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Ampeg PF115 Cab with a different driver?

S

shoot-r

May 26, 2007
4,107
3,849
Illinois
#1
I've got a Ampeg PF115 cabinet with the stock, stamped steel framed, Eminence 15" driver...
Just wondering if anyone has tried a driver swap in the PF's sealed cabinet....say a old EVM 15L or it's modern day equal, the 15" Eminence Delta Pro.
If anyone has...any improvements?
 
#3
The driver in the pf115 isnt neo but ceramic. I think the stamped frame is done to keep the type of sound they are after. The internal speaker is rated for 450 Watts so i think it would be tough to come up with a better speaker that would work in a sealed cab.
 
#5
username1 said:
I think the stamped frame is done to keep the type of sound they are after. .
Click to expand...
I've seen that claim, but only reason for using a stamped frame is that it's cheaper. To be fair cast frames aren't necessary if the magnet is too small to require the added stiffness of cast, or if the heat-sinking properties of aluminum isn't necessary.
 
#6
bassgod0dmw said:
I'll go out on a limb and say no. Why swap a nice, light, neo driver that was designed for the cab with something that was not?
Click to expand...

"To my ears," this cab and it's 15" driver sounds great at low, at home pratice, recording studio, volume levels.
In the moderate volume level country/rock group I work with, the PF115 cab shows it's "NOT" up to the challenge...(Note: I do regulary use just one of my Avatar Neo 210 cabinets with this group and it keeps up nicely. It's loaded with Eminence's 2510 drivers in a front ported cab.)

It was stated here at T.B. that the stock Eminence PF115 driver was a close match to the (CTS?) driver that came stock in the old portaflex cabinets.
Years past, Ampeg offered Altec and E.V. drivers as up-grades to their stock drivers in the portaflex cabinet....hence my wondering if a driver up-grade would be helpful.
 
#7
shoot-r said:
Years past, Ampeg offered Altec and E.V. drivers as up-grades to their stock drivers in the portaflex cabinet....hence my wondering if a driver up-grade would be helpful.
Click to expand...
Since you don't have the specs on the Ampeg driver to compare it to any others all you can do is hope that someone has tried a driver swap, and that they can offer a useful opinion. A blind swap may prove fruitless.
 
#9
shoot-r said:
+1...
I also saw that claim made by Amp*g on You Tube.
My take also was it was marketing hype and a excuse to use less expensive stamped steel frame drivers.
Click to expand...
IMO no excuse is needed, there's no point in using a cast frame with a 30oz. magnet. And that's what the Ampeg guy should have said.
 
#11
I put one of the new PF15 drivers in my old '63 double baffle Portaflex cabinet. Big improvement over the old stock Jensen. The PF to my ears does sound close to an old squareback CTS that they used in other '60's B15's- but the CTS sounds a bit warmer and richer. Not sure if those are the words to use, but it's the best I can come up with.
 
#12
Rather than switch out drivers why not add another PF-15 cab for more volume? I know that would add another trip during load in. If you like the sound you get from the cab when it's not pushed that hard, that would up the volume and give you the sound you like.
 
#13
shoot-r said:
Bill, As was the claim on U-Tube, do you feel that the flexing of a stamped steel frame's driver along with the cone's movement imparts "anything" to the tone of the driver?
It was claimed the flexing frame made for a mellower sound.
Click to expand...
Actually there is an engineering term for a driver with a frame so flexible that it can color the sound: Defective. :D

IMO the guy from Ampeg was in over his head and came up with something that seemed reasonable.
 
#14
I got my information about a stamped speaker sounding different from gallien krueger. I used to own a gk rbx810 cab that was advertised by everyone as having cast speakers. Mine had stamped speakers so I emailed and complained to GK about them advertising them with cast speakers and that was the line he gave me. I guess he was just trying to passify me when i was upset about the deception in their advertising. I guess if i cant trust their advertising i shouldnt trust that information either.
 
#15
shoot-r said:
I've got a Ampeg PF115 cabinet with the stock, stamped steel framed, Eminence 15" driver...
Just wondering if anyone has tried a driver swap in the PF's sealed cabinet....say a old EVM 15L or it's modern day equal, the 15" Eminence Delta Pro.
If anyone has...any improvements?
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for the replys...

I've spent my free time at home this week A/Bing my 8 ohm Ampeg PF115 cabinet and one of my 8 ohm Avatar Neo 210 cabinets. Heads that were used was either my GK MB-500 or my Ampeg PF-500, and my old passive 4 string jazz.

After much going back and forth I've decided the slightly "wooly" low end sound of the PF115 isn't the real me, I much prefer the sound of the Avatar 210 cabinet...sooooo...the Ampeg cab will be either sold or traded for something.......
 

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