• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Official Ampeg Portaflex Club

#3,643
Ya, I've got a 66 CTS in my 64 cab. Great speaker. Eminence makes a speaker that sounds just like it and handles a lot more power, the Delta 15a. But the CTS, while not necessarily being the best speaker in the world, does sound great.
 
#3,645
hennessybass said:
For those interested, Bullet Cable makes a very nice, high quality quality Coil Cable. I'm not affiliated or anything, but am an owner, and it's a good quality cable.

Lot's of color options. They are 30' long (I guess that is if they are stretched to the max). A little long IMO, also pretty heavy.
Click to expand...

+1 love the bullet coiled cables. Great for anyone using a pedal board as they don't get all tangled in things. As well as keeping with the old school aesthetics :D
 
#3,646
beans-on-toast said:
Nice amp. Those curly cords should be a requirement with old amps. They look so cool. :D
Click to expand...

B on T,

I was playing a gig once with my B-15N(C) up on a platform sitting on top of a auditorium stage. Without thinking I decided to move the amp back just a little and the whole amp dolly and all did a header of the back of the platform. I just happened to be usingtwoo Schaller curly cords. They acted like slinky's and stretched out to cushion the B-15's fall. The only damage to the amp was a bent corner on the tube cage and a mounting board inside the cabinet that holds the portaflex lid flush with the cabinet.
So, curly cords may just save your amp someday

Ric
 
#3,647
i've been gigging with the Vox coil cords exclusively for the last 6 years and have never had a problem with one yet and they sound great, but i want to try another one that has a smaller diameter and jacket thickness like the ones from the 60's (cool!). the lava coil cords look great to me and i want an orange one (the same color as my old schaller one that i still have from the 60's).

here's a comparison of the weights,diameters, jacket size and length of the bullet, the vox and the Lava:

weight:
coil-cable-length-and-weight.jpg


diameter:
coil-diameter-comparative-bullet-vox-lava-retro-cable1.jpg


jacket thickness:
coil-jacket-comparison.jpg


length:
coil-flexibility-on-stage-comparisons-bullet-vox-lava-retro-coil1.jpg
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
#3,649
The Lava cord looks interesting. With the smaller diameter, it does look more like the ones in the 60's but has the benefit of better shielding than the old cords have. I see that [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] also sells a 35 foot version.

I've been using Neutrik silent plugs for several years now and like them a lot. They allow you to unplug and plug on the fly without needing to switch into standby. I've read a report of someone having trouble with one but I've never experienced any issues. I figure, they are easy to swap out if need be.
 
#3,651
I recently purchased a Portaflex with an extra cabinet from a member of the club and absolutely love the tone. I was curious if anyone has had an issue with the buckles on the side rattling or buzzing at certain frequencies? I have tried small bits of cloth or tissue under the buckle and it has helped some, but there are certain tones on my P bass that still cause two of the buckles to buzz. Also, I am considering taking the wheels off one cabinet so that they may be stacked. Has anyone tried this? Are there rubber feet available? Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks,
Border.
 
#3,652
Ric Vice said:
B on T,

I was playing a gig once with my B-15N(C) up on a platform sitting on top of a auditorium stage. Without thinking I decided to move the amp back just a little and the whole amp dolly and all did a header of the back of the platform. I just happened to be usingtwoo Schaller curly cords. They acted like slinky's and stretched out to cushion the B-15's fall. The only damage to the amp was a bent corner on the tube cage and a mounting board inside the cabinet that holds the portaflex lid flush with the cabinet.
So, curly cords may just save your amp someday

Ric
Click to expand...

Oh man, your heart must have been pounding when that happened. It shows you how tough these amps really are. Plus one for the curly cords for saving the day.


David
 
#3,653
FenderAmpeg said:
Welcome BagelBruin, thanks for sharing the photo and sparking discussion on the 70's era, I get to learn some more portaflex history.

Oh and after David's story I went and rolled up the cords I left out........
Click to expand...


Thanks for the welcome. I'll take better pictures today after work. The amp is in amazing shape. The only damage I could find was a small tear on the bottom life grill cloth and a brown stain on the top of the amp near the top handle. I have amps from 2010 in worse cosmetic shape!

The portaflex even had the original price tag from Charlotte, NC, music store it was bough from in 1970-something. I bought this amp from the original owner, who has been my neighbor for the past 14 years. He used to demo Ampeg amps back in the late 50s and early 60s. He became good friends with the St. Louis era people.

All this talk of the chatter about coiled cables makes me want to start a club if there is not one already!

Thanks guys!
 
#3,654
Border said:
I recently purchased a Portaflex with an extra cabinet from a member of the club and absolutely love the tone. I was curious if anyone has had an issue with the buckles on the side rattling or buzzing at certain frequencies? I have tried small bits of cloth or tissue under the buckle and it has helped some, but there are certain tones on my P bass that still cause two of the buckles to buzz. Also, I am considering taking the wheels off one cabinet so that they may be stacked. Has anyone tried this? Are there rubber feet available? Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks,
Border.
Click to expand...
EVERYBODY has trouble with those side latches! And rattles in general...always takes me a good week to suss out all the rattles out of a B-15 cab. Not too hard to fix, though...just adjust the lag bolts on the lid until the latches clasp on firmly with the head in playing position.
 
#3,655
In addition to what Jimmy said, there is some foam that rings around the top of the cabinet that the lid sits on. It acts as a seal and can get compresses with time. If it is too compressed, there isn't enough upwards force and the latches are left loose and can rattle. Changing the foam might help.

These cabs came with dollies, not attached wheels. Removing them and adding a set of feet isn't too hard. If holes were drilled through the cab when the wheels were installed, they should be plugged so air can't escape and cause noise. You can glue in a wood dowel or use an epoxy filler.

If you install rubber feet on the top cab, make sure that they are tall enough to clear the handle, if there is one, on the lid of the bottom cab.

David
 
#3,656
Good additional points, David. Chasing down rattles can be a female dog sometimes, but the good news is they can always be eliminated if you know what to look for and are willing to spend the time with it.
 
#3,657
JimmyM said:
EVERYBODY has trouble with those side latches! And rattles in general...always takes me a good week to suss out all the rattles out of a B-15 cab. Not too hard to fix, though...just adjust the lag bolts on the lid until the latches clasp on firmly with the head in playing position.
Click to expand...

When I first got the '66 I thought for sure the speaker was blown when I first fired it up it buzzed/rattled so bad!

Yep, it took about a week, maybe longer to get it sorted out, from latches to loose baffle nuts to failing chassis mounts etc.

Along the way I still took the speaker out twice just to be sure it wasn't ripped somewhere.:eyebrow:
 
#3,660
beans-on-toast said:
In addition to what Jimmy said, there is some foam that rings around the top of the cabinet that the lid sits on. It acts as a seal and can get compresses with time. If it is too compressed, there isn't enough upwards force and the latches are left loose and can rattle. Changing the foam might help.



David
Click to expand...

+1 I use 3/8th weather stripping (narrow gap rubber tape open cell) from the hardware store as a gasket, and it tightens the latches up just fine. You can also try turning the lags a bit so the latch catches on the corner of the lag, rather than across it, to fine tune it.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back