Ampeg has a real punchy sound. And their cabs are made really well. But the amps that are worth getting are the higher end ones such as a SVT or 4pro (in my opinion).
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ampeg love em hate em?
- Thread starter mitchelllucas
- Start date
I love Ampeg, but not in its current incarnation. I hope they get sold off to another company that wants to bring them back to icon status.
I think "doesn't break down" is the current problem with Ampeg. They are dropping like flies.
i agree. as far as their SS heads, the 4pro is the only one that holds its weight, but its an awesome head. i had an old B2R which was pretty weak, and the 3pro is just a watered down version of the 4 with less options.
but then again, what company has really good really cheap gear?
ive owned a B2R, SVT 4pro, 810E, and i just got a SVT VR. havent had a problem with any.
what problems are people having that is causing them to "drop like flies"?
I love their cabs and many of their small combo amps are very good too. However the heads always leave a bit to be desired for me, at least the newer ones. Too muddy for me, but for some that's good.
Clamping them in tight racks that have zero space for cooling air. Can you say melt?
BOB
I ended up with a B500DR, which is pretty much the red-haired stepchild of their lineup but I really like it, it's solid state and sounds really clean, rich and punchy, just how I like it. I once played a rehearsal with one of their vintage-ish tube amps and it didn't really work for me. My point: their range of models is pretty diverse so it's kind of difficult to love/hate all of them, I think. 
I wish I could tell you the technical terms that demonstrates why, but I am an electronics idiot. All I hear though, is that the Vietnamese Ampegs aren't as reliable as previous years were. I'd love to own an Ampeg, but I'm waiting to see if the company moves on to better management before I'm willing to sink that much cash into. Great sound though. Classic, really.
Only if you're buying new and that's consistent with most brands. I bought my D410XLT locally from someone on CL for $400 and it's in near mint condition. I've also seen guys selling whole rigs for a thousand.
but is that really ampegs fault? i know 4pro has the fan on the side which is kinda stupid, but i never had a problem with mine for 4 years.
agreed, but still, edens top of the line SS head is 2000 new. the 4pro is 1400 new. aside from boutique stuff (which i dont think eden is) thats gotta be up there in price in terms of generic bass amps you can purchase at guitar center.
I was diehard Ampeg user for a long time. I bought a new SVT-CL recently and it had a few problems. When I took it to get repaired I heard a lot of horror stories about the new Ampeg.They got it taken care of for me but it still makes me unsure of them now. I would suggest trying a GK to anyone thinking of buying a new Ampeg. Do your research and find out whos making quality stuff. It will save you a headache in the long run.
If people want an Ampeg, they're probably not gonna test drive a GK. Aside from the new Fusion series, GK is pretty much the antithesis of Ampeg, tone-wise. Quality is important, but I don't know anyone who would chose perceived quality over the sound they want.
That would be like going to a car lot to look at a Jaguar, and the salesman comes up and says "Yeah, that Jag is nice, but how about I show you this Toyota. It's way more reliable."
GK 800RB was the first head i owned, i got it when i was 16 cause it was the head flea was using. it was a decent head, but the tone was very bleh. just not a lot of personality to it. like RTL, not even in the same league as ampeg, night and day difference.
hey bassman, does that 4 pro over power the 410 hlf? i have the same cab but i run a 3 pro as a power amp and the sansamp RBI as a pre. i was just wondering if the 4 pro over powers that cab b/c i think it rated @ 1200watts@ 4 Ohms wich matches the the cabs ohmage, but the cab is only rated to handle 500 watts. i thought about getting the 4 pro from the guy who sold me the cab but i just thought i as too much power for that cab so i stuck w/ my 3 pro.
Also if you check out a 1001rb II you will find that it compairs pretty well to Ampeg. The amount of power and headroom it has makes it hard to get the classic GK growl. In order to do so you would have to run some crazy volume. To me it gives the amp a different voice than the typical GK. I bought one and through my 810 or 215 its not far from the sound I get with the SVT.
Oh yeah i forgot to mention that I "love" ampeg. if it isn't obvious enough from my post above. i have no idea as to the age of my gear though. only problem i've ever had w/ it is a bad fuse and replacing a slider on the graphic EQ. I don't think thats that bad for a head i bought used like 4 years ago as well as used cab. whats everyone, well all the ampeg haters at least, complaining about?
