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Ampeg PF50T... do it or not enough?

Abrahampost

Abrahampost

Feb 22, 2013
307
99
Vermont
#1
I am thinking of switching up my amps and would love some opinions.

I currently run a walkabout into 2 bag end 15s. I am definitely keeping the cabs, but with my lack of gigging these days an amp that is better suited towards studio/home practice is appealing.

My main concern is of course.. volume. I get by just fine with my walkabout for the jams/gigs I get these days, mostly a trio set up usually running the amp at 3 or 4 gain/volume. I also use to play a v4b with the same group and usually ran it at 4 or 5 for volume. If you gig a pf50... how does it do volume wise for you?

I do have an older carvin head kicking around I could use as a power amp off of the ampeg, does anyone use the amp as a pre? Impressions?

Any insight is much appreciated. I like to have all my ducks in a row before presenting my case to the wife for a new amp!
 
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#2
It could work, could not. I'd say you're probably safe especially if you're cool with using it as a preamp. If you're cool with the preamp idea in live situations, you could even gig the pf20T, unless of course the pf20T can't do that, or you really want the bells and whistles that the pf50 has like the five way mid selector.

At any rate, I wish you the best with it :)
 
#3
Abrahampost said:
I am thinking of switching up my amps and would love some opinions.

I currently run a walkabout into 2 bag end 15s. I am definitely keeping the cabs, but with my lack of gigging these days an amp that is better suited towards studio/home practice is appealing.

My main concern is of course.. volume. I get by just fine with my walkabout for the jams/gigs I get these days, mostly a trio set up usually running the amp at 3 or 4 gain/volume. I also use to play a v4b with the same group and usually ran it at 4 or 5 for volume. If you gig a pf50... how does it do volume wise for you?
Click to expand...
I think a PF-50T might work, but it sounds to me like you may be pushing it a bit to keep up with what you do with the V4B. This call could go either way, quite honestly.
 
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#5
As much as anyone can tell anything from someone else's knob positions, this guy knows stuff:
JimmyM said:
I think a PF-50T might work, but it sounds to me like you may be pushing it a bit to keep up with what you do with the V4B. This call could go either way, quite honestly.
Click to expand...
and even he doesn't know!

That is what it is with predicting volume satisfaction.
 
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#6
Abrahampost said:
I am thinking of switching up my amps and would love some opinions.

I currently run a walkabout into 2 bag end 15s. I am definitely keeping the cabs, but with my lack of gigging these days an amp that is better suited towards studio/home practice is appealing.

My main concern is of course.. volume. I get by just fine with my walkabout for the jams/gigs I get these days, mostly a trio set up usually running the amp at 3 or 4 gain/volume. I also use to play a v4b with the same group and usually ran it at 4 or 5 for volume. If you gig a pf50... how does it do volume wise for you?

I do have an older carvin head kicking around I could use as a power amp off of the ampeg, does anyone use the amp as a pre? Impressions?

Any insight is much appreciated. I like to have all my ducks in a row before presenting my case to the wife for a new amp!
Click to expand...

Hi Abrahampost :)

The answer is always "depends" :D

I used the PF50t on a live jam (houseparty gig) in a trio last year.

i played through two 115 cabs and didn 't use FOH for the bass.

(comparable to what you do live?)

I was positively surprised by the volume. :hyper:

With the master all cranked up and the gain dialed to get some grind,

this little amp gets freaking loud! (talking about a slightly overdriven, mid boosted sound, think Jack Bruce)


I also played V4Bs on that kind of gigs. The V4B has more clean "headroom".
And there are gigs where I want a clean sound. (So :(, all depends…)


Using a "slave" with a PF50t is a good idea for live situations. (if you don 't mind the schlepp)
No idea if your Carvin will do the job or not, maybe your Walkabout will do it better, you need to compare.
You can use the balanced transformer out, to get your tube sound into a power amp with
enough volume to shake the room. :D

Or you get the PF50t and a good mic in front of your cab and always use FOH when you play live.

Or...


How to explain all that to your wife? :laugh: Well this is your problem! :roflmao:

Just my thoughts.

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass
 
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#10
Abrahampost said:
I am thinking of switching up my amps and would love some opinions.

