The Most Iconic Old School Death Metal Amp!

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks for dropping by! Get a CHUG SQUAD shirt here! taylordanley.creator-spring.com

[@nathanweinstein2766]

🤘🏻

[@aqiboyka7670]

cool man！can you do a video about how you mix your prefect drum and your preset of the drum settings?

[@dddd717]

What about the Crate version?

[@78gagta78]

I think the low/high inputs are for passive or active pickups

[@AuntAlnico4]

I had a pair of the vh140c 212 combo amps and they were pretty killer amps but not worth 800$ + or whatever you paid but🤷🏻‍♀️

[@canned74]

Bought one of these back when they came out , tried it with EVERY cab they had in the store, they had about 10 different cabs. The one i bought was hughes & kettner 4x12 vintage speaker cabs with the metal grill on it, sounded better than all the other cabs.This combo of amp and cab always sounded better than anyone elses at the time. Wished i still had it.

[@TaylorDanley]

H&K makes great stuff! I bet it ripped!

[@robdaslav]

Try a cab with Sheffield speakers. Very tight and thick sound. Perfect for metal.

[@jconner3891]

Hughes kettner are fantastic

[@MaximusAdonicus]

Out of curiosity, which speakers did the cab have? Or does the vintage in the name refer to the good ol' Vintage 30's?

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

The cab I ran mine through was branded Ampeg and had Celestion Vintage 30s in it. That was back when they were still made in the UK. I originally bought the head and cab together new, and then traded the head with a friend who had the VH140C combo, which I ran as a "six pack" with the 4x12. Best cab I've ever owned or played through. Of course cabs are subjective, like everything else; another player might like a different one better.

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

the lack of power tube compression was the key to the solid state amps being popular with the DM crowd , they could hold a level of definition at extreme gain and low tunings. its the same reason the cold biased power section/ hi preamp gain 5150 style amps became popular after .

[@meltv3399]

What other solid state amps compare to this in your opinion??

[@charvelgtrs]

@@meltv3399 Crate GX-130c Same guy who created the VH-130c created the GX-130c. Not the same amp design, but many similarities.

[@Admiral_Bongo]

@@meltv3399 What guy above me said and the rare Crate Tidalwave/VTX-350 (basically, had the VH140C circuit on the 3rd channel, except for the treble control being shifted from 3,5kHz to 7kHz, and a 350 Watt power amp). Not the Shockwave, mind you, they look similar, but only share the power amp.

[@TheMasonator777]

@@Admiral_Bongo Had that amp.

[@Admiral_Bongo]

@@TheMasonator777 Had a pedal clone of the preamp and have Crate XLP (rack version of the GX130C preamp), not the original VH140C. They were never sold in Europe.

[@Admiral_Bongo]

Well, Suffo and Cannibal Corpse definitely could afford different amps and were some of the biggest death metal bands. And Death, the most famous death metal band, went from JCM800s to Valvestates. And Pantera with Dime's all solid state rig was huge. So I wouldn't say it was purely an issue of affordability. That kinda tone was what Engl into V30s is now. Besides, I'd take this Ampeg over many tube amps. It just has this signature raw grind to its tone.

[@koooomi]

Raw grind is the perfect way to describe this amp’s sound

[@deskducker]

Scratchy filthy sound. It’s fantastic.

[@ericv7720]

I love the sound of those old ss amps, like this Ampeg, Crates, Randall's, Marshall Valve States (which I've had, once, and regret trading in). At the time, they were so affordable - and versatile, since they were fine for bedroom practice as well as the stage. And the dark, "flat" edge-of-fizzed-out-cheese tone was all part of the mojo of the classic DM sound!

[@MiroslawBlazek-Gdansk]

Seldom were these amps recorded with guitar directly plugged to the amp. One of the most common practices was to use the TS-type booster in front of it - and if that was not enough, guitar tech or sound engineer in the studio plugged additional EQ (either before or after the TS) and boosted frequencies around 1 kHz (to some extent also a bit lower / higher and slightly cut some low end, then compensating for it by increasing lows on the amp). This is the main trick to increase "chug" factor and either open up or smooth the tone out for the recording. Additional EQing was also done in- or before the mixing console with separate rack module. However, when the band performed live, they rarely used the same extra sound-shaping effects as in the studio, so the same material, on the very same amps sounded noticeably muddier and grittier than on the album. This also means that the average user gets the tone more akin to that of live performance (or even some "early demo tape"), when he's using these and other analog amps, than what comes out from the studio. These facts are quite obvious for many, but might be worth noting here.

[@Postflight_Icarus]

My late 80's/early 90's thrash rig was the ss140c head, 4x12 Marshall angled JCM 800, tube screamer and beat-to-hell BC Rich gunslinger. I saw a lot of these VH 140c's used by the DM kids that came behind us. Thank you for taking me back with this demo!

[@hnkschbl4481]

Especially for these kind of sounds.. im in love with my jcm 800. its perfect for these tones

[@timestampgod7338]

Also used on Internal Bleeding's VORACIOUS CONTEMPT and EXTINCTION OF BENEVOLENCE 🔥☠️🔥

[@suffersystemstudios]

Dude, that demo at the beginning was killer. Great mix and riffs!!!

[@jamesblair2000]

FU FKCXasKLDjf whizle fixzzles chees guitart rif f of guitar goenes madness!!!

[@sopwithsnoopy8779]

Not only for Death Metal. Kamelot's guitarist has used an Ampeg VH-140 for years. Studio & live both.

[@djabthrash]

08:38 instant Suffocation "entrails of you" riff vibes here such a sick tone

[@pawlpoche8736]

I have a Boss Katana MK2 For solid state (very tube like) it’s amazing for under $400 or $300 That 1 +12 speaker will blow your head off Onboard effects are great for bedroom/spontaneous jamming I also have a Harley Benton SG custom for under $250. Killer combination for very little money

[@wyattstephans1718]

I bought one too. Fantastic purchase. I’m surprised they’re so cheap to be honest. Super versatile and great out of the box.

[@pawlpoche8736]

@@wyattstephans1718 appreciate you supporting Boss!!! It’s a monster on the brown channel with the octave/delay/swirling speaker effect engaged It’s like the sound of Black Sabbath opening to Mob Rules, E5150 Set your amp and turn it up!

