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Ampeg Heritage Line
- Thread starter MingusBass
- Start date
Hi Jimmy,
I was writing about the SVT-CL Heritage only. Theres no B-15 on the webpage!
I am sure you agree that Loud is all about marketing - hey, they even mention the "special feature" of 30 dollar JJ Preamptubes and a 120 dollar Power tube sextett in their add about the Heritage.
Please tell me: Why wouldnt they mention US Made Transformers then?
Theyd LOVE to call it "Made in the USA" but for severe reasons they CANNOT. I dont know the law in the US but in Europe there must be a main manufacturing process in the dedicated country.
So this amp is only ASSEMBLED in the US (with china manufactured parts - otherwise it would be: made in the usa).
That you can call a joke, cant you?
- Jun 25, 2006
- 3,226
- 341
- Disclosures
- Owner, Pike Amplification & 3Leaf Audio
To clarify, the B-15 isn't an official product (yet, at least). I had a conversation with a guy in the Ampeg custom shop who had plans for a handwired B-15 reissue, but it hadn't been put into production yet or anything. The custom shop team, to my knowledge, will be building the Heritage series, and they seem really excited about the whole project. I got the impression that they really care about the Ampeg name and history.
Now their website also says "Designed and assembled in the U.S.A. out of the best possible components" now if that means the cheapest possible parts that are exactly the same as the asian made stuff then my reading comprehension skills really are bad. There's no BIG secret all the components are obviosly not made in the USA.
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,613
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Probably old news, but the issue of Bass Gear Mag (4) that was emailed this afternoon has extensive coverage of Ampeg's new stuff, personnel, off shore moves, and a 1966 B15n (can you say that last one a little louder, I couldn't hear it?) OK,
a 1966 B15n!!!
a 1966 B15n!!!
ok, i'll admit jj's and winged c's aren't exactly nos telefunkens, but that's about as good as new production tubes get. i don't know, sure i'd like everything to be made in the usa, but that's just not a realistic goal anymore. there are plenty of vintage heads that are made in the usa all the way, so you can always get one of them, but for new production we're just going to have to accept that there are things that can't be done here like they used to.
Why do guitarist's get all the Mercury Magnetic Tranny's, point to point wiring, and really good stock tubes? Would it kill Ampeg to throw some Mercury's in there? That would redeem their name.
What a poor try of loud.
"Designed & Assembled in the USA"!
"Designed in the USA" is every new Ampeg gear. It has been designed by the SLM guys in St.Louis years/months before loud took over. Even the Chinese/Vietnam Amps ARE indeed designed in the USA - its an "old" design.
Or have I missed any new Ampeg-design from loud?
What changed are the parts (transformers no longer made by electrical windings, chinese electrical parts and ready made pcbs with chinese machine soldering work, enclosure and tolex differs, etc...), the assembling and the final quality control.
What now happens is, that they ship over all the SAME asian parts, just assemble them in the USA, put some fancy tubes inside and thats it. And - yeah finally put an ugly cloth on them.
And the assembling MAYBE is done by a small group of the SAME team that is already doing work in the chinese factorys.
Would make sense at least...
Loud must think that their customers have no brain at all.
What a charming bunch af ********.
You know, I hadn't really considered what you are asserting, but with all things considered with Ampeg and it's recent histroy, you may very well be correct.
It's a shame that when a company (Ampeg) "tries" to re-establish their "history" - it's just that that makes us so damn skeptical - history.
I'm in pretty much the same boat as you - skeptical at the very least. This whole thing just seems too contrived (at least to me); and please, don't get me wrong here, I have been using Ampeg products since 1970 - I've seen the best and (most definitely) the worst this company has offered.
I hope that my skepticism is unfounded and I'm all wet. But until I see positive results - the jury is out.
Speakers aren't the same, according to Ampeg they are new Eminence ones built to spec for these cabs.
Between the birch ply and the new drivers they might sound much better.
