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Ampeg alternatives to PF Series??

amishrockstar

amishrockstar

Jul 21, 2020
56
88
South Florida
#1
I like the Ampeg tone and the portability of the PF series, but I'm on my third replacement head for the PF800 now, and I've had enough. Besides my issues with them cutting out, there are many others on here who have found the "quality" lacking.

I have the PF800 and two PF115he cabs. All sounds awesome until it gets up to 12 o'clock, then the "mud" shows up (or the head cuts out). What would be the most portable and "quality" Ampeg rig similar to this? I need to go up stairs regularly, so no 810 for me. Maybe SVT 410s would be better for tone at louder volumes. I probably want to stay away from the Pro7 as well, since I've also read many issues with those.

Where's the quality and portability at?

Thanks!
 
#3
well, if you are down on the PF series based on your bad experience with them and are not inclined towards the 7Pro, depending on your power/volume needs your Ampeg specific options are somewhat limited .... V4B or SVT .... or maybe one of the various older SVT XPro models (5Pro, 6Pro, 8Pro) which can be found used pretty easily.

As far as cabs, again depending on your power/volume needs, if your seeking the Ampeg sealed cab sound, you might look at a pair of the AV210 cabs to create a modular 4x10 option.

As far as other ways to get the Ampeg type tone, you can consider using one of the Tech21 VT character pedals (VT, VT Deluxe or VT DI) in front of any decent amp head to get solid SVT/B15 tones. Tech21 also sells a VT500 Bass amp with the VT Character controls built into a solid 500w head.

So, depending on how much power/volume you need, you do have some options to consider.

good luck
 
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#4
Also you could get an SVPCL preamp and a used class D amp like a Crown XLS series and have a rack setup . More expensive by a little but very reliable and not too heavy .
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#5
Thanks, All, for the responses! I'll check into all the suggestions.
Just really wanted this rig to work. I still do. I'm going to go to a studio tonight to crank it up one more time. I should be able to turn it up 2/3 volume (1/3 gain) without it cutting out, right? Maybe it was just a first time thing (out of the box) when it cut out? I don't know. But the amount of complaints from others online have me skeptical :-( I want this to last a few years without me worry about quality.
 
#6
amishrockstar said:
Thanks, All, for the responses! I'll check into all the suggestions.
Just really wanted this rig to work. I still do. I'm going to go to a studio tonight to crank it up one more time. I should be able to turn it up 2/3 volume (1/3 gain) without it cutting out, right? Maybe it was just a first time thing (out of the box) when it cut out? I don't know. But the amount of complaints from others online have me skeptical :-( I want this to last a few years without me worry about quality.
Click to expand...
understand your frustration. I have an early rev PF500/115HE that does not do gigs because of this exact issue. Nice sounding amp within its limits, but not reliable enough to get the gigs.

OTOH, while I am aware of issues with early rev PF500's and 7Pro's, I thought that Ampeg had resolved shut down issues with these amps and I have not heard anything bad about the PF800 amps.

good luck
 
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#7
pfschim said:
understand your frustration. I have an early rev PF500/115HE that does not do gigs because of this exact issue. Nice sounding amp within its limits, but not reliable enough to get the gigs.

OTOH, while I am aware of issues with early rev PF500's and 7Pro's, I thought that Ampeg had resolved shut down issues with these amps and I have not heard anything bad about the PF800 amps.

good luck
Click to expand...

Yeah, it sounded like all was fixed and Ampeg was moving forward. That's the only reason I thought I'd pull the trigger on this PF800. After going through a couple replacements, I found some bass forum complaints that the PF800 also has cut-out/shut-down on others as well.

Just seems like the company is cutting corners. IDK, maybe the PF series is a low-end cab/head, but I can't be lugging around SVT gear up stairs with a bad back. Maybe they're just riding things out on their "legendary" name, while they skimp on parts/labor for non-SVT gear... IDK.
 
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#8
amishrockstar said:
Yeah, it sounded like all was fixed and Ampeg was moving forward. That's the only reason I thought I'd pull the trigger on this PF800. After going through a couple replacements, I found some bass forum complaints that the PF800 also has cut-out/shut-down on others as well.

Just seems like the company is cutting corners. IDK, maybe the PF series is a low-end cab/head, but I can't be lugging around SVT gear up stairs with a bad back. Maybe they're just riding things out on their "legendary" name, while they skimp on parts/labor for non-SVT gear... IDK.
Click to expand...
well, the good news is that there are lots of good options/alternatives :thumbsup:
 
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#9
amishrockstar said:
I like the Ampeg tone and the portability of the PF series, but I'm on my third replacement head for the PF800 now, and I've had enough. Besides my issues with them cutting out, there are many others on here who have found the "quality" lacking.

I have the PF800 and two PF115he cabs. All sounds awesome until it gets up to 12 o'clock, then the "mud" shows up (or the head cuts out).