[@Sw87sw87]

I sold my Rivera Knucklehead Tre and 6505 and swapped to a Katana 112. Fuck dragging around all this heavy shit.

[@Sw87sw87]

@@pawlpoche8736 I actually hated the katana out of the box. It wasn’t until I started sending patches to it and using the tone studio on my pc.

[@pawlpoche8736]

@@Sw87sw87 I will do that soon. Saving up for a laptop, my other one had wine spilled on it. If your a good guitarist, even with this amp (stand alone) you can do a lot I can’t wait to try the apps

[@vondragonnoggin]

Should of said earlier you wanted that sound. SNK VHD pedal - it’s the preamp dirty channels of the VH140C and nails the sound. I run mine into 100 watt Mosfet power amp. Nice find on the head though. The clean channel of the 140C and even the 150C (same preamps in both) are awesome too. Brutal metal at its finest.

[@Tacklebox455]

SS amps have a certain "hollow" sound to them that a tube amp can't do the vh140 was unique because of the mid control on the 2nd channel the same thing goes for the Marshall 8100 the "contour" control made it unique because of the way it reacted with the eq and Randall's had that unique gain structure that no other amp had

[@jedfiekel9809]

My Randall RH300 G3 is set up like that. The contour knob really changes the overall flavor of brutality.

[@jasondorsey7110]

I loved my vox ac10...until I bought a '97 marshall valvestate on a whim...now when I go back to the vox it sounds thinner and fizzier...power tubes don't automatically make it better

[@reneotten7376]

Doesn't the Mesa Mark I have that hollow sound too? Santana's tone.

[@coryjackson8409]

I have one of these. Bought it used in 1994 and I still have it in my amp room. I’ve had issues here and there with it. Repair tech didn’t screw the guts back in the case and it spilled out, messing up the chorus but the spring reverb still works. The volume will drop out from time to time but it still freaking rips heads off!!!! I love running multiple cabs off of it too!!! Great video man!!

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks dude! Yeah it’s a very cool amp, and I’d say a couple service repairs for a 30 year old amp is probably par for the course!

[@Admiral_Bongo]

Put a patch cord in the FX loop, dude. From what I've gathered, volume drops are a common problem on them cause of unreliable loop wiring.

[@BrianBrusak]

Great video. I’ve owned a VH140C combo since 1992. It served me well through high school playing rock and metal originals and covers. Later in the late 90’s / early 2000’s I used it for over 6 years in a versatile cover band that played everything from Chubby Checker oldies to Matchbox 20 90’s pop to Metallica with an Elvis set in the middle. It never failed me. It was either on stage in a smoky bar or bouncing around in the back of our old Ford van. Great, versatile amp that could take a beating. I still have it and it still sounds great, although I have the infamous effects loop cut out. But as long as I loop the effects loop, it’s all good. Maybe I’ll get that fixed one day.

[@nj1255]

Great production value and awesome playing. What more could you want from a KZbin guitar channel? Instant follow!

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks dude 🙌🥳

[@Stretchwreckedem469]

I would love to see a resurgence in Solid State amplifier technology amongst the guitar community. There are so many great solid state amps in existence and the fact that a lot of people don't realize how much you can do with one baffles me. I've been trying to snag a Randall RG1003h or a Randall RG1503H myself to use in conjunction with the exciter on my Zoom MS50G in the FX Loop to add bass and treble frequencies found more commonly in tube amps. If you get the chance dude, definitely keep an eye out for both of those.

[@jamesfindice2871]

AmpOne Iridium!

[@Jaundice__]

Meh?!? Who cares. I have a Peavey Supreme and a Crate gx130c, let the tube amp purists sleep on them. Keeps the prices better.

[@mfkrwill]

ive heard the newest Orange solid state amp crushes

[@Stretchwreckedem469]

@@mfkrwill funny enough i have the Crush Pro 120 that i use with a 6 band in the loop and i set the knobs on the amp like i would if i'm playing through a Mesa Mark series amp. It sounds a lot better whenever you set the Orange Crush amps that way in my experience.

[@christopherparks-johnston3313]

Phillip Addington You should try the crate gt3500h shockwave, when you search it just type in crate shockwave, its a 350 watt solid state amp, and it sounds fucking amazing, If your able to find one for sale, u should purchase it Nd try it out, they sound amazing and super fucking heavy and tight

[@gargantula3274]

I have an SS140c combo that I grabbed on offerup for $60, which is a slightly earlier version. I know there's differences and the VH is considered the 'holy grail of 90s death metal' but still, I love that amp. The chorus on it is actually amazing and the spring reverb is pretty decent too. Also, that Dimitrescu shirt is sick.

[@totalbullion5882]

I don't think there is a real difference between the ss and vh other than the ss gain has to be on 10 to equal the vh set at 4-5 , which is where most people have it set anyway.

[@doocies]

I’ve had both amps multiple times. Definitely a big difference in tone and gain. The VH is much more of a death metal sound. The SS is more thrash sounding, lots more upper mids and less gain. Clean channel on the SS is actually very pleasing, the VH not so much.

[@immyownbestfriend9338]

by far the best sounding video, and most informative for this amp. for me, this is one of those amps that when you hear it cranked in person it all makes sense. well done!

[@angusorvid8840]

I used to go to my local Hollywood Guitar Center in the late 80s and crank up an Ampeg solid state combo I just loved. The thing sounded incredible and was incredibly loud. I would plug in a couple Hamer's I liked, like the Steve Stevens II and Chaparral. There are so many criminally underrated solid state amps and Ampegs were ceertainly in that category.

[@sufferingsavior2003]

Great Demo. I have the Ampeg Vh-150. Great plug and play amp. Extremely loud with tons of gain in tap.

[@Crowbar11115]

I LOVE those amps. I knew a guy that had two of them and even at bedroom volume those amps sounded absolutely massive. They definitely live up to the hype. I love that they can sound sludgy all the way to lightning fast TechDeath stuff. Such killer amps

[@TaylorDanley]

They do have quite a big range on them. But like I mentioned, I think I prefer the aesthetic and vibe more than anything!

