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Ampeg PF350/500 Part V
- Thread starter Chef
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Hehehehe
I think carl meant that his fan could not be heard across the
room not his amp
the fan on my PF500 is quite loud as well (as I mentioned before). By comparison, I have a Mesa Walkabout, which has also been noted as having a fairly loud fan, but the fan in the PF500 is noticeably louder than the Mesa fan.
now, that being said, on a gig, this is not an issue at all, but in a recording situation, or quiet practice environment, the fan is very noticeable and could pose a problem for some.
For the Mesa fan issue, many TB users just did a fan replacement mod with a quieter, high quality PC fan that delivered the same air volume (measured in CFM) with lower db ratings.
Maybe an enterprising PF350/500 users can check into that. It's usually quite simple to match the required fan size (40, 50,60,80 or 92mm) and then matching the red/black leads on the amps circuit board. Only downside to this is it likely voids any warranty, so pursue this option at your own risk.
I think it just needed to work itself out a bit. It quieted down considerably after a lengthy band practice. I'll give it a few more practices and a gig and then see how loud it is.
I've found that the pf500 functions a lot like my SVT in that the fan noise becomes unnoticeable after adjusting the volume knob in a clockwise direction.
Hey folks, I realise I'm a bit late to the party on this one but I just wanted to share my experience of the PF-500 after a couple of months of ownership.
Being an Ampeg fan but not having a lot of cash to burn I'd had my heart set on the PF-500 for a while, I was a bit concerned about the quality control issues people had come across on various forums and talk of the amp cutting out but I decided to take the plunge anyway. I'm now very glad I did, it set me back £315 from PMT Birmingham which seemed a bit of a steal (that seems to be the RRP now though as most places have it around that price).
The only other bass head I have major experience with is the Mark Bass LM-2 but with them both being 500w and solid state it seems like a fair comparison (let's ignore the price difference). Of course the most important thing is tone and I do think the Ampeg wins in this area, it sounds very warm and full where the Mark Bass is a lot more modern and hi-fi, I'm sure the MB may be better for some people with it providing a much more neutral sound but there is a reason I went Ampeg.
The MB does claw some points back where power is concerned though, while the PF-500 certainly isn't short of it the MB is mind boggling, you can shake rooms to pieces without it even breaking a sweat and considering it manages to do that while being so tiny, amazing. The Ampeg feels like you have to push it a lot more to get it to that kind level but it still easily copes with playing your average bar venue.
Reliability, as a mentioned before was a pretty big concern when buying the PF-500 given some of the horror stories I'd read online. So far I have only experienced one cut out and that was with the compressor turned off, I quickly learned from this and now think of that knob as a "pre-amp protector" rather than a comp and leave it at 8-9 o'clock at all times.
One last point as well in the MB vs Ampeg debate I had real problems getting my fuzz pedals to work well with the MB, maybe I just didn't have it set up for it but I'd always find my fuzz sounding dull and lifeless where with the Ampeg pedals I'd previously written off as being crap have found a whole new lease of life.
So in conclusion I'm extremely happy I went for the PF-500, getting that Ampeg sound in a unit that I can fit in a laptop bag is frankly awesome. To anyone considering getting one, at that price point I can't see why you wouldn't, just remember to use a bit of the compressor and you should hopefully stay issue free!
For the curious, a little video of it in action at practice with a MB 4x10 and 2x10. Please excuse my playing.
Being an Ampeg fan but not having a lot of cash to burn I'd had my heart set on the PF-500 for a while, I was a bit concerned about the quality control issues people had come across on various forums and talk of the amp cutting out but I decided to take the plunge anyway. I'm now very glad I did, it set me back £315 from PMT Birmingham which seemed a bit of a steal (that seems to be the RRP now though as most places have it around that price).
The only other bass head I have major experience with is the Mark Bass LM-2 but with them both being 500w and solid state it seems like a fair comparison (let's ignore the price difference). Of course the most important thing is tone and I do think the Ampeg wins in this area, it sounds very warm and full where the Mark Bass is a lot more modern and hi-fi, I'm sure the MB may be better for some people with it providing a much more neutral sound but there is a reason I went Ampeg.
The MB does claw some points back where power is concerned though, while the PF-500 certainly isn't short of it the MB is mind boggling, you can shake rooms to pieces without it even breaking a sweat and considering it manages to do that while being so tiny, amazing. The Ampeg feels like you have to push it a lot more to get it to that kind level but it still easily copes with playing your average bar venue.
