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1989-91 Era Ampeg Tri-Ax Amps and mid-80’s 4x12 Cabinet - $350 (Hacienda Heights)
Fontezuela near Amalgado
make / manufacturer:
Ampeg
model name / number:
VT120, VT60, SS-412AR, AFP-4
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The Ampeg SS-412AR plywood cabinet can be switched from 4 ohms mono to 16 ohms mono, or 8 ohms stereo. It has been compared very favorably to a JCM900 cab, offering a smooth, warmer sound due to a more prominent but tight bottom end. I have not opened the cabinet, but the speakers should be original (Eminence 12882’s, I believe).
The Ampeg VT-60 combo has has 2 JJ 6L6GC tubes with very low usage hours. Based on “When was my Ampeg built?” page from the Ampeg website, it was manufactured in September, 1989. While it has scratchy pots, all 3 channels can play well for brief periods of time. When playing, the C channel is extremely clean but not shrill, while B offers solid grit and A is classic 80’s metal. The problem is that volumes drop after 5-15 minutes, spontaneously return, then drop again. Input from other Ampeg owners suggest this may be a bad solder joint, which has been an issue for these Ampeg models.
The Ampeg VT120 head has 4 Groove Tube GT-6L6B (Sovtek 5881WXT), also with very low usage hours. Based on the Ampeg website, it was manufactured in March, 1991. Problems here range from lower volumes to volume bursts to eventual near silence, with some odd LED combos that seem to imply that the A and B channels are working simultaneously. An acrid smell when heated up implies this may be a capacitor problem, though it may also have bad solder joint issues.
The AFP-4 Footswitch works with either amp, and is a very hard-to-find item. It has 3 switches: the 1st selects between channels A/B, a 2nd switches the B to the C channel, and the 3rd is an on/off for the reverb and adds a reverb LED indicator, which is not available on the amps’ front panel.
Comes with schematics for VT-120, but schematics for both amps are still available on the ampeg.com website. Would prefer to sell this set to an experienced amp tech so that they can be returned to operational status, as they are really great, flexible amps.