Ampeg PF500/350, part 4

[SkiFor3]

Originally Posted by peddles

I know this may sound weird, but has anyone with the pf cabs really enjoying the smell of them? It's really weird but it's been making my room smell really awesome, almost like a bbq or something!

Yea they do smell good in a wierd kinda way. More of a new car smell vs a food thing to me.

[SkiFor3]

Originally Posted by PluckyThump

- The compressor. It isn't transparent enough for my taste. It seems to be too aggressive; at low settings it engages with an audible blip and at higher settings it squashes the notes too much. Not that big a deal, being a fingerstyle player I don't have much need for compression.

!

Im curious. For those that think the compressor is to aggressive, is the threshold light coming on for you at lower settings?

I can't hear much of a difference until I turn up past 12:00 and I have to have mine cranked up pretty high like 3:00 before the threshold light comes on regularly. I am a finger player using a passive jazz so maybe that is the difference.

[Frankjohnson]

Originally Posted by carl h.

If we reported all the successful gigs with PF series amps, nobody would bother reading this thread. Most of us are working them regularly without any issue.

I think a lot of the reporting sucessful gigs occurs with a replacement amp - so its like verifying that it is functioning correctly - where the replace-ee ......well......did not.

I raved the first ten months......I fumed for 2 months while the Fiddle-Farted toying with it - I am getting happy again, as it gets more gigs on it (the new replacement).

Honestly, these thigs sound GREAT!! I have never tried the 7 pro - but will eventually.

That said - I can't wait - Blues jam gig Wed - Blues Club Friday night - provate party sat - another triple week!

Also a mention about comments that maybe the people having fault issues were slapping or playing it too hard - Shame on you! I would NEVER slap my bass - there are laws against that! Seriously though - the rig gets worked - but not abused.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by SkiFor3

I can't hear much of a difference until I turn up past 12:00 and I have to have mine cranked up pretty high like 3:00 before the threshold light comes on regularly. I am a finger player using a passive jazz so maybe that is the difference.

I think some of it might have to do with other gear and settings too... My compressor starts lighting up at about 9:00, but my main basses are pretty high output and I run things pretty hot anyway. By 12:00, the comp on my PF500 lights up like a Christmas tree and things start to get pretty squished.

5sg.

[PluckyThump]

Originally Posted by SkiFor3

Im curious. For those that think the compressor is to aggressive, is the threshold light coming on for you at lower settings?

I can't hear much of a difference until I turn up past 12:00 and I have to have mine cranked up pretty high like 3:00 before the threshold light comes on regularly. I am a finger player using a passive jazz so maybe that is the difference.

Mine lights up around 1:00 if I dig hard. At 3:00 it's on most of the time, especially from low C on down. I use both active and hot passive basses. So I just leave it at 12:00 and it doesn't intrude, but it's there just in case.

When I say it's agressive, I don't mean the threshold. The ratio is too much (volume drops too much) and the attack is too fast. It also distorts the note at low threshold settings. Maybe they were going for tube-style compression but imo it's not smooth enough.

[Zapp]

eden, hartke, yorkie, GK 700rb II - I didn't like the compression in any of those. the yorkie hybrid in particular was terribly offensive - sounded like a bad fuzz pedal

[Chef]

Move along to part V, here:
Ampeg PF350/500 Part V