Sorry you guys are having such rotten luck. I had a defective unit replaced and mine has been used 2+ hours a day every day and used on gigs several times without a single problem. I love my PF500.
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Ampeg PF500/350, part 4
- Thread starter Chef
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I haven't had a chance to run more than just my PF210 with the PF500, but it's been solid for me. I would like to try it with another cabinet just to see if I get the cut-outs like a number of members have experienced, but I have had this thing cranked all the way with just the 210's and all it did was give the ultimate in fuzzy/dirty/distorted sounds.
I have been playing my Corvette $$ through it the entire time, and it might not hit the squealing highs, but it still has a lot of voice tones. I think I finally got my preferred settings dialed in too. Fat, punchy, and a little dirty.
I have been playing my Corvette $$ through it the entire time, and it might not hit the squealing highs, but it still has a lot of voice tones. I think I finally got my preferred settings dialed in too. Fat, punchy, and a little dirty.
Nope, still no problems with my PF500 
I am using it with a 4 ohm cab and not one problem, its a brilliant little amp and I have thought about getting another or a PF350 for a back up head .
I am using it with a 4 ohm cab and not one problem, its a brilliant little amp and I have thought about getting another or a PF350 for a back up head .
OK, so I've been considering getting a pair of PF-115's (or a 115 and 210). I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the tone I get out of my PF-500 and either my P-bass or Jazz.
However, I'm one of the early posters that had a PF-500 and had a problem with running a 4 ohm speaker load on this head. I called Ampeg a while back, and they actually sent me out a brand new replacement. Plugged it in, tried it out, same issue. I just chalked it up to the head having an inherit problem and use it for either practice with an 8ohm speaker cabinet, or sometimes as a pre-amp into my power amp with a pair of 4-ohm Avatar 210's.
Can anyone confirm that running a pair of the actual Ampeg PF-115's on a PF-500 doesn't cause the cut-out issue I've had?
For that matter, am I still the only one who's had that issue? This thread has grown quite a bit and I haven't read each and every post. What can I say, I'm lazy.
Thanks all!
I'm an early adoptor that has run nothing but the PF-500 into two PF-115 cabs and I have had zero issues with volume, clipping or cut outs.
Ditto. With 1 cab I pushed the vol knobs pretty hard too, 1:00-2:00 on gain and 2:00 on Master.
I thought I had the cutout or maybe the dying problem once, in a loud club setting, but it was a dead battery in an active bass...I didn't have another battery, but I had another bass -- actually changed mid-song, much to my bandmates and the soundman's dismay. I couldn't go the whole song with no bass.
I was wondering that also. If people are having problems with active electronics more than with passive electronics
Passive only. I guess a hot bass could possibly push things a bit beyond what I have done...
edit - I have had one active bass plugged into this amp. My son's classmate has an active Gibby, and rocked out on this once. He wasn't banging on the gain like I do, but still I didn't hear anything.
Folks,
I am working offline with someone from Ampeg. They are asking for posts by us regarding the cutting out / clipping / fault light issues on the PF500.
It took me a couple hours yesterday to manually search, page by page, through part 1 of this thread.
If anyone has any time on their hands and can provide me with links to specific posts from parts 2.5 (yes; that's what it is called), 3 and 4, regarding this issue, I could really use some help.
Please PM me rather than posting in this thread.
Thanks,
mellotron
I am working offline with someone from Ampeg. They are asking for posts by us regarding the cutting out / clipping / fault light issues on the PF500.
It took me a couple hours yesterday to manually search, page by page, through part 1 of this thread.
If anyone has any time on their hands and can provide me with links to specific posts from parts 2.5 (yes; that's what it is called), 3 and 4, regarding this issue, I could really use some help.
Please PM me rather than posting in this thread.
Thanks,
mellotron
Folks,
I am working offline with someone from Ampeg. They are asking for posts by us regarding the cutting out / clipping / fault light issues on the PF500.
