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PF-800
- Thread starter Steve Dallman
- Start date
All I know is I was the first preorder at Sweetwater and they have a good relationship with Ampeg. So, I'll let y'all know when I get mine! 
Okay, bear with me on this dumb question because the class D amp module versions confuse me - do we know if the power section in the PF800 is a "stepped up" version of the same module as what is used in the PF500, or is it a completely different amp module? (Hope that made sense.)
All I know is I was the first preorder at Sweetwater and they have a good relationship with Ampeg. So, I'll let y'all know when you get mine!
The PF-800 is on our way to us from the manufacturing facility. That puts it in our warehouses in 4-6 weeks, then off to dealers from there. Estimates, for sure though since there are variables with customs, etc.
Pre-ordered a PF-800 from musiciansfriend and got the 15% discount!!! Won't ship to April 22nd but I can wait. Im going into an '02 hlf-410 and going to write a review on the sound.
Hi,
I'm brand new here and admittedly a guitar player. (ducks, raises white flag, begs "don't shoot!"). I have a rehearsal room where I rent out time slots to other bands who use my room and gear and I'm looking to upgrade the bass rig possibly with the PF-800 and the PF-410HLF. I've seen some comments from guys on this thread who have gotten the 210 &/or the 115 and I'm wondering if that combination is better or might be preferred by real bass players. Thanks.
I'm brand new here and admittedly a guitar player. (ducks, raises white flag, begs "don't shoot!"). I have a rehearsal room where I rent out time slots to other bands who use my room and gear and I'm looking to upgrade the bass rig possibly with the PF-800 and the PF-410HLF. I've seen some comments from guys on this thread who have gotten the 210 &/or the 115 and I'm wondering if that combination is better or might be preferred by real bass players. Thanks.
Either go with the 410 or 2 x 115he. Of that product line, the 410 has best power handling in a single cab (meaning best single cab match for your 800). I'm also a huge fan of 15s, as are many players here... they are making a comeback and I think the he drivers + sealed cab give a great, punchy sound. I am not favorable of the 210 as I find it farts out faster.
Since you're new to this game, don't mix speaker sizes. Yes, a few folks here do it, but it's a gamble (potential phase issues, etc).
Ok if you are looking at a Portaflex amp and cabs first narrow down your cabs. IMHO the PF-115LF's are my favorite in the line, but the PF-115he's get a lot of love too.
something important to note, you will not be gaining volume with the PF-800 over the PF-500 when paired with two of the 115's. They will be mechanically limited to around what the PF-500 puts out. You will gain head room though.
The PF410HLF is a different story. It will have the power handling to make use of the power difference between the 500 and 800. A pair of stacked 115's will give you better dispersion than a 410 or a stacked pair of 410s.
"Real" bass players avoid combining cabs with different driver sizes. Or at least many have begun to realize the potential folly thereof, are making an effort to understand the low-frequency physics & psycho-acoustics involved, and have altered their rigs accordingly.
Seriously, there are a number of points of disconnect between the worlds of guitar amplification and bass amplification that might seem completely counter-intuitive to you, but which are nevertheless valid & important.
For example, proper cab design for bass instruments is a crucial consideration: bass cabs don't function merely as a simple box to hold a speaker, as with guitar cabs. Also the serious power requirements of bass are not to be underestimated. Some calculations call for up to 10 times the amount of guitar power in order to allow a bass rig to properly "keep up": 50 watt guitar rig = 500 watt bass rig; 100 watt guitar rig = 1,000 watt bass rig.
MM
I have the PF-800 with the PF 410hlf. I have owned the PF 500 with the PF 210he. That setup didn't have enough headroom and the cab farted out pretty easily.
Depending on your sound, either this setup or the PF115hlf would be better than the PF 115/210he. Those cabs don't seem to handle nearly as much power. They all sound similar though.
I prefer the 410hlf myself though. I'm quite happy with the setup and plan on getting another one here pretty soon.
Depending on your sound, either this setup or the PF115hlf would be better than the PF 115/210he. Those cabs don't seem to handle nearly as much power. They all sound similar though.
