How is Ampeg quality with new ownership?

[Polka1]

First off, Yamaha hasn't released anything yet for Ampeg. Second, the 4 Pro's early problems were back in the 90s under SLM, who was two owners ago. I don't have one but I've used plenty of newer 4 Pros on gigs and never had a problem. And all my newer stuff made by LOUD still works.

It seems to me that SLM really had shifty quality control. Most of my Ampeg stuff is early 90s, SLM built, and it is at best a little iffy. My early SVT2-pro especially. Lots of *** were they thinking when opening that up.

That said, sounds good when it works.

Thou shall not talk about the quality of CRATE amps. Though again, that said - I have a 20w Crate combo with replaced MOSFET and RadioShack 10" that sounds pretty decent and is surprising flexible for what it is - which is an early 90s SLM 20w cheap ass bass combo amp. Low bar.

 

[JimmyM]

It seems to me that SLM really had shifty quality control. Most of my Ampeg stuff is early 90s, SLM built, and it is at best a little iffy. My early SVT2-pro especially. Lots of *** were they thinking when opening that up.

That said, sounds good when it works.

Thou shall not talk about the quality of CRATE amps. Though again, that said - I have a 20w Crate combo with replaced MOSFET and RadioShack 10" that sounds pretty decent and is surprising flexible for what it is - which is an early 90s SLM 20w cheap ass bass combo amp. Low bar.

There were things that SLM did really well and things they did pretty badly. Like using OSB for the cabs, or the cabs with the dark sounds. But dang nab it, those hybrid heads they made were awesome once they ironed out the bugs, and the B100R and B50R are combos I wish they still made!

 

[seamonkey]

• Exacting emulation of the original Ampeg V-4B All Tube Bass Amp, endorsed by Ampeg

Ampeg V-4B

Good for YGG in acceptance and endorsing more modeling options. Hoping YGG keeps on track with modernizing of Ampeg.

 

[Fxpmusic]

Well hell...yeah, I'm a dumb ass.

It is a bass player forum after all...

 

[blindrabbit]

The bass players I know locally have had lots of issues with Ampeg. Sometimes I think they get more leeway than deserved due to “iconic” status, both in terms of quality and tone.

 

[JimmyM]

• Exacting emulation of the original Ampeg V-4B All Tube Bass Amp, endorsed by Ampeg

Ampeg V-4B

Good for YGG in acceptance and endorsing more modeling options. Hoping YGG keeps on track with modernizing of Ampeg.

OK, I just downloaded the demo of it and applied it to a track I recorded direct into my interface and compared it to a track I recorded with the PF-50T, which sounds very much like a V4B, and played around with it. With all due respect to my friends at Ampeg and this company, here's my one word review:

Garbage.

Here's a slightly longer review:

Clean sounds are OK at best, distorted sounds are buzzy and tinny, and none of them sounded anywhere as good as the PF-50T. If this is supposed to be a convincing V4B emulation, the only people it could ever convince are people who never touched a tube amp in their lives.

 

[JimmyM]

The bass players I know locally have had lots of issues with Ampeg. Sometimes I think they gt more leeway than deserved due to “iconic” status, both in terms of quality and tone.

Whatever. Yeah, LOUD wasn't perfect, and a couple models had hiccups under their auspices (PF500 and SVT 7 Pro), but the amps I got from them all work just fine and sound like proper Ampegs to me, including the 7 Pro I used to have but lost in the divorce settlement with my old band. As for the tone, Ampegs are made for the people who like Ampeg tones, and plenty of us do. Plenty of other manufacturers out there if you don't. Anyway, it's all a moot point now as Yamaha owns Ampeg now, but I'll put up my LOUD-made Ampegs against any comparable models in their history.

 

[Bass_Frequency]

I'm curious as to how things are with Ampeg in terms of quality since the new owners came in. I got a new CL, peob one of the first ones made under the new guys and have had no problems BUT it's a home amp, only been out 1 time. I've come to find a lot of problems with the older 4 pros and I wonder if it's still like that with new ones. I have 1 being checked out now, I love the amp but I'm not into constant repairs. Wonder if a new one will have the same old problems? I know they have a new warranty but that means little when I have a gig and it's down.

