Blue face VH4

[Peter Diezel]

Does anyone know how many Blue face VH4's are around?
Not the newer one's but the older one style.

About 160 amps from 1994 to 1996 and 75 pieces from the 2011 special edition.

 

[MOOSEHEADS]

About 160 amps from 1994 to 1996 and 75 pieces from the 2011 special edition.

Thanks for the info. I have been curious about the early years.

 

[base341]

If the serial numbers are sequential, I'd guess around 50 blue face VH4S amps, based on my serial number and its date of production. I believe I've seen at least serial number 50 (0970050, I think) for blueface VH4 mono heads, too. If the numbers are sequential, then I'm pretty sure the VH4S and the VH4 heads were numbered separately, because I've seen blueface VH4 heads with higher serial numbers than mine VH4S head, but the VH4 head was made in the prior year.

Whoa!! I didn't realize you had an old one!!!
I assumed it was one of the newer models.. That is bad ass!!

 

[cardinal]

If the serial numbers are sequential, I'd guess around 50 blue face VH4S amps, based on my serial number and its date of production. I believe I've seen at least serial number 50 (0970050, I think) for blueface VH4 mono heads, too. If the numbers are sequential, then I'm pretty sure the VH4S and the VH4 heads were numbered separately, because I've seen blueface VH4 heads with higher serial numbers than mine VH4S head, but the VH4 head was made in the prior year.

Whoa!! I didn't realize you had an old one!!!
I assumed it was one of the newer models.. That is bad ass!!

Thanks! Diezel switched to this style script sometime in late 96, early 97 as best I can tell. As far as I know, none of the '11 Blueface amps were stereo. I played one of those reissues and it was completely badass. Would love to get a brand new one, too (like Brad's white one, has me drooling).

 

[brickford]

If the serial numbers are sequential, I'd guess around 50 blue face VH4S amps, based on my serial number and its date of production. I believe I've seen at least serial number 50 (0970050, I think) for blueface VH4 mono heads, too. If the numbers are sequential, then I'm pretty sure the VH4S and the VH4 heads were numbered separately, because I've seen blueface VH4 heads with higher serial numbers than mine VH4S head, but the VH4 head was made in the prior year.

Whoa!! I didn't realize you had an old one!!!
I assumed it was one of the newer models.. That is bad ass!!

Thanks! Diezel switched to this style script sometime in late 96, early 97 as best I can tell. As far as I know, none of the '11 Blueface amps were stereo. I played one of those reissues and it was completely badass. Would love to get a brand new one, to (like Brad's white one, has me drooling).

Is yours the old script with the switchable voltage selector and no bright switch on channel 2 or was that only on the mono versions prior to changing to new script?

 

[cardinal]

Mine is new script with no voltage selector and a bright switch on channel 2. Prior to late 96/early 97, I believe both the VH4 and VH4S had voltage selector switches and no bright switch on channel 2. After that date, both mono and stereo heads lost the voltage selector switch but gained the channel 2 bright switch.

I've read that blue face production stopped in 96, but I've seen blue faces with the new script with serial numbers from 97 and mine has both a serial number from 98 and a date on the chassis from mid-98.

Other than the additional bright switch and the lack of a voltage selector, I'm not sure if any circuit/transformer changes coincided with the change is script. Mine still has the additional preamp tube. I've read that the earliest VH4 amps used ceramic capacitors. Mine definitely has red box WIMA capacitors, which I'm pretty sure aren't ceramic. So there have been circuit tweaks over the years, but that's still true today, I think.

 

[jonl]

Any of your blue face owners live in Boston area?