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Ampeg PF500 Query

Raw N Low

Raw N Low

If I can't hear it, hopefully I'll feel it
Jul 16, 2009
2,462
4,473
Denver, Colorado
#1
I have a chance to pickup a PF500 for $75. Although the unit powers on, there isn't any sound. Is it worth purchasing the unit and having a technician repair it? Or should I just look past it an invest in something else? I will have to ask the seller if this is a early model, as I remember Ampeg having some problems with these in the past. Did they ever resolve the issue with the older models?

I have tons of amps, and this isn't a need. I was just browsing along and found someone who wanted to get rid of it. Could this end up being a good investment down the road?
 
#3
Yeah, a $135 repair bill on top of $75 is not a great deal. $100 more for brand new amp with a warranty makes more sense. Well back to pedal browsing....

Would be a great deal for an actual repair tech with the skill. None of which I have.
 
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#5
I wouldn't do it.
There is no real gain in buying a broken amp at these prices.
For 250 dollars you can buy a used one that works properly.
(and then you don't have the hassle of fixing it)
>> on the whole, a PF500 is a great amp to have, versatile, powerful and great sound!
 
#7
rymiraflores said:
Has anyone ever worked out what it is that makes them fail? Too much; gain, bass, middle, master, 8ohms, 4 ohms, 2 cabs, 1 cab etc..is there a common theme to the meltdowns?
Click to expand...

Symptoms vs diagnosis. The newer power amp revisions are supposed to be stable so I would assume there was a design issue that was mitigated somewhat by not cranking the amp/eq. You can buy the power amp boards separately for $Invalid Link Removed, even then $75 for the amp, doesn't make sense if you can buy used working models for similar price.
 
#9
rymiraflores said:
Has anyone ever worked out what it is that makes them fail? Too much; gain, bass, middle, master, 8ohms, 4 ohms, 2 cabs, 1 cab etc..is there a common theme to the meltdowns?
Click to expand...

What made them fail excessively was solved 4-5 years ago. It had nothing to do with the amp settings. It's on the PF-500 schematic revision list, but you have to sign an NDA/liability release with Ampeg to get schematics.

You can still crank the bass high enough into a 4 ohm cabinet that can't reproduce that low to get the amp to protect on peaks. That's cockpit error, not an amp issue.
 
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#11
Goatee said:
Mine failed after 3 years, never been used anywhere near its limits and always through PF cabs. Anyway, SVT7 on its way but you can have my broken PF500 for £50 if you want? ;)
Click to expand...
That's a good deal for someone with a good class A/B or class H solid state power amp. The PF 500, and PF 800 make great preamps. I now use my PF 800 "preamp out" plugged into a Peavey PV2600 power amp. No more speaker pfarting at high power any more, as the Peavey power amp has great speaker dampening attributes...which the PF series does not.
 
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#12
Raw N Low said:
I have a chance to pickup a PF500 for $75.
Click to expand...

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

Says someone whose first PF-500 burned out 30 seconds into it's first power up.
Ampeg sent me a brand new replacement PF-500, it lasted roughfully 5 hours before it too burnt out.

Pass on this, it sounds to be a early PF-500.

If you must have a PF series amp go with a new or used PF-800, that model seems to have MUCH greater reliability.
 
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#14
shoot-r said:
Noooooooooooooooooooo!

Says someone whose first PF-500 burned out 30 seconds into it's first power up.
Ampeg sent me a brand new replacement PF-500, it lasted roughfully 5 hours before it too burnt out.

Pass on this, it sounds to be a early PF-500.

If you must have a PF series amp go with a new or used PF-800, that model seems to have MUCH greater reliability.
Click to expand...

When was this? Recently?

I'll counter your anecdote by offering mine. I bought two rev. D PF500s shortly after they came out. One was on discount from MF because it'd been returned by a TBer for "failure". I figured out who it was, and when I PMed them they told me the mid control didn't work. Not. Both amps are still working fine. I loaned one to a friend to cover gigs a few years ago when his MB800 died.

I sold one of the PFs to a local last year when I bought a Genz Benz Streamliner. He's still happily gigging it.
 
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#15
okcrum said:
When was this?
Click to expand...


Somewhere around 4 years ago.

I'm the T.B.er that posted the thread, "Another Red Flag On the PF-500", and caught all the flame for just telling the truth of what my experience was with the two PF-500's I owned and Loud/Ampeg C.S. response and the response I received from a authorized Ampeg service center on the PF-500....


....I used Ampeg products for almost 38 years, (even was in a touring act whose backline was furnished by Ampeg), after the ordeal with the PF-500's I no longer use "any" Ampeg products.
 
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#16
shoot-r said:
Somewhere around 4 years ago.

I'm the T.B.er that posted the thread, "Another Red Flag On the PF-500", and caught all the flame for just telling the truth and what my experience was with the two PF-500's I owned and Loud/Ampeg C.S. response and the response I received from a authorized Ampeg service center on the PF-500....


....I used Ampeg products for almost 38 years, (even was in a touring act whose backline was furnished by Ampeg), after the ordeal with the PF-500's I no longer use "any" Ampeg products.
Click to expand...

I think you caught the end of the bad batches. Bummer.
 
#17
Raw N Low said:
I have a chance to pickup a PF500 for $75. Although the unit powers on, there isn't any sound. Is it worth purchasing the unit and having a technician repair it? Or should I just look past it an invest in something else? I will have to ask the seller if this is a early model, as I remember Ampeg having some problems with these in the past. Did they ever resolve the issue with the older models?

I have tons of amps, and this isn't a need. I was just browsing along and found someone who wanted to get rid of it. Could this end up being a good investment down the road?
Click to expand...

I'd pass. Rev. D and higher are the good units if you want to have them check the board, but cost to get the head working will be about what you'd pay for a working head used. It's a losing proposition if you figure in your time and hassle.
 
#18
For a little over $150, you could replace the main PCB with the most recently updated one:

Invalid Link Removed

Installs with a Philips screwdriver and a handful of molex plugs. That would give you a PF-500 for right around $230. Still within a reasonable price for used. But would I buy it and chance that it's something on the main PCB? Probably not when BC has one new for $300.

But a PF-800 is great, though. I have one and it's been solid for 3 1/2 years now. I also think the extra headroom gives it a bit of a kick in the ass that the 500 doesn't. They do sound the same, but I've AB'd them into the same cab and the 800 just seems to have just a little more junk in the trunk, pardon the technical term.
 
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#19
JimmyM said:
For a little over $150, you could replace the main PCB with the most recently updated one:

Invalid Link Removed

Installs with a Philips screwdriver and a handful of molex plugs. That would give you a PF-500 for right around $230. Still within a reasonable price for used. But would I buy it and chance that it's something on the main PCB? Probably not when BC has one new for $300.

But a PF-800 is great, though. I have one and it's been solid for 3 1/2 years now. I also think the extra headroom gives it a bit of a kick in the ass that the 500 doesn't. They do sound the same, but I've AB'd them into the same cab and the 800 just seems to have just a little more junk in the trunk, pardon the technical term.
Click to expand...

I would be nice to have some confidence that changing the main board will be a fix, though I'm struggling to source one here in the UK.
It's odd that with all the reported problems with the PF500 I cannot find any feedback from people who fix them or have had one repaired, it would be nice to know exactly what the weakness is in the PF500. IF it is just generic unreliability due to component quality or assembly processes you'd expect the PF350 & 800 to have similar issues so there must be something specific in the PF500 design that is the root cause of its unreliability, Im sure Ampeg are aware of it but doubt they would make it public
 

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