AMPEG LEE JACKSON VL502 BY ZACHARY FJESTAD
Hey Zach,
I recently acquired a late-’80s or early-’90s Ampeg VL502 amp
with a matching SS412AS 4x12 cab. The amp’s serial number
is L52DDB0094. The original owner hardly used it, and the rig
spent most of its life in his basement. It’s in excellent condition
and still has the original tubes. While I vaguely remember these
first coming out, info on them seems pretty scarce. What I do
know is this rig sounds great—in a “modified Marshall” kind of
way. What can you tell me about this Ampeg?
Thanks,
—Mike in Austin, MN
Hey Mike,
Cool amp—I sure don’t see many
of these anymore! The Ampeg
VL502, along with all the amps
in the VL Series, was designed by
amp guru Lee Jackson. Jackson
established himself as an amp
modifier in Los Angeles during the 1980s, specifically with
Marshalls. Jackson worked as a
designer for several companies,
including B.C. Rich, Fender,
Pignose, Metaltronix, Harmony,
and, of course, Ampeg. He is
probably best known for his
XLA-1000 amp, a direct copy
of the amps he built for Zakk
Wylde, Steve Vai, and George
Lynch. Currently, Jackson produces amps and effects under his
own name in Austin, Texas.
In 1986, St. Louis Music
(SLM) bought Ampeg out of
bankruptcy, acquiring two truck-
loads of various items and parts.
SLM resumed production, first
reviving the SVT line, and then
in the late ’80s and early ’90s, a
musician’s needs had to be met in
order for Ampeg to make a prof-
it. The R&D department hired
Lee Jackson in the fall of 1990 to
design a line of guitar amplifiers
that became the VL series. These
new amps were released in 1991
and utilized several features never
before seen on an Ampeg.
It’s not surprising that your VL502 sounds
like a modded Marshall at times, since that’s
how Jackson made his reputation.
followed with a line of guitar
and bass amps generally based
on established Ampeg designs.
Ampeg was a very traditional
company during the ’60s and
’70s, and Everett Hull (Ampeg’s
owner at that time) despised
rock ’n’ roll music. Ampeg’s artist
relations department indicated
that since music was changing
Master Volume and Reverb con-
trols. Maybe the coolest feature
was a lock-and-key system to
prevent unauthorized use!
LEFT: Amp guru Lee
Jackson designed
this ’ 91 Ampeg VL502
head and 4x12 cab.
The 50-watt, 2-channel
VL502 boasts cascading
gain stages, a 5-way
mid-frequency contour
switch, individual Master
Volume and Reverb con-
trols for each channel,
a power attenuator, and
an effects loop. And let’s
not forget the “ignition”
key next to the power
and standby switches!
BOTTOM LEFT:
With the VL502’s back
removed, you can see
the spring reverb unit
hanging from the top of
the cabinet, enclosed
in a vinyl bag. Ampeg’s
VL Series heads were
designed to accommodate EL34 or 6550
power tubes. This baby
sports the latter.
Customs. I remember these
amps being very heavy. The VL
Series didn’t stand for anything
in particular, though some users
joke that it stood for very loud.
Innovation is usually what
drives the guitar industry, but
unfortunately the VL Series (along
with many of Ampeg’s other new
designs at the time) was relatively
short-lived. The single-channel
VL501 only lasted through 1992,
and the VL1001 was produced
through 1993. The 2-channel
reverb VL502 and VL1002,
along with the 3-channel VL503,
were manufactured until 1995. A
product’s successfulness can generally be gauged on life span, so
the VL Series wasn’t received very
well (production numbers were
unavailable for the series).
Since Ampeg had been such
a traditional and conservative
company for so long, many
musicians were simply used to
that. Why would a guitarist buy
a relatively unknown Ampeg VL
when companies like Marshall
and Mesa/Boogie had established
themselves as the builders of
high-gain amps? I’d guess that
sales records would answer that
question. Since the mid ’90s,
Ampeg has returned to its roots,
mainly offering guitar and bass
amps based on the company’s
vintage designs that produce
clean, full tones.
Based on the serial number, your VL502 was built in
December of 1991, and it’s
worth between $400-$500 today.
However, these amps have earned
an almost cultish status over the
years because of the association
with Lee Jackson. It’s not surprising that your VL502 sounds like
a modded Marshall at times,
since that’s how Jackson made
his reputation. For a US-made
tube amp that produces all the
tones you need, this amp is definitely a treasure!
ZACHARY R. FJESTAD
is author of Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book
of Electric Guitars, and Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
For more information, visit
bluebookinc.com or email