Reliability, as a mentioned before was a pretty big concern when buying the PF-500 given some of the horror stories I'd read online. So far I have only experienced one cut out and that was with the compressor turned off, I quickly learned from this and now think of that knob as a "pre-amp protector" rather than a comp and leave it at 8-9 o'clock at all times.
One last point as well in the MB vs Ampeg debate I had real problems getting my fuzz pedals to work well with the MB, maybe I just didn't have it set up for it but I'd always find my fuzz sounding dull and lifeless where with the Ampeg pedals I'd previously written off as being crap have found a whole new lease of life.
So in conclusion I'm extremely happy I went for the PF-500, getting that Ampeg sound in a unit that I can fit in a laptop bag is frankly awesome. To anyone considering getting one, at that price point I can't see why you wouldn't, just remember to use a bit of the compressor and you should hopefully stay issue free!
For the curious, a little video of it in action at practice with a MB 4x10 and 2x10. Please excuse my playing.
The lid on my PF115 rattles like a teething baby! I put down thin weatherstripping around the top opening but still with the amp screwed on the lid and the lid clamped down on the cab, the vibrations still cause a huge rattle & buzz around C, C# & D. I can see the lid has a bit of a bow upwards to it.
My last resort is to keep the amp separate from the lid and keep the lid clamped to the cab with the handle on the outside. The amp doesn't sit all the way down on the top because of the handle, but at least there's no buzz to the cab.
What do you guys think, would thicker foamier weatherstripping help?
My last resort is to keep the amp separate from the lid and keep the lid clamped to the cab with the handle on the outside. The amp doesn't sit all the way down on the top because of the handle, but at least there's no buzz to the cab.
What do you guys think, would thicker foamier weatherstripping help?
I have a thread going elsewhere but just thought I'd mention that I bought the PF500 a couple of weeks ago. Played mostly by myself and did one rehearsal with it on Wednesday. On thursday morning I turned it on and nothing. No sound no nothing except the yellow fault light. Took it back to the GC and am trying to decide whether or not to replace it.
As I said I have a separate thread going discussing my comparisons between the PF500 and 115HE vs. a variety of my other gear including my Ampeg V4b and my TCE classic, etc. for those that are interested.
As I said I have a separate thread going discussing my comparisons between the PF500 and 115HE vs. a variety of my other gear including my Ampeg V4b and my TCE classic, etc. for those that are interested.
Bassplayer92 said:
If you can clearly see that the lid has a bow in it , it may always rattle regardless of how much foam is in there . If it was me I would call loud and see about getting a warranty replacement on the lid.
I'm getting good vibes from your keyboard player.
So am I....I love female musicians in general. I went to a high school that was full of them. I am referring to the High School of Music and Art....good times man!
Honestly I don't remember if it was there before the padding, but it's not huge at all. There's probably 1/32" sticking up if you look at it straight on. I don't think it hasn't been terribly humid to warp it. Maybe I just had it screwed down too tight? Just grasping at straws I guess.
Oh, well that's not much of a warp at all, and that shouldn't cause a rattle. You can bend those hooks a little if they don't hook tight enough, but really, I'm wondering if your rattle isn't caused by the handle or the hardware for mounting the head.
Mine was buzzing. I pressed on the top of the grillcloth and it went away, so I tightened the grill inside. Keep touching things and pressing them when you can get it to rattle and you might find the cause.
yeah it's a very small warp, but with the handle on the inside and the warp on the outside, it buzzes. If I reverse that it doesn't. I've tried torquing every screw down and tried having them just a little over finger tight and still get the same result. The grill cloth does vibrate and make a little noise, but stepping out 10 feet it's not very audible. The clamps seem very tight, but I'll check on that one.
I'm going to keep the head unbolted from the lid for a while and clamped on the cab and see if it will straighten out some.
I'm going to keep the head unbolted from the lid for a while and clamped on the cab and see if it will straighten out some.
+1 I had a rattle on the PF cab that I ported, and found I had to tighten down the allen bolts holding the grill. After that it was fine.
Recently just did two nights in a row with my PF stack - and had no issues. Kept the comp at 9:00, gain around 11:00, and never had the master above noon. The second ported cab gave me more than enough extra umpff to not need to push the amp hard at all.
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