I currently run a walkabout into 2 bag end 15s. I am definitely keeping the cabs, but with my lack of gigging these days an amp that is better suited towards studio/home practice is appealing.

My main concern is of course.. volume. I get by just fine with my walkabout for the jams/gigs I get these days, mostly a trio set up usually running the amp at 3 or 4 gain/volume. I also use to play a v4b with the same group and usually ran it at 4 or 5 for volume. If you gig a pf50... how does it do volume wise for you?

I do have an older carvin head kicking around I could use as a power amp off of the ampeg, does anyone use the amp as a pre? Impressions?

Any insight is much appreciated. I like to have all my ducks in a row before presenting my case to the wife for a new amp!
Click to expand...
It's always OK. Just mic it or line in the pa if you need more volume.
 
#11
Wisebass said:
Hi Abrahampost :)

The answer is always "depends" :D

I used the PF50t on a live jam (houseparty gig) in a trio last year.

i played through two 115 cabs and didn 't use FOH for the bass.

(comparable to what you do live?)

I was positively surprised by the volume. :hyper:

With the master all cranked up and the gain dialed to get some grind,

this little amp gets freaking loud! (talking about a slightly overdriven, mid boosted sound, think Jack Bruce)


I also played V4Bs on that kind of gigs. The V4B has more clean "headroom".
And there are gigs where I want a clean sound. (So :(, all depends…)


Using a "slave" with a PF50t is a good idea for live situations. (if you don 't mind the schlepp)
No idea if your Carvin will do the job or not, maybe your Walkabout will do it better, you need to compare.
You can use the balanced transformer out, to get your tube sound into a power amp with
enough volume to shake the room. :D

Or you get the PF50t and a good mic in front of your cab and always use FOH when you play live.

Or...


How to explain all that to your wife? :laugh: Well this is your problem! :roflmao:

Just my thoughts.

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass
Click to expand...

That does sound very comparable to my playing these days. I do worry a bit about having it sound loose on the low b on its own. That being said I run the walkabout pretty wooly.

The carvin has a power amp in and puts out 600 watts so that should solve any power issues if it does come to that... never mind a schlep if it means good tone(hell compared to the upright amps are easy!)

The wife always approves, I think I am the guilty one of keeping a one in one out policy.... now what to sell...
 
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#12
I would. Definitely!
If I could justify the near $2k one costs here in Australia, I'd have one too.
Being able to use the DI as it allows, is fantastic imo.
Also, imo/ime etc.... a 50w tube amp isn't THAT much different from a 100w tube amp in actual volume. And with the P50T's versatility :- use as a DI, small size & weight, etc .... I can certainly see one in my future.
Edit: can you use it silently with headphones?
 
#16
AstroSonic said:
How would you compare the tone of the PF50T driving two 115's vs the cabs being driven by the PF-500 via the PF50T?
Click to expand...

In all honesty, I prefer the sound of the PF50T on its own... volume-wise it probably would not have been enough to cover the gig by itself though. There's definitely more "authority" with just the tube amp. I know that sounds dumb, but there's a depth to the power stage that is just slightly lacking using the preamp DI.

Don't get me wrong, it sounded great... loud with the right amount of fur, and it carried the gig. A perfect world would have been a 1500 watt, clean power amp pushing the speakers so that I could use the transformer out. I know that the tranny out sounds absolutely fantastic straight into a PA, just not enough gain for the PF500.

This setup (PF50T pre into PF500 power) gets me 90% of the way there. Both DIs sound great! For the once or twice a year I run this loud, this setup will work great. For everything else, the PF50T into a single 115HE gives me all the warm bass I need.

Hope that helps...

-robert
 
#17
Depends on the drummer.
My current band has gone through two drummers in two years. The first one as far as we could tell found a drumkit on a trashheap on College moving day and decided it was good enough. Besides trying to gig a garbage kit, his attack was so hard I had to constantly max the master on a 260 watt class D head.
My ears hurt from his crash cymbal!

The replacement was much better. The Italians created about 10 different names for attack and intensity in the formal language of music. Too bad our current drummer is crazy, I could gig a 50 watt tube amp next to him, no problem.
 

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