LOUD fails: Ampeg PF-500 failure stories, tell them here - Page 2

tekdiver500ft · #21 01-27-2012, 02:42 AM

OSV Repair Tech has my amp, and he just stated that they managed to get it to fail while idle. Thank goodness! I was beginning to think it was my error, & the amp was fine.

marcolangoni · #22 02-01-2013, 04:14 AM

My pf-500 started to cut off in the stage after 4 months.
The first thing I noted was that the direct output was somehow not affected, I mean, I was still hearing the bass on the PA but nothing from the cab (212). Between the songs, I turn off and on the amp and sometimes the sound came back again only for
1 or 2 minutes and cut off again.
Back to my home I started to play in low volume and nothing happened. When
I raise the volume to the level I was playing the gig, after 1 or 2 minutes, it cut off. Then I found out that fan was not working.
Turn it off, wait less than 1 minute, turn it on, the sound was back and also the fan was working again. Weird.
Interesting thing is that the failure light was never on.
I open it, and started playing until the issue happened again. No failure light but I was to see that the fan really stops at the same time the sound disappears.
Then I started to touch some of the cables and connectors to see if there was something miss connected and the failure light comes on.
Now theres no more sound.
I will go for a professional shop today and I'll let you know about it.
Regards.

Woodstockz · #23 02-01-2013, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Tek, I don't mean this to minimize what you're saying by any means, and I can't pretend to know anything about your situation, but they really do their best to be stellar with CS at Ampeg. Most reports about their CS on here are very positive and most folks with problematic amps have been getting working replacements under warranty from what I can see. I would suggest calling them again if you haven't talked to them since you took the amp in.

+1. The PF amps are great amps. If your amp is cutting out, then warranty replacement is the best route. The fact that some people have had problems should make this your plan.

Woodstockz · #24 02-01-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christw

The following is just conjecture: I think it may have a signal-based mute/limiter beyond the master volume. If that's the case, that could explain why an open master volume, not enough comp, and gain to taste would cause premature shut offs with signal spikes. Out of value components in such a circuit could also be causing premature muting/limiting.

Almost...pretty close.

The PF350/500 use the International Rectifier IRS20957 chip, which is a descendant of the IRS20955 chip. The IRS20955 was obsoleted/discontinued for what reason? For cutting out.

Any spikes seen on the over-current protection circuit will cause the chip to cut out.

Anyway, as I have found, the over-current protection is too slow to protect anything. Any designer using the chip should probably just disable it.

RadioRob · #25 02-01-2013, 11:00 AM

I have a PF-500 with no problems so far but I did go through 2 115HE cabs.
The first one the horn went out soon after I got it home. The second one would not hit the low B without distorting even at lower volumes.
I use a Fender 410 4ohm cab and all is good. Its like having 2 210 cabs.

nutdog · #26 02-01-2013, 11:28 AM

My cutout problem was documented here:

Ampeg PF500/PF350 Pt II.5

I deleted the clips and I don't think I kept the files.

I sent mine back to MF. I told them it had a problem but they said if they couldn't replicate it they would charge shipping and a fee so I just paid shipping.

This is also where I learned not to mention negative things about Ampeg on TB.

joelb79 · #27 02-01-2013, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

I did contact LOUD immediately. They're the ones who send me to On Stage Visuals in Lansing (who have been very helpful, and are just as frustrated as I am). LOUD still denies that anyone has had an issue...

Thats where they want to send me...

Nobody is having the problem? How about, one county over in Lansing... Hmm, what are the odds of that? What would be the odds that I've had two units malfunction, the recent being a D00 revision brand new unit directly shipped from Ampeg. They didn't even question me on the phone the same day I bought it and it cut out 3 hours into use; they shipped me a new one right away. now that I have the new one, I have to deal with OSV for my repair. I'm not sure I can wait a few weeks.

B-string · #28 02-01-2013, 11:32 AM

I think the more the "fans" pile on, the more truth there is to the concern/negative opinion?

Kind of like an attempt to cover up.

joelb79 · #29 02-01-2013, 11:46 AM

Hey I liked the way the amp sounded last night. But after having your rig fail a certain number of times, it's more of a bittersweet thing now. Even if it works at a gig without cutting out, there was that one time with my old unit on the first set 30 minutes into playing.. and that other time with the new unit.. and the customer support from Ampeg; less than stellar to back up the both times.

People can love them all they want, but that doesn't mean that the people who had problems don't know how to use the amp and are lying. For some of us, this isn't our first rodeo; we've used lots of amplifiers properly over our lifetimes. Yet everybody says "operator error" (to me) when it comes to this amp cutting out. It's just not that cut and dry.

Rob Martinez · #30 02-01-2013, 11:54 AM

I don't have a PF500 so cannot comment.

But my Ampeg B100R and B50R are the coolest and most reliable amps I have.

will33 · #31 02-01-2013, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joelb79

Hey I liked the way the amp sounded last night. But after having your rig fail a certain number of times, it's more of a bittersweet thing now. Even if it works at a gig without cutting out, there was that one time with my old unit on the first set 30 minutes into playing.. and that other time with the new unit.. and the customer support from Ampeg; less than stellar to back up the both times.

People can love them all they want, but that doesn't mean that the people who had problems don't know how to use the amp and are lying. For some of us, this isn't our first rodeo; we've used lots of amplifiers properly over our lifetimes. Yet everybody says "operator error" (to me) when it comes to this amp cutting out. It's just not that cut and dry.

Agreed.

I've messed around with these amps at GC a couple times just to see what all the fuss was about, and ya know what?...they sound damn good. I think I liked the 350 a little more than the 500 even with it's less involved eq. Just felt and worked like a classic, simple amp that didn't need a lot of tweaking. Got a pleasurable sound straight off. Not my first rodeo either and I can hear whether or not something is going to work for me in a band without having to play it with the band. I don't listen for bedroom tone.