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Man....
I can't even imagine 800W head with two cabs being not loud enough, while I'm using my SWR PB-200 with Eden D410T and 8ohm (so I'm getting 120W from the head) with my LOUD band and it's more than enough way before I hit 12 o'clock on the volume...

First I would consider checking the speaker cables. Then EQ and gain settings - maybe you use not enough gain, maybe you are using too much low boost on EQ? Maybe you should add a compressor to stop overloading the amp?

Then I'd suggest turning the volume way down and / or start using good quality hearing protection, because you are most likely working in harmful conditions.

And lastly - if you are expecting reliability and high quality, I'd recommend to stay away from cheap Class-D amps. Those are made to be mobile, lightweight and convenient. Reliability and speaker sound quality are not the priority in this case. They may sound great through DI, they may work for years, they are not serviceable at all.
 
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#10
amishrockstar said:
Thanks, All, for the responses! I'll check into all the suggestions.
Just really wanted this rig to work. I still do. I'm going to go to a studio tonight to crank it up one more time. I should be able to turn it up 2/3 volume (1/3 gain) without it cutting out, right? Maybe it was just a first time thing (out of the box) when it cut out? I don't know. But the amount of complaints from others online have me skeptical :-( I want this to last a few years without me worry about quality.
Click to expand...
I've never had a problem with my pf800. I don't understand your problem. I can pretty much dime it through any of my rigs. I keep my gain about 1 o'clock, compressor at about 9 0clock, bass at 1 o'clock, mids on 450hz @ 10 o'clock, treble at noon. Eq knobs change a little with different songs, but gain and compression don't ever move. And I can dime my master with no problems at all. I've had it for 3 years now.
 
#11
amishrockstar said:
Yeah, it sounded like all was fixed and Ampeg was moving forward. That's the only reason I thought I'd pull the trigger on this PF800. After going through a couple replacements, I found some bass forum complaints that the PF800 also has cut-out/shut-down on others as well.

Just seems like the company is cutting corners. IDK, maybe the PF series is a low-end cab/head, but I can't be lugging around SVT gear up stairs with a bad back. Maybe they're just riding things out on their "legendary" name, while they skimp on parts/labor for non-SVT gear... IDK.
Click to expand...
You know, the portaflex cabs are very heavy. 210he weighs 50lbs. That's a 50lb 210. But, it's 450w, looks great, and it's 100% impossible to Fart out the speakers.

They have an American made pro neo line. 115, and 210. Same weight, 10 times the cab. As far as getting the same-ish tone, nobody has ever had a problem with a 3 or 4 pro.
 
#13
I also love my PF800 and haven't had a lick of trouble either . In fact I got the PF800 as a replacement for the SVLCL pre and Crown I recommended in my previous post . Fot sure it's not quite the same but it sounds great and has plenty of power for whatever cabs I use . The OP has had trouble with the ones he has had so he probably should look somewhere else .
 
#14
I've had nothing but reliability with my PF500, the only issue I've had with it, knock on wood, was when I got the compressor and gain knobs mixed up on a dark stage the first time I used it live.

"Why isn't this amp loud enough? ..... OH!"

That being said, I get the drive to get something else, if it's just not working and not working repeatedly - why get another one?

The SVT PRO series seems to get really good reviews, I would look into one of those. OR a preamp (either the classic preamp/SCR-DI or another ampeg or ampeg style alternative, possibly rack-mount) with a good power-amp like a crown or peavey or something sounds like it could be right up your alley - especially if you could find a mono power amp.

As far as cabs go, if what you have is working, why change it?
 
#15
I am still really happy with the PF350 I bought used, but am considering a PF500 and leaving the 350 under the seat in my truck, just in case. I was under the impression that Ampeg had fixed the cutout problems with the 500. Threads like this have me thinking of a used 3Pro with all the fancy dobs and knials. Hmmmm?
 
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#18
I'm not a PF800 owner so I can't comment on that.

I do have an SVT-3Pro that is my "big amp". It is 450 watts. I pair it with an 410HLF, an 4ohm cab. It has more than enough power to support a loud rock band with two guitars and keys. I don't think, even playing with a Black Sabbath cover band at extreme volume that amp has been past the 12 o'clock position.

I also have a lightweight Ashdown RM800, which is a direct competitor to the Ampeg PF800. It sounds great, is quite portable and works great for smaller gigs (or situations where a large amp isn't required). Through the 410HF it sounds great and has a volume similar to the Ampeg but is not any "louder". I prefer the tone of the Ampeg over the Ashdown, but the difference is negligible in live or working band context.

The one thing I want to mention about these portable, smaller amps: They seem to be more delicate than their bigger and more robust cousins. That SVT-3 could be dropped down a flight of stairs and still fire up just fine (partly because it lives in a flight case). The Ashdown would not survive. It's about the size of, and built like, a DVR box. It has a "consumer electronics" approach to design and requires a little more care than the SVT, which was made to be handled a little more roughly.

I'm not an engineer. This is merely an end user opinion.
 
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