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Ampeg PF-800: First Impressions

#81
RockDoc said:
If anyone is considering one of these, they're on sale on Amazon for $349.96 presently. There is a thread about this in the Hot Deals section of TB. Apologies if this is old news!



Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Ampeg-PF800-P...ie=UTF8&qid=1385303877&sr=8-1&keywords=pf+800
Click to expand...


...and, I just pulled the trigger on one through my local guitar center for $485!
Should I return it, or stick with it because they're a dealer and will (theoretically) help me if there are any issues?

Ugh.
 
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#84
Gbass75 said:
...and, I just pulled the trigger on one through my local guitar center for $485!
Should I return it, or stick with it because they're a dealer and will (theoretically) help me if there are any issues?

Ugh.
Click to expand...

You might try to use GC's "30 Day Lowest Price Guarantee" to get them to match the current Amazon price (if they count Amazon as a "bona fide" retailer). That way you get a great price, and have the ability to effect a relatively easy return, should the need arise.

GC Policy: Invalid Link Removed
 
#85
RockDoc said:
You might try to use GC's "30 Day Lowest Price Guarantee" to get them to match the current Amazon price (if they count Amazon as a "bona fide" retailer). That way you get a great price, and have the ability to effect a relatively easy return, should the need arise.



GC Policy: Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...


Worth a shot... though, I kinda doubt it since they say the price must be advertised by a "brick and mortar" "authorized" dealer.

I have a feeling that "Sinergy Sales Online" us going to qualify.

Rats.
 
#87
I tried one of these at a GC just to see what the fuss was about. I did an A/B comparison with my Shuttle 9.0. The PF heads do sound like an Ampeg, which can be a very good thing.
What made me scratch my head was the overall design of the thing:
For a class D head its VERY heavy and not as compact as the GK or Genz Benz.
Why two different outputs on a 800w @ 4ohms head? With that kind of power you should expect someone to want to use two cabs without having to mix and match cables.
Its kind of dated looking. I know that's the "portiflex" look, but that mirrored front is going to get wrecked with regular use. It's too retro for me; Warwick made the same mistake with their class D head.

So I'm really excited by the idea of the Ampeg sound out of something more transportable, however this one just doesn't do it for me.
 
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#88
socialleper said:
I tried one of these at a GC just to see what the fuss was about. I did an A/B comparison with my Shuttle 9.0. The PF heads do sound like an Ampeg, which can be a very good thing.
What made me scratch my head was the overall design of the thing:
For a class D head its VERY heavy and not as compact as the GK or Genz Benz.
Why two different outputs on a 800w @ 4ohms head? With that kind of power you should expect someone to want to use two cabs without having to mix and match cables.
Its kind of dated looking. I know that's the "portiflex" look, but that mirrored front is going to get wrecked with regular use. It's too retro for me; Warwick made the same mistake with their class D head.

So I'm really excited by the idea of the Ampeg sound out of something more transportable, however this one just doesn't do it for me.
Click to expand...

They keep the cost down using the standard output jacks. With good cables, they're fine. The link above has them for 400 bucks, great price for that kind of power. You're not going to get the Ampeg sound with those other heads so if it's the sound you want, just buy a case and keep a couple of good speakers cables in it, with the head. That's what I do.
 
#89
Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. I happen to think the design is pretty sharp. I'm using it for a secondary head (and mostly practice rig), so the fact that I can't fit it into my pocket bothers me none. For transport, it fits easily in a laptop shoulder bag. Weight on the PF800 is 11 lbs., so compared to my Orange head (and maybe I'm too biased on this) at 55 lbs, the head is light as a feather. ;)

The two different connections I would agree are a little strange, but I guess you get your choice on a single cab connection of 1/4" or speakon. In the instance you are talking about with multiple cabs, it is a little sillier to have two different connections.
 
#91
I like the design too. It's kind of industrial looking. Haven't seen the Warwick but I'd be surprised if people didn't buy them because of the looks. We aren't lead singers, we're bassplayers!! ;)
 
#94
tekdiver500ft said:
Could be. I had a MOSFET SVT-3PRO that weighed 27,308 pounds (mild hyperbole), and thought I recalled someone saying that MOSFETs were the reason. I guess not. Thanks for telling me.
Click to expand...

Yes they were incorrect, a couple pounds of heatsinks but you would also need those with BiPolar transistors (but more of them). The weight came more from that huge line frequency power supply transformer to meet the output power. :)
SMPS over "traditional" line frequency power supplies is where the huge weight savings happen, chassis materials being second.
 
#97
jeff7bass said:
I like the design too. It's kind of industrial looking. Haven't seen the Warwick but I'd be surprised if people didn't buy them because of the looks. We aren't lead singers, we're bassplayers!! ;)
Click to expand...

The Warwick is pretty bad. The original design had a brushed silver face with faux wood sides. It looked like something the late 70's barfed up. Luckily they recently changed the design to something more simple.
 
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#98
I'm quite impressed with my PF800, though I'm still hashing out some ideal tone settings. Plenty of punch with only a 4x10 plugged in; once my speakon cable arrives I'll run my 1x18 with it and see how many neighbors I can bother.
 
#100
Well darn. I been on some PF800 threads sorta raving about my likes of this amp with either of my 4 ohm cabs.

Well, decided to try the PF with my two, TC-E RS210's at two gigs this past weekend. I set it all up at home practice the week before for about 6-7 hours of living room practice in two days or so, sounded pretty darn nice. My other cabs are I;ve used with the PF are each 4ohm, NX2 212 and TB153 one cab at a time of course.

WELL, the dern PF800 shut down at my two different gig this past Sat n Sun. Sat was a med sized nite club, the Peg shut down as we were doing our first song, a big intro for "Superstition". Blue front light stayed on, no other lights came on. I moved cables, knobs around...nothing. No time to analyze it well, so I plugged in my Shuttle 9.2 and did the entire nite with this head.
Wanting give the Peg a fair chance, I used it again Sun afternoons gig, outdoor gig, rare for me had full PA support. Again, passive 5er bass, the two RS210's, stacked vert. Sounded so awesome all day. BUT last couple mins of gig, last couple songs.....PF800 shuts down again. Same front blue light still on, no other lights. This time turned amp off n back on. No sound, blue light still only light on. We just called it a night. Maybe I shoulda used the 1/4" connectors instead, was using my two good quality, speakon cables, inst cable. Being just north of Houston, was damn hot n humid.

IIRC, weren't one of the big issues with the PF500 when a lot of cats used two 8 ohm cabs??? I'd been using my two different 4 ohm cabs mentioned above, w/o PA support at loud outdoor,hot gigs, no prob at all the past few weeks. Gona have to call store for my return/refund today, still under the 45 day trial.

But I was thinking, would it be worth sending this amp to Ampeg for the warranty work??? It was a discounted blemed unit but I stated before it looks brand new. Do these online stores check out returned amps themselves or do they send them to manufacture for that?? Though a blem unit it says its' fully guaranteed to work as new.

I have really been liking this amp since I got help here on how to set the knobs. I've been using those settings ever since with very good results, til this past weekend. I did 6 gigs this month using the PF800 since I got it, first week of July. Before this weekend with a single 4 ohm cab, now trying it with two 8ohm cabs, it starts acting up. Can't figure it...too bad. Seems those Amazon PF800's are just below what I paid for this blemed PF. Are those new units at Amazon??? Peace, y'all.
P.S.Oops, just noticed those Amazon deals were from posts in this thread of 2013.
 
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