• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ampeg PF500/PF350

Status
Not open for further replies.
#1,141
rejijo said:
IM NOT SURE IN WICH CAB SHOULD I GET FOR THIS AMPEG PF500 HEAD, IM BETWEEN A B410HLF CAB OR GETTING 2 CABS A PF115 PAIRED WITH A PF210
PLEASE RECOMMENDATIONS
I REALLY LIKE LOW END DEEP SOUND MORE THAN MID RANGE AND HIGHS
THANX
Click to expand...

If you're into huge low end the HLF is hard to beat. Remember though that the HLF is a 4 ohm cab so you won't be able to add another cab on the PF heads. I can tell you that the 500 kicks major butt with the Hartke HX115 HyDrive. That's what I have and it sounds real good lots of bottom and low mid punch.
 
#1,142
Seems I'm getting low output from my new PF-350, now connected to my 8 ohm SB112. Floor model sounded plenty powerful at GC, but that was connected to a big 4 ohm cab.

Regardless, this head still puts out 250w @ 8 ohms so it should be shaking my walls at WAY less than half volume. With the GAIN and MASTER at half (noon), not much sound coming out. Have to turn both up to 7 (or 2:00) to get some volume out of it.

I checked the cab connected to my Carvin BX1200, also 250w @ 8 ohms, and it's crankin so it's not the cab.

:confused:
 
#1,144
jeff7bass said:
Seems I'm getting low output from my new PF-350, now connected to my 8 ohm SB112. Floor model sounded plenty powerful at GC, but that was connected to a big 4 ohm cab.

Regardless, this head still puts out 250w @ 8 ohms so it should be shaking my walls at WAY less than half volume. With the GAIN and MASTER at half (noon), not much sound coming out. Have to turn both up to 7 (or 2:00) to get some volume out of it.

I checked the cab connected to my Carvin BX1200, also 250w @ 8 ohms, and it's crankin so it's not the cab.

:confused:
Click to expand...

OK I have to quote JimmyM from an earlier post in this thread on this issue.

JimmyM said:
ampegs like you to ride them like charlie sheen's porn goddesses
Click to expand...

Very true. Ignore lights, ignore "nooner" settings, and crank that sucker till it screams. Boost tone and gain. The gain control is your friend :) On my PF-500, it really comes alive with the gain about 3/4 of the way up and the tones boosted to suit.

Keep Low :bassist:
 
#1,145
60bass said:
OK I have to quote JimmyM from an earlier post in this thread on this issue.

Very true. Ignore lights, ignore "nooner" settings, and crank that sucker till it screams. Boost tone and gain. The gain control is your friend :) On my PF-500, it really comes alive with the gain about 3/4 of the way up and the tones boosted to suit.

Keep Low :bassist:
Click to expand...

I could not agree more. My pf500 with the gain up and the compressor light blinking in time with the input light make for a sweet tone you only get from Ampeg. Love love love my pf500. Best $400 a bassist can spend ... On equipment. ;)
 
#1,146
The pf500 simply kicks ass. I have been playing mine thru a svt 15e which can handle 250 watts. The pf500 puts 350 watts out @ 8 ohms. I have set my gain at about 1 o'clock the red light sparks up when I play on my E string. I have not been cranking the master volume in fear of blowing the speaker. Anyone blow a speaker with the pf500 yet?

It's hard to ignore the red light but the head sounds way sweeter with the gain turned up. My other Ampeg heads have no light so I crank those with no fear.
 
#1,148
I've been setting my gain around 1:30-2ish and running the master around noon, sometimes higher with one of my bands. These guys are loud. Way louder than anyone I've played with before. It sounds great all together, but damn. With these guys I'm running the PF-500 though my B25 cab with delta-15As. I get a ton of bass from this cab, but definitely not as much mid as I'm used to (or maybe that's just the ear plugs...). With my cover band, I rehearse with an SWR big bertha and if I go over 9 o'clock on the master (same gain settings) I'm drowning out the room. Very different situations. Either way, the PF-500 has been great thus far. I'm really digging it. An no Dan, no blown speakers yet ;).
 