[@kawvika1984ify]

I believe the schematic on this model is similar if not identical to the crate gx130c. Great video bro

[@totalbullion5882]

That's just a rumor, it's the ss140c that has the same layout. I have the schematics for all 3 and the VH140c looks like they just cleaned up the original circuitry and made it slightly more compact and changed the gain value a touch. I think they gave it more gain not because it needed it, but because the gain at 10 on the SS is the sweet spot and they wanted to add a little range. The gx130c is certainly based on the same design though.

[@BrunoOfCanada]

Oh, the clean tone demo is a nice adding, not sure about other people but apart from heavy metal I'm also into other "lighter" genres like post-rock, so it's nice to know a dream amp like the Ampeg could pull off El Ten Eleven without trouble lol :D

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

These and the Crate GX are my favourite amps of all time, solid-state or tube. Any blend of the Ampeg, the Crate and the Marshall VS is perfect for that '90s death metal tone.

[@phillymopwater]

have you used the gx130 in a live setting? i’m wondering if it would be loud enough to cut thru with a 4x12 cab

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@phillymopwater No, I have not. Generally speaking you'd just mic up your cab, so even a small amp can work live. As for how loud an amp and cab is, the speaker sensitivity plays a big role. That said, I'd anticipate that amp would be adequate for any gig where micing isn't an option.

[@TheRosswise]

Looking forward to what you think of the Peavey XXL. I see it under your XXX :p

[@TaylorDanley]

Yep, it's there! Just need to get to it.. One of these days!

[@jaybirdgenetics]

I have a Creat gx130c? It’s a giant carpet covered head! Supposed to be based off of the vh140c. Has the stereo chorus and so on like the ampeg. It’s a fun toy when it works!!

[@TaylorDanley]

I have a couple of them. They are , like most 30 year old amps, definitely prone to issues. And though they always get compared and people say they are the same circuit, they are quite a bit different. I'm going to compare them in an upcoming video, but they are for sure cut from the same cloth (and made by the same company). B they do have some differences... Mostly the way the mid controls work.

[@Jaundice__]

I had both the gx130c and a ss140. They are similar, but I kept the Crate in favor of the Ampeg.

[@conrad7858]

I love the casual more plates more dates in the background.

[@jww732]

Love your channel man, especially all the recent solid state stuff. I can whole hearted say this is my favorite Amp ever. Great review!

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks dude, I really appreciate you dropping in!

[@TheSpineSplitter1990]

I used to use an Amptweaker Tight Drive as a clean boost for my Ampeg SS70. It tightened up so well... damn I miss that amp!

[@TaylorDanley]

Yeah, I feel like the best way to handle the low end on this guy is to embrace it (don't turn down the low knob) and sculpt it with a boost, or an EQ in the loop

[@jamiem1]

Had one of these back in 1999 when I joined my first semi established band who were playing out in clubs and venues where you needed volume to reach the back of some of them, and this amp paired with a Marshall jmc900 1960A cab definitely got me that volume! Being my first "real" guitar amp rig, I was in tone heaven! Only sold the beauty I had to move on to tube amps I thought I had to own lol. As with all stocks that rise with demand I hate to even think of what I let it go for. I do remember I almost doubled my investment when I did let it go.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

I was surprised to hear the host say that people complain about this amp not being loud enough. I NEVER had a problem filling any room with it.

[@lordhumungous7908]

I wanted this amp after listening to Suffocation and Dying Fetus. I ended up with an Amp Tweaker Tight Metal. It sounds fantastic (with all knobs at noon except the Tight knob being just off zero) running through the clean channel of my Marshall 8100. But I still want this amp anyway. Thanks for the great vid.

[@russiangoose7053]

Grab a Master Effects Misanthrope, it's a VH140C in a box. They also have the Martyr which is an 8100 in a box. Also some of the Crate amps like the GX-65 have a similar preamp to the VH140C and GX130C supposedly but I can't say how true that is. But through a legit cab and not the combo speaker they can sound insane. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4HPdaybeNShfM0

[@lordhumungous7908]

@@russiangoose7053 Hey, thanks for the reply. I see that Master Effects has all sorts of legendary amps in boxes. And from a web search I see other pedal makers offering VH140c pedals. That Crate GX-65 sounds great.

[@doocies]

Those amps are very speaker sensitive. Finding is right match is crucial to your tone. Also the EMG’s really compress that sound that’s why you’re not getting that “airy” sound you’re looking for. I feel EMG’s do that to every amp

[@dq7860]

This and the Marshall Valvestate 8100 (which I own) are my favourite Solid-State Amplifiers, still chasing this one.

[@TaylorDanley]

They're good amps, I mean people obviously are still buying them so they must have some magic smoke in there!

[@dq7860]

@@TaylorDanley Undoubtedly! I've always liked the budget (or in this case former budget) amplifiers like the old Crates, Peaveys and Randalls, when I finally find one of these I can actually afford it'll make a great addition to the collection!

[@willardwayne3]

Owned one when they first hit. I used the 2×12 ampeg cabs. The trick for me was a boss eq pedal. Then yes, a beast.

[@DonnieSmooth]

directly after your guitar, or through the fx loop?

[@willardwayne3]

@@DonnieSmooth I tried it both ways and there may not have been a huge difference BUT ran it in between my guitars and the Amp. I think all the stomp box pedals sounds better that way. Now, I also had a Ibanez Turbo Tube Screamer and a boss flanger that I used moderately on certain songs. No 9 volt power supply either. For recording or gigs a brand new high quality battery for me was how to do it. I had a set of Seymour Duncan Invaders in a Arbor Randy Rhodes style flying v. I had a Ibanez Rhodes body style V that I ran the standard 80's EMG 85/81 configuration in and I ran the same in a Ibanez Iceman. The EMG'S are what tightened everything up. I bought my Ampeg in 1988 or 1989? It was the first year they hit the floor at Strings and Things in Memphis tn. They had the a in the square logo and the sparkly blue silver and black dead space Amp head cloth cover and speaker grill/covers. I ran two 2×12 Ampeg cabs which did what they were designed to do with the Ampeg 140 Stereo Chorus head. I ran a Peavy 4x12 cab on bottom. I think they were paired in stereo fashion I honestly can't say 100 percent. But I did run it half open in the back. Filling the center bottom leaving it open on the top half. It sounded like shit but I kept it turned towards the Drummer so he could hear what was goin on regardless of the on stage monitor situation. I miked up one 2x12 and kept the other to my right sight at like a 22degree angle and used it for my personal stage monitor. It saved my ass in the some of the larger theaters venues like the omni New daisy or the outdoor Memphis in May stages. Hey, it was the mid-late 80's in Memphis. We had to improvise alot of shit ya'll!!! Sorry for the ramble BUT I hope this finds you all doing well !!! Willard

[@71771PAULTHEWALLOFSOUND]

That sound just throws me back into the 90s, I've always wondered what's behind that sound, great video man, great playing to.

