Ampeg VT22

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Anybody ever play steel through an old Ampeg VT22 212? Some friends of mine call an impromptu jam from time to time. I got a notice tonight and my buddy said he had this amp there for me to try out.

Skeptical, don't think I ever heard of this model Ampeg, but it was a relief not to have to tote an amp so I acquiesced. This thing sings like a bird! I think it's conservatively rated at 100W of all tube power. It sounded great with the steel, guitar and the keyboards too with deafening volume capability. Sweet, clean, warm, ballsy sound. I gave it a pretty good workout with the low strings on the C neck...things like Hold It and Night Life and it handled it all without a whimper.

As happens a lot, somebody had robbed the original speakers and he had put aftermarket eminence drivers in there and they sounded fine. I can only imagine what it would do with the original speakers.

Maybe a tad smaller than a twin and it weighs a ton of course, so I don't think I'd want to carry it anywhere, even if he was willing to sell it, but long as they are willing to bring it to the jams, I'll keep using it. Very impressed with this old vintage amp.

Bill Terry · From: Bastrop, TX

I played guitar through one for years. They were voiced quite differently than the Fenders of the same era, well built, and REALLY loud. I happened on this article a while back that you may be interested in reading.

https://www.vintageguitar.com/19265/ampegvt-22/

Lefty · From: Grayson, Ga.

I actually have one of these in the basement.
I bought it cheap, but the original speakers foam surrounds have rotted out.
It also needs going through by a tech. I bought a new set of tubes for it, but lost interest about the same time.
I guess I should get it going, and sell it.
I would probably only break even at best.
My tech has one he was trying to sell me with the original Altec speakers in it. He said it would be a beast for Pedal steel. Unfortunatly a beast on the back as well.
Lefty

Roger Dillingham · From: Kentucky, USA

Hey Jerry, I used to have one of those beasts I used for 6-string Tele amp. It sounded great, had plenty of balls but was a "Killer" to tote to and from gigs. The specs shown on the link were right; every bit of 88 lbs. to try to put in and out of the backseat of a sedan was insanity back when I was much younger. I wouldn't even attempt it now. Mine was rated at 100 to 120 watts R.M.S. and was "cleaner" than a Fender Twin. I had gotten rid of my Fender Twin with (2) D120f JBL's, but had kept the JBL's with the intention of installing them in the Ampeg. After I lugged that big mama around and with the loading and unloading I knew to put the JBs in there, I would be pushing the weight close to 100 lbs.! Needless to say my common sense won out over my desire to experiment and I never attempted that bit of stupidity. (I know my back has thanked me for it!) That being said, I think it would be great for steel if it were being kept and used in one place only, or if you had a motorized crane to move it around if necessary. Every time someone on the forum mentions the Peavey "hernia 500" I think of my old Ampeg VT-22. I have a "hernia 500" here at home now, but to my remembrance the Ampeg was slightly heavier. FWIW Roger Smile

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Thanks for the article. It also has a fairly good audio link attached.

I once heard it said that those things were so heavy that it felt like they were bolted to the floor.

Jeffrey Smith · From: Harvest, Alabama, USA

I used to work in a music store. A kid came in one day... a spoiled kid whose momma bought him everything, and he wanted to sell his VT22 for $100. I bought it. This was in the era of Kiss, and this kid had been a wannabe rocker. I noticed in the back of the cabinet what looked to be a pile of gunpowder. I scooped it all out. I kept thinking "That looks like gunpowder." I had it in a pile on the glass-topped counter at the store where I worked. Dumbass me. I took a lighter out and tried to light it. No success. A little more fiddling around and then WHAM! Burned all the hair off my arm... lost my eyebrows, and was temporarily blinded. When my eyesight came back I noticed a thick THICK cloud of white smoke on the ceiling of the entire store. I knew my boss was going to have a hissy fit, and as I recall, he did. Ha! Funny memory. No damage outside of some badly burned fingers and all the lost hair. Stunk up the whole store with the smell of my burnt hair!

I went ahead and used that amp for a few years. I gigged with it a lot. It had more bottom than a twin, but it still had decent highs. I really loved it and always regretted selling it. I always wanted help loading it, however.

I never tried it for steel... I was playing a Strat through it.

Jeff Smith

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Funny story Jeff. Sounds like something I might have done!

I'm reviving this 2017 thread to ask some speaker questions.

Seeing Lee's ad for the VT-22 cover reminded me of this thread.

We haven't really been using the old Ampeg as it probably needs a service. It has a tube cutting out intermittently, some dirt and static plus the reverb doesn't work. Yes, we know it has a lock.

I dunno if the owner is up for it, but if so, we may have it gone through and maybe try to find some speakers that are vintage to the amp.

I've read everything from Altec to EV to square mag CTS and Eminence speakers were used in these old 70s, 80s amps. Anybody know which models of speaker any of them were?

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