That said, all this cutout/failure stuff put me in a place where I just plain can't buy one, even though they are plenty affordable. Nothing worse than failures like that, no matter how good it sounded while it was working. Even if I lucked into a good one, the wondering which note is going to be my last makes for no kinda fun on a gig.

So...too bad, I really liked their sound. I've played plenty of SVT's and 3-Pro's, etc. and of course, none of those issues there. Wouldn't mind having one of those at all, so, I'm sticking to my GK's and Peaveys I already own. Being able to rely on something and trust it's going to be there when you need it is at the top of my priorities. That said, I still bring a backup for everything....nothing's perfect...but..I don't buy into this mentality that people think it's OK for something to fail as long as customer service sends you another one. I'm used to gear lasting decades, not some few years of warranty period.

I have to hand it to them though, the damn things sound really good when they work. If they can ever get the reliability monkey off their back, I'd like to have one.

SR505bassman · #32 02-01-2013, 12:41 PM

I have had my PF 500 well over six months. I use it daily. Never had a problem with it. But, I feel for those who have gotten units that are not working right.

Grateful · #33 02-01-2013, 12:49 PM

Wish I could add to your little bash thread here, but my 500 has been purring away into 4 and 8 ohm loads without a hitch.

Sorry to hear others have had problems. If/when I do, I'll be sure to say something.

B-string · #34 02-01-2013, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grateful

Wish I could add to your little bash thread here, but my 500 has been purring away into 4 and 8 ohm loads without a hitch.

Sorry to hear others have had problems. If/when I do, I'll be sure to say something.

Hopefully you won't need to. After all the failures are NOT 100%

Russell L · #35 02-01-2013, 01:11 PM

I'm with Will. There was a time when I looked at getting a PF500, but there's just too much talk of failures. I'd always be wondering when it would do it to me. The only amp I've ever had to have serviced was my Peavey Combo 300, but I don't hear of Peavey failures as much. Now I am with Markbass for the past 4-1/2 years, and feel very confident (not that anything can't fail, of course). There are some Markbass failures out there, though, sure. But, most of what you hear about markbass is positive as far as reliability goes. Sorry, Ampeg, I just can't do it.

will33 · #36 02-01-2013, 01:13 PM

Ya, hardly a bash thread when multiple people describe the same flaws/issues time and again early in product life. If that isn't a design flaw/cutting the wrong corner, I don't know what is. I also don't buy into this "well, they sell a lot of units so there will be more failures" stuff. How many SVT's, or 3-Pro's, or 800RB's or Peavey's for that matter have this type of the same, re-occuring failure? How many of those are out there?

An earlier poster pointed toward some chip that is known to fail. If that is an issue, why use that chip? Could it be because it's cheap? Is there not some other affordable chip that will perform it's function? Is saving a dollar or two off the retail price really that much of a deal-breaker?

B-string · #37 02-01-2013, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Ya, hardly a bash thread when multiple people describe the same flaws/issues time and again early in product life. If that isn't a design flaw/cutting the wrong corner, I don't know what is. I also don't buy into this "well, they sell a lot of units so there will be more failures" stuff. How many SVT's, or 3-Pro's, or 800RB's or Peavey's for that matter have this type of the same, re-occuring failure? How many of those are out there?

An earlier poster pointed toward some chip that is known to fail. If that is an issue, why use that chip? Could it be because it's cheap? Is there not some other affordable chip that will perform it's function? Is saving a dollar or two off the retail price really that much of a deal-breaker?

To be fair the design was originally done with that chip and A) The fault was not known. B) The fault was known but not made public in the spec sheet. C) Was suspected to not affect the design. D) Was used outside the original design purpose and in the field was found to have a fault.
As much as we can think we know, real world use can prove you wrong with a new design.

Akito · #38 02-01-2013, 01:40 PM

It just goes to show that when there is a problem like this, denial is the one course of action that is sure not to fix a thing.
I posted about my pf500 failure back in nov of 2011. I know Ampeg has a huge fanbase. I know the amp sounds great and has a lot of features in a ridiculously small and light package. I know it does a lot and sounds great at a phenominal price point. I know, I know, I know.
Doesn't change a thing. Ampeg ought to be embarrassed.
Test your products before you release them please.
It's only my opinion, but it seems to me that we live in a world where the way to compete is to get your latest product out there fast and sell as many units as possible. Make the product so cheap that you can grab your profits and pick up the pieces later when they explode into a million shards during use. Cell phones are the most blatant example of this.
I'm pretty sick of paying for the privledge to be a product tester for bloated and arrogant corporations.

will33 · #39 02-01-2013, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

To be fair the design was originally done with that chip and A) The fault was not known. B) The fault was known but not made public in the spec sheet. C) Was suspected to not affect the design. D) Was used outside the original design purpose and in the field was found to have a fault.
As much as we can think we know, real world use can prove you wrong with a new design.

Fair enough, my bad......except for the part that says " used outside it's intended design purpose". Things are uses outside their purposes all the time ( cough, tube distortion, cough), because it sounds good. But, when it leads to repetatative failure......not so much.

I really did like these amps. Instant plug-n-play Stax/Motown/Old Country/Classic Rock tone....right up my alley.....too bad....

will33 · #40 02-01-2013, 02:39 PM

OK, now I get it, the problem wasn't exposed until it was in the field. So much for Beta testing and revisions.

Having trouble with this phone, hard to see what all's going on. My good one is in the hands of a quite talented young man performing human repair on robot-built micro SMT. Perhaps there's hope for these microamps yet.....just take them to the cellphone surgeons.