Am I reading the website right: these amps have solid state PREAMPS and all tube POWERAMPS? Isn't that kinda, backwards? I thought the point of hybird heads was having tube sound from the preamp without having the headaches of going all tube. What do you get doing it this way compared to an all tube amp like the SVTs?
All of the B series heads are %100 SS. So to answer your question you are reading the Ampeg website wrong. They list SS pre and MF power for all the B series amps.
This makes more sense. What do these things sound like? Anyone out there have one they can link some clips of?
I have a B5r. I get a very good blues/rock tone through the normal channel. The overdrive channel is its own deal, and i have found very usable tones after a lot of twiddling. These are not "transparent" amps, so if you are looking for that anthony jackson, tone, look elsewhere. But they sound good, are loud enough for most gigs (300w 4ohm, 500w 2 ohm) and cut through very well. They also sound pretty good at both low and high levels. Is it an SVT? No. but is is also pretty light. I play mine through a 4 ohm avatar 2X12. HAve used with PA and without. Have gotten loads of compliments from soundmen and other bassists. I have to keep reminding myself that I don't need 2000w watts for the gigs we play, and that if it sounds good and it works, it is good. I have a tendancy to let GAS get the better of me. Happily, I have no disposable income- necessity is a great mediator. I think they sound warmer than GK, which I have always thought of a harder rock than the Southern Redneck swill that I play. I try to dial in a pretty solid bottom end with just enough treble to let the guitarists know where the groove is, or where it was when they dashed past it and left it behind. All in all, good amps. Some say they are underpowered, but I don't know if there is some objective way to determine whether they are or not. The manual for mine specifies 310w continuous for 4ohms, and I have no reason to believe this is wrong. Make sure to play it with the cab you will use, and remember that more efficient cabs = mo better.
I find the power ratings to be bogus. I played a B2R once filling in, and there was no way it would rattle your nuts. It was too quiet. The freakin Behringer head is louder. Oddly enough, the B5R is even quieter than the B2R, even though it allegedly has twice the power. Probably why they redid the B2R. I'd still take my Sunn over any of them.
Are all Ampeg amps like that? I hired an SVT 3 Pro, whilst i did like one or two tones i got out of it, for the gig and band practice it was almost maxed out at full volume to get loud enough (about 8 i suppose). I also played an SVT 2 Pro the other week hopeing for some all tube, wall rattling power. To get any volume i had to boost the gain up which ended up getting distorted notes. I know the SVT is an edgey, attacking amp, i just didn't know it was that much like that.
I think Ampegs are very picky about their cabs. I've used several SVT4s and sometimes they are earthshaking, sometimes they move less air than an upset kitten... When they are working right they are awesome, when they aren't they suck, and I'm not really sure what it takes to get them to do their thing...
Yeah, whenever i've used an Ampeg amp, it's been through SWR or Mesa.. I think on the occasion at a shop i would of gone through an Ampeg cab. I duno.. I've just never found one to be ball breaking loud. On a side note... Did they make fresh prince where you live?