[@DizzyDez613]

I don’t know if it’s necessarily “underrated” but the Framus Dragon was hugely important to the English grindcore sound (Napalm Death for example) in the 90’s. No one ever talks about Framus amps anymore. They are pretty rare here in Canada, and I’d imagine in the US as well. Edit: Speaking of British amps, you can get some surprisingly good tones out of some of the Bugera heads. Not something you’d expect a big name band to be using in the studio, but they are very decent budget amps if you’re looking to jam in the garage or basement with your buds. The 1990 Infinium 120 watt sounded pretty good. I’ve never played one, but I checked out some videos here on KZbin. Although you never know what people are adding in post there days.

[@cromwellg60]

My band used a Bugera head for some of the bits on our last record. Gnarly tones

[@CoolWhipp-hy1qu]

Yes the dragon and cobra are pretty much impossible to find

[@geoffh8077]

I don’t think the Framus Dragon has been around for that long and I really don’t think Napalm Death were using them

[@spiritofthetallhills2037]

@@geoffh8077 napalm did use them but in the 2000s they were most def not around in the 90s lol idk where that dude got that from

[@beefnacos6258]

You motivate me bro. Thanks. Oh also I haven't watched this video yet but in one of your videos with the boss katana head when you were reviewing it I love how you simply just ran the head through the cabinet and no other bullcrap no other effects you actually showed the true tone of the amp thank you so much for all you do. Subscribed

[@Stretchwreckedem469]

I feel like I should also mention that the controls on a lot of solid state amps often differ from the face knobs on a lot of tube amps. In the case of the VH140c, in a lot of videos i've watched people have said that the face knobs change the tone of the amp itself moreso than it actually adds or takes away any of the frequencies. I've seen people plug straight in with the treble cranked, mids wherever they prefer to leave them, and the bass scooped enough to where they can maintain a tight and precise high gain tone plugged straight in to the amp.

[@godofdeadlydeath]

I think the green channel sounds more to my tastes, "beefy" as you said, with a bit of a chunkier, thrashy vibe. But the other channel, definitely see why it was a staple of 90s death metal. With that boomy sound, reminds me of Cannibal Corpse circa Vile or Gallery era, where they first started with the low B-flat tuning.

[@TaylorDanley]

Totally, and I'm with you on the green channel!

[@Jaundice__]

Cannibal Corpse used Crates, a gx130c.

[@cscarp4503]

Great post bro…. I too went on reverb and bought one of these recently. I had sold both of mine in late nineties, and wanted to see what i could do with it being much more experienced now. And i struggled with this amp still. I gave up when i plugged into all my other amps to A/B them to this head. Every amp i had was effortless to just eq and get going. This amp took tweaking and tweaking and for what? Everything else i had sounded better with less effort.

[@Patrick-857]

It sounds ugly. Old school death metal is ugly. It works for that.

[@nicwilson89]

Man, all those outputs make for some creative sound setups I imagine. Would love to get my hands on one of these beasts!

[@peppergrand1072]

You have the passion for the metal, the dark, the grind, the school of old and retired school, which only is acknowledge once the age has crept up on one. Metal keeps us Young.

[@caljerm]

The Suffocation album that most people will mention as having the ultimate guitar tone is Pierced From Within. Contrary to popular belief on that album they didn't use VH-140c amps - they used Marshall VS 8100s.

[@TheSpineSplitter1990]

Wasn't Despise the Sun the VH140c...

[@caljerm]

@@TheSpineSplitter1990 yes - that and Effigy of the Forgotten

[@aspharts]

Jeremy, Pierced from Within was made by using GX130C and Metal Zone clean boost

[@roosterj2599]

From 1988 to earlier this year I have been a total Crate amps guy. Never could find anything else I liked. I started with a Crate G40C combo. Then to a G120 and a G120 half stack. Of course I have a pedal board from hell running into it. I wish I would have known about this Ampeg amp. Would've changed things for the better back in the day. Now I am playing through an Orange Super Crush 100 half stack and I'm in love with it. All I needed to get my sound and tone out of it is pit a Boss 7 band EQ through the effects loop. I leave it on clean and dirty. Orange is the shit!

[@Houstonfontes]

Crate and Ampeg had the same parent company back in the day so that’s probably why you’d like this amp so much lol.

[@AceFurley]

My friend/guitarist Ward from our punk band Resist (and his other band, the Klingon warriors known as STOVOKOR) uses a 2x12 combo version of this amp (straight in with no pedal effects). It sounds incredible! and to my (albeit slightly overblown) drummer ears, the distortion channel sounds almost indistinguishable from a good high gain tube amp! It's one of those amps that should never be gotten rid of, being a great sounding and inexpensive. (not to mention that even if the sound isn't to your liking over time, it's still a great reliable/unbreakable workhorse that's a great all round back-up amp!)

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

For many years I played the 2x12 combo version with a 4x12 cab containing Celestion V30s. I found the Ampeg speakers in the combo kind of thin and shrieky on their own, but running all six speakers balanced out the highs and lows great, and sounded huge. I once had another local guitarist get pissed off at me when he complimented me on my tone after a set and asked what kind of tubes I was using. "None." He thought I was hiding something from him. He was so adamant that it had to be a tube amp to sound that good, he went and looked in the back LMAO.

