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Has Ampeg made a BAD bass amp

#83
I owned a B2-RE a few years ago and it was just ok. I didn't hate it, but it was no tube SVT to say the least. Never malfunctioned in the couple of years I had it in any case.

But the B2-RE and the SVT450 are likely the most hated Ampeg amps ever made if you look on the boards and listen to reviews.
 
#84
My son the drummer played a gig a few weeks back. There were 4 bands, and it was pre-arranged that the bassists would all use one amp (one at a time of course). It was an SVT-CL with an 810 cab. It sounded great.

When the third band was setting up, their bass player through a 450H on top of the CL and plugged in. There wasn't much difference, but there was a giant PA so that helped, I think. I also saw a tiny female (at another son gig) drag a 610 cab and 450H into a smallish corner of the bar, and it sounded fantastic.

Is it possible they made good ones and bad ones? I've read CL haters too, but it didn't stop me from acquiring one.
:D
 
#88
fenderhutz said:
To be fair I have owned:

I know what good Ampeg tone can sound like. The B2, 350H, 450H, 200T, 400T, Portabass series, and the cheap Crate style carpeted lower end cabs (B series?) were not good Ampeg tone. I am sure there are a couple I am forgetting in this list.

Just my .02.
Click to expand...

Does this include the current B series cabs? I've been looking at the B115e cab.
 
#89
I have a St Louis Music era B2 combo in the single 15 format. It's 8 ohm power rating of 200 watts as a single combo amp seems to be a bit optimistic imo, but at 4 ohms with an extension cab it opens up. In fact with my SVT15E cab it makes for one loud rig. My only other gripe about it is that the tone voicing is generic sounding. Thankfully something like a Sansamp Bass Driver used to enhance it in the effects loop, while dialing some mids back in, and adjusting other e.q. points where needed, makes it sound wonderful. I've been complimented for the tone I get with my Bass Driver being my secret sauce with this tank of a combo amp. At 89-90 pounds it's a bit of a beast to lug around.
 
#90
brianrost said:
Their first solid state line...BT series. I've never heard one because every one I've seen was DOA...

Until I saw this on my local Craigslist:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

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Yes, solid state Portaflex :bassist:
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Yep! That one!
I bought one of a guy for $ 75 in 1979. The head looked & lit up cool. The tone? Well, it didn't have any. The tone controls sounded as though they were voiced too high & low for an electric bass. They added hiss & rumble. The amp ran hot enough to toast a sandwich.That cute way it lit up? I think( I could be wrong) that they applied direct voltage to that aqua material. After time you could a nice shock by touching it. Was rated at 100 watts. Sounded like 30.

One really cool thing is that the speaker cabinet was great! Exact same speakers as the B15 . I used the cab with a Kustom head for a good four years. Sometimes you can still find these cheap. Snag them for the speakers!
 
#91
Had an SVT 3 Pro once. I can FART louder than that amp. Had a B2R which I actually liked. Nothing fancy and abviously ss sound but very reliable. We found it to make a very nice amp for a keyboard.

Also saw a B2RE catch on fire last year at the Ozark Blues Festival in Springfield, MO. It was being used as backline. Quite a sight to see the smoke start up and then the fire out the back. When the bass player starts to head toward the edge of the stage for a jump off you know it ain't part of the show.

Having said that I think Ampeg is pretty good stuff all in all. They have had their troubles like everyone else has but the name is still out there and from what I can tell doing very well at present.

I have about three Ampeg promotional lights and several Ampeg banners in my garage shop that are way cool. Ambience galore.

May have to give that 7 Pro a spin one of these days.
 
#93
TattooBass said:
Yes the late 80s 90s svt 200t and 400t. Both were garbage. Not worthy of the svt name. The 400t and 200t I had were both problematic.

The solid state flip tops weren't too hot either.

They've made less bad than carvins made good ones. Haha.
Click to expand...

eh, i just picked up an SVT 200t for dirt cheap and that thing is music to my ears. it's all really subjective but if i didn't know the 200t was all solid state, i'd think it was tubes in there. so does everyone i've played this thing in front of so far. only gear heads know it's not tubes.
 
#94
I never liked the SVT III Pro I had (early 90's maybe). I hummed terrible and Ampeg and two techs couldn't figure it out. Plus the tone was just so so. That being said, I had an old SVT that (of course) was great, and an SVT 6 Pro that was great as well. If that thing weren't so heavy (and I so old) I would probably still have that one. I have played through a lot of sound company back line Ampeg stuff. Some was great. Some not so much.
 
#95
I have played 2 Ampeg amps that I didn't particularly care for. One was a backline 350h and the other was a friends 112 combo.

It's not that they were bad, per se, but they didn't deliver what I thought they should have.

I own and use a Heritage CL, a 4Pro and a 7Pro and have nothing but praise for them and would recommend them in a heartbeat.

I realize that many will say - well those amps (the 350h and the 112) are SS amps and I fully get that. However, I also use a Acoustic Control Corportation 370 (some 40 years old) and it SCREAMS in comparison......:smug:
 
#97
This is a hilarious thread for me.

We opened for a couple of bands when we were just starting out and both of them used Ampeg stuff so I used that. B2-RE through a Ampeg 410he was one and a 350h through an old Sunn 215b was the other. So I guess I've only played the worst.

I actually thought they were fine.

The only Ampeg unit I've played I didn't like was that BA115 I had to try to make work for a show. No way. I missed the point of that unit completely.
 
#98
Those cabs with the rear facing woofer with a front facing woofer and the rack space above.
Terrible quality control and could tip easily.
Pretty big sound in the store. Never saw anyone use one live.
Had Ampeg rep tell me people couldnt tell the difference between Porta bass and an SVT. He also said the volume was comparable.
In 1977 I had this little Ampeg SS combo.
It was so warm and musical! Very tubey!!
 

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