series amps and cabs represent the next step in the evolution of the Ampeg brand,” said Dino Monoxelos, Ampeg Product Marketing Manager. “We designed them to give gigging bassists playing all styles of music the capabilities they need to dial in both modern and classic sounds. We also know how important it is to them that their gear be rugged enough to perform reliably gig after gig, while at the same time being as light and portable as possible. Most importantly, of course, Ampeg amps have to deliver tone that lives up to our legacy.”
With their intuitive controls, Venture Series amplifiers offer an extensive array of tone-shaping tools that include 3-band EQ with sweepable Mids, Ultra Hi and 3-way Ultra Lo switches, and a Super Grit Technology (SGT) Overdrive circuit with SVT and B15 voicings. The V7 and V12 amplifiers also include a variable compressor. An effects loop, an XLR direct output, an Aux input, and a Phones output enhance connectivity. All circuitry is analog except for the solid-state Class D amplifiers. Players can add an optional AFS2 footswitch for remote control of the SGT overdrive and Mute, and an optional heavy-duty padded Venture carrying bag.
Venture Series cabinets are available in the most popular configurations, enabling bassists to choose the right cab—or combination of cabs—for any gig. The stylish cabinets are covered in carbon fiber-style Tolex and built to handle the rigors of the road, while at the same being some of the lightest bass enclosures currently available. They are loaded with lightweight custom-voiced Lavoce neodymium woofers and high-frequency drivers. Optional Portaflex-style grille assemblies provide players with an aesthetic choice, and optional heavy-duty padded covers are also available.
Pricing & Availability:
V3 Amp $499.99 US MSRP (Carry Bag $69.99 US MSRP) 300 watts output
V7 Amp $749.99 US MSRP (Carry Bag $79.99 US MSRP) 700 watts output
V12 Amp $999.99 US MSRP (Carry Bag $99.99 US MSRP) 1200 watts output
VB-112 Cab $749.99 US MSRP (Cover $69.99 Grille Assembly $69.99 US MSRP) 250W RMS/500W Program
VB-115 Cab $849.99 US MSRP (Cover $79.99 Grille Assembly $79.99 US MSRP) 250W RMS/500W Program
VB-210 Cab $899.99 US MSRP (Cover $79.99 Grille Assembly $84.99 US MSRP) 300W RMS/600W Program
VB-212 Cab $1099.99 US MSRP (Cover $89.99 Grille Assembly $99.99 US MSRP) 300W RMS/600W Program
VB-410 Cab $1249.99 US MSRP (Cover $99.99 Grille Assembly $129.99 US MSRP) 600W RMS/1200W Program
Venture series heads and cabs are available now with the exception of the V7 (available spring 2024).
Learn more: https://ampeg.com.
Dr. Z announces the limited-edition 35th Anniversary Carmen Ghia 1x10 combo, now with a post-phase inverter master volume (PPIMV), a first in the amps 35-year production run.
The 18-watt amp has become a bulkhead in the boutique amplifier scene, ushering in an era where small but mighty became a regular part of the serious guitar player’s arsenal, and an indelible mainstay in studios across the globe. Birthed in the 80s, a decade where “more was more,” the Carmen Ghia bucked the trend, showing that with less watts, less knobs, and less channels the player could experience more dynamics, more tonal colors, and more freedom.
Features
- An 18-watt power section loaded with hand-selected, matched, and screened NOS 6n14n power tubes, a highly reliable and smooth-sounding EL84 variant.
- A post-phase inverter master volume, specifically tweaked to achieve whisper quiet overdrive for late-night practice sessions, yet totally transparent when turned up and it’s time to hit the stage.
- A lightweight 30 lbs. cabinet loaded with a US-made WGS Veteran 30 10” speaker, branded with a commemorative badge on its grill, and paired with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Mike D.Zaite, aka Dr. Z.
- Hand-wired turret board construction assembled in Cleveland, OH, as it has always been and always will be, since 1988, utilizing high-quality Heyboer transformers, and a custom welded aluminum chassis.
Dr. Z 35th Anniversary Carmen Ghia limited edition 1x10 Combo
This prince among Princetons was brought fully to life with everything from a broken-in Jensen C12Q speaker to black-panel-style grille cloth and shoe polish.