[@glenkepic3208]

Pretty awesome. Not a huge Death Metal fan (i'm 65) but Six Feet Under 'The Haunted' or Obituary "World Demise" are here and get spins when i'm in the mood (ie pissed off about something). I'd never associate Ampeg with this genre but pretty great. Last i was excited about was in the late '90s when The Jets were RI'd, diamond blue covers and all. Stopped by a shop one afternoon and a St. Louis Music rep was there since they carried the amps. Better known brand was Crate and the guy said they tried to let the Ampegs 'keep their distance'. Been so long, i don't know if these are still around. Also knew a guy in the mid '70s who had a V4 full stack, to me the American Marshall. The "Stones tone' Look at the back cover of Get Yer YaYa's Out and a mention is given saying Ampeg supplied the amps for that tour,,,prob included Altamont. man, a tech travelled with the band. oh, the V4, it was stolen from a band storage space. Thought it was an inside job,,,can't recall what happened after.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

It's funny when you think of the sorts of amps Ampeg is mostly known for, but then again the clean channel on this amp is pretty killer too. Scott Hull from Pig Destroyer used to fanboi on these amps.

[@kajagoogoo69]

from what i read on the internet, most if all ss amps dont have a reactive load aka an impedance curve that comes from an output transformer, which might explain that flat sound youre talking about, its the same reason why you can run a ss amp without a cab and use the di without a loadbox, the best way to negate that flat sound would be to use an eq in the fx loop and find an impedance curve response and match that to the eq, but thats just what i think

[@TheGuitologist]

Great video series, man. I enjoy these. Only small complaint, set aside a couple minutes to explore the guts so people can see the build quality they're getting into as well. Maybe documenting the ICs and transistor types used for us geeky types. ;) Also, on an amp like this where you like the tone overall but your complaint is muddiness or too much "woofiness" and lack of top end sparkle, try a graphic EQ pedal. Then you can reduce the "woofy" frequency to taste. All metal dudes need an EQ pedal or EQ in the rack.

[@totalbullion5882]

I can tell you they used a $hiity type of ceramic resistors that corrode and clog up the pots and kill your tone LOL.. Probably just because they're old though.

[@kadestorm]

Always looking for solid takes on this amp. It does seem a bit temperamental in the low end, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I did prefer This Heavy Earth’s preamp, despite being a bit darker. Regardless, it sounded brutal in the mix, but I suspect that a good deal of the mix quality is also down to your playing and production skills.

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks dude! You know, I should mention this more, but I try to make the guitar tone in the mix SUPER transparent, meaning I don't add any post EQ to the guitar tracks, or do any production trickery.... I just try to dial it in to sit in the mix, and then it's pretty raw from there. And yeah, Shea's pedal is great! It's not necessarily darker, just darker at the same settings as I had on the amp due to the taper on the pot. They sound identical, they just dial a little differently. Sorry if that part was confusing!

[@kadestorm]

@@TaylorDanley Always good to know, but I assumed as much. I just think your general play style and recording technique brings out the best from the amps in their bare voicing state. Of course, one can radically alter all those things with EQ work in the production process, but your mixes tend to reflect the natural voicing of the amps when you’re running them through various tests. As for the pedal. Your explanation was very clear and my observation was only in reference to the similar setup as the amp. I actually preferred the pedal on that account as it presented more versatility potential in terms of voicing within the pedal.

[@LeftHandedRightHanded]

You can always get a Guptech VEJ1 pedal that is a clone of this amp. It's $111 and sounds identical and looks badass

[@jinxie1080]

Noob guitarist here, what do you do with such a pedal? Do you run your guitar > pedal > any amp? If yes that's damn impressive, especially for that price

[@LeftHandedRightHanded]

@@jinxie1080 pretty much. I have a 2x12 combo amp that I run several pedals to the front, and some in the effect loop.

[@MrThunders66]

Always wanted one of these cool old amps

[@gcvrsa]

I always find it funny that the VH-140C somehow became really popular as a heavy metal amp, because what it is really is Ampeg's version of a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus. A VH-140C 2x12 stereo combo was my first amplifier, back in 1990, which cost me (or more accurately, my father, it was his present to me for finally taking up his instrument) $650 USD brand new. The VH stands for "Variable Harmonics" and was essentially an updated preamp fitted to the earlier 1980s Ampeg SS (Solid State, of course) series amps that was meant to produce a better overdrive/distortion sound by mimicking a tube amp. The reason why I chose this amp was because at 22 years old and a new guitarist (I was previously a keyboardist and already in a band), I'd heard so many scary stories about the unreliability of tube amps that I wanted a solid state amp for gigging in teh dive bar rock clubs we played on the East Coast of the US. Of all the solid-state amps in the store, I felt the VH-140C had the best overdrive/distortion sound. The fact that it had built-in chorus (actually vibrato) and reverb was a bonus. The VH-140C combo came in two versions, one with Ampeg branded speakers, and one with Celestion G12M-70 Modern Lead drivers. Mine has the Celestions, though maybe not the original set, as I had a tendency to melt the voice coils playing with my early 1990s shoegaze band. I went through several sets of drivers, and had some of them reconed. The VH-140C does indeed have pristine clean tones, much like the Roland Jazz Chorus, but with better distortion and more power than the JC-120. Like the Roland Jazz Chorus, the "chorus" is actually just a vibrato on one channel; chorus is nothing more than vibrato mixed with a dry signal. Hence the two dry outputs and two wet outputs. Incidentally, if you hook up the optional SS-212E extension cabinet, which is a 2x12 stereo cab with two 8 ohm speakers, the amp delivers I think 90 W or 100 W per channel into 4 ohms. I never owned the extension cab, but a friend of mine in another band had the set. All the albums on which I played rhythm guitar with deardarkhead use that amp, before I switched to bass. I also used a long string of Boss effects, including an HM-2 Heavy Metal and an EH-2 Enhancer for an insane boost. I still have the amp. Several years ago, I took it in for service, because it had become unreliable, and my tech fixed it up by repairing some failing solder joints and cleaning some connections. Sadly, it has become unreliable again, and my tech was an older gentleman who dies during the COVID pandemic, so I don't currently have a tech nearby to fix it. I play a Mesa/Boogie F-50 combo, now, with a Mesa/Boogie Walkabout Scout bass combo as my stereo second channel, if I'm not using it to play bass. By the way, the head version of the VH-140C is simply the combo chassis flipped upside down, so on the combo version, all the controls are reversed, and the inputs are on the left.

[@jacak47410]

Ibanez tbx 150h. Crate gt3500h. Shockwave. Basically a 350 watt amp with the vh140c preamp. Tide to 3 controls though. Volume, gain and tone sweep knob. Peavey XXL. I didn't jive with it but you might. Ampeg ss70. 70 watt 1x12. Not as much gain as the vh but its good. Hope this helps.