It took me a couple hours yesterday to manually search, page by page, through part 1 of this thread.
If anyone has any time on their hands and can provide me with links to specific posts from parts 2.5 (yes; that's what it is called), 3 and 4, regarding this issue, I could really use some help.
Please PM me rather than posting in this thread.
Thanks,
mellotron
You can go to each thread and then search that thread. Copy and paste a link to each post. Or you could just copy a link to each of the four parts and paste it in an email to them and let them read for themselves.
Yeah that's not your job. They should be monitoring. They have an account on here.
If you don't, fair enough.
mellotron said:
Thanks for doing that Mello, keep us posted! I just saw your post asking for help about 15 minutes ago, but I'm out of town and on my iPad anyway (using the iPad app), so I wouldn't have been much help...
5sg.
I was talking with PJ Farley who played with Trixter and Lita Ford and he loves his PF500 with 2x10
Dang I'm experiencing a serious dejavu of High School testosterone right now... Thanks man,
Thanks for the efforts Mellotron. I hope things get worked out from the top down.
I was also on the phone with Loud Technologies today. Two reasons.
First off, I was ordering two handles to match the handles on my PF115. I was so impressed with Kevin in parts. He was extremely helpful. It was my first experience with Loud and a great one.
Next I spoke with Gilbert who was in more of a technical support position and I asked him a question that comes up on Talkbass. I asked him if anything had been done to the PF500 over the last few years to help with the problems they had had with a few units in the beginning. I explained that I was a member of TalkBass and that I would post their answer. He asked that I email him and he would send my question to someone higher. Here is the email I sent to him:
"Gilbert,
I recently spoke with you on the phone. I am a member of TalkBass and a question comes up repeatedly. I am looking for a response that I can post for everyone. The question is:
When the PF500 came out it seemed to have some stability issues with a few units. It appears that something may have been done to make more current runs less apt to go into a fault mode or cut out. Has anything been changed over the few years they have been being produced? One person on TalkBass said some diodes have been changed and another said there have been no revisions. I am going right to the source for the correct answer.
TalkBass is a forum that a lot of good folks use to help each other with questions and answers. I am looking for a valid official answer from Loud Technologies that I can post. I have two PF500/PF115HE combinations and one B-100R. My amps have no issues whatsoever.
I am impressed with the staff at Loud. Kevin Kent in parts was very helpful when I ordered two handles today. Real people who answer the phone give a great feeling about having an Ampeg (or 3).
Thank you,
Greg"
I will post their response when I get it.
First off, I was ordering two handles to match the handles on my PF115. I was so impressed with Kevin in parts. He was extremely helpful. It was my first experience with Loud and a great one.
Next I spoke with Gilbert who was in more of a technical support position and I asked him a question that comes up on Talkbass. I asked him if anything had been done to the PF500 over the last few years to help with the problems they had had with a few units in the beginning. I explained that I was a member of TalkBass and that I would post their answer. He asked that I email him and he would send my question to someone higher. Here is the email I sent to him:
"Gilbert,
I recently spoke with you on the phone. I am a member of TalkBass and a question comes up repeatedly. I am looking for a response that I can post for everyone. The question is:
When the PF500 came out it seemed to have some stability issues with a few units. It appears that something may have been done to make more current runs less apt to go into a fault mode or cut out. Has anything been changed over the few years they have been being produced? One person on TalkBass said some diodes have been changed and another said there have been no revisions. I am going right to the source for the correct answer.
TalkBass is a forum that a lot of good folks use to help each other with questions and answers. I am looking for a valid official answer from Loud Technologies that I can post. I have two PF500/PF115HE combinations and one B-100R. My amps have no issues whatsoever.
I am impressed with the staff at Loud. Kevin Kent in parts was very helpful when I ordered two handles today. Real people who answer the phone give a great feeling about having an Ampeg (or 3).
Thank you,
Greg"
I will post their response when I get it.
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