VH140c if anyone's looking

  • Thread starter Thread starter MetalHeadMike
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Most brutal live tone I ever heard was at a coffee shop show, band called Left for Dead.

Guitarist had one of these and a Mark IV with half-back 4x12 in stereo. Absolute br00tz lol.
 
I would buy that amp for sure if i trusted it to last. I feel like you buy one of those amps, you have to learn how to work on a solid state. Not well built, but really well designed.
 
I’m not sure where the reliability theme came from with these around here, I’ve had mine for almost 20 years without a problem and I know three or four other people who have them and we all gig. L
 
RaceU4her said:
I’m not sure where the reliability theme came from with these around here, I’ve had mine for almost 20 years without a problem and I know three or four other people who have them and we all gig. L
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I have owned 4 (3 of which one of the power amps failed) and the other I stupidly/smartly sold (which then had a power amp fail a year later. It sucks, because they really are one of the best metal amps ever. Also I really wouldn't say $1000 is that good of a deal even though I have been using that exact 4x12 for 20 years and will never get rid of it.
 
I’ve had four VH140Cs kick the bucket on me for various reasons. They have not proven themselves to be reliable in my experience. It’s definitely not worth $1000. The highest I’ve paid for one was $350.
 
Cool amp but add me to the list of 2 separate ones power amps failing.
 
Like I said, I'm not selling it and don't know the person who is. I just thought I remember someone here looking and figured I'd pass it along.
 
I have had two VH140C die on me. I know some are great, I wonder if there is a better year or period of manufacture. Tbh if I would love one if I knee I could trust it.
 
skullfxr said:
I have had two VH140C die on me. I know some are great, I wonder if there is a better year or period of manufacture. Tbh if I would love one if I knee I could trust it.
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I live in St.Louis and spent some time at SLM and knew a couple of the amp guys there. They basically told me the solution was "Find a VH-150(The 140c head minus chorus) or a SS150. Those damn stereo power amps in the VH140C just were prone to fail. Now, if you can find a Crate GX130C they are very similar, the VH140 is a little more focused sounding. Kind of hard to find though, Death Metal guys all scooped them up.
 
I had VH140C, a 2X12 combo with the celestion speakers, sounded great but it had intermittent problems. Traded it for a Boogie Studio 22 combo.
 
I never knew so many had problems with theirs. One of the crates, I believe the gt3500 is supposed to be the vh140 circuitry but I’m not sure
 
japetus said:
Crate GX130C
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I have one, i also have the XLP which is the gx130c preamp and i dont find them all that similar to the vh, the crate is much smoother and dosent have the grind of the ampeg, the ampeg is much more versatile too. one day now that my recording skills are a little better ill have to do a proper comparison cause they really arent that close. I looked on reverb and what do you know? theres a GT3500 half stack a town over from me, maybe ill grab it and see what the deal is. its either that thing or the VTX that was supposed to be the ampeg, both of them came towards the end of SLM and i havent seen many of either


https://reverb.com/item/33816751-crate-half-stack-gt3500h-shockwave

iu
 
MetalHeadMike said:
Like I said, I'm not selling it and don't know the person who is. I just thought I remember someone here looking and figured I'd pass it along.
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Since these are killer metal amps, I wonder why no-one has cloned this circuit to either 1. An all tube circuit 2. A more reliable SS circuit ?
 
Racerxrated said:
Since these are killer metal amps, I wonder why no-one has cloned this circuit to either 1. An all tube circuit 2. A more reliable SS circuit ?
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Not sure how accurate they are but there are a couple of vh140c clone pre amp pedals out there.
 
Racerxrated said:
Since these are killer metal amps, I wonder why no-one has cloned this circuit to either 1. An all tube circuit 2. A more reliable SS circuit ?
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I reached out to a guy I know who used to work for Crate/Ampeg. Have not talked to him in years, but I remember asking him this a long time ago and he said something to the effect of "it wouldn't be the same" and those stereo power amps in the amp did effect the overall tone quite a bit. I actually had the idea of trying to have someone turn one of my broken vh140c into a preamp or even use a new SS power amp, and was talked out of it...but I can't remember the reason. If he emails me back, I will ask him more and maybe try to get him to sign up here.
 
Racerxrated said:
Since these are killer metal amps, I wonder why no-one has cloned this circuit to either 1. An all tube circuit 2. A more reliable SS circuit ?
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ive ran my preamp out into tube power amps and it kind of loses something, the punch you in the gut kind of cold rawness goes away.
 
Great amp I just sold one. These go for more than $3-400 now. I sold mine for $1000 without a cabinet. They are getting really hard to find and the guy was happy to pay it
 
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