I've had this head for about 9 months, many gigs. It's the bomb. Search is over. The compression circuit is very musical. If you can't find your sound on this thing, then I suggest you take up another instrument. No probs with this thing at all. Perfect "working mans" bass head. I play it thru an Ampeg B115 with a Hartke 210 on top of the B115, then the PF400 on top. YYMV, but I'm very pleased.
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Ampeg PF500 - all I'll ever need.
- Thread starter YoMomma
- Start date
Do you mean PF350 or 500, I did not know they made a PF400 ?
I agree about the sound being good but not the `its all I`ll ever need` .
I thought that until I played a loud gig and found the PF500 lacking in headroom so I bought a Streamliner 900 and once I tried that it made my PF500 sound very dull and limited in tone, my playing improved with the better amp .
I dare say that more expensive amps than the 900 will make the 900 sound dull, more money usually equals better in my experience
In the bass world, GAS is a permanent feature
I agree about the sound being good but not the `its all I`ll ever need` .
I thought that until I played a loud gig and found the PF500 lacking in headroom so I bought a Streamliner 900 and once I tried that it made my PF500 sound very dull and limited in tone, my playing improved with the better amp .
I dare say that more expensive amps than the 900 will make the 900 sound dull, more money usually equals better in my experience
In the bass world, GAS is a permanent feature
Doesn't have to be. And I'm always wondering where people play gigs that a 500w amp isn't enough. Arenas without PA?
Doesn't have to be. And I'm always wondering where people play gigs that a 500w amp isn't enough. Arenas without PA?
Back in the day those roman arena's didn't have PA support.
Exactly. I hope these guys are wearing super-duper earplugs. 100watt amps from the 80s have left me with permanent ringing in my ears.Doesn't have to be. And I'm always wondering where people play gigs that a 500w amp isn't enough. Arenas without PA?
We only use backline, not through the PA, most venues around where we live do not have in house PA systems, we played a couple of loud and lively gigs where the PF500 simply ran out of nice clean headroom, it got a bit muddy and indistinct, since buying the 900 everything has been good .
I wish I felt the same. i want to like this head but just cant get a tone that I consistently like out of it. WHen I compare it to my TC 450 or Hartke heads this one is the loser. I hate to send it back but will be returning it Tuesday. 
Doesn't have to be. And I'm always wondering where people play gigs that a 500w amp isn't enough. Arenas without PA?
This is because the guitards in the band are playing half or full stacks WAY too loud- (because that is the only way they can get there tone. SARCASM) so the bass needs the QSC 2000 jsut to keep up. I am glad I have grown up, if my guitard won't be reasonable I am audi 5000.
I wish I felt the same. i want to like this head but just cant get a tone that I consistently like out of it. WHen I compare it to my TC 450 or Hartke heads this one is the loser. I hate to send it back but will be returning it Tuesday.
What you like is what you like, but just out of curiosity, what are the times and places that you can't get tone that you like?
While I decided not to keep mine for various reasons, consistency of tone in band settings had nothing to do with it. I felt that the range of adjustment (inside the margins) seemed to produce nothing but usable tones; different tastes, but all usable.
I felt that the bedroom tone (the context where I assume a lot of comparisons take place) was completely unremarkable and showed a more limited range of adjustment than some other amps, but with a band, it just shined.
In my years of playing I've come to the conclusion that nearly any reasonably decent amp can do nearly any type of music with a little adjustment of the EQ and the right cab.
It's more about the tone in your head and what YOU think sounds good. Not everyones tastes are the same so one person may say an amp is garbage and is hard to get a decent tone out of while another spends 30 seconds adjusting the EQ and is totally thrilled.
And yes I'd say the PF500 is a good choice...along with about 50 other heads.
Word to everything...although I put the PF500 up there in the top half of the 50 choices
Word to everything...although I put the PF500 up there in the top half of the 50 choices
of course you would
also agree to the original sentiment about any decent amp/cab being able to cover just about any style of music.
I liked my PF500 fine until it unexpectedly crapped out on me on a gig. Has plenty of tone shaping options and features. But I can't have an amp in the regular lineup that I can't trust to stay on. Simple.
