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Ampeg pf-800

#61
I have owned the 7pro twice.One cut out, it was a Rev A, and then a year later or so i got a REV C and it was flawless. I only parted with it because it was a bit bulky (for me) at the time i had it, and wanted something smaller. I do regret selling it, but not nearly as much since I got my PF800 which I love. Here is my opinion YMMV .

The gain stage is a bit better on the 7pro, that being said I prefer the PF800. I find that the 7pro pulls off the SVT sound better than the 800, but there is a pillowy deep lowend quality to the 800 that I just adore. Probably due to the fact that they tried to make it sound similar to the B-15. (or so I think)

They are both killer Ampeg heads. I prefer the 800 because of Aesthetics honestly. I would buy another 7pro in a heartbeat though if I wanted the "Upper" level of Ampeg quality. I use that term loosely, because I feel that the PF800 is very well made. I don't notice anything drastically different from the tube in the 7pro. Xpt that the gain can take more without getting a bad clip from hot pickups. Otherwise I think they sound pretty similar.

Either way, they are both great buys. I have gigged both and both have performed without a hiccup. (minus the Rev A)

Again though YMMV
 
#63
My new PF-800 amp and 115HE cab have just arrived! Unfortunately, I will not be home until much later tonight to unbox all the new hotness, but still very exciting! Eeee! :hyper:
 

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#68
Didn't have too much / enough time to play with my new PF-800 last night, but I am loving it so far! I am amazed at all the different sounds and tones I can get from it. It's like suddenly getting about five more basses. For me it has just enough adjustments - not an overwhelming number of knobs, but plenty enough that I can adjust it into a myriad of combinations. I paired it with the 115he cab, and it is WAY loud with gain and volume both around 11:00 - like ear plug levels.

I am putting together some bass lines for an audition this weekend, and the lines I composed have a lot of runs in the highs and mids. They sound like garbage on my old amp, just tinny and thin. But the Ampeg really rounds even the higher trebles nicely, nice full tone, even well into treble clef territory. And wonderful lows, round and warm. I can feel the vibrations in my feet when I play, lots of low growly goodness. Very happy so far! I can't imagine any type of music or situation that this rig won't handle.

I play a vintage Ibanez SR800LE, and have struggled with toning down the brightness (square peg in a round hole I know). I switched to flatwounds and that got me about halfway there, but the PF-800 really let me dial in what I was looking for.

Oh, and added bonus, the cab as it came from Sweetwater was double-boxed and the amp head was *triple* boxed. So they both arrived in pristine condition, but more importantly, my cats have several new playhouses!. The cab box particularly was a favorite - they all took turns sitting in it last night.
 
#69
I should have posted mine in the classifieds, but if you watch MF's site in the near future, they'll have a returned item at a lower price. I looooove Ampeg, but for this size and my main wedding gig cab (Avatar b210), the Markbass won out. Can't believe I'm typing that. Kicked ass through the SVT210AVs and the SVT15 cab, but I just don't do big gigs with those.

FWIW, the PF-800 never once cut out on me. :)

faulknersj said:
If anyone decides to sell their PF 800, please shoot me a PM. I'm going to patiently wait for one of these on classifieds.
Click to expand...
 
#70
jumblemind said:
I should have posted mine in the classifieds, but if you watch MF's site in the near future, they'll have a returned item at a lower price. I looooove Ampeg, but for this size and my main wedding gig cab (Avatar b210), the Markbass won out. Can't believe I'm typing that. Kicked ass through the SVT210AVs and the SVT15 cab, but I just don't do big gigs with those.

FWIW, the PF-800 never once cut out on me. :)
Click to expand...

Thank u for the heads up! I am hoping one comes up for sale here on TB, but, I'll see what MF offers it for. Thanks again!
 
#72
Anyone know of a good rack mount case to attach the Portaflex 800 head in? I was thinking that the PF heads don't look as ruggedly constructed as their SVTPRO brethren and so could use some protection from getting knocked about in a trunk or in load-in.
 
#73
So I had an audition with my shiny new PF-800 / 115he rig yesterday, and oh, so nice! This amp makes me sound better than I am. I just love, love, love it! PLENTY loud, could easily be heard over drums and guitar, with gain at noon and volume around 3-4. The band I was auditioning with were not turned up to 11 though, so that did help. It just sounded so, so sweet, and blended so wonderfully with the mix. The amp is so versatile, I can dial in just about any sound that I want, and I am FINALLY able to capture that exact tone I have been hearing in my head for months.

It weighs a frickin' ton for me because I am a wimp, but my husband was nice enough to haul it down our stairs, out to the car, and up the stairs at the audition (will be purchasing a handtruck so I can handle my own equipment in the future). I have only had it a week, but I am just loving it!
 
#74
quiltkitty said:
So I had an audition with my shiny new PF-800 / 115he rig yesterday, and oh, so nice! This amp makes me sound better than I am. I just love, love, love it! PLENTY loud, could easily be heard over drums and guitar, with gain at noon and volume around 3-4. The band I was auditioning with were not turned up to 11 though, so that did help. It just sounded so, so sweet, and blended so wonderfully with the mix. The amp is so versatile, I can dial in just about any sound that I want, and I am FINALLY able to capture that exact tone I have been hearing in my head for months.

It weighs a frickin' ton for me because I am a wimp, but my husband was nice enough to haul it down our stairs, out to the car, and up the stairs at the audition (will be purchasing a handtruck so I can handle my own equipment in the future). I have only had it a week, but I am just loving it!
Click to expand...


Always glad to hear when someone is happy with a purchase. I love mine. I am glad others are enjoying theirs as well.

Luckily the PF800 is light though huh? Just get yer hubby to move the cab and you carry your precious PF800 =P
 
#78
tried out the pf-800 last night with my pf410 and pf210 cabs and was blown away how good this sounds !! not knockin the pf-500 because that amp kicks ass too ,but the extra headroom makes a big difference .... glad I got this baby !!!! :bassist:
 
#80
I just received a "new" PF-800 from an eBay sale. Right out of the box there is a problem, it will not power up every time. I switched power cords, no change. Something inside!

I've taken it to 2 practice sessions and there were power up hiccups every time. After getting it to stay powered up it was pushed it fairly hard for about 4 hours without a problem. This sounds great through a Hartke HyDrive 115.

I guess I will return it and hope to get a stable unit. I have been reading the horror stories of the older 350s and 500s not being reliable. I was confident all that was resolved, my luck, guess not.
 

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