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Ampeg PF500/350, part 4

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are in a two-peice with your wife, yes? Assuming you are, and that you live together, what is practicing like? Do you have a scheduled practice time every week, or do you just play when you feel like it?

Ive always wondered what rehearsing and stuff would be like, living with the band.

Yes we are a two piece band but we are neither married nor do we live together. We practice between 3 to 5 times a week. Before work, after work, days off, whenever it fits.

The PF500/115 is set up at practice for now because we are still getting used to it. Pretty soon, I will put the B-100R back in at practice and the PF500 will be ready to load for when we might play next. Since I used it the first time on stage immediately after buying it, I thought it would be best to run it through some testing. It has performed great.

One thing I have noticed about the compressor is that it does its job. Too well for my application. I run a Sansamp Programmable Bass Driver before the Ampeg. I only use it for volume changes: normal, a little louder, and solo volume (the three buttons). My solo volume wasn't cutting through, so I watched the amp and sure enough, the compressor was coming on (as it should). I turned off the compressor and my three volumes function as I want them to. I have to change volumes on the fly so I don't have a hand to turn up the amp manually. I am not complaining or reporting a problem. This might just be information someone can use. The compressor works!
 
Played my first gig with the PF350 last night. I am more than pleased.
I'm glad that the house I play at has a system though, because playing through the PF350 and a 4x10 was fine for the band to hear me,
and for me to hear myself, but I don't think the sound from the 4x10 got to the audience.
The subs in the house system had me covered though.
Ampeg tone is sweet!
:D
 
That would be nice - but they told me to bring it to the repair facility. I'll let you know how it goes.

thats what they told me too - they were NOT quick to offer replacement.

Sat is two weeks -
the shop I took it to has not contacted me. I had to contact AMPEG to contact the shop to prod them along.

This is a Little more than a bit of a letdown. Ampeg told me that the "power-board" was being replaced based on the diagnosis. I know when I called to check on it last thurday - the tech told me - "yep - I plugged it in, and it didn't work"....and that we would have to call Ampeg sometime about it. First - this to me - Is NOT an AMPEG issue - its the shop I bought the amp through. if I dont' have it back working (replaced or repaired) shortly, that to me IS an AMPEG issue.

What would you consider a resonable amount of time after taking it in, with a written summary of the symptoms, and going through it in person with a counter rep at the store?
 
What would you consider a resonable amount of time after taking it in, with a written summary of the symptoms, and going through it in person with a counter rep at the store?

Anytime I've had to take things in for a tech- it's always been a minimum of 30 days. There aren't many good techs around my area, and so the ones that are here tend to be swamped.
 
Received my amp today! Glad UPS wrapped in plastic...rainy day. Only played for about 15 minutes. I'm liking the PF500 with my DNA 12's. Fat, warm, vintage vibe. It just sounds so simple in a good way. I always say, "I like a bass to sound like a bass," and this combo does that. I was using a Tecamp Puma 500 with the DNA 12's, but I like the less expensive Ampeg with them better. It's all about personal taste. Also, it warmed my LEJ5 which I'm cool with.
 
It just sounds so simple in a good way.

Did you mean "so good in a simple way" ?:)

I suspect this is the reason for so many sales ;)
I have a TC BH500 which is a nice amp with so many features in comparison to the PF500, but I soon found out that I dont really need all the gizmos, the only feature I want is easily accessible TONE ;):)
 
Speaking of VT Bass/Little Mark, I went back to this config while waiting for my replacement PF500. Now I'm wondering why I thought I needed the PF500 at all! Wicked gas I guess.

Anyway, I set up the LMII just like I would the PF (set the gain to just below clipping and master volume to taste) and I barely have the volume at 9 o'clock, whereas on the PF500, I would have to set my gain and master volume to at LEAST 2 o'clock to get anywhere near the volume of the Little Mark. And at those settings the PF500 would be very overdriven.

Could this be a sign that my PF is in fact broken, or is that all the juice these amps can put out? 'Cause if it is, then the Little Mark BLOWS the Ampeg out of the water in terms of volume.

Is anyone else able to make this comparison?

Knob position is meaningless.

I run my PF500 clean typically at 1 o'clock on the gain and 2 o'clock on the master. Into 4 ohms at that setting I've measured 200 watts, so the other 60% of the power is in the rest of the master volume rotation (yes, the amp does make 500 watts). You simply cannot be bashful about turning the things up, nor can you read anything useful into the knob positions.

My backup PF500 arrived today, so I'll be moving out the SVT-CL...
 
GRAHAM SG1 said:
Did you mean "so good in a simple way" ?:)

I suspect this is the reason for so many sales ;)
I have a TC BH500 which is a nice amp with so many features in comparison to the PF500, but I soon found out that I dont really need all the gizmos, the only feature I want is easily accessible TONE ;):)

@GRAHAM SG1....Yes. Thanks for the correction sir. Lol
 
Furthering that thought, when I asked Ampeg CS rep about failures of the PF heads he told me it was less than 2% of sales.

That still sounds a little high. I'd expect it to be under 1%. Given the stampede to buy the things, though, I'm guessing the factory is more concerned with getting units out the door than with fine tuning their production line and QA processes right now. That costs money. ;)
 
That still sounds a little high. I'd expect it to be under 1%. Given the stampede to buy the things, though, I'm guessing the factory is more concerned with getting units out the door than with fine tuning their production line and QA processes right now. That costs money. ;)

Yeah I bet that's higher than they want. But 2% is lower than the impression you get when you hear mostly about the problem units. I'm not a real heavy user, ~5 gigs/month + rehearsals, but I'm going on a year, trouble free with my PF500/115 as my main rig. (Haven't cranked the GB Shuttle/Berg 210 in 9 months -- guess I need to sell those).

Like we say about trees, the ones that make it past the first few months have a lot better chance than those that die right away.
 
madsheep#1 said:
Im ditching my Hartke LH500 and HX115 for a PF500 and 2 x pf115 cabs. Not much of an upgrade but i just dig the way these portaflex series sound!!

I'm running my PF500 with two HX115's and very happy with tjw tone and power. You might try the 500 on those cabs before selling them. Just my .02 YMMV
 
Yeah I bet that's higher than they want. But 2% is lower than the impression you get when you hear mostly about the problem units. I'm not a real heavy user, ~5 gigs/month + rehearsals, but I'm going on a year, trouble free with my PF500/115 as my main rig. (Haven't cranked the GB Shuttle/Berg 210 in 9 months -- guess I need to sell those).

Like we say about trees, the ones that make it past the first few months have a lot better chance than those that die right away.

not that far off of what I reported - and mine went suddenly, with no warning. 10 months, going on 11.

It worked flawlessly - Und Den.....Kaput!

Got a genz 6.0 while it is in the shop - and will probably keep them both once it returns. Definitely disappointed, in shop X 2 weeks tomorrow.
 
Unfortunately, if your amp tech is swamped, I don't know that there's much you can do about it. I know it sucks to wait and it might not make you feel better, but I don't think it's lack of caring...just some techs are busier than others.
 
Don't cheap out on the cab. That's the last thing you want to cheap out on. You don't have to get the most expensive cab on the market but get a good one or it won't matter how good the rest of your stuff is. Maybe the PF cabs aren't your thing but get something that won't make your rig sound meh.
 
this question has probably been answered 100 times before but theres 20 pages of this thread now...I'm about to buy a PH500 and i was wondering if the 1x15 cab and the 2x10 cab stacked together will be loud enough to cut through a loud drummer and guitarist whilst retaining plenty of headroom
 
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