NCD: Ampeg PF-115LF x2 (Beautiful but.....)

[MICKUSS]

I sold my Fender 215 Pro to get two separate 1x15s. These Ampeg Poraflex cabs were the most appealing to me visually, financially, and I thought the sound would be perfect.
I recently played a gig with them and my sound was horrible. FART CITY. The cabs don't like any gain or bass coming from my Traynor YBA200(all tube). My bass is the standard Precision with flatwounds. Playing around at home I was able to get a good sound using less gain and a Jazz bass with roundwounds.
One of the cabs is brand new so I can return it for full refund. Kind of stuck with the other one. Am I crazy to break up such a beautiful pair?

 

[MICKUSS]

Maybe I should elaborate more about the sound I'm after. I've been running my amp through an Ampeg SVT-410HE where my band jams(loud rock). I love how it sounds and I'm guessing it's due to the 410E being a sealed cab as opposed to ported. It lacks a bit of low end but it's punchy!

 

[Kro]

FART CITY.

I've never played through those, but I'd expect that combo to be fairly potent. Any chance maybe something is wrong with one of them? Have you checked the polarity with the 9v battery test by any chance? Maybe one is running flipped...

Also, those settings don't seem really extreme or anything either. If a single 410 was enough for you I'd expect two 15s to at the very least not be farting out at similar volume levels. Very interesting...

 

[MICKUSS]

I've never played through those, but I'd expect that combo to be fairly potent. Any chance maybe something is wrong with one of them? Have you checked the polarity with the 9v battery test by any chance? Maybe one is running flipped...

Also, those settings don't seem really extreme or anything either. If a single 410 was enough for you I'd expect two 15s to at the very least not be farting out at similar volume levels. Very interesting...

I expected this setup to be "the last rig I ever buy" for at least a few years. Haha. I think I just need to do some amp tweaking(tube swapping) and maybe look at my pickup heights on the bass. I just actually tried to return one cab and there's a $60 re-stocking fee. I'll be keeping them both.

What's the 9V battery test?

 

[quickfix]

I like Traynor but not the YBA200. Made my Ampeg cabs sound just like you say. Both the PF115LF and the PF115HE.
The YBA 300 had no such problem. Nor does any other amp on those speakers.
Just the YBA200. It was no better on rented Traynor cabs either. Even with full damping dialed in it sounded like $#!t. Tried to make it sound good. There's just no way to get volume out of the YBA200 without farting.
I kept it for two days before returning it.

I'd return the amp before I'd return the speakers.
BTW...I'm no real fan of the speakers either, but they're not farty with a well damped amp.

 

[Lovep]

Try taking off the grill and tightening the screws where the speaker is mounted. I got a bit of fartiness from my 212AV and 210AVs at higher volumes. I was quite frustrated and was about to return the 212AV...then I tightened the screws and wow!...nice and clean sound now. Give it a try before selling.

 

[MICKUSS]

Try taking off the grill and tightening the screws where the speaker is mounted. I got a bit of fartiness from my 212AV and 210AVs at higher volumes. I was quite frustrated and was about to return the 212AV...then I tightened the screws and wow!...nice and clean sound now. Give it a try before selling.

Thanks. I'll try that.

 

[MICKUSS]

I like Traynor but not the YBA200. Made my Ampeg cabs sound just like you say. Both the PF115LF and the PF115HE.
The YBA 300 had no such problem. Nor does any other amp on those speakers.
Just the YBA200. It was no better on rented Traynor cabs either. Even with full damping dialed in it sounded like $#!t. Tried to make it sound good. There's just no way to get volume out of the YBA200 without farting.
I kept it for two days before returning it.

I'd return the amp before I'd return the speakers.
BTW...I'm no real fan of the speakers either, but they're not farty with a well damped amp.

Wow good to know, I guess. I'm going to try some different amps with the cabs. Knowing how my Traynor sounds with other cabs I've tried, I think you're right. The Ampeg 410HE is really the only cab that sounds good with the YBA200.

 

[Kro]

What's the 9V battery test?

Take your cabs, hook up your speaker cables, and grab a 9v battery. Do those cabs have horns that can be attenuated? If so, turn them as low as possible.

Take the battery and quickly tap the - side to the sleeve and the + to the tip of your speaker cable plug. The speaker should either move in or out upon each touch.

