Is Ampeg done for?

[lowendrv]

Might have bigger problems if a fifteen pound head is too much for you .

 

[3bc]

Might have bigger problems if a fifteen pound head is too much for you .

Ha, I broke my back when I was in my early twenties and blew up one of my knees in a motorcycle accident when a car pulled out in front of me when they were looking at their phone about 10 years ago. For me (and lots of others with bad backs) every pound you can shave off is a great thing!

 

[WillyW]

I only have 1 bass amp that isn't Ampeg.

All of my cabinets are Ampeg.

Yamaha knows business and music. Ampeg is safe.

 

[Grapevine921]

I get where you're coming from. Ampeg's catalog seems to be stuck in the past a bit. That's why I'm so excited to see what the Yamaha buy out has to offer! I'd love to see a new Ampeg rig that carries the torch and shows off what they can do with modern tech.

 

[Pings Bass]

Yep, they're done for, shame about fender too, rip to a couple of legends

 

[DJ Bebop]

if you want a '64 Impala SS, you don't go kickin' the tires of a Kia Soul.
i like both BTW

 

[BobDeRosa]

I agree with @DiabolusInMusic. Yamaha is one of my favorite companies. I own and love 8 of their BB basses. Let's see what they do with Ampeg.

 

[3bc]

I get where you're coming from. Ampeg's catalog seems to be stuck in the past a bit. That's why I'm so excited to see what the Yamaha buy out has to offer! I'd love to see a new Ampeg rig that carries the torch and shows off what they can do with modern tech.

Yes, that's all I'm really trying to say. I came out with more of a "hot take" than intended I guess. Can't put toothpaste back in the tube. Even the website is stuck in the 90's. Resting on your laurels is going to get any brand in trouble, I don't care who you are.

 

[Stewie]

Apologies, I see there is one 350 watt head under 10 pounds, and a 2nd 1x12 that weighs 30 pounds, but only handles 200 watts, and has a frequency response that gives up below 68hz, which is equivalent to a C note on the A string. So the fundamental tone of E-B are basically not even present. Seems like a kind of a useless product...

I often run an HPF st about 70 Hz to take the mud out of my (Ampeg) rig. Don't need it with my Fender amp, it's already there

 

[CaptainWally]

I really like my Ampeg SVT7-pro, and I love to play through an Ampeg 810E....when it's offered as a backline

But I think the OP has a point, and I mentioned it before on a separate thread.

Mesa, GK, Aguilar, Genzler et al. have pretty cohesive lineups of portable, lightweight and powerful gear that sounds great.

Ampeg's stuff is just older and heavier/clunkier than the competition. The PF series, IMO, is a specialty item, and it definitely doesn't work for me.

I'd love to see Ampeg update the SVT7-pro and tighten/lighten up their cabinet line. And ditch the lead sleds. I mean, really, are people still buying the SVT3-pro? It was a dog when I bought it over 20 years ago.

Let's see what Yamaha can do with them.

 

[agedhorse]

You are a perfect person to ask. I think it's obvious to even my uneducated brain that frequency response is not the same thing as tone, timbre, etc, so it's not a fair "simulation". Is it somehow possible that a cab that has a flat response down to 68hz can sound as "full" as a cab with a flat response down to around 40hz or so?

First of all, the Q and slope around the low frequency rolloff helps define what's going on and how much low frequency energy is contained above and below each cabinet's respective and comparative curves.

also at low frequencies, a speaker's distortion increases greatly, this alters the distribution of the harmonics that you hear.

Speaking of harmonics, the lowest 1/2 octave on the bass consist of less that 50% fundamental and even less than 35-40% with round wound strings and bridge pickup.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I didn't intend to start a war. I grew up as an ampeg player and was proud to be one. I don't think I'm being contrarian or provacative to say that Ampeg has been lagging behind in bass amp technology and new offerings and designs. To your point, Tone Hammers and SL112 cabinets sell like hot cakes, and at premium prices, because they have a "classic" "warm" sound but they weigh next to nothing.

I know my needs and desires to not mirror everyone else's, but I would love to see Ampeg do a modern design, class d head and NEO cab. Maybe Yamaha will breathe new life into the brand. Or maybe it will work out like when they bought Sequential Circuits and did nothing but wind it down...

I think in a roundabout way, you made Ampegs point for them.
Most other amp companies make their bones by copying the 'Ampeg' tone, a "classic" "warm" sound in a lighter package yet, not to the point to shut Ampeg out of bidness There are enough folks that want the original not the copy and they don't need you or me

The old Milwaukee Two Stroke is also still in production

Choices, it's good to be alive now!

 

[bobdabilder]

I played through a 4x10 with a 15 in one cab. Can't remember the model 1540 maybe?, but i could aim that like a lazer and cut peoples heads off it got so loud. I have read horror stories about their failing heads and shied away from their gear but God that thing was loud.

 

[40Hz]

Well it's fair to say I haven't played one.

Why, for some odd reason, does that come as no surprise?

 

[agedhorse]

What I find interesting is all these manufacturers claim their sound is similar to Ampeg with some kind of twist.

I don't think this is true for the majority of manufacturers.

I can say for sure it was not true for Genz Benz, Mesa or Fender. I can suspect with reasonable confidence that it's not true with GK, Eden, Peavey, Trace, Bergentino, Genzler, etc. either.

 

[2saddleslab]

Been using Ampeg for the last 2 decades. They still produce products that work for me, including the SCR-DI and their line of pedals. I'm looking forward to what Yamaha will do in the future.

 

[Fair Warning]

IDK......my happy median of amp head weight is up around 40 pounds, with my SVT-4 Pro. As long as you dont put it in a box, you can carry that around with one hand. Also, Ampeg heads get old, but they get fixed fairly easy in my experience and keep going and going. I do wish they would come up with a 35 pound 4x10.

When you are gigging every week, it sure helps to keep weight down. So, I did get into a GK 4x12 NEO rig and 800 Fusion. Big bass sound with light weight that wont break my back.

But lately, not too may gigs out there, so I've got the 810's back in service with the SVT II. Im old, but not that old.

 

[JimiLL]

Apologies, I see there is one 350 watt head under 10 pounds, and a 2nd 1x12 that weighs 30 pounds, but only handles 200 watts, and has a frequency response that gives up below 68hz, which is equivalent to a C note on the A string. So the fundamental tone of E-B are basically not even present. Seems like a kind of a useless product...

The 8x10 rolls off at 60hz but have you ever felt one of those fill a room?

 

[PWRL]

I've owned a 215 Classic, still own an 810 Classic, and my 212AV is better than both of them.

 

[3bc]

I often run an HPF st about 70 Hz to take the mud out of my (Ampeg) rig. Don't need it with my Fender amp, it's already there

I am not a foremost authority on hardly anything, and certainly nothing within the realm of music or audio, but this seems wild to me. I have spent a lot of time recording bands, doing live sound and such. High pass just about anything other that bass and bass drum around 100hz. But bass guitar gets high passed at 30-40hz, and usually a little boost in the 60-70hz range.