Since JimmyM isn't around I was hoping someone else could fill in the gap for now. So any of you pf500 users are welcome to lay down your pro's and con's for this head. In my imagination I'm pairing it with a Barefaced Super Twelve. 
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Ampeg pf500 review?
- Thread starter Bright Midnight
- Start date
I love my PF500, but I'm still longing a bit for a 7Pro. If you run at high volumes, that upgrade is a no brainer....
ButtUglyJeff said:
I had both at the same time. I like both too. Sold the pf500 and kept the 7 pro. Do not regret the decision at all. When I play quietly the 7 pro does it. When I need to play loud the 7 pro does it. Kind of a no brained me for my situation. If you don't need to be loud then I think the pf500 is fine.
I've played a 350, owned a 500 and now currently own the 7pro. The 500 will get plenty loud. With the right cabinet you wouldn't need the 7pro. The 7pro is remarkably louder though and has gobs more headroom.
Tonally all sound great. The 7 pro is my personal fav after recently having the pf500. Which I at first thought sounded better than the 7pro. After a while though I realized the 7pro is a much better head. I parted ways with my pf500 but it sounds great. I just prefer the 7.
Tonally all sound great. The 7 pro is my personal fav after recently having the pf500. Which I at first thought sounded better than the 7pro. After a while though I realized the 7pro is a much better head. I parted ways with my pf500 but it sounds great. I just prefer the 7.
ButtUglyJeff said:
Yes it is a good back up. Believe or not, for my gig through my 8x10, the pf500 is not loud enough. I play a lot of time on a big stAge with a very loud band. I have other amps that are loud enough. They are not ampeg so I won't get that tone, but I will still be able to hear my bass. So, I let the pf500 go. It is a great little amp though.
This Q is for anyone that uses the PF500's audio in (1/8") along with headphones. What kind of double ended connection are you using between your Ipod and the head ? And, can a crappy one of these cords make it sound bad even if you've got decent headphones ? Doesn't even sound like stereo. I tried using this jack in my car too and it was bad as well. I guess maybe I'm, looking for a brand name to search for so I know what to buy. This one was cheap, and maybe I got what I paid for. What works well ?
I'm not sure if anyone else has made this discovery yet, but if you clip the compressor on the head, it gives a pretty natural sounding tubey overdrive. Usually when I run my VT Bass, I bump the level knob on it to increase the drive, rather than the drive knob. I think it sounds better.
OK, I've not summed my pros and cons yet, so here you go.
Cons:
It's heavier than similar wattage micro amps.
The fan is a bit louder than some other micro amps, though not enough to be a distraction.
The mid-control seems to only work at the extreme ends of its sweep.
You can't run the aux. input out through the speakers.
Pros:
Sounds awesome.
Useful compressor.
Plenty of volume/power for most applications.
It really sounds so good that you'll forget about the cons.
Cons:
It's heavier than similar wattage micro amps.
The fan is a bit louder than some other micro amps, though not enough to be a distraction.
The mid-control seems to only work at the extreme ends of its sweep.
You can't run the aux. input out through the speakers.
Pros:
Sounds awesome.
Useful compressor.
Plenty of volume/power for most applications.
It really sounds so good that you'll forget about the cons.
I've gigged it bout 20 times with my 410HLF and love the tone and the volume. Another
bass player heard me and sold his Eden rig and bought a PF500 because he liked my tone so much.
Cons: First one I got didn't work out of the box. Got another and haven't looked back.
bass player heard me and sold his Eden rig and bought a PF500 because he liked my tone so much.
Cons: First one I got didn't work out of the box. Got another and haven't looked back.
Strange - I played through a pf500 at Guitar Center recently. It sounded gutless and hissy to me... maybe it was just a defective unit?
Just got mine a few days ago, it's pretty nasty. I did at first find it a little weak sounding so I rolled the treble to about 10 o'clock and left everything else at 12 and it sounds great with power for days. And in a11 pound package, wow.
The PF 500 is every inch an Ampeg. If you like that sound, you'll be very happy with it. There's enough power for most people, too. They're easy to use, light, loud, and sound good. While it emulates the sound of an SVT pretty well, it doesn't quite capture the tube warmth when running clean. Push the gain up into "distortion," though, and it really sounds great. It's a knob-twiddler, though. You really have to be willing to twist the knobs to get the most from it.
I'm on my second PF500 head, as the first one had a dead clip indicator light stage, plus it wasn't making volume until cranked pretty high. The second head is much better.
With head #2 I'm very, very, happy with the tone as I'm very much an Ampeg fan boy. I'm still not convinced it's making the power rating that Ampeg claims for it, as I've tested it against the head in my Ampeg B2 combo, and an old Peavey Mark IV head I have with various cabs, and to be honest the Peavey at 210 watts at 4 ohms makes a little more volume with headroom than my PF500 does at a supposed rating of 500 watts. And yes I know that there won't be a significant difference in decibel output between 200-300 watt head, and one claiming 500 watts. However matched with the PF210 cab, it's fine for a practical combo amp, with decent volume and a tone voicing that makes me a happy boy.
I'd like to see somebody lab test both the PF350 and PF500 heads to see what their outputs really are. Anyways I'm still happy with my new PF rig.
With head #2 I'm very, very, happy with the tone as I'm very much an Ampeg fan boy. I'm still not convinced it's making the power rating that Ampeg claims for it, as I've tested it against the head in my Ampeg B2 combo, and an old Peavey Mark IV head I have with various cabs, and to be honest the Peavey at 210 watts at 4 ohms makes a little more volume with headroom than my PF500 does at a supposed rating of 500 watts. And yes I know that there won't be a significant difference in decibel output between 200-300 watt head, and one claiming 500 watts. However matched with the PF210 cab, it's fine for a practical combo amp, with decent volume and a tone voicing that makes me a happy boy.
I'd like to see somebody lab test both the PF350 and PF500 heads to see what their outputs really are. Anyways I'm still happy with my new PF rig.