Both cabs' drivers should move in the exact same direction with the + and - applied consistently to the plugs. If not, there may be a wiring issue that has your cabs fighting each other and canceling each other out. This issue isn't all that common when purchasing matching cabs, but it's not exactly rare either.

 

[lowendrv]

Take your cabs, hook up your speaker cables, and grab a 9v battery. Do those cabs have horns that can be attenuated? If so, turn them as low as possible.

Take the battery and quickly tap the - side to the sleeve and the + to the tip of your speaker cable plug. The speaker should either move in or out upon each touch.

Both cabs' drivers should move in the exact same direction with the + and - applied consistently to the plugs. If not, there may be a wiring issue that has your cabs fighting each other and canceling each other out. This issue isn't all that common when purchasing matching cabs, but it's not exactly rare either.

And one cab was used . Who knows what the first owner did . Folks pull speakers out for no reason a lot . May not have reinstalled correctly .

 

[MICKUSS]

Take your cabs, hook up your speaker cables, and grab a 9v battery. Do those cabs have horns that can be attenuated? If so, turn them as low as possible.

Take the battery and quickly tap the - side to the sleeve and the + to the tip of your speaker cable plug. The speaker should either move in or out upon each touch.

Both cabs' drivers should move in the exact same direction with the + and - applied consistently to the plugs. If not, there may be a wiring issue that has your cabs fighting each other and canceling each other out. This issue isn't all that common when purchasing matching cabs, but it's not exactly rare either.

Thanks for the info! I'll try that but I'm pretty sure my problem is the Traynor head now.

 

[Kro]

Thanks for the info! I'll try that but I'm pretty sure my problem is the Traynor head now.

Did you like that head with other cabs though? Times like these, it's always best to try and swap various components in and out to try and pinpoint where the issue is actually coming from.

 

[MICKUSS]

Did you like that head with other cabs though? Times like these, it's always best to try and swap various components in and out to try and pinpoint where the issue is actually coming from.

I like it with the Ampeg 410HE sealed cab. It sounded ok(not great) with my Fender 215 Pro. I might try to rent\borrow some different heads to test with the cabs.

 

[abarson]

Based on your initial post, I get the impression you bought these based on aesthetics. Did you not have a chance to try them before you purchased them?

 

[MICKUSS]

Based on your initial post, I get the impression you bought these based on aesthetics. Did you not have a chance to try them before you purchased them?

Looks, price, and power handling got me interested in the PF cabs. These were special orders through Long & McQuade so I didn't try beforehand. Well, tried the first cab when it arrived. Thought it sounded good but just no loud enough.

 

[acubass]

The few shows I used two of these amps I realized I did not like the sound of them stacked. Something about the way it hit my ears. I much preferred them side by side. Weird I know but that’s my experience. FWIW I went with a Heritage 410HLF and am happy.

 

[MICKUSS]

Well, seems like it's the Traynor head giving me my troubles. Low, farty output through some other cabs too. Bad tubes? Tried an old Road solid state head with just one of the 15s last night and it sounded great and was plenty loud.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I feel that perhaps your Traynor amp doesn’t have enough power to drive the cabinets to their sweet spot. What are the power ratings of the PF 15s?

 

[Bass 45]

I hope the head is a simple fix. I had two of those PF115LF's and they sounded awesome together. Don't give up on them. Make sure they both have the original speakers and are wired in phase (battery test).

 

[rok51]

I like Traynor but not the YBA200. Made my Ampeg cabs sound just like you say. Both the PF115LF and the PF115HE.
The YBA 300 had no such problem. Nor does any other amp on those speakers.
Just the YBA200. It was no better on rented Traynor cabs either. Even with full damping dialed in it sounded like $#!t. Tried to make it sound good. There's just no way to get volume out of the YBA200 without farting.
I kept it for two days before returning it.

I'd return the amp before I'd return the speakers.
BTW...I'm no real fan of the speakers either, but they're not farty with a well damped amp.

I experienced the same situation with a pair of GS 112s and an early YBA 200. I couldn't get any volume without farting out. I tried to play with the damping...no matter what I tried, the amp just sounded too "loose". Honestly, it might have worked, but after trying all my quick fixes without success, I just returned the YBA 200. That said, I actually like and respect Traynor/Yorkville gear.