Another Red Flag On The Ampeg PF-500.....

[Woodstockz]

Well....there goes that idea.

Here's another idea. Maybe, you should go for a PF-800 main board. If the preamp is the same as the PF500, the board should plug and play. That way, you have MORE POWER!!!

 

[Woodstockz]

I don't know if there even was a markup seeing as there is a charge for labor and shipping. I really don't know if there is any sort of accepted standard or rate for that.

It could vary with the tech. Some folks that remodel homes or whatever do it a few different ways. Some will mark up every single little thing right down to the last nail and screw. Others feel that could upset the customer, like they're getting nickel and dimed right down to the penny, so those guys would rather start from actual parts cost and add something for themselves for doing all the sourcing and footwork and time rather than adding some percentage to every single little item.

Not trying to make the tech seem greedy or whatever. The $40 labor charge is a good deal less than most bench fees already, the guys hardly making anything on it.

After the initial sticker shock, I can almost rationalize the price of the main board. Many people said that the $400 price for the PF 500 was a good price for what you get. Some called it a bargain. Most of the electronics is on the main board, at least 75%. 75% of $400 is $300.

Look up some industrial Switch Mode Power Supplies in an Allied or Newark catalog, and try to find one with the same outputs as the PF-500. You won't. Find one close, and it will be expensive. After buying some commercial Switch Mode Power Supplies with only +48 Volts, I don't think that $300 is all that out of line, considering that you have 6 outputs, plus you get a powerful Class D power amplifier on top of that.

Both the power supply and power amplifier are on the main board. So, if the power supply goes out, you have to replace both. If the power amp goes out, you have to replace both. Too bad they didn't split them, then replacement costs would have been more reasonable. But then, the manufacturing costs would have gone up slightly to support two boards.

 

[hodgy]

No way of telling if the shop was reasonable or not. We don't know the parts cost.

I think Ampeg should refurb at cost for out of warranty amps and extend a new warranty. Keep Hodgy busy for awhile. He should get it down to minutes per amp. Board cost, what? I can't see them making anything on them if they can't get them in for $100.

I've already got it down to minutes per amp, swapping out boards is a no-brainer in these amps. A 4-pro, on the other hand... ugh.
*Edit*
If that was the case, I'd never see these anyway, they have a service center in New Jersey that would likely do such a thing for an uncalled for amount of cost. I get mad just thinking about it.

 

[will33]

Here's another idea. Maybe, you should go for a PF-800 main board. If the preamp is the same as the PF500, the board should plug and play. That way, you have MORE POWER!!!

That would be cool, hadn't thought of that.

Although it would likely lead to this guy blowing his pf210........he's gonna turn it up.

 

[shoot-r]

O.P. here.......

Just recieved a e-mail back from Ampeg about my asking to buy a Main Board for my failed PF-500 head.

It'll be $204.00 plus shipping.

They are back ordered 6 weeks.

Think I'll do this.......hopefully make the fix myself....... and trade it off!

I'll continue to use my Ampeg cabinets.......there WON'T be anymore Ampeg heads after all this.......

 

[will33]

O.P. here.......

Just recieved a e-mail back from Ampeg about my asking to buy a Main Board for my failed PF-500 head.

It'll be $204.00 plus shipping.

They are back ordered 6 weeks.

Think I'll do this.......hopefully make the fix myself....... and trade it off!

I'll continue to use my Ampeg cabinets.......there WON'T be anymore Ampeg heads after all this.......

Heh....we might end up going that way here afterall. Thanks, I'll pass the word along.

Safe to assume replacement boards will be the latest revision?

 

[Bowe]

O.P. here.......

Just recieved a e-mail back from Ampeg about my asking to buy a Main Board for my failed PF-500 head.

It'll be $204.00 plus shipping.

They are back ordered 6 weeks.

Think I'll do this.......hopefully make the fix myself....... and trade it off!

I'll continue to use my Ampeg cabinets.......there WON'T be anymore Ampeg heads after all this.......

That sounds more like a reasonable price, but don't be too quick to toss the unit unless you want to recoup the cost, but it is your choice. My vote would be to give it the goods and see how it works first, but it is still yours to do with.

As for changing it out Hodgy had it right, about ten minutes with a #2 Phillips and the unit is good as new. I took longer since I was checking out a brand new one with 15 minutes of run time, the hardest part was the voltage selector switch connection, the rest is easy.

The long lead time is irritating though.

Regarding the PF800 main board, they made the 800 about an inch wider to handle the board so ... but a stealth 800 would be pretty cool though.

