Ampegs vs good value brands?

[kosmicwizard]

Based on what????
Just because they are a bigger company and have a wider range does not mean other areas are an "afterthought". Who has not played a Precision or Jazz at least once?
Not knocking Ampeg, I love it, but let's try to be at least a little objective

Even if it wasn't an after thought, Leo was never able to make enough watts for his amps to be useful as bass amps. Fender today, otoh, are just as good as Ampeg, but a different flavour ... V4B = 100T, SVT = Superbassman 300, etc.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

Ampeg is one of the original bass amps. It stands for amplified peg because they used to wire them to the peg under an upright bass. They just sound great and i think somewhat unique. I am a big fan.

 

[Burwabit]

V4B 4 life

 

[ariwax]

A P-bass through my Ampeg PF-50T with fliptop 1x15" is THE sound of electric bass, to me. I've been playing for over 20 years, used all kinds of amps from all-tube to solid state to hybrid and back again - and I've never been happier with my sound than right now. There are many other options, each with their pros and cons, and what it comes down to is what makes you smile when you plug in, and what inspires you to play better. For me, it's an all-tube Ampeg amp.

 

[Alexander]

A P-bass through my Ampeg PF-50T with fliptop 1x15" is THE sound of electric bass, to me. I've been playing for over 20 years, used all kinds of amps from all-tube to solid state to hybrid and back again - and I've never been happier with my sound than right now. There are many other options, each with their pros and cons, and what it comes down to is what makes you smile when you plug in, and what inspires you to play better. For me, it's an all-tube Ampeg amp.

Me too - but a V4B into 212AVs...

 

[spaz21387]

I would take an ampeg over almost anything out there. The only thing im really drooling over is that new darkglass amp but i dont need it...

 

[Burwabit]

Me too - but a V4B into 212AVs...

Same. Good in many ways.

To the OP's point, I don't feel like Ampeg gear costs more than other good quality, readily available brands. Maybe at one time but not today. Peavey and Acoustic are not what I consider a quality brand.

 

[hintz]

Even if it wasn't an after thought, Leo was never able to make enough watts for his amps to be useful as bass amps. Fender today, otoh, are just as good as Ampeg, but a different flavour ... V4B = 100T, SVT = Superbassman 300, etc.

Thats simply not true!!

2 example's...

The 400PS!

435 watts of crushing bass amp, by all accounts it has clean headroom for days!! Only downside(besides being 80 lbs), you needed to run it through *3* cabs to get that full power!!

Which spawned the much more practical 300PS!

I have one of these in storage on the mainland!! This was Fenders attempt at competing with the SVT, but it sounds nothing like it except both being 300 watts/all tube!! Clean headroom for days, warm yet uncompressed, sweet highs, tight lows and LOUD, crushingly LOUD!! They made this more club player friendly with it having an output for only one cab(either 4 or 8 ohm)...you can level small buildings with this, the only head that comes even *close* IMO is the SVTII non pro!! They only made the 300PS from 75'-80', I bought mine from one of my bass instructors for $600, it does weigh 76 lbs. though

I think they were just left in the dust by Ampeg's reputation, as to why they didn't sell that many...

 

[JackANSI]

IMO, If Ampeg is the tone in your head, getting one is the best way to get there. Pedals, clones, whatever you call them, only get so close.

Every electric bassist should own one at least once in their lives, even if that idea sounds crazy.

 

[kosmicwizard]

Thats simply not true!!

2 example's...

The 400PS!View attachment 782608 435 watts of crushing bass amp, by all accounts it has clean headroom for days!! Only downside(besides being 80 lbs), you needed to run it through *3* cabs to get that full power!!

Which spawned the much more practical 300PS!View attachment 782611 I have one of these in storage on the mainland!! This was Fenders attempt at competing with the SVT, but it sounds nothing like it except both being 300 watts/all tube!! Clean headroom for days, warm yet uncompressed, sweet highs, tight lows and LOUD, crushingly LOUD!! They made this more club player friendly with it having an output for only one cab(either 4 or 8 ohm)...you can level small buildings with this, the only head that comes even *close* IMO is the SVTII non pro!! They only made the 300PS from 75'-80', I bought mine from one of my bass instructors for $600, it does weigh 76 lbs. though

I think they were just left in the dust by Ampeg's reputation, as to why they didn't sell that many...

With all due respect, i said Leo wasn't very good at bass amplification. What year did he sell Fender? What year did Fender make the 400PS and the 300PS?

 

[ariwax]

Me too - but a V4B into 212AVs...

