• 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.

So why ampeg?

#21
Just a matter of personal taste.
It`s a traditional brand often associated with rock music.

I`ve personally been using a B100-R combo for almost 8 years now and it`s fantastic. I`ve tested in small bars, larger bars, rehersals and pro studios: never let me down.

A great piece of gear, although I`ve seen that their quality has gone down during last years.
 
#22
SteveC said:
It's personal taste. I personally hate the sound. I can't understand why it has become a "standard" of judgment. There are so many amps that are capable of so many tones - and they aren't the size of a refridgerator, either.

Just be careful if/when you say anything negative about Ampeg. I have been blasted for sharing my opinion.
Click to expand...

I owned two different Ampeg heads, a B5R and an SVT 3 Pro and didn't like either one of them. They were ok, but not spectacular.
I got excellent deals on both heads, so it didn't cost an arm and a leg to give them a shot.

I played thru an SVT rig that Dino loaned for a multi band benefit show and it sounded pretty darned good. But I'd never be able to lug all that round. It was the standard SVT head and 8x10 cab.

I like my classic series 1x15 just fine though.
 
#23
I agree with Bassist -- I think it has a lot to do with Ampeg putting out an amazing product a few decades ago & it not only sounded good... but, it performed consistently (while sounding good) on many stages. Day in, day out, week after week, month after month, etc...

AND..... the whole thing about growing up watching heros with certain pieces of gear, like Jazz basses, Les Paul guitars, etc.... Ampeg SVT has made it's footprint.

Personally -- the first time I played through a SVT-CL, I was hooked. And then the first time I played through the SVT 8x10 -- I WAS REALLY HOOKED!!! It's just a certain sound that some LOVE, others not so much.
 
#24
I've used an older Ampeg SVP preamp, a B3/158 combo amp and I just picked up a little PortaBass 1x10 cab. I'm pretty sure all were St. Louis Music era, made in USA. I know my 1x10 is made in USA. I've also played drums next to various SVT configurations.

I'm not up on the LOUD era stuff. My experiences have been that Ampeg stuff has an "aggressive" sound - mid-heavy. It's got a really nice clarity in a mix. It does for amplification what the Stingray does for basses. It's a sonic trademark of theirs.

I've resisted Ampeg for a long time but I've got to say that at this point I really like them. I'm really thrilled about the little PortaBass 1x10 cab. It sounds great. It's perfect for what it does.

KO
 
#25
I just love the Ampeg tone in general I suppose, which wasn't always the case but that warm fatness and darker tone has grown on me big-time over the years.

I have never been a fan of twangy or super bright bass tones, and Ampeg (generalizing here) tone seems to be the opposite to me.

My problem is the poor quality control and the BS that happened to Ampeg in recent history means that I won't be buying any "new" Ampeg stuff anytime soon.

That's why I am getting a VT Bass and a power amp! :D (who needs Ampeg! haha, JK)
 
#26
Has anyone said the tube stuff from the 70's rocks?

THIS.

I'll add stuff from the 60's rocks too... the old "flip-top" B15: That's as much of the Motown sound as Jamerson and his Funk Machine [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
/not mine- just google image searched for it...

But why do people love them? The off the cuff answer is warm (and growly) tube goodness. The SVT was also more powerful than other amps that were available at the time they were introduced... But it's not just the SVT head that made the sound, the 8x10 cabinet was just as different- each row of 2 speakers was sealed separately from the rest of the cab... it resulted in a tighter, punchier sound... it wasn't ported so it didn't have the bottom end of modern ported *x10 cabs.

The popularity of the Ampeg brand? There are stories that when British invasion bands came to the US that their British made Hiwatt and Marshall amps were delayed at customs, so they bought Ampeg for their backline in the States- theory goes that millions of screaming fans and aspiring musicians saw that and associated the refrigerator with the "rock 'n roll" sound.

One final edit- to add that I don't own or play Ampeg regularly.... I've used an SVT head and 8x10 that was rented for a show and loved it- I've never been in a position to have something that takes up that much room on stage!
 
#29
I still think that most Ampeg amps I have heard have a characteristically "dark" and warm sound to them that other amp manufacturers don't have, and probably aren't trying to achieve.

Ampeg is the sound of old-school bass to me.
 
#30
Back in the day, there were two primo amp makers: Acoustic; and Ampeg. Having a historical advantage (and the only survivor too) gave Ampeg a market share that was the envy of its competitors (much like Fender basses).

Since then, Mesa Boogie, GK, etc. make very good amps (like P-bass like EBG from Schecter, Music Man, etc.). It's a matter of taste and what you are socially willing to accept. I am an Ampeg guy but I've been playing since the late 60's.

-richard
 
#32
I love Ampeg's tone. I can't decide if its the cabinets or the heads.

I practice with an Ampeg BA-115. Killer tone. Have owned an Ampeg SVT-II (non pro), Ampeg B4R, Ampeg 410HLF.

Currently running an Eden WT-550 and Mesa 400 with a Berg 610. Yes, I am a gear whore. :rolleyes:

All I know is, I went in to GC and played a new Fender V Am. Standard this past weekend. Started off playing thru a Markbass head into a MB 210 & 115. Sounded muffled and undefined. Lifeless if you will.

Walked over and plugged into an Ampeg SVT 4 Pro and 410 Classic Cab, and it sounded like someone took a blanket off the speaker. Clear, defined, open, warm & ballsy tone. Perfect. I don't even like the Ampeg SVT 4 Pro, but it sounded great.

If I was selling basses, I wouldn't let anyone plug into anything but Ampeg.
 
#36
Thinking about the disconnect between the "classic" Ampeg sound and what people hear when they plug into one may be that the sound they think they are going to get (from hearing John Entwistle, Chris Squire etc) is actually the Ampeg SVT and an overdriven guitar amp grinding out the high-end...

My recipe for duplicating that without buying an SVT and a 2nd overdrive amp? Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive and what ever modern head and 4x10 is laying around :hyper:
 
#37
By the early '70s, Ampeg had made three all-time classic bass amps (B15, SVT, V4), which pretty much solidified their reputation. I'd put those three amps up against anything out there today, but I wouldn't cross the street for most of the stuff they've made in the last 30 years. There's no question that they helped pioneer the field of bass amplification in the rock era, it's a shame the bean counters took over and ruined everything.
 
#39
(b)Assman said:
I can't quite figure out what this big obsession with ampeg amps is. Would someone care to explain?
Click to expand...

I don't understand the "obsession" part of it, but I think understanding it is completely irrelevant. There's no real understanding without trying it for yourself and making a determination about whether or not you like it based on what your ears tell you.

If it sounds good to your ears, maybe you should pick one up.
If it doesn't sound good to your ears, you shouldn't buy one.
Trust your ears, not someone else's words.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back