Has Ampeg made a BAD bass amp

dereksilloway · #1 08-18-2011, 12:33 PM

Im just curious.
Im a huge fan of Ampeg. Ive loved the tone I get out of everything Ive played through.

Now I know some people dont like the Ampeg tone or whatever, but in all seriousness has Ampeg ever made a truely disaster of a head?
I hear a lot of praise for them and me and a buddy asked this question and I thought itd be interesting to see what Talkbass thinks.

And if they did, what made it bad?

waleross · #2 08-18-2011, 01:23 PM

Let me be the first to start this thread which will get a lot of answers . I only know what I have sent back and sold. I still have the SVT Cl (not the Heritage) and the 4pro. These are top shelf products. In the past two years I went through sold or traded : the SvT450H, the 2BR, and the
4br. In addition I tried a VR(b stock) and a new 2pro both were sent back. I even had the micro-v head for a couple of months that a lot of people like but for me it was not enough.
That being said I did not get any lemmons or bad heads that made me vow never to buy Ampegs again. You can't listen to others and have them make up your mind for you. Here-say opinions are a dime a dozen. Its your money after all............................Good luck .

tdub0199 · #3 08-18-2011, 01:25 PM

I didn't really dig the SVT 450H I had either, the tone was meh..... sold it and got a GK 1001RB II

brianrost · #4 08-18-2011, 01:26 PM

Their first solid state line...BT series. I've never heard one because every one I've seen was DOA...

Until I saw this on my local Craigslist:

Yes, solid state Portaflex

dave_p · #5 08-18-2011, 01:29 PM

umm several

TattooBass · #6 08-18-2011, 01:32 PM

Yes the late 80s 90s svt 200t and 400t. Both were garbage. Not worthy of the svt name. The 400t and 200t I had were both problematic.

The solid state flip tops weren't too hot either.

They've made less bad than carvins made good ones. Haha.

exmaxima1 · #7 08-18-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianrost

Their first solid state line...BT series.
Yes, solid state Portaflex

Hey, my first bass amp ever was an Ampeg Olympian (1968), same head as that in the pics except the cabinet was wider and more "modern" looking. Had a pair of Altec 418B speakers (15"). Weighed about 130 lbs and had FIVE handles on it to load/drag it like a coffin into the station wagon. Bought it from Dennis DeYoung (singer in Styx).

That amp SUCKED. 100 watts of nasal sterile sound (I won't even call it "tone"). At every opportunity I borrowed a Fender tube head to play my Gibson EB-2 (cherry red, of course!).

**cheezewiz** · #8 08-18-2011, 02:20 PM

The B2R and it's twin the SVT450 are underpowered and sterile sounding. I'd call them bad amps. It's definitely in the minority though. I dig most Ampeg stuff.

wallybill · #9 08-18-2011, 02:20 PM

I've enjoyed all the Ampegs I've tried except for the early transistor flip tops. I really like the tube ones of course.

gustobassman · #10 08-18-2011, 02:22 PM

my vote goes to the svt 350H ... it's the exact same as the B2R (very underpowered IMO) but with a 40 lb wood box.

fenderhutz · #11 08-18-2011, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gustobassman

my vote goes to the svt 350H ... it's the exact same as the B2R (very underpowered IMO) but with a 40 lb wood box.

Bad amp. Rebranded B2 you couldn't push to save your life to get any volume.

Also some of the SVT 3 Pro's from the mid to late 90's are known to sputter out with a slew of bad solder joints among other things.

I have owned a ton of Ampeg gear. The 350H was probably the worst head I ever owned that was supposed to be "decent".

majortoby · #12 08-18-2011, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TattooBass

They've made less bad than carvins made good ones. Haha.

I must disagree. Ampeg is fine gear, but I have always been rather impressed with carvin products. And American made at that pricepoint really stokes my appreciation of Carvin. Anyhow, I cannot remember the model name, but I played an Ampeg combo that positively SUCKED. Flaccid tone, weak bass response, and a complete lack of growl.

JimmyM · #13 08-18-2011, 02:39 PM

The only one they make now that I don't care for is the B2RE/SVT 450H. Everything else is pretty stellar IMHO. But sure, they've made bad stuff over the years as well as good stuff. Not everything can be a big hit when you've put out as many amps as Ampeg.

Phendyr_Loon · #14 08-18-2011, 02:41 PM

Ask that same question to "Fenderhutz" here on TB, and another growning number of bassists that tried to use two AV210's with the micro vr head.

silky smoove · #15 08-18-2011, 02:42 PM

I've never liked the 4PRO, and haven't heard much good about the 5PRO. Different strokes for different folks.

capnjim · #16 08-18-2011, 02:43 PM

I used a newer V4B and I couldn't get any clarity at all...very muddy and underpowered. Going through an Ampeg 4x10 with a P. I was very surprised as I have used an original V4B and it was freeking awesome.
I also tried one of those horrible combos with the 10 or 12 different setting on that little dial...what a piece of junk that was.

fenderhutz · #17 08-18-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phendyr_Loon

Ask that same question to "Fenderhutz" here on TB, and another growning number of bassists that tried to use two AV210's with the micro vr head.

I posted in this thread already. The Micro VR is a GREAT sounding head that has issues I hope Ampeg will resolve soon.

It's not a bad amp. It's a great amp with some issues. Now if they don't fix the issues then yes. It will go down as a bad amp in my opinion.

The SVT350H/B2 however had no redeeming qualities and was unusable.

fenderhutz · #18 08-18-2011, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silky smoove

I've never liked the 4PRO, and haven't heard much good about the 5PRO. Different strokes for different folks.

The 5Pro had bad switching off the production floor. If you didn't send it directly back to Ampeg for a fix your were playing with fire. The B500 DR or whatever it was had other issues as well. Not shining points in Ampeg amp history.

Essen · #19 08-18-2011, 02:51 PM

The SVT450, not a disaster, but it pretty much sounds like a PA, nothing like a tube amp.
From the Ampeg site: "And if we didn’t tell you, you’d swear the SVT-450H was a tube amplifier."

KJung · #20 08-18-2011, 03:07 PM

As a guy who grew up and began his playing career in the 70's and 80's through the mid 90's in St. Louis, there is not even room on the entire internet to list all the dogs that company put out.

That being said, to be fair to St. Louis Music, they did bring the brand back from the dead, and did a pretty good job with the all tube stuff. Those early solid state and hybrids through the 90's were pretty awful though, and my gosh, the lightweight line (portabass or whatever... my gosh).

Who would have thought that the big, bad Loud corporation would actually (it seems) improve things and get this brand back on track.