PF-350/500 & Cab questions

dtox · #1 05-13-2011, 07:04 AM

I know there is a huge thread about these but other than a few initial reactions its mainly an anticipation thread. I'm looking for opinions for those who have experienced them.

I love the classic Ampeg tone and love the classic looks of these amps/cabs. Is there a big difference in tone from the 350 and 500? Paired with the 15 or the 2 10s?

I play rock/hard rock, pick my Tbird or DiPinto Belvedere Deluxe. Will need something to handle small houses but anything halfway decent in size I will be running the xlr out to the PA.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated

seungkoo · #2 05-13-2011, 07:11 AM

I absolutely hated it. Its my opinion though. The head sounded great! not enough headroom but maybe it was due to the pf-cabs that I paired it with.
I just realized sealed cabs are not for me. I need that extra oooomph from ported cabs.

dubstyle · #3 05-13-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seungkoo

I absolutely hated it. Its my opinion though. The head sounded great! not enough headroom but maybe it was due to the pf-cabs that I paired it with.
I just realized sealed cabs are not for me. I need that extra oooomph from ported cabs.

This is a worry... I've recently purchased the PF-500 and I'm considering pairing it with the matching 2 x 10" cab. Would you suggest otherwise?

seungkoo · #4 05-13-2011, 07:47 AM

Well heres the thing. I loved the way it sounded at home. It has that classic ampeg tone all together in that package. I had the pf210 cab with the pf500 head.

The downfall...I was so used to the sound from my mesa and markbass rig. Very deep rich organic sound (mesa) or that very deep rich transparent sound from the markbass. The ampeg is very rock friendly gritty sound which is awesome but in MY band setting, I felt the lows were missing. It handled the low B very well but the lows were different. To each their own. If you love that classic ampeg svt sound with big 8x10's I think youll love this package. I just love the ported cabs more.

If I were to buy another pf500 head I would pair it with a 410hlf cab but thats just my personal taste.

stevemac · #5 05-13-2011, 09:27 AM

My understanding is 2x10 is best for smaller venues since its a bit brighter. 1x15 pushes more air, a bit more low end, but muddy in the mids, and its harder to hear your bass if you are beside it since sound waves take longer to form... so I'm thinking bigger venues would be better suited to this speaker size. Just know what Ive read, personal experience is only with 10's.

I went with the 210 cab, I play hard rock and no complaints, but this amp is a big step up for me in general. It cuts through my bands sound great in practice, will be first gig with it tonight.

okcrum · #6 05-13-2011, 09:38 AM

I use the PF500 with ported cabs (2x10, 1x15). It sounds great and fills the house fine. It's a returned unit from another TBer who swore the amp was broken, that the mid control wasn't working.

The head works fine. Take opinions here with the usual grain of salt.

JimmyM · #7 05-13-2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevemac

My understanding is 2x10 is best for smaller venues since its a bit brighter. 1x15 pushes more air, a bit more low end, but muddy in the mids, and its harder to hear your bass if you are beside it since sound waves take longer to form...

i haven't played the cabs, but while ampeg says the 115 does go lower and the 210 is a bit brighter, they should both move approx the same amount of air.

and the waves taking longer to form thing is a total myth. if it were true, headphones wouldn't work. if a cab sounds stronger 20 feet in front of it, it's because of one of two things, neither of which are the wave needing to develop:

1. room interactions causing the lows to sound more full elsewhere.

2. you have the cab flat on the ground and all the mids and highs are blowing right by your ears while hitting the crowd. tilt your cab up to where the cones are pointed more at your head, and you will hear what you're missing.

Slackerprince · #8 05-13-2011, 10:32 AM

I think this is a good thread.
I'm interested in the 500 and interested in how it
interacts with different cabs.
I plan on using it with my Avatar TB153.
Probably a month or less away from purchasing the
500.

S

**zenrad** · #9 05-13-2011, 10:42 AM

I should be receiving my PF-500 today which I plan on using with my Avatar TB153 (4 ohm) or my Epifani PS112, depending on the situation. I'm currently using a LMII but I really liked the sound of the PF-500 I played in the store through an Ampeg 410 HLF. I'll post my findings after I get a chance to play it some. I'm curious to hear how it's going to sound through each of my cabs.

**ddbassGA** · #10 05-13-2011, 11:06 AM

Will play first gig using PF 500/PF 115 tomorrow night. Played same gig 2 weeks ago with Shuttle 6 and Berg HT210 with some house out of the amp DI. We'll see how the PF works under the same circumstances. I'll report back.

stevemac · #11 05-13-2011, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i haven't played the cabs, but while ampeg says the 115 does go lower and the 210 is a bit brighter, they should both move approx the same amount of air.

and the waves taking longer to form thing is a total myth. if it were true, headphones wouldn't work. if a cab sounds stronger 20 feet in front of it, it's because of one of two things, neither of which are the wave needing to develop:

1. room interactions causing the lows to sound more full elsewhere.

2. you have the cab flat on the ground and all the mids and highs are blowing right by your ears while hitting the crowd. tilt your cab up to where the cones are pointed more at your head, and you will hear what you're missing.