 

[noiseguy]

Not really. Parts are cheap. Labor is expensive. I had a repair done to one of my mixer boards. The part? $5. The labor? $100.

Think about it this way. Assume shop charges $100/hr for labor. I can fix your mixer 2 ways: replace the failed part, or the whole board.

Scenario A: Replace just part: $5 part. I'll assume 400% markup, and 1 hour repair. That's $100 in labor, $4 in parts. $104.

Scenario B: Replace the board. $150 board, I'll mark it up 50%. 0.25 hour labor (replacing boards is much faster than having to solder things up). $25 labor, $75 in parts. $100.

Seems the same, right? Wrong. Scenario B allows shop to fix 4X as much stuff. So in an hour:

Scenario A: $104 / hr
Scenario B: $400 / hr

Which business would *you* rather be in? And, by the way, in Scenario A, the single replaced part *may not actually fix the issue.* Good luck getting paid for that. While replacing the board is nearly guaranteed to work.

This isn't a criticism of amp techs, it's simply business. It's less efficient to replace parts on broken boards, esp. when they're not really meant to be easily fixed in the first place.

 

[Woodstockz]

O.P. here.......

Just recieved a e-mail back from Ampeg about my asking to buy a Main Board for my failed PF-500 head.

It'll be $204.00 plus shipping.

They are back ordered 6 weeks.

Think I'll do this.......hopefully make the fix myself....... and trade it off!

I'll continue to use my Ampeg cabinets.......there WON'T be anymore Ampeg heads after all this.......

That's good news. Looks like that tech got a taste, or wet his beak a little.

 

[will33]

I assume the 6 weeks means they're making more over in china and we have to wait for the boat to get here. Must've run out of them in the U.S. warehouse.

Now I just have to figure out what I want for my taste.

 

[Woodstockz]

...

... but a stealth 800 would be pretty cool though.

...STEALTH 800...

 

[Bowe]

Heh....we might end up going that way here afterall. Thanks, I'll pass the word along.

Safe to assume replacement boards will be the latest revision?

This is a question for Hodgy on this one, with rev. H00 (ECOWD16207) J13 changed, would that have an impact with a board swap on an older unit??

 

[will33]

This is a question for Hodgy on this one, with rev. H00 (ECOWD16207) J13 changed, would that have an impact with a board swap on an older unit??

Thanks, I'm not up on all these different revisions, though I could switch things to a different type of connector or something like that if need be, as long as all the voltages, and whatever other stuff in the circuit is compatable with a 3 year old preamp.

 

[beans-on-toast]

When you got the quote for the replacement board, did they specify if it comes with a warranty? I assume that if the installation is performed by an authorized service rep, there must be some sort of warranty. 30 days, 90 days or something like that.

 

[Munjibunga]

The recalls by an auto manufacturer are a bit different since there is a much greater chance of death (to the operator and other 'innocents') from the failure of a vehicle than a bass amp, even then there are limits but those are due to governmental regulations.
But then again it would be the right thing to do.

Let's say the owner of a PF500 is playing punk rock at an arena gig. It craps out. The crowd demands more bass, but it can't be delivered. They escape the confines of the mosh pit, swarm the stage, and maim the whole band over it.

QED.

 

[Pimmsley]

Let's say the owner of a PF500 is playing punk rock at an arena gig. It craps out. The crowd demands more bass, but it can't be delivered. They escape the confines of the mosh pit, swarm the stage, and maim the whole band over it.

QED.

I see that as a lethal occupation hazard

 

[JimmyM]

O.P. here.......

Just recieved a e-mail back from Ampeg about my asking to buy a Main Board for my failed PF-500 head.

It'll be $204.00 plus shipping.

Ya, that's a little lower than $310. A $106 taste + $40 labor = $146. Not bad for half an hour's work, most of which would be repacking.

 

[Downunderwonder]

I see that price as double dipping by Ampeg.

Designed, assembled, tested, warrantied, stored, shipped, complete amp from retailer out the door: $400. Nothing in it for Ampeg if boards cost them anything like $204 per unit.

I don't care that it's a cheap amp, limited life expectancy. What they are doing is getting customers to do the final stage of product development and pay for the failures twice.

 

[B-string]

I guess we are also assuming the shop pays only $204 for the same board, what is the list per Ampeg/LOUD for auth. repair centers? What is the repair center cost?

I know, facts have no place in TB.

I'm sure Ampeg is still getting their "taste" for these failures.

 

[Munjibunga]

Cool. TB has a new word. Taste.