• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ampeg NAMM leaks?

#61
I have a mint condition B100R, and thought about selling it because I got a PF500, and when I get a job will buy 2 PF115HE cabs, but after playing my '68 P bass thru it, holy crap!!! I could never sell that amp! It is amazing, and it's as close as I could ever get to a 60's B15 in my life !!!
 
#62
So hear me out.

The limitations on having a tube head for the portaflex cabs is obvious due to not having clearance for the head.

Has any amp company ever tried mounting tubes off the board horizontal instead of vertical to fix these issues (instead of 4 vertical having them staggered off a sort of riser with the sockets facing in 2x2 formation patterned LRLR and mount a fan below/above them)? I would love a 100watt all tube head for my Portaflex cabs but I would think this would fix some of the issues. Would make a killer small form factor tube head. I know the transformers would still be big but those could be located in strategic places.

Edit: I have never seen one made like this. But hey, it SHOULD be done lol.
 
#64
fenderhutz said:
So hear me out.

The limitations on having a tube head for the portaflex cabs is obvious due to not having clearance for the head.

Has any amp company ever tried mounting tubes off the board horizontal instead of vertical to fix these issues (instead of 4 vertical having them staggered off a sort of riser with the sockets facing in 2x2 formation patterned LRLR and mount a fan below/above them)? I would love a 100watt all tube head for my Portaflex cabs but I would think this would fix some of the issues. Would make a killer small form factor tube head. I know the transformers would still be big but those could be located in strategic places.

Edit: I have never seen one made like this. But hey, it SHOULD be done lol.
Click to expand...

Aguillar DB 359 mounted them horizontally, but the transformers give you limitations as well due to their height. As you know they were discontinued. It was a 200 watt tube amp, that cost a bundle.

Ric
 

Attachments

  • aguilar-db359_04.jpg
    aguilar-db359_04.jpg
    135 KB · Views: 84
#66
fenderhutz said:
Now what if you took the Aguilar idea, faced them inward, but LRLR off center? :D

They would have to be an import to make them at a price point to be affordable. :smug:
Click to expand...

Definitely, and I think the problem there is that modern Chinese plants are geared to integrated circuits, LSIC chips, and digital switching power supplies, so they would have to train a workforce to produce tube amps, since the builds are quite different. That's not to say they couldn't, but it would require a re tooling process, as hand wiring point to point construction is very labor intensive and not a profitable or timely way to build amplifiers. The amps would have to be a very different design than the Agulliar 359. Additionally, there's shipping tube amps all the way from China to the U. S..
 
#69
Ric Vice said:
Definitely, and I think the problem there is that modern Chinese plants are geared to integrated circuits, LSIC chips, and digital switching power supplies, so they would have to train a workforce to produce tube amps, since the builds are quite different. That's not to say they couldn't, but it would require a re tooling process, as hand wiring point to point construction is very labor intensive and not a profitable or timely way to build amplifiers. The amps would have to be a very different design than the Agulliar 359. Additionally, there's shipping tube amps all the way from China to the U. S..
Click to expand...



Ashdown imports the Little Bastard.
 
#70
fenderhutz said:
So hear me out.

The limitations on having a tube head for the portaflex cabs is obvious due to not having clearance for the head.

Has any amp company ever tried mounting tubes off the board horizontal instead of vertical to fix these issues (instead of 4 vertical having them staggered off a sort of riser with the sockets facing in 2x2 formation patterned LRLR and mount a fan below/above them)? I would love a 100watt all tube head for my Portaflex cabs but I would think this would fix some of the issues. Would make a killer small form factor tube head. I know the transformers would still be big but those could be located in strategic places.

Edit: I have never seen one made like this. But hey, it SHOULD be done lol.
Click to expand...



I asked a guy in the portoflex club who had a Ampeg PF115HE and a Ampeg SB-12 to see if the head would fit and he said yes! You would hae to mount the head to the lid of te PF115HE but it did fit using the sb-12 lid.

Note lid did not seal the PF115HE cab but did fit fliped inside!
 
#71
fenderhutz said:
So hear me out.

The limitations on having a tube head for the portaflex cabs is obvious due to not having clearance for the head.

Has any amp company ever tried mounting tubes off the board horizontal instead of vertical to fix these issues (instead of 4 vertical having them staggered off a sort of riser with the sockets facing in 2x2 formation patterned LRLR and mount a fan below/above them)? I would love a 100watt all tube head for my Portaflex cabs but I would think this would fix some of the issues. Would make a killer small form factor tube head. I know the transformers would still be big but those could be located in strategic places.

Edit: I have never seen one made like this. But hey, it SHOULD be done lol.
Click to expand...
Carvin's tube power amp is laid out like that; it's two rack spaces and pretty shallow front to back:
CarvinInside.jpg
 
#72
Spencer! said:
Second on my list would be a Heritage B15 extension cab.
Click to expand...
Link Removed . Mark was quite involved with the design of the Heritage B-15's cab, and he's built one with black diamond tolex already. The only thing is he can't get the Heritage speaker yet, but now that they're making more Heritage B-15's, maybe you could put in a request for an extra speaker. Or just throw a JBL in it.
 
#73
fenderhutz said:
So hear me out.

The limitations on having a tube head for the portaflex cabs is obvious due to not having clearance for the head.

Has any amp company ever tried mounting tubes off the board horizontal instead of vertical to fix these issues (instead of 4 vertical having them staggered off a sort of riser with the sockets facing in 2x2 formation patterned LRLR and mount a fan below/above them)? I would love a 100watt all tube head for my Portaflex cabs but I would think this would fix some of the issues. Would make a killer small form factor tube head. I know the transformers would still be big but those could be located in strategic places.

Edit: I have never seen one made like this. But hey, it SHOULD be done lol.
Click to expand...
The only downsides I can see are tube protection might be affected and cooling might also be affected. Well there's a third one, but that's just that it would look odd and make the head way wider than it needs to be.
 
#74
JimmyM said:
Link Removed . Mark was quite involved with the design of the Heritage B-15's cab, and he's built one with black diamond tolex already. The only thing is he can't get the Heritage speaker yet, but now that they're making more Heritage B-15's, maybe you could put in a request for an extra speaker. Or just throw a JBL in it.
Click to expand...

I talked to Mark about that, and I'll probably order one from him if Ampeg doesn't announce one this week. He was having trouble getting the Eminence driver from Ampeg, but I think they let him order a couple so I'll see if I can have one built with the matching speaker.
 
#78
How long does NAMM run for, when do companies usually announce things, and how long is the usual delay between announcement and availability?

I'm assuming announcements will be at the start of NAMM so that people going thru can see all the toys, but I guess maybe some companies might hold off to have more impact rather than being lost in the day 1 noise.

Sorry if these are dumb questions. I never had an interest in NAMM before, but since I was planning to try and possibly buy a couple of Portaflex 115s, and someone speculated that Ampeg might add a 212 to the Portaflex line, I'm wondering whether to hold off a bit.
 
#80
fingerbun said:
How long does NAMM run for, when do companies usually announce things, and how long is the usual delay between announcement and availability?
Click to expand...
I'm unable to calculate the average between one day and eternity.:p

In Ampeg's case, though, I think they have a pretty good track record of bringing stuff out in a timely fashion after it's announced. Although the Portaflex cabs took a while.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back