Loud and Ampeg.... not looking good

Whew. Sad but fascinating.

Jerrold Tiers said:

Maybe someone has a position they can offer to Dino? He deserves it for trying to make a difference.

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I saw that Radial Engineering has a sales position open... I don't know if it's at his level, but thought I'd mention it anyway.

End of one era, beginning of another.
Ampeg, like rock and roll, has had its ups and downs.
I think both will continue.

a bass world without ampeg ???? even if the new stuff is sub par or crap , ampeg always sells ..... it would be very sad to loose them . maybe ashdown , carvin , peavey or someone else will buy them and move production back to america ....

bassrockstar said:

a bass world without ampeg ???? even if the new stuff is sub par or crap , ampeg always sells ..... it would be very sad to loose them . maybe ashdown , carvin , peavey or someone else will buy them and move production back to america ....

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Ampeg ain't going anywhere. If down the road something were to happen to Loud they would more than likely sell the brand name for $$.

I'd like to see a leaner, meaner Ampeg with fewer offerings.

Schadenfreude is an interesting word that seems increasingly relevant in these rocky financial times. I first heard the term when Martha Stewart was busted for insider trading.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Three Stooges' comedy trademark was exaggerated slapstick routines where a performer's apparent pain created enjoyment and laughter among their audience.

Schadenfreude - pleasure taken from observing the misery of another. The word referring to this emotion has been borrowed from German by the English language[1] and is sometimes also used as a loanword by other languages.

Philosopher and sociologist Theodor Adorno defined schadenfreude as “largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate.”[2]

bassguppy said:

Ampeg ain't going anywhere. If down the road something were to happen to Loud they would more than likely sell the brand name for $$.

I'd like to see a leaner, meaner Ampeg with fewer offerings.

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I like this reply for sure. Ampegs' biggest mistake for the company was to move it's production off-shore. That move alone although I'm sure to all their accountants, on paper, was what they had to do but it was a HUGE mistake to future would be Ampeg buyers and current Ampeg customers. That move not only reduced the quality of the product but also devalued future Ampeg stuff. As many people have said on here one of the best things about that company was that it was made in the US and for the most part that meant better quality. I'm sorry but if sales weren't up enough in the months/years leading towards that decision to move, well they should have folded and called it a career rather than be cheapened by inferior electronics and manufacturing methods just so they could survive or to sell more. I know that sucks for everyone who works for the company but it should go out maintaining integrity instead of dying as mere shadow of what it once was. Secondly they haven't made the move fast enough to develop and implement more class D line-up amps and super light weight cabs, which is generally where the trend is going. They are now sort of doing it, but companies like Mesa, Markbass, Genz-Benz, Gallien Kruger, Ashdown, Eden the list goes on, have beaten them to the punch in offering more of this kind of technology. Yes Ampeg has the Porta flex series but I find it hasnt really "taken" over much. I mean straight off the bat the Ampeg stuff sounds good but it's a mute point when you practically need roadies to move it half of the time, that just turns people off right there.They should have developed super light weight heads and cabs more and dropped like half of the pro series heads and classic cabs and kept it's more core line-up that they were renowned for SVT's, 810e's and 410HLF's, maybe the 1x15 cab...you know. Keep the core stuff, offer like 3 different pro series heads, several super lightweight portable combos and then scrap the rest of the junk. I mean I hope it doesn't go under but I gotta say that move to go over seas definitely pissed a lot of people off to the point where they switched teams simply by that and now were seeing several years later after the move that it's going down hill again. Now I mean I love the Ampeg tone and I wont ever sell my USA stuff because it rocks but they seriously gotta clean up their act literally and make the move to more modern more easily movable stuff. All these problems because of the move are resulting from people not buying their amps and going elsewhere. They have over extended themselves too far. So I definitely agree with a more leaner meaner Ampeg with a lot less to chose from. Also I'm not sure if these companies, not just Ampeg but all the other amp makers and such scout sites and forums like these for any R&D proceedings but they should. Companies like Markbass, for example of course being a lot smaller of an operation, probably do and get more accurate USER feedback online. I mean We are the ones who actually use the stuff they make HELLO!...Their multi-million dollar endorsed artists all have roadies and entire stage crews to move their stuff. They shouldn't just all go by the views of everyone on their endorsee list in furthering that research and development. Just a thought..

I'm not someone who is saavy with stocks or anything of the like...

BUT, it doesn't seem good that Loud Technologies (LTEC) on NASDAQ is at .77 a share. 1 year ago they were at $6.90.

I was playing a new SVT Ampeg 8 x10 . totaly disapointing.

Lots of things shake out during the crucible of recession. Companies with managerial or debt load issues usually have a very hard time. OK, they die or get swallowed.