Farewell ’68 Super! Au revoir ’70s Princeton! Bye-bye kit Deluxe! For our columnist, parting with these instruments was such sweet sorrow.
I’ve hunted tone since I was a teenager, browsing through guitars, amps, pedals, and all the components that they are made of. I still buy or sell stuff every second month or so, mainly because it’s fun, but I also learn a lot in the process. This practice has helped me develop confidence in my preferences about what guitar tone to use in various styles of music.
It’s also fun sharing experiences with other tone hunters. So, I’d like to share the three amps that I most regret having sold. These memories bring me both pain and joy, and I hope they are useful in helping you to avoid similar mistakes.
There are two main reasons why I regret selling amps. Either I did not have the knowledge to understand or appreciate them, or I needed new sounds and did not have the know-how to achieve them. In the first category, I have to mention a 1968 Super Reverb, which was my second Fender tube amp after my No. 1 Super Reverb, which I talked about in my March 2021 column titled “Meet My 1965 Super Reverb—The Greatest Amp I’ve Ever Played.” The ’68 was a drip-edge transition model with a silver faceplate and black-panel innards, in very good condition. It was an AB763 circuit with cloth wiring and blue Mallory caps. It even had four well-performing, original CTS alnico speakers with square magnets mounted on the excellent, vertically floating baffle. My 1965 Super with CTS ceramic speakers was louder, punchier, heavier. It had the black faceplate and was almost twice as expensive. Altogether, this led me to sell the ’68 and keep the ’65. Fifteen years later I came across several other transition-era Super Reverbs and started learning to appreciate the mesmerizing clean tone, transparency, and excellent dynamics of lightly driven low-powered CTS alnicos. With the bright switch off, they deliver superior cranked tones as well. In fact, transition-era Super Reverbs probably have the best Fender clean tone I can think of. It hurts knowing that I had a very good one, when they were available for a lot less money. If you see a transition-era or early ’70s silver-panel Super with CTS alnicos, go for it.
"I miss having a portable and punchy amp that I am not afraid to lend out or haul around on gigs without a flight case."
Another example is a mid-’70s, beaten-looking Princeton Reverb that I bought for $700 in 2005. It was my main gig amp for years, and I did many modifications to make it fuller and louder. I plucked out the stapled and glued-in particle baffle board and inserted a floating plywood baffle with a broken-in 12" Jensen C12Q speaker. I installed a 25k mid-boost pot, to alter between clean, scooped tones and a British growl. I also installed a larger, Deluxe output transformer and a smaller coupling capacitor to prevent the flabby bass frequencies from entering the power amp section and the somewhat inefficient split-phase inverter. The firmer lower end and improved attack allowed hard picking-hand playing, which I appreciated as a die-hard SRV fan in my 20s. I remember replacing the bias resistor and finding the right pair of 6V6s for the deepest possible tremolo effect, too.
I also put on a black-panel-style grille cloth and faceplate, and treated the Tolex with black shoe cream for a shiny and healthy look, hiding the many ticks and scars. I sold it because someone offered me good money, even though I had spent more than I got in return. Now, I miss having a portable and punchy amp that I am not afraid to lend out or haul around on gigs without a flight case. My happiest memory of this amp was a blues cruise on a large, motorized sailboat on the Oslofjord. We had to tie ropes around the drum kit, and I secured the amp against the sail mast when the waves and wind increased. This warrior amp could do everything—much more than my current mint black-panel ’66 Princeton Reverb, which cost the same as a car.
Finally, there was a practice amp I sold because I didn’t use it often enough. In my previous column, “All Hail the Champ!,” I talked about my favorite travel amp—my ’66 Fender Champ, which only can deliver clean tones. Well, I used to have another small amp with even better clean tones and some of the best tube-driven preamp crunch you’ll find. It was a 5E3-circuit narrow-panel tweed Deluxe-style, built from a point-to-point amp kit, with high quality components. I experimented with several 12" speakers and found a surprisingly good pairing with an inefficient, modest Oxford speaker from a silver-panel Deluxe Reverb. The tone was fat and creamy and worked incredibly well as a vintage rock voice. It, too, now is gone.
I’d love to hear stories about your “lost” amps. Share them on PG’s social media feeds, or drop a letter!