Yup, the 50T has essentially the same preamp circuit as the V4B, just less juice. I don't need to fight with manic drummers or guitarists with Marshall stacks, these days, so I have the option of going with the 50W head, and for anything louder I can add a cab and/or run an XLR to the PA. The 50T also has a post-OT direct out which sounds stupid good on tape. That's kind of my point - Ampeg has a timeless sound and a great product lineup these days that can cater to all kinds of players' various needs at multiple price points, volume requirements, recording and portability concerns. Compared to other offerings I think today's Ampeg is pretty reasonably priced, and compared to the lead sleds of the past, extremely practical.

 

[mpdd]

never owned an ampeg, but if they made a 200 watt svt that weighed 50 lbs i'd get one

 

[hintz]

With all due respect, i said Leo wasn't very good at bass amplification. What year did he sell Fender? What year did Fender make the 400PS and the 300PS?

With all due respect, (and i will admit i glossed over the Leo reference until you pointed this out, my bad )neither company during the "Leo" years made a high wattage bass amp! Both the Bassman and Portaflex are both dismally low wattage by today's standards and both from 51' and 52', didn't Leo sell to CBS in 64-65?? Ampeg released the SVT in 69', the 400PS was in 70' ...anyways you are correct in your point, but I did miss the Leo reference, Apologies

 

[callofcthulhu]

If you're not gonna get an SVT, don't bother with Ampeg.

If you're not gonna get a Super Bassman, don't bother with Fender.

In other words, at the very top of the line, those two companies' offerings are genuinely superior. Their budget line crap is just as crap (if not moreso) than the budget line crap that every other company without the weight behind their name is putting out.

I'm consistently impressed when I find a Peavy or Acoustic (yes, even new Acoustic) at the backline, and consistently driven into a frothy rage when I see some off-model Ampeg or Fender there, usually it's some 90s solid state pile of garbage.

 

[JimmyM]

I disagree completely about Ampeg's budget stuff. I do gigs with Ampeg's budget stuff all the time and it's as good as anyone else's budget stuff in comparable price ranges.

 

[GregT]

I could easily gig with the less expensive stuff from Peavey, Acoustic, Ampeg, Fender, etc. I choose Fender. Others choose Ampeg. Peavey is everywhere, or at least it used to be. The modern budget music gear is nothing short of amazing. You can make great music on a limited budget. Good, cheap basses aren't so hard to find either.

 

[Nev375]

are ampegs really worth the money? What seems to be the difference between ampegs and brands like fender and peavy and acoustic?

I was unaware that Ampegs were significantly more expensive than other brands.

They are a long way from what is considered "boutique" gear.

 

[sprag]

Even if it wasn't an after thought, Leo was never able to make enough watts for his amps to be useful as bass amps. Fender today, otoh, are just as good as Ampeg, but a different flavour ... V4B = 100T, SVT = Superbassman 300, etc.

Wasn't ampeg being underpowered compared to the guitar amps of the day how overdrive got discovered

 

[javi_bassist]

Ampeg IS the industry standard, has been for years. Wait till you play an SVT3 through an 8x10. Every bassist should do this at least once.

I did four months and I can say it was awesome. I prefer my Ashdown ABM though. If I could afford a tube amp like an SVT (I don't remember which was the one I used. It was the classic one, but not the Heritage) I'd buy the SVT or a Fender 100T.
Ampeg has a powerful marketing behind which uses its own history, as Fender does with basses. I'm not criticizing them, I only have Fender basses because I love them, but there are probably better options for the price nowadays. But Ampeg is Ampeg and Fender is Fender and that's difficult to change. The fight for amps though has changed a lot in my opinion. Bassist tend to look for more (or that's my impression). Of course there are people who don't care a lot about amps and they choose something that they think it's the best (like the ones who buy an iphone because they think it's the best thing without knowing anything else and they are told it's the best).

 

[hrodbert696]

I guess to me, the question would be if getting an Ampeg would be worth the money - to you. It does have its own signature sound, and the best way to get that sound is to get one. If that's the sound in your head, then start saving your pennies till you can afford one. It's not particularly the sound in my head, and when I look at my finances and the things I want to spend money on (including music gear), $3000 for an Ampeg stack isn't in the cards. I'm happy gigging with a Markbass head and RevSound cab, which ran me about $800. I did used to play through the BA115HPT combo and that was a good combo amp. But it was pretty heavy and I found that I could do the same thing with a Carvin combo that cost the same and weighed half as much.