Anyone using new ampeg stuff on the road? How about the 4pro?

Ampeg doesn't sound like Ampeg anymore.. I owned nothing but Ampeg bass amps back in day. Now I'd own one as a back up Amp only

 

[farace]

There were things that SLM did really well and things they did pretty badly. Like using OSB for the cabs, or the cabs with the dark sounds. But dang nab it, those hybrid heads they made were awesome once they ironed out the bugs, and the B100R and B50R are combos I wish they still made!

I liked their willingness to put out some really odd products, almost in the spirit of the old Ampeg (Fountain of Sound anyone?). The IsoVent was sort of like they took a hotel ice machine and put speakers in it. With the two 15s clamped face-to-face. I had the SVR-215 cab with an SVT-III mounted in the rackmount section. Two 15s back-to-back. Somebody was having some fun at the design table.

 

[JimmyM]

I liked their willingness to put out some really odd products, almost in the spirit of the old Ampeg (Fountain of Sound anyone?). The IsoVent was sort of like they took a hotel ice machine and put speakers in it. With the two 15s clamped face-to-face. I had the SVR-215 cab with an SVT-III mounted in the rackmount section. Two 15s back-to-back. Somebody was having some fun at the design table.

Ya, SLM had some nifty experimentation back then. Some were cool, some were IMHO a flop. Never got to try any of the Isovent stuff, though, so I'll have to take your word for it.

 

[mbell75]

If Yamaha is going to start making Ampeg amps in their factories, they will be top notch. Yamaha has a much deserved reputation for high quality instruments and a high standard for what comes out of their factories. Even the lowest priced budget instruments are quality. If I were in the market for a new Ampeg, I’d be waiting until the new ones Yamaha is involved with.

 

[IamGroot]

Who are all those women looking at the bass amp?

 

[ofguilt]

Being from St. Louis and gigging starting in the very early 90’s I had lots of SLM made Ampeg gear. Some of it had issues for sure and some was bombproof.

I had a SVT 200t I purchased new that I had to take in to SLM enough times under warranty... They said if it had to come back again they were going to just give me a new head. It had some weird gremlins for sure if I remember correctly, the pre amp section was replaced a transformer a few other things to. Funny thing is it was my main head up until a couple years ago.

I had one of the early Isovent cabs as well. 2x18 isobaric mounted, 2x10 front facing and a horn. It was a beast to load in up stairs! For the drop tuned helmet influenced band I was in in 93-96’ it was perfect.

I had a cousin who worked at SLM who was a drummer.... needless to say I benefited from his employee discount

 

[2F/2F]

I would assume that the purchase thus far has just been administrative. I.e. I doubt any changes in manufacturing have been implemented yet. I was kind of hoping there would be changes, since I trust Yamaha's electronics so much; I am putting off purchasing a PF-50T until it becomes clear whether or not there will be any.

Don’t feel bad. Back when I got my Fender AVRI ‘63 P-Bass, I noticed that it didn’t say “Made in USA” anywhere on it. I freaked out, thinking I got scammed. I even posted here on TB about it. A fellow member pointed out to me that, because the bass is a faithful recreation of a 1963 Fender, it wouldn’t state country of origin anywhere on it. Many other members took turns making fun of me for it. Alas, those were the good ol’ days of TB when you could still completely delete a thread.

FYI, the '63 reissue was part of the AV line, not the AVRI line. It ran for a wonderful five years from late 2012 through late 2017 (AVRI was 1998 through late 2012, and before that it was just called the Vintage Series). Glorious period, that was. Best standard production line reissues Fender ever made.

 

[JimmyM]

If Yamaha is going to start making Ampeg amps in their factories, they will be top notch. Yamaha has a much deserved reputation for high quality instruments and a high standard for what comes out of their factories. Even the lowest priced budget instruments are quality. If I were in the market for a new Ampeg, I’d be waiting until the new ones Yamaha is involved with.