#1,149
I turned the GAIN up ¾, or about 7.5 outa 10 and it does get quite a bit louder. From 4 to 6, not much, from 6 to 8, much more.
I’ll be jamming with it this weekend so we’ll see how it does. The tone is fat, sounds like a B-115. It’s smoother + rounder compared to the Carvin, which is punchy and clear.
The purple-blue lights look uber-cool on the Blue Tolex Avatar.

:cool:
 
#1,152
On my Ampeg amp I always have the gain at 3 or 4 o clock. That's when it blooms!

Simple question: what are the most basic sonic differences between the 350 and the 500? Does one suit a certain type of music better than the other?
 
#1,154
Rob Martinez said:
On my Ampeg amp I always have the gain at 3 or 4 o clock. That's when it blooms!

Simple question: what are the most basic sonic differences between the 350 and the 500? Does one suit a certain type of music better than the other?
Click to expand...
It would be a very sad day if I bought an amp and couldn't use it in any genre I could possibly think of ;)

Anyway, the basic sonic differences are in the voicing of the pre and the amount of control you have. The PF500 has more control and sounds better with a flat setting. But I believe you could get similar sounds out of each, though the PF500 would give you more options. Between the two I like the 500 better but the 350 is no slouch.
 
#1,155
Rob Martinez said:
On my Ampeg amp I always have the gain at 3 or 4 o clock. That's when it blooms!

Simple question: what are the most basic sonic differences between the 350 and the 500? Does one suit a certain type of music better than the other?
Click to expand...

This thread is up to 58 pages now, you gotta go back to around page 5 to see comments by guys who compared the two. Some liked the PF-350 better because it got "the tone" at lower volume levels than the PF-500. Other guys like more power and like the features on the PF-500 better so to each his own. If there's any question as to you power needs, get the PF-500 because it's only a hundred bucks more, plus it's got that cool tone selector knob.
 
#1,156
jeff7bass said:
This thread is up to 58 pages now, you gotta go back to around page 5 to see comments by guys who compared the two. Some liked the PF-350 better because it got "the tone" at lower volume levels than the PF-500. Other guys like more power and like the features on the PF-500 better so to each his own. If there's any question as to you power needs, get the PF-500 because it's only a hundred bucks more, plus it's got that cool tone selector knob.
Click to expand...

+1 on the 500. More watts is a good thing. Having more watts and not needing it is a good thing. Needing more watts and not having it, not so good. Plus you get the selectable mids as an added bonus.
 
#1,160
So, this is the 3rd time I'm talking about this now. I had a 350 and now have a 500 and they both did the same thing when I put a 4 ohm load on them. If I turn it up a bit, give a hard slap with my thumb or even just dig in a bit, I get a short pop, the sound dissapears for 2 seconds or so, then comes back. I've done this with a single 4 ohm cab (my Avatar), and two 8 ohm cabs just to make sure it wasn't my Avatar cab only. The amp's cool as a cucumber, it can happen as soon as I fire it up. I've also made sure I'm using a speak-on speaker cable, just to rule out the possibility of all that power going through a 1/4 jack being a possible issue.

I've watched the LEDs when this happens. No blink or flash. I've had the compressor up high, down low. I can avoid the problem by two ways - with a 4 ohm load I have to dial the bass knob way back, to the point where it sounds thin and doesn't sound like a bass any more, or use an 8 ohm cab (and the only one I have right now is a single 18). When on an 8 ohm load the problem never happens. Never.

It breaks my heart - the reason I bought this thing was to be able to use one of my two Avatar B210 4 ohm cabs... for practice, smaller gigs, etc. It would really have been the ultimate portable rig.

I suppose I can contact Ampeg and see what they have to say. Anyone have any opinion on their customer service?

Thanks for listening.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back