Ampeg PF 500 vs Orange Terror Bass 500

sammyfallen · #1 05-27-2011, 07:44 AM

Hello Fella's!

I'm stuck on the fence about which amp to purchase. I'm new to the world of class d amps, but, I am counting on these being right up my alley for rock 'n roll tones.

I do like "some" grit live, but prefer a clean tone when practicing to keep me from getting sloppy at gigs.

The band I play with sounds like a mix of Kyuss, Motorhead, and Zeppelin.

I currently use an Ampeg 810E, Fender Jazz, & a old Ibanez Tele Bass copy. I use a Fulltone OCD live, but I would really like to plug straight to the amp.

Thanks for any help!!!

stingray56funk · #2 05-27-2011, 07:56 AM

This is what you'll hear..."Go play them both and see which one better meets your tonal expectations as well as price point and features."

IntrepidCellist · #3 05-27-2011, 08:02 AM

Yeah, they're both very different flavors and feature sets, and what constitutes "good" drive or grit on bass is very, VERY subjective.

sammyfallen · #4 05-27-2011, 09:00 AM

My issue is that no one within a 2 1/2 hour radius carries either brand. I have owned 4 SVT'S in the past, and am very familiar with Ampeg tone. I have only heard Orange amps in the guitar realm. I was just curious as to what their OD sounds like. If anyone knows of any vid's on youtube featuring a Orange TB 500 in a live setting I'd be much obliged.

philtoler · #5 05-27-2011, 10:15 AM

If your priority is to plug straight in then I believe the Orange is the only one that will give you a bucket full of genuine valve preamp grind, however I can't tell for sure whether or not the Ampeg PF500 is designed to give a simulated over-drive sound. There is one video on Youtube which suggests that it can. I only use my TB500 for clean tones, and it is very clean if you want it to be. A feature of the Orange which I particularly like is the ability to drive the full 500W into just one 8ohm cab or (switchable) into a 4ohm cab. The Ampeg has a few more bells and whistles than the Orange - e.g. compressor, footswitch and more tone shaping capabilities. There are loads of vids of the TB500 on Youtube.

blastjv · #6 05-27-2011, 11:50 AM

I have not tried either, but I did try the PF350 and with the gain maxed it did have a nice smooth mild tube overdrive sound to it. It didn't get grindy at all, but didn't sound like bad SS clipping, either...

-JV

ButtUglyJeff · #7 05-27-2011, 12:06 PM

I think the Orange is more friendly to "knob nooners", I actually think Orange in general is. But I plan on suffering on a PF500 anyways. They're different "branded" tones, but both are nice. You'll enjoy either I'm sure...

sammyfallen · #8 05-27-2011, 12:17 PM

Sounds like the TB 500 is the way to go. I'm not looking for full on fuzz or anything like that, just a touch of "hair" to smooth out notes, and help the guitarist and I blend well. I have seen a lot of people showing off the TB 500 on youtube but none in a band setting. We have a huge amount of musicians here so I'm sure it will be easy to flip if I'm not satisfied.

tombowlus · #9 05-27-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyfallen

If anyone knows of any vid's on youtube featuring a Orange TB 500 in a live setting I'd be much obliged.

Check out our YouTube channel (link in sig). We have several Orange clips up.

I have both of these heads in my possession right now (we're featuring the Orange in issue #6, and the MB500 in #8 - with the 7Pro in issue #7). The TB500 can do a nice clean tone as well as a killer overdrive, though it's not as flexible as the PF500. For the type of music you are talking about, I think that both would do fairly well, but the Orange might get the nod. If you wanted to be a chameleon-like as possible, the Ampeg can cover a wider range of tones, IME/IMHO.

77PBass · #10 05-27-2011, 01:34 PM

I played a TB500 through a 810 SVT bottom in a rehearsal studio. The room was pretty big and I got to stand 20 feet from the amp. We did Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, David Bowie (Ziggy era) and the sound was ENORMOUS! I dialed in some grit and had JPJ rockin on my '65 JB.

77PBass · #11 05-27-2011, 01:35 PM

Oh I forgot....if you want to dial in an SVT sound, throw a VTBass pedal in front of the TB500 and you have 10 lbs of 500 watt SVT

joeydavidson · #12 05-28-2011, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77PBass

Oh I forgot....if you want to dial in an SVT sound, throw a VTBass pedal in front of the TB500 and you have 10 lbs of 500 watt SVT

Or you could throw the Tech 21 Oxford pedal in front of the Ampeg.....