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Ampeg PF-20T (2nd time buy)

Kenova

Kenova

May 5, 2010
919
1,647
Zagreb (Croatia)
#1
At the beginning of 2020, I bought my first tube amp, an Ampeg PF-20T. What interested me about it was the transformer DI out, since I only needed a head for recording at home. My favorite amp of all time has always been the Ampeg B15.





I played the PF-20T for at least four years and recorded a lot of YouTube videos with it. I was really happy with it. Unfortunately, one year I needed money for a vacation, so I sold it. After that, I started recording by going straight into a Focusrite Solo. It’s not bad, but the feeling of playing that way isn’t even close compared to the Ampeg.





A few weeks ago, I randomly came across the same amp in a listing for 350 euros. I pulled the trigger immediately and bought it. It’s incredible how good it feels to record through tubes again. The guy had also changed the tubes and installed Tung-Sol 6V6GTs, which are even closer to the B15 sound than the stock ones, which can sometimes sound a bit stiff and compressed.




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Fender Jazz bass + TI flats + Ampeg PF-20T (trip hop)


Fender Jazz bass + Sire Z3 + Peavey Patriot + Anpeg PF20-T (reggae groove @BSBackingTrack) #ampeg


Enrique Iglesias - Rhythm Divine bass cover) #ampeg #sirez3 #enriqueiglesias #sirebass
 
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#5
Someone is going to chime in and say that the Origin or whatever pedal de jour is better. Seems to be the norm for anything else unless it is an original SVT or B15. My friend has one and those are good and he has boutique stuff and tone wise this amp is no slouch.

Similar thing happened to me, I bought a Mesa Bass Prodigy open box but obviously they boxed it again. I played it more in the store and I was working in California at the time living in an apartment and never played it. So I sold it for a profit. Fast forward almost 10 years and I found a used one for 400 and change and there wnet my Mesa Subway DI II budget, but it is a very good amp, quirky but there is something to be said about all tube amplifiers.
 
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#7
logdrum said:
Someone is going to chime in and say that the Origin or whatever pedal de jour is better. Seems to be the norm for anything else unless it is an original SVT or B15. My friend has one and those are good and he has boutique stuff and tone wise this amp is no slouch.

Similar thing happened to me, I bought a Mesa Bass Prodigy open box but obviously they boxed it again. I played it more in the store and I was working in California at the time living in an apartment and never played it. So I sold it for a profit. Fast forward almost 10 years and I found a used one for 400 and change and there wnet my Mesa Subway DI II budget, but it is a very good amp, quirky but there is something to be said about all tube amplifiers.
Click to expand...
And how do you feel about your Mesa?
 
#8
Kenova said:
And how do you feel about your Mesa?
Click to expand...

I am not new to all tube bass amplifiers

I had an SVT-CL, Mesa 400 (not plus ) with 655- tubes. I also used my Single ended UniValve 15 watt as an Amp as welll as Fender Twins, Bassman and teh Showman. I've sold them all. All of them are heavy and the Ampeg being the heaviest.

What I have instead is a modular system, Tube preamps into a tube power amp (Fryette Power Station, But it's a pain to lug around and probably as heavy as the Bass Prodigy if not more.

At 29 lbs -- it is a manageable weight, the only thing is that it does not delivery smooth crunch unless you used the power tube and that is loud at that point. Works well with a clean boost though. The crunch or drive is a bit harsh but maybe with a band where that sound is warrantied it may work, I;ll know this evening

Otherwise I love it clean and 250 watt RMS is plenty. But it's also zocy powering my 110 250 watt Wizzy. I am aware that despite the speaker rating it will probably be blown past 1/3 the master volume so I keep it low

EQ is quirky and like most Mesa's the gain affects the tone and tone affects the gain, and there is the voicing control. But I also have Mesa Boogie guitar amps since the 90's and they do not follow a logical path as far as EQ, I plan to use my SA EQ2 in the FX loop but for now, I got a warm sounding amp
 
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#9
logdrum said:
Someone is going to chime in and say that the Origin or whatever pedal de jour is better. Seems to be the norm for anything else unless it is an original SVT or B15. My friend has one and those are good and he has boutique stuff and tone wise this amp is no slouch.

Similar thing happened to me, I bought a Mesa Bass Prodigy open box but obviously they boxed it again. I played it more in the store and I was working in California at the time living in an apartment and never played it. So I sold it for a profit. Fast forward almost 10 years and I found a used one for 400 and change and there wnet my Mesa Subway DI II budget, but it is a very good amp, quirky but there is something to be said about all tube amplifiers.
Click to expand...
If you ever want to try a PF20t out give me a shout. I'm in the same area as you
 
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