Ampeg PF-500 Gain Knob and Peak Light

Yes, you can crank the gain on a solid state portaflex. Yes, it does sound good. Yes, it ruins your amp. That is why people have problems with the portaflex line. They try to squeeze all they can out of it, instead of getting the bigger model. They then overheat the power section. I've had an 800 for years now. I have never had any problems to speak of. I have also never not been loud enough. Minor clipping is okay. I like to keep my amps on the high end of clean, so I can drive them with my playing when we get loud and fast. High end of clean. As in, setting gain til clipping, and back it off til clean. Again, I've never had any problems with my portaflexes.

 

I have a PF350 from 2011 and used to have a PF800 and have done the cranking gain thing a good bit with them and never have had a problem with overheating. However, they reach a point where they don't sound any dirtier if you crank the gain past that point, so no need to turn it up all the way anyway.

 

For just a little grit, it will be fine. For more fuzzy, you might want to go for a pedal. Doesn't quite make it to the fuzz level cranking the gain.

 

For the most controllable grit I've used it is with the YYZ pedal.

 

For really controllable dirt - I am really liking my Genzler 4 on the floor pedal. LPF and HPF on the dist side, clean and dirty volumes and 4 different types of clipping for differing aggression. Highly configurable.

 

Ampeg clip/peak lights are nonsense. It lights up, it means it's working. Ignore it. Seriously. If it sounds good, it is good. As far as contributing to amp failure... Is this not always the risk of using an amp in this fashion? Just make sure that you have a quality speaker cable, because it is one of the main issues with the earlier models (and may even still be an issue) is that they were/are picky about speaker cables, and ship with total garbage.

Storytime...

I had a pf-500 that I gigged the crap out of without a single issue for 3 years. I am not sure what revision, but I feel as though I got mine early. Eventually I traded it in at the music store that I worked at to get my pf50t (because SHINY new gear). The pf500 sold in a couple of days, and was returned within 2 weeks under store warranty, blown. Inside the cabinet was a garbage speaker cable that the new owner must have used. Might not have been the culprit, but...
As much as I love Ampeg, the loud years weren't the best to be sure. Good designs, flawed execution.
I am happy about the future of Yampeg. Rocket bass is a good first step.

 

Yup. Well, the first step was the 50th SVT. And a Major first step at that.

Now, if only they could take a 300w svt, drop a hundo off power, and 40lbs off the weight, have it 8ohm compatible, and not lose the magic.

 

I see you too have been lobbying for a 200 watt V4B.

 

Taking 40 lbs off the SVT would make it weigh pretty much what a current V4B weighs. That would be a tough trick to pull off if you want adequately built trannies and not lose the characteristics of Ampeg tube amps.

 

A bit of backstory on that opinion. I used to work in a music store that did rentals, and one of our most popular rental bass amps was the SVT 3 Pro. Occasionally we would get complaints that the amp wasn't loud enough or that something was wrong with the amp (this also happened when people were trying out the amp new for purchase). Basically, the clip light on the 3 pro was just a signal light, you could light it up like a christmas tree and have no real distortion artifacts until you were really hammering the amp, and then the light would just stay on, and no real consequences. So a lot of people set the amp up so that the clip light doesn't light up, and basically halving the amps output. Fast forward to my own experience with the PF-500 and it was basically the same thing. It's like the clip led has much less headroom than the amp. All that said, running any amp into clipping isn't great for the amp, but if that is the sound you like... Generally I was impressed with the PF series amps, I ran my Pf500 with the master wide open and the gain on 6 or 7 with a touch of comp. Run that way it felt very tubey, and little furry, and with 2x15's it was FAT. With new owners in the house, I suspect that the PF series might give way to the Rocket Bass series, but who knows.

 

Okay 55lbs max

 

Yes, yes I have. With a CL preamp.

 

Wasn't the V4BH a Cl pre? Or just in relation to the newer V4B?

 

Looks like it to me. Is it 200w?

 

Nope, only 100. We need a 200w svt. We the people will not quit until we have a 200w svt cl