Hmm.. dunno, I have been in the store playing on a bass sitting in front of it and doesnt sound like much while my friend comes over from the other side wondering why I am trying to demolish the store lol. And I've yet to hear a headset that does decent bass. Could be what you say but seems a bit extreme, I have to say theres more going on there than interactions, there are some huge frequency waves that arent audible at that distance.

Anyway it seems like a lot of superstitions around this subject, none of which seems convincingly correct so I'm taking the middle ground everyone is a bit right but no one is entirely.

dtox · #12 05-13-2011, 07:14 PM

OK, I went to guitar center and took a look (didn't have time to try it out). They had a PF-350 on a 2-10. It was smaller than i imagined. Same size or smaller than my BA-115. Obviously I can't comment on sound (I'm not thrilled with my BA-115) but it looks awesome (just small). Think maybe I should get the 15 and the 2 10s and run a full stack...although then I am really adding to my load in/load out....not to mention price.

ButtUglyJeff · #13 05-13-2011, 07:32 PM

I hope you guys limit your expectations whenever you're considering a 210 or 115 unit. The only real solution to gaining volume is to increase the number of speakers. It's true not all small cabs are created equal, but I doubt any can touch a decent 410 or 212...

JimmyM · #14 05-14-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevemac

Hmm.. dunno, I have been in the store playing on a bass sitting in front of it and doesnt sound like much while my friend comes over from the other side wondering why I am trying to demolish the store lol. And I've yet to hear a headset that does decent bass. Could be what you say but seems a bit extreme, I have to say theres more going on there than interactions, there are some huge frequency waves that arent audible at that distance.

Anyway it seems like a lot of superstitions around this subject, none of which seems convincingly correct so I'm taking the middle ground everyone is a bit right but no one is entirely.

no, actually everything can be measured very accurately these days, and what i said is the truth and is backed up by decades of audio research by people way smarter than me. cabs don't put out frequencies that you can't hear a foot away and then magically make them appear 20 feet away. and if headphones don't do decent bass, it's because you're not getting sound waves hitting your body from large speakers, not because they're not being produced in the headphones.

dtox · #15 05-14-2011, 02:19 PM

Jimmy, what are your thoughts regarding PF-500/300 vs Micro-VR. I have a BA-115 and its an OK amp for rehearsal and is plenty loud for any gigs that aren't bringing in a bigger PA for but I'm not crazy about its sound (or maybe I have never found its sweet spot). So I am looking to upgrade. My band kind of has a retro schtick going on so they would both look nicer that the BA-115.

JimmyM · #16 05-14-2011, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtox

Jimmy, what are your thoughts regarding PF-500/300 vs Micro-VR. I have a BA-115 and its an OK amp for rehearsal and is plenty loud for any gigs that aren't bringing in a bigger PA for but I'm not crazy about its sound (or maybe I have never found its sweet spot). So I am looking to upgrade. My band kind of has a retro schtick going on so they would both look nicer that the BA-115.

love my micro vr, but after playing all of them, i think the pf-500 is worth the extra hundy.

CLMSHQ · #17 05-15-2011, 06:29 AM

I was out to dinner with the wife in Warwick, RI last night..she wanted to hit Famous Footwear afterwords which, well wouldn't you know it is next to a GC

So ther they had the PF500 into the 210. I have been wanting to try one for a while, as I dig the Ampeg sound. After the supposed 'Bass Guy' got me a cord and figured out how to hook it up <<<crickets>>>... I was rockin' out with it.
The knobs seemed cheap and very lose, not sure if it was the constant floor model being played, but setting that aside, it sounded great. It really got loud with the volume at 2 O'clock. I paired it with Basses that I play now..Fender P and J....WOW, I was impressed. I was even more impressed when I plugged a Music Man Classic Ray...damn that is a nice Bass.

I may be pulling the trigger on the PF500 this week to go with my Avatar 112 (8ohm) for practice-smaller gigs, and my Avatar 410 (4ohm) to go with bigger gigs. I was leaning with a GK MBFusion, but this may do it.....may just have to part with my MarkBass LMIII after all.

Bassdirty · #18 05-15-2011, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

...and the waves taking longer to form thing is a total myth. if it were true, headphones wouldn't work. if a cab sounds stronger 20 feet in front of it, it's because of one of two things, neither of which are the wave needing to develop:

1. room interactions causing the lows to sound more full elsewhere.

2. you have the cab flat on the ground and all the mids and highs are blowing right by your ears while hitting the crowd. tilt your cab up to where the cones are pointed more at your head, and you will hear what you're missing.

+1

GUYS/GALS:Jimmy is correct.
There Is a great article about this very thing called "turn it up to 11...."..sound re-enforcement myths...or suttin like that.
Point is, it should be in the back/or front of every bass magazine...or a sticky.That way, we're kinda on the same side when we/people/us ask for(or give) advice.

shoot-r · #19 05-15-2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seungkoo

I absolutely hated it. Its my opinion though. The head sounded great! not enough headroom but maybe it was due to the pf-cabs that I paired it with.
I just realized sealed cabs are not for me. I need that extra oooomph from ported cabs.

The Ampeg 210 PF and 115 PF cabinets "are" rear-shelf ported cabinets...

tombowlus · #20 05-15-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoot-r

The Ampeg 210 PF and 115 PF cabinets "are" rear-shelf ported cabinets...

What are you basing this upon? Although some of the prototypes were ported, the final protos and supposedly all production models are sealed enclosures.