I prefer the 410hlf myself though. I'm quite happy with the setup and plan on getting another one here pretty soon.
I hope i didn't screw up.. i orderd the pf800 the pf115lf and the pf210he to use in larger venues. I'm mounting a pf350 in the 210he cab for smaller/practice settings.. 
Awesome! I have that same setup and I love it. Let us know what you think when it arrives.
Also now you can just order an additional 410 to go with the one you have just purchased for a modular 810 setup.
I plan on doing that myself.
My pf-800 and 410hlf arrived a little while ago 
!!!
Got them unpacked, plugged in and read the manual. Then I enjoyed some serious wow factor on my first run.
I cannot recommend this setup enough. I'm going to be using it mostly for my rehearsal studio (I rent out time) and for recording bass tracks on my own stuff and it will do just fine for those purposes as far as I can tell at this point.
I recorded just a quick bit in the room (not miked on the cab or direct) with a Tascam DR-40 and it sounds like its going to record like a champ. I'm really looking forward to adding tracks to a whole boatload of stuff that I don't have bass on or that I substituted synths for bass on out of necessity.
This thing gets loud btw. So, I'm pretty sure it would gig well though I probably wont ever use it for that. The only complaint I would have in that arena is that the cab is _HEAVY_ (80lbs-ish?). So, if I were to gig it, I would definitely get a road case for portability and to keep the sweet black diamond tolex intact.
The other thing to note is that the pf-410hlf is _not_ a flip-top. I thought it was but it isn't. Oh well no big deal for me as it's going to stay put for the most part. But something to note for anyone planning to gig with it.
I'm keeping the boxes for a few weeks just to be on the safe side but I don't foresee needing to return anything.
I might just turn into a bass player because of this...
!!!Got them unpacked, plugged in and read the manual. Then I enjoyed some serious wow factor on my first run.
I cannot recommend this setup enough. I'm going to be using it mostly for my rehearsal studio (I rent out time) and for recording bass tracks on my own stuff and it will do just fine for those purposes as far as I can tell at this point.
I recorded just a quick bit in the room (not miked on the cab or direct) with a Tascam DR-40 and it sounds like its going to record like a champ. I'm really looking forward to adding tracks to a whole boatload of stuff that I don't have bass on or that I substituted synths for bass on out of necessity.
This thing gets loud btw. So, I'm pretty sure it would gig well though I probably wont ever use it for that. The only complaint I would have in that arena is that the cab is _HEAVY_ (80lbs-ish?). So, if I were to gig it, I would definitely get a road case for portability and to keep the sweet black diamond tolex intact.
The other thing to note is that the pf-410hlf is _not_ a flip-top. I thought it was but it isn't. Oh well no big deal for me as it's going to stay put for the most part. But something to note for anyone planning to gig with it.
I'm keeping the boxes for a few weeks just to be on the safe side but I don't foresee needing to return anything.
I might just turn into a bass player because of this...
I believe its 78lbs, which to me isnt bad compared to the days of lugging around 110lb cabs. I see your point though.
It is loud for sure, and you are only getting half the power of the amp becuase the cab is 8 ohms. With another cab on top of the one you got its an absolute workhorse. You wont have any issues i dont think honestly, you dont plan on gigging it (not that it causes issues but it requires a much louder volume) and I have had mine since they released them and havent had a single hiccup.
I would have liked for these to be fliptop as well. I can see why they are not though they push alot more air.
I think its Ampegs best budget setup for sure. I like it better than the Svt7pro with the 410hlf classic, that i also love to bits. It just looks so cool with the diamond tolex and all.
It is loud for sure, and you are only getting half the power of the amp becuase the cab is 8 ohms. With another cab on top of the one you got its an absolute workhorse. You wont have any issues i dont think honestly, you dont plan on gigging it (not that it causes issues but it requires a much louder volume) and I have had mine since they released them and havent had a single hiccup.
I would have liked for these to be fliptop as well. I can see why they are not though they push alot more air.
I think its Ampegs best budget setup for sure. I like it better than the Svt7pro with the 410hlf classic, that i also love to bits. It just looks so cool with the diamond tolex and all.
