Lighter, ability to run without a cab, and DI that comes directly off the output Transformer. It's not for everybody, but for people like me it is.
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Ampeg PF-50t
- Thread starter noeinstein
- Start date
I had noise problems the last time I tracked it(could have been power), but I have done sessions now with only the Transformer DI out and nothing else in the chain and it worked out great. Live it is a non issue. Planning on getting the hum mod done soon regardless, but I don't think its a big deal. I'll say this... the transformer out is magic. It makes such a big difference live I would buy the head just for this alone. The fact that it sounds simply fantastic through any cabinet and with any bass I have used it with makes it worth more than I paid.
I have owned probably too many amp heads over the last few years, and for what I do the PF50T has them all beat. I love everything about it.
I've never owned a tube amp, so the load thing isn't something I'm too familiar with. If the PF-50T is all tube, how is it able to run without a load?
This is worth considering, and I have. My thinking in buying the PF-50t was it's nice, neat fit with my PF115HE. I like some things about it, but can't say I'm completely happy so far.
I wasn't aware of not being able to use a V4B without a cab. My typical use for something like this would be to record with some "tube warmth." That would mostly mean no cab and just DI.
That piece of information alone is swaying my opinion a little.
This would be my intention too, just to use it for recording, but, at least as far as the used ones go, the whole noise issue is a concern in the studio. I don't want to spend for a used one, then have to pay a tech for the mod it needs if its got noise issues.
I didn't know about this either:
Ampeg PF-50T Humbuster
So if you buy a new one, you either have to hope you get a "good one" or pay someone more money to "fix" something that is within the manufacture's questionable tolerances?
Or you can wait for Yamaha to start making them.I didn't know about this either:
Ampeg PF-50T Humbuster
So if you buy a new one, you either have to hope you get a "good one" or pay someone more money to "fix" something that is within the manufacture's questionable tolerances?
Add to that the ability to push the power amp into a little bit of saturation and still have manageable stage volume... and send exactly that sound to the PA.
LOUD has been making them with the revision for a little while now, not sure how long.
Hi and help! I had to send a PF-50T back because of hum. Good news is that the new one is dead quiet (regarding hum). But it is an open-box and it was not announced as such. Now this makes me nervous. I would appreciate if you could have a listen and tell me, is the clipping/distortion/overdrive in the upper frequency as it is supposed to be? All knobs at noon, volume at full. Passive p-bass (geezers). Direct recording from transformer out. I find it kind of harsh and unpleasing but I'm not used to listen to tube amplifiers this way. Also the overdrive appears with gain at 10 o'clock, a bit early maybe?
Thank you so much!
Edit: Sorry couldn`t work out how to upload the audio. Hope this link is ok.
Playing: pf test2.mp3 - picosong
Thank you so much!
Edit: Sorry couldn`t work out how to upload the audio. Hope this link is ok.
Playing: pf test2.mp3 - picosong
Last edited:
I just returned one for similar reasons (harsh, unpleasing, micro-phonic), but if it had sounded like yours I would've kept it.
I too find the distortion coming early on mine. But that is just the way they are. If you try a bassman of the 70´s with the same settings - all at 12 hours (which I use in one particular rehearsal 'studio'), it's the same: lots of distortion.
I use the 50T for recording with a Markbass Compressore at unity gain after 1 second (fast, but not full compressor attack time) of medium pick stroke, the 50T is at gain 10, bass 13 Hours, All mids 12 H, High 11H, gain 13 H. I love it: no distortion, but edge of breaking up warmth.
That amp was made to emulate 'vintage', and that is exactly what you get: Max it and it sounds like poopie. Find the right pre+eq+post settings, it's great.
For live 'quick and OK following soundguy requests' I take my old modded Trace Eliott, for 'I love it' in the homestudio, the 50T is hard to beat.
Hard truth is that one can not have it all...
I have a PF-20T and find the DI out to be considerably louder than the Tranny out. And louder still when set to Pre EQ.
Yeah, I just listened again. I think I see what you mean, but still sounds much better than mine did, so I'm inclined to think the way yours sounds may just be the nature of the beast. I wonder if you would like it better if you used a compressor?
Thank you for the details Bertr! Yes, I love the characteristics in this amp. Didn´t buy it for clean tones
I’d love to settle with this one. Just wondering if the little head room also could be a symptom along with the clipping in the high mids/treble. I will take a deep breath, do some tweaking and everyting will probably be ok
I’d love to settle with this one. Just wondering if the little head room also could be a symptom along with the clipping in the high mids/treble. I will take a deep breath, do some tweaking and everyting will probably be okSorry about yours! But your experience makes me a bit calmer. Good advice with compressor, I´ll try. In a mix this clipping will probably disappear. Though it sounds kind of like transistor amp clipping. The other saturation of the signal is just fantastic!