[@Mudhoney1991]

Holy shit! That intro was sick.🖤

[@Kairuofficial]

Just gotta say thank you for the awesome ToneX profiles you've made browski. Especially this one! If you made a collection of this amp id grab it. Much respect from Japan☆

[@peppergrand1072]

I saw Fight, Rob Halferd 's solo Project in the Early 90's. The guitarist were using Ampeg Lee Jackson signature addition amps. So, I traded and cash way more than fare,but I do miss that signal channel Nuclear power plant of Beef Distortion. The Ampeg logo was Purple, just as a special edition should be. The tube magic of this Beast was made for only one purpose, Loud and no neighbors around, louder.

[@tractorgt]

This was my main amp head for 24 years until just last year when I got sick of lugging around the 4x12 with it. I've let at least 40 of my recording customers use it on theirs projects as well. Truly an iconic amp! 👍

[@babayagaslobbedaknobba]

A couple solid state heads I've used that I swear by are the Peavey Transtube 100w head, and the Hughes and Ketner Warp 7 head. If you can find them, check them out.

[@gunnarcole6995]

I want to say that sanguisuggabogs first record was recorded on two of these. He used it with two really tall and skinny tower cabs.

[@Houstonfontes]

I know he had that setup and then added a GX130C to the mix. Sketchy guy though. He was gonna print up some hats with the “VH140C” logo from the amp and took pre orders without making them. Luckily I got my money back lol.

[@TheGreatBaronOBeefDip]

So I have owned one for years, I love the tone, I run it a bit more scooped than yours, mids around 4, highs maxed and bass maxed, but I have a question. Can you run both dry outputs in stereo? The chorus has an issue when plugged in. I need to get it serviced.

[@TaylorDanley]

I'm pretty sure that's the way it's set up. I haven't tried it, but I don't know why else there would be 2 dry outputs. Also, I just found out but turning the mid knob up all the way actually makes the mids neutral. Anything else is some form of mid scooping! Interesting, and makes a lot more sense when you are dialing it in.

[@mattster693]

these amps rule!!!!!!!! ive played the crate gx130c which is almost the same amp! ive actually gotten a really good tone with an hm-2 ran in the effects loop of one of these. gives it the mids back it desperately needs at the sacrifice of some treble but it honestly works way better than it should

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Learning how to use the effects loop in my VH140C was a huge step in me learning to get the tone I wanted. It was the first amp I had with a loop and since then I really never wanted an amp that doesn't have one. They're SO useful. Sometimes I would run all my effects through it, that works for sure... and eventually I settled on just using a rack 32-band EQ in the loop with modulation and delay coming from stompboxes in front of the pre-amp. Using a decent EQ like that is super handy for tweaking your tone.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

The Crate is voiced differently. The Crate tone stack frequencies are 90/900/5000, the Ampeg knobs are aimed at 100/1000/3200. Beyond that the circuits are quite similar.

[@DonnieSmooth]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 I just got the Vh140c combo version. Can you tell me how you would go about/what you would run through the fx loop to get the tone you wanted. I never used an fx loop on a amp before

[@DonnieSmooth]

I have a old MXR 6 band EQ, I've got fuzz pedals, wah wah's Boss Ds1 distortions, i don't have any overdrive pedals yet, i need to get one. I keep reading about this certain Maxxon one

[@guitarcleveland]

I used to have a Peavey Supreme 160 head. That thing had the best metal sound. I sold it for $150 years ago and wish I kept it. Solids-state amps always sounded better and more precise than tube amps for metal, to me.

[@kevinanthony3144]

They are angry amps

[@Jaundice__]

I love me Supreme 160.

[@schecter7elite801]

So your saying I should go buy the supreme 160 head at my local guitar store for 300 bucks lol

[@guitarcleveland]

@@schecter7elite801 I don't know. For an amp that was pretty old it still sounded modern. It had a great clean channel, and everyone I played it to couldn't tell if it was solid state or tube. It could do it all.

[@schecter7elite801]

@@guitarcleveland sounds like it could be worth it then lol

[@jaycoleman1862]

I was in a band in the late 90s early 2ks...and both guitars were using the 140c......and there was no way that our drummer was louder, and we had no issues keeping up with him. We were usually the loudest band on the bill of whatever show we played. Still have that amp and cabinet.....which was also an Ampeg.

[@TheJMan1K]

These amps are actually really good with passive pickups, the EMGs are a classic staple. Got a really good 7 string tone running ones through a Mesa 4x12 with bare knuckles and A Fortin 33. Did use a Plumes OD for a while all depends on guitar.

[@aerocharles8207]

Suffocation's early tone was the Peavey Butcher (Reincremated demo) then Peavey 5150/Peavey XXX & now Peavey 6505+ amps. (this is album amps) Live they'll use pretty much whatever is supplied as backline. I own a Voodoo Amps modded XXX that was owned by Terrance Hobbs. It sounds absolutely brutal.

[@HellShredder713]

Another staple amplifier in that era is the Peavey VTM 120. That thing is a gain monster and handles low end like no other. Check them out sometime if you haven't yet! They're roughly $600 used

[@totalbullion5882]

Those crush! I think they are tube though?

[@billyhiggs6332]

yes they are tubed ,,i have one great amp @@totalbullion5882

[@JohnSmith-zk7un]

The original manuals very excellent recommendation for the clean channel was to dime the volume and start cracking open the gain as your level control in order to get the cleanest tone. Run like that it is super clean.

[@noisetrust]

This really reminds me of a Randall RH200 that I had. Very similar sound for not much cash.

[@kirkmcknight7595]

I’ve owned mine along with an ampeg 2x12 cab with vintage 30w celestians since 1995 and i’ll never part with it. The clean channel with the chorus is pretty sweet too. It only runs in stereo with the chorus engaged. I cannot say enough good things about these amps except the effects loop is famous for going out as mine has years ago so I just run my pedals inline.

[@jacobk4n3]

Awesome demo! What's that riff around 7:40? Sounds so familiar but I can't place it

[@tobins6800]

If nothing else, great bedroom amp. You know that tone, mids scooped all to shit, bass and treble cranked beyond heaven.

