Gear Review: Shroud Eater front woman Jeannie Saiz on her Ampeg V4

Jeannie Saiz, guitarist and vocalist for the stoner/sludge metal band Shroud Eater, chatted with me recently about that one piece of gear she relies on to obtain the band’s trademark raw, fuzzy sound. Here’s what she had to say about her Ampeg V4.

What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Jeannie: I know that without my Ampeg V4, I would not be the same person. I almost sold it, and regret ever even thinking of parting with this amp.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Jeannie: It’s got an immense amount of volume, and the tone is awesome. I am a fan of boosted mids, and the mids is what the V4 is all about.

What are the major pros and cons?
Jeannie: The pros are the aforementioned, the cons are that it’s heavy as fuck, it’s got a lot of weird tubes that aren’t readily available at a local music store, and it’s a mid-70’s model, so it needs its maintenance. It has never failed me though.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever change it?
Jeannie: I’ve had it about 5 years, and I’d never change it. I added a Marshall JCM 800 to my rig, and playing the two amps in conjunction has opened up a lot of sonic territory. Where the Ampeg is a loud, thick toned, lumbering beast, the Marshall has more of a dynamic and articulate attack. When I get them to overdrive territory, it just sounds fucking amazing.

Any final thoughts or comments on the gear?
Jeannie: My Ampeg loves to be overdriven by my old Rat pedal, and run through an Emperor 4×12 cab.

Check out the song: “Vesuvius”