I'm old enough to have been broken into business by the WWII generation. The sharks among them intrigued me in actually enjoying a downturn. They taught that a downturn kills the weak, and strengthens the strong. The best organizations actually pick up steam in a down market.

I believe in the Cliff Clayborn herd theory.

Interceptor said:

Lots of things shake out during the crucible of recession. Companies with managerial or debt load issues usually have a very hard time. OK, they die or get swallowed.

I'm old enough to have been broken into business by the WWII generation. The sharks among them intrigued me in actually enjoying a downturn. They taught that a downturn kills the weak, and strengthens the strong. The best organizations actually pick up steam in a down market.

I believe in the Cliff Clayborn herd theory.

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if only this were allowed to be true today. :scowl:

ritterbass said:

I like this reply for sure. Ampegs' biggest mistake for the company was to... <snip>

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Dude, occasionally you have to make paragraphs

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that according to Jerrold Tiers, SLM was making huge money with Ampeg, but the owner got old and wanted to get out of the business and have some fun in his old age, so he shut down SLM and sold Ampeg and Crate to LOUD Technologies and THEY moved it to China/Vietnam.

Also, Ampeg hasn't put out a Portaflex for a few years, and the two Portaflexes Ampeg put out while SLM owned it were a solid state model that went over like a lead balloon and a 100w all-tube version that cost only $500 less than an SVT-CL/810E.

Lastly, there are a lot of people who don't mind the Ampeg schlep. For everyone who buys a Markbass or Shuttle, there is someone who wouldn't be caught dead with one and would gladly tote a 90 lb. SVT head by themselves in order to get that sound and "wow" factor. It's turned out to be not much of a deal breaker at all, considering how many players still are willing to carry one. And if Talkbass is any indication, then the SVT would be considered the most owned and sought-after head out there. Tons of people on here own one. So while Ampeg did definitely miss out on the mini-amp phenomenon, they sell enough of their giant amps to not care all that much.

I agree with what bassguppy said to a point. They definitely have a few models they should drop, but they have a lot of products that sell well and perform well, so it makes no sense to get too much leaner and meaner when there is so much from its product line that sells well.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the new owners of Ampeg do with it. Can't be any worse than LOUD, that's for sure.

Can't be ANY WORSE than LOUD +2!!!! Jeeees Loud do MAckie & their plastic PA spkrs are AWFUL Tinny sounding..... enough to turn me off em until I hear sumthin' better. Here's HOPING AMPEG stays around & prospers! Be SAD to see a great name go down the dustpipe.

Well. Im not a fan of LOUD anyway!......Ampeg?. yes my dealings with loud has been once. I needed a "stove" knob for my Ampeg rocket bass combo a few years ago.... they charged me 10.95 plus shipping for 1 knob!.I was shocked!almost serves them right to be in trouble.
I know Ampe will get its act together and find a decent reputable parts/electronics supplier soon.



Spector club member # 109
Ampeg club member # 436

I guess LOUD thought it would be good idea to move the production to Asia. Too bad they didn't know that Ampeg's success was largely because of the fact they were made in USA. Maybe somebody hasn't told them about Fender and CBS... Not too different kind of issue.

Let's hope that they get their production back in the States and the quality back to the level where it belongs. I'm not saying that Asians are any worse factory workers than Americans but most factories have insane requirements and super fast assembly lines which reduces the build quality. Plus the parts are cheap pieces of that brown thing.

atheos said:

I guess LOUD thought it would be good idea to move the production to Asia. Too bad they didn't know that Ampeg's success was largely because of the fact they were made in USA. Maybe somebody hasn't told them about Fender and CBS... Not too different kind of issue.

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Ampeg's success was because they made quality products. People don't care where stuff is made anymore like they used to. LOUD is unsuccessful because they're run by morons.

JimmyM said:

Ampeg's success was because they made quality products. People don't care where stuff is made anymore like they used to. LOUD is unsuccessful because they're run by morons.

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as one who used to be in the MI retail side of things and has dealt with "Loud"..... a big +1 on that.

Their board of directors or whatever are seriously not the quickest bunch, and the people that they let go from SLM.... :scowl::scowl::scowl:

they still had a great bunch of folks working for them but man, how they let a good thing turn teets up like this, gonna be a text book example somewhere.

JimmyM said:

Ampeg's success was because they made quality products. People don't care where stuff is made anymore like they used to. LOUD is unsuccessful because they're run by morons.

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In general yeah, but in the music world I think an item's country of origin plays a huge role.

At least in my opinion and experience, musicians think that gear made in the USA is at the top of the heap.

Sad sad sad.

I'm thinking government bailout for Loud/Ampeg. Heck, they want to do it for the poorly managed US automakers. Why not for an US bass amp institution?