[@TaylorDanley]

I think that's how they liked it in the 90's 🤣

[@SeverinoSE]

This amp became famous because it was widely-used since it was affordable as opposed to tube amps. In fact, many of these bands ended up using tube amps later. But yet artists like Dimebag Darrell still preferred the tone of solid-state amps. And bands like Entombed used the Peavey Viper for their tone. That was solid-state, too. Once again, it was more affordable than tube amps. This may be the main reason why they used it, not because it had a superior tone. Besides, the Swedish Death Metal sound consisted of the Boss HM-2 pedal, too. Personally, I prefer a tube Marshall for the tube tone and the mid-range focused tone helps cut through and leaves space for the bass. I've owned a Triple Rectifier. Great tone but too much lows for my taste. I want to leave space for the bass to cut through. But that's just me.

[@Admiral_Bongo]

A lot of bands switched to other amps simply because Ampeg stopped manufacturing them. Suffocation and Dying Fetus were die hards in this sense, since both could afford tubes (their guitars alone cost more than those amps), but still used VH140C in studio and in US tours well into the mid 00s. Definitely was a matter of preference for the Ampegs.

[@low_e_music]

Damn, now I really wish I had kept mine, haha! I did recently order a SNK VHD pedal though and from most of the reviews I've seen, it seems to be an exact copy of the A channel. Going to run it into the power amp of my Crate VTX350H or my Peavey Supreme 160 and see how close it gets. I still have some recordings of my 140C so that should be a good comparison. As a side note, for a more open sounding solid state for metal, try the Peavey Supreme 160.

[@TaylorDanley]

That keeps coming up, so I'm sure it's going to get added to my list! Yeah, I can't speak to that particular pedal, but I know the Flesh Rot is EXACTLY the same as the preamp of the Ampeg, the pots just have different tapers, like I mentioned, but if you put them both at 100% you can't tell the difference.

[@low_e_music]

@@TaylorDanley Thats good to hear about the pedal, your added on part at the end of video definitely seemed to confirm it. Hopefully the VHD will deliver in the same way. Aion FX has a DIY version of 140 preamp too, really curious to try it out if for nothing else than a fun project.

[@ShadyLurk3r92]

Sounds so fucking sick! Been trying to find one of these forever in the UK. Just impossible though lol.

[@dq7860]

Me too, think I might just have to pay tons to ship one from the US.

[@TaylorDanley]

Yeah, they are just super rare anymore. I know they are out there though. Second best option is to get one of the preamp pedals with a good SS power amp.

[@nitemareman1]

I had an Ampeg VL-1002 Lee Jackson model that absolutely crushed back in the day too. You should check that one out.

I have an Ibanez head laying around, it sounds in the same ballpark, I've had it for two decades and i still go back to it from time to time :) dirty cheap too if you came across one

[@teriakamoto]

That's the thing, some (a lot) of players get what their favorite Bands or Players used and I get it. The thing with that is just like you said, it's what they had at the time and chances are most likely it's because it was affordable at the time. Many of you can play circles around some of your Heros, some not so much. No Big Deal. Use what sounds good and make it work and pave your own way. Perhaps some young Player will research what your gear is down the road and drive the prices through the roof. Most of us aren't rich, not even close. It's a great time to play Guitar and there are so many affordable Amps, Modelers, Pedals, Guitars out there.Spend money on Cables,Strings, & Picks. Practice 4 hours a day and Jam with as many people as possible and let the chips fall where they may. Do it for the love.I love how Taylor pulled out the Sonicake ! Perhaps an MXR 6 band Eq may have helped tame this iconic Beast ? Perhaps not. What do i know.Love that Guitar. Make ?

[@Mahmite]

Saw you backed off the gain on channel B after the demo & before testing both channels! My only qualm with this amp; the gain maxes out at 2 and sounds exactly the same set @ gain 10. The SNK VHD Pre-amp pedal fixed this problem for me, and the gain/EQ knobs are more versatile when playing through a clean pedal/power amp. I prefer running it through a quilter toneblock to match the EQ level of my vh140c (& of course for the extra 60 watts ;^)) I suggest this for anyone looking to sound like Dying fetus, saving money on a hard to find amp, all while fitting it all in your backpack!

[@Mahmite]

Been waiting for a proper demo vid of this absolute unit! Thanks :^)))

[@mattiaswestman3910]

Check out the Ampeg VL series, (Lee Jackson designed?)

[@kevinanthony3144]

Have you tried a hughes & kettner coreblade and/or switchblade? (Switchblade sounds exactly the same but can be found for cheaper and for like 500 bucks) you can do A LOT with those. Love my coreblade

[@bmdshred77]

I used to have that amp. Or one similar back in late 90’s. Hardest metal we played was face in the sky from testament

[@JamesFord-g5e]

Speakers matters more than pickups and amps

[@doocies]

Bought a 2x12 for $200 about a year ago, couldn’t be happier. Awesome chunky tone as well as screaming leads

[@zenguitarankh]

Still have my combo with matching 2x12 and recorded the Sarsen self titled album with it. The amp's distortion is as amazing as the hype but what I also love is if I want to run something like a helix into it in stereo, you can use the stereo power amp ins that bypasses the preamps and it works as a personal PA but for guitar because you get the celestions etc just make sure to turn down on the multi fx. Amazing as it is but super versatile. The reverb and chorus turned on together is fucking awesome. The repair on the tank would be worth it!

[@SteffsGarage]

Cool dude. Try one of those ampeg tube heads that light up when you turn it on. Pretty cool amp

[@jayteesgear]

Those were sick when they came out! That chorus i/o is there for Zakk Wylde who endorsed em (then went right back to Marshall) haha

[@TaylorDanley]

Oh really? I'm surprised I didn't come across that when I was looking into them. Although, I was looking into Death Metal bands mostly, so maybe that's why.

