Billy Sheehan parts ways with Ampeg?

[zagralin_arf]

Billy just posted on all his network pages that he had a bunch of gear going up on ebay...and I found this page

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMPEG-SVT810T-8...53?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar&hash=item27b353c5e1

And apparently he has (as the subject suggests) parted ways with Ampeg! This is a shock...anybody see anything else about this?

Bonus for Ampeg fans...Billy Sheehan maintained Ampeg's for sale.

 

[xchristopherx]

Hopefully he slips in a copy of the Scientology: Spells and Potions for Dummies book in the padded cover.

 

[BillyIVbass]

I saw him playing Hartke AK series cabs. Still sounds like Billy. Billy can do no wrong in my book. Much love and respect for what he does.

 

[BillyIVbass]

This was from awhile back at a Sam Ash clinic. He was using 'em at a festival I was recently at, but like an idiot I was talking pictures all day of stupid stuff and ran my batteries dead on my digital camera before Billy melted faces.

 

[superbassman2000]

i like how there were no actual 810s in any of those ebay photos--just the box and canvas cover

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Makes sense. I never understood why he used Ampeg given the sound and tone he goes for but that's just me.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

i like how there were no actual 810s in any of those ebay photos--just the box and canvas cover

Oh, and +1

Just read this on the SVT Pro4 page:

"At auction close we can offer, at the request of the high bidder, a letter of authenticity of ownership and usage of this amp from Billy himself!"

Seems fishy to me.

 

[wade_b]

i like how there were no actual 810s in any of those ebay photos--just the box and canvas cover

Obviously if he were to open it to take the picture, it would no longer be "new in box" as advertised.

 

[JimmyM]

Oh, and +1

Just read this on the SVT Pro4 page:

"At auction close we can offer, at the request of the high bidder, a letter of authenticity of ownership and usage of this amp from Billy himself!"

Seems fishy to me.

nah, that company selling it has almost 5500 transactions and a 99.9% approval rating. that's pretty tough to do if it's fishy.

 

[KwinS]

Billy gave out the auction numbers on his MySpace bulletins, too. I think it's probably legit.

 

[80'sRocker]

As a long time Ampeg user I have to wonder if he switched due to poor quality of recent Ampegs (this is a complaint that I've heard more than once) OR is it simply an endorsement deal gone south?

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Hopefully he slips in a copy of the Scientology: Spells and Potions for Dummies book in the padded cover.

I didn't know Billy was *one of those*...

Too bad...

 

[LilRay]

All I saw were the 810's. Ampeg seems to be dropping/losing artist left and right. Quality may have gone to the crapper but I wouldn't think that would cause their EA deals to go sour.

What gives????

God Bless, Ray

 

[rappa29]

Anyone with a link to an 'official' announcement? Nothing came up (other than a link to this thread) in Google about him leaving Ampeg.

 

[Captain Marvel]

I didn't know Billy was *one of those*...

Too bad...

I second this.


Oh dear.

 

[ZiggyDude]

Ampeg has a new "Heritage Series" with better quality - you would think if the quality was the only thing this might have held him. Unless - poor quality overall with his name was an issue.

But I doubt that was the only issue. Hartke is not a high quality brand or even the Ampeg level. Last I heard at least.

Maybe he wants to stay USA made - Hartke is last I heard.

Or maybe Ampeg just ain't payin' the big bucks anymore.

 

[rmkesler]

Here's the 4Pro.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ampeg-SVT-4-PRO...22?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar&hash=item27b353c87e

Don't see him on Ampeg's artist list any longer.

 

[JimmyM]

listen, i play rented ampegs all the time, and other than the brief period where that slappy college boy moron jaime engen ran ampeg (he got fired a year and a half ago), the quality is no worse or better than at any time in their history. as a matter of fact, the cabs are a LOT better than the slm cabs from 2000 on.

what made billy switch are probably one of two things...

1. moving to china left a bad taste in some endorsees' mouths. i know for a fact that justin meldal-johnsen left ampeg because of it.

B. the slappy college boy moron jaime engen completely decimated the artists relations department and fired the people their then-current endorsee roster liked. which probably means they weren't making with the free gear like they used to, and it's very possible they weren't making with the special needs stuff that billy wanted, like eden speakers.

 

[JimmyM]

I didn't know Billy was *one of those*...

Too bad...

hey, it ain't my thing but whatever gets you through the night, you know? just don't go all tom cruise insane and think you know everything about everything. jeez, what a complete nutcase he's become!

 

[omnimutant]

Here's the 4Pro.

I dig that he's got sticky dot's on it, to preserve preferred settings. That's pretty cool Too bad I don't have the $800 to start it off.