I'm reserving judgment until (or if) I hear them, but it's academic for me as I don't expect them to be an improvement on the Bergie NV610 cab, which is also smaller and lighter.
HaHa! Dream on!
But your guess isnt that wrong. I am sure that those loud marketing guys had that skunkworks team in mind. Hence the numbers on the backplates...
But in those days the goal was to recreate the old 70s Ampegs as close as possible. Electrical Windings Transformers, old Stock parts, nos GE tubes, etc...
They were all handmade. I had a Skunkee and I loved it!
And it was limited to 500 Amps.
Rumors where, that the retail price wouldnt even cover the production costs. It was more of a prestige project to convince ex-customers that have been banished by the MTI production-move to Japan.
And now is the question:
What is happening now? Has this "team" the goal to recreate an SVT-CL that has been developed by SLM in the 90s? Is this CL really the HERITAGE of Ampeg???
if the goal was to recreate the 70's ampegs for the skunkworks heads, they wouldn't have used the mti redesigned circuit subbing 12ax7's and 12au7's for 12dw7's.
anyway, i don't work for ampeg, so what do i care, but i do like the fact that they're trying to do the right thing after 4 years of that idiot jaime engen.
anyway, i don't work for ampeg, so what do i care, but i do like the fact that they're trying to do the right thing after 4 years of that idiot jaime engen.
I am in Jimmy's camp, I like to see that they are trying...As if you had a family member with an alcohol problem I'm not going to count the days until he falls off the wagon but be hopeful that this is time he puts things back in order.
And I'd love to see a high quality B15 that I can use in my home studio....
And I'd love to see a high quality B15 that I can use in my home studio....
Forgive me for playing a little bit of Devil's advocate, but all this talk of country-of-origin for the parts just begs the question...
Which would you rather have:
Foreign parts, assembled in the US?
or
US parts, assembled overseas?
Which would you rather have:
Foreign parts, assembled in the US?
or
US parts, assembled overseas?
Considering the bread and butter "CL" with an 810 has been an industry standard for quite a few years now, it makes sense that the Custom Shop would release those to "test the waters" for a USA line. That amp had to do something right to earn being an industry standard - and has a lot of Ampeg history and heritage behind it.
On another note... Anyone else notice the silver faceplate with a black grill cloth resembles the cosmetics of Gene Simmons stage rig in the '70's? Ha Ha Ha! So when do you suppose we'll see the "Ampeg Punisher Rig, Heritage SVT-GS Classic"? LOL If you thought $2400 was bad, imagine what Gene would sell them for!
i think it's pretty fascinating to see people getting upset over Ampeg offering exactly what folks have been whining and pleading for the last few years. And you're surprised its more expensive? OF COURSE IT'S GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE. That's why they moved production in the first place. US production had become far too expensive to maintain a profit without raising the price by a large amount, and they were well aware Joe Consumer probably wouldn't keep buying Ampeg at a higher price point. So then they moved it overseas, and the bitching began. The complaints that they didn't lower price, even though it seems to me that the overseas move was a desperate attempt to MAINTAIN the original price. Unless I missed something, and i admit i didn't read all 13 pages of this thread, these new USA ampegs are being offered IN ADDITION to the overseas models. SO WHY WOULD ANYONE COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT?!
If you want a cheaper overseas ampeg, buy one. For those that all along just wanted a better SVT, hopefully this will be it, and they can pony up the extra several hundred bucks and get one. How is this any different than Fender having a USA series and MIM series?
In all seriousness though, it never ceases to amaze me, the capacity to whine about anything and everything on this board. You're being given MORE CHOICES... horrible, isn't it?
If you want a cheaper overseas ampeg, buy one. For those that all along just wanted a better SVT, hopefully this will be it, and they can pony up the extra several hundred bucks and get one. How is this any different than Fender having a USA series and MIM series?
In all seriousness though, it never ceases to amaze me, the capacity to whine about anything and everything on this board. You're being given MORE CHOICES... horrible, isn't it?