[@deadcenterarts29]

@@TaylorDanley I think Zach started using the vl1002 from ampeg. which was a badass all tube high Gain amp designed by Lee Jackson

[@michellebrown7714]

a wet/dry rig is basically an old bassist trick of running a clean signal path and dirty signal path at the same time so basically the head acts like a DI box

[@riffsnoleads]

I'm sure someone already said it, but Morbid Angel is the only mentioned band who never used this amp, though I am sure you were just using them as a reference point. The MA secret is a Proco Rat into a JCM900 for anyone interested

[@TaylorDanley]

Sort of using as a reference... same with Cannibal Corpse, but i have found references that they did use it also. The problem with all these references is they are just dudes in forums, and finding specific details and trying to validate them is so time consuming and in some cases just not possible without confirmation from the artists themselves. There's also the "I saw them live and they were using X gear" that you see all the time, and that's so anecdotal because who knows if that amp was a backline and they were using a metal zone pedal or something in the loop 😂 Anyways, thanks for the clarification though. I appreciate it. I do my best with the time I have to make videos to deep dive on these topics, but I definitely miss stuff or help spread bad info from time to time.

[@riffsnoleads]

@@TaylorDanley I hope I didn't come off as a pompous douche about it. Funny enough, the Ampeg sounds very similar to the Rat>JCM900 thing that MA has, so I guess all bets are off unless there are some very definitive photos from the time. My knowledge is based mostly on live shots from early and later eras of MAs career and seeing them live a couple of times. Also, HUGE agree on money being the driving force for bands using what they have in the past. I feel like a lot of people forget that these guys were kids starting a genre that was very maligned in the public eye and even among "real" musicians from genres past and owning a Marshall SLP100 full stack just was not an option for most of them.

[@Houstonfontes]

1 guitarist from Animosity used this amp along with Combat Wounded Veteran from Florida. Assuck used the SS140C I believe and also my bands Ad Nauseum and Flying Limbs. Cannibal Corpse purportedly used the Crate GX130C which is pretty much the same amp from Ampeg and Crate’s parent company SLM Electronics. I believe John from Dying Fetus still uses his to this day.

[@MattPfister-sf2by]

Is this with a mic up cab?Or you going speaker out to interface to IR? Ive owned my vh 140c with matching cab since 1994ish. Great amp. Plenty of great amps out there. This probably my favorite for hi gain.

[@JC-dx3fy]

I still got my ampeg head and it makes my blown crate stack sound wonderful!

[@AndreiGrozea]

Sounds killer, as expected. I don't understand why noone does clones of these, I'd kill for a rackmount preamp of the vh140c

[@dq7860]

The Crate XLP is the closest to that, but they're very hard to find.

[@Admiral_Bongo]

@@dq7860 I have an XLP. Wouldn't say it's very close (same goes for the GX130C, obviously). The clipping has a similar (but not identical, Ampeg is smoother, while Crate is more grainy, fuzzy) character to it, obviously, since both come from the same family of diode distortion based amps, but the voicing and the transient response are very different. The Ampeg is miles tighter and brighter sounding than Crate, which has a bass-heavy, sludgy character to it. I'd say the best bet is to stick to a pedal preamp clone of the Ampeg (like VHD, Flesh Rot, Misanthrope and many others) or order a VH300 head from SnK (most awesome option, perhaps, but it'll cost a $1000).

[@dq7860]

Probably, this was before I actually ended up getting a VH-140C myself, and now I know they sound pretty different.

[@nothingislogical]

If you’re looking for a great underrated amp to check out, look into the Randall RH200. 200 watt solid state amp. It sounds great and since it’s Randall, it excels at doing high gain on a solid state. I had one years ago but sold it to pay for a Line 6 Spider Valve (another underrated amp worth checking out!)

[@HighPriestVaticanAssasin]

I had one. Ended up trading my Warhead 2x12 combo in for a RH200 halfstack because the warhead kept having issues.

[@DarrenWaters75]

My Weird memory... For a brief time Zakk was endorsed my ampeg and he was in the ad for these amps, but he used his two jcm 800s that he had since high school until he got the Marshall ZW JCM800.

[@kkpiemels3113]

He propably used them in the studio at that time and had a deal with marshall to tour with jcm's

[@daveeatworld]

I thought that was for the Ampeg VL-1002/502 which are awesome amps. JCM800s on steroids. Very underrated.

[@TaylorDanley]

Second comment about this, I've got to look into it now!

[@daveeatworld]

@@TaylorDanley part of their fame (the Ampeg VL-1002/502 amps that is) is Tom DeLonge recorded Cheshire Cat with one and played them live until he went to his first Mesa Dual Rectifier in January 1997. They are great amps but they need Lee Jackson’s bulletproof mod done to them to make them safe. Search that on KZbin for a video on how to do it. I’m not sure if you were talking to me about the VLs or about Zak Wylde.

[@DarrenWaters75]

@@daveeatworld that's most likely what it was, I just have a visual memory of him sitting with Ampeg guitar amps stacked up around him.

[@jakeqwaninne8502]

i actually an ampeg V4 , it had a schematic taped to the inside wall dated 1973, i got it $100.00 ,and it was just a weird amp, it sounded different every time i turned it on, so i unloaded it to a guy who had it totaly rebuilt for something like $400.00, on top of the $300.00 he gave me for it, so it has to be something special, so maybe try to find one of those, but my fav. amp is a peavey XXL, with any cab holding vintage 30's, not only does it it have it's own unique sound ,it emulates it's cousins 5150 ,and a JSX, along with some popular brit brand and an american company named for a car part, and if you run about any distortion pedal through it or processor ,it sounds great, it's an all around good fella, friendliest though, to the heavier styles of guitar

[@BMooreMusic]

I got this head in a slightly older version in 1990 for graduation. I had a 4x10 Marshall at first and then 2 4x12 Crate cabs later on. It was cool for the time. My band went to a guy's home studio to record a demo and he used the direct line out for most of it and it sounded Sooooo horrible. I enjoyed the head for the most part.

[@TaylorDanley]

Oh cool, the one that had the controls on the top of the panel instead of the bottom? Yeah, if you just used the direct line with no sort of filtering or cab simulation, it would just be the preamp signal, and yeah I'd imagine it sounded like poo poo.

[@BMooreMusic]

@@TaylorDanley , yep the top panel one. People always thought I was using a bass head. Lol. It sounded pretty good running a wet/dry setup. I never knew until I saw your video that all those bands used one. \m/

[@espertie]

The secret hack is BBE sonic maximizer or another arual exciter in the loop. Some grindcore guys would run the preamp out into a Mark IV's power section and do the V-scoop thing with the GEQ

[@ArticLight14]

Have you tried Framus amps? Killswitch Engage used them early on I believe.