No doubt Yamaha is going to be great for Ampeg, but there are certain models I don't think will change. I can't imagine them changing the tube amps they have now very much as they still sell pretty great, although they are adding a new 50th anniversary SVT that has a couple interesting changes. Personally, I think the biggest change will be in the micros and combos. But who knows, really? I think Summer NAMM will bring us more answers.

 

[Spectrum]

Being from St. Louis and gigging starting in the very early 90’s I had lots of SLM made Ampeg gear. Some of it had issues for sure and some was bombproof.

I had a SVT 200t I purchased new that I had to take in to SLM enough times under warranty... They said if it had to come back again they were going to just give me a new head. It had some weird gremlins for sure if I remember correctly, the pre amp section was replaced a transformer a few other things to. Funny thing is it was my main head up until a couple years ago.

I had one of the early Isovent cabs as well. 2x18 isobaric mounted, 2x10 front facing and a horn. It was a beast to load in up stairs! For the drop tuned helmet influenced band I was in in 93-96’ it was perfect.

I had a cousin who worked at SLM who was a drummer.... needless to say I benefited from his employee discount

That thing is so retro cool looking. I would hate myself for dragging one out of my house and up stairs, but in the fantasy world inside my head my smartly uniformed roadies would do that for me.

 

[whero]

Before I bought my PF-500 and 410HLF, I did a lot of testing and a lot of googling. I saw a lot of reviews saying the 500 gets a lot of fault lights and cut outs, and I saw a lot of comments (pretty sure one was here on TB from @JimmyM) that there were some that had this problem, but a while ago, and they've been OK for a while. And that's been the case with mine. It's been played a lot, sometimes gigged pretty hard, for a few years now with never a single issue. I know Yamaha have a great reputation for quality so I'm sure they'll make great Ampegs gear, but I have zero problems with the quality now.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

If Yamaha is going to start making Ampeg amps in their factories, they will be top notch. Yamaha has a much deserved reputation for high quality instruments and a high standard for what comes out of their factories. .....If I were in the market for a new Ampeg, I’d be waiting until the new ones Yamaha is involved with.

+1. I've been very impressed with the quality of Yamaha's upper end basses. I believe Ampeg is now in very good hands.

 

[Tim1]

I have owned and played my share of Ampeg gear over the past fifty years of gigging. The only amp I ever had a problem with was ironically my favourite, an svt 2 nonpro. Still wish I had kept it. All the other stuff was fine, reliable and I agree with the person above who said people who buy Ampeg buy it because they like the Ampeg sound. Makes sense, even when it went through the "bad" phase the tone was still readily identifiable and worked in a live mix. Currently the only Ampeg head I own is a V4B reissue which does not get a lot of playing time at the moment but will certainly not be going anywhere, 100% reliable and has that Ampeg sound in spades. I am excited about the Yamaha purchase of Ampeg, they are a sensible and I believe financially sound company with a fine reputation in a variety of electronics fields - many years ago my brother-in-law owned a superb Yamaha hifi which is still going strong. I anticipate I may well be adding to the V4B once Yamaha makes its mark and I think it is a measure of common sense that they are not rushing into things simply to make a quick profit based on the name.

 

[Allatoona Rebel]

I'm curious as to how things are with Ampeg in terms of quality since the new owners came in. I got a new CL, peob one of the first ones made under the new guys and have had no problems BUT it's a home amp, only been out 1 time. I've come to find a lot of problems with the older 4 pros and I wonder if it's still like that with new ones. I have 1 being checked out now, I love the amp but I'm not into constant repairs. Wonder if a new one will have the same old problems? I know they have a new warranty but that means little when I have a gig and it's down.

Anyone using new ampeg stuff on the road? How about the 4pro?

Sadly, Ampeg has changed owners several times, but that seems to be the trend in musical equipment makers, in a very competitive market. IMHO, the best ones were tube amps made back in the 60's, with the flip top cabinets where you could store the tube top inside for transporting. They still fetch a pretty good price even in old age. The B-15 was a favorite. I've been using a solid state BA-115 for the past few years, although not on the road as such. It's a very decent amp, IMHO, and I haven't had any problems with it thus far. As far as the on-board tweeter, I'm not sure it's really necessary. The amp takes the kind of pedals I use (sparingly) very well.