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Tonehammer350 or PF50T soundwise

niels1

niels1

Mar 18, 2006
61
156
Europe
#1
First let me thank you all for continously expanding this incredible base of knowledge. Very much appreciated. This is my first post but I`ve been following TB for a decade.

I`ve got a vintage V4B for band rehearsal. At home I use a Tonehammer 350 for recording (DI only) and practice. It is really nice but sometimes I wish it was more open sounding (more highs? user error maybe?) and I also find the noise from the fan disturbing. Now I`ve got GAS for a PF50T at a good price. Dreaming of some Ampegtube magic. There is no place to try the PF20/50T where I live. Wattage is no concern, sound is. The TH is probably the most versatile but no real tubes.. How do you compare them soundwise? I would be thankfull if someone with knowledge would share some thoughts.
 
#7
Thank you for the replies. That was all in favor of the Ampeg. What you say about the real difference with tubes makes my decision I guess. As much as I love the V4B I wasn`t sure about the difference when recording DI. One option would be to keep the Tonehammer and add the PF20T. But the selectable mid.freq. is an big advantage in my opinion. GAS has not been weakened...
 
#8
JimmyM said:
I hope you're wrong about that. Seems to sell pretty well as does the 50T. But since a new company owns Ampeg, everything but the SVT's are fair game.
Click to expand...

I suppose there might be a new distributor for that reason and the current distributor (Polar) set up a crazy deal with Kenny's in Scotland in order to shift remaining stock. All conjecture on my part. Either way, it's lowered prices across the board.
 
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#9
I have both a TH500 and PF20T. The TH500 is the most "tubey" sounding non-tube head I've heard, IMO. I can dial in a pretty convincing SVTish sound with it - especially given that I run it through Ampeg cabs.

That being said, I use the PF20T in the studio (tranny DI out right to the DAW patch panel) and for some small venue gigs. It's amazing how much volume the 20T puts out with the right cabs.
To me, the 20T has a certain added dimension to it's tone. Warm, rich. I absolutely love the 20T!

If it were me, I'd keep the TH350 and add the 20T or 50T.
 
#10
I have both, the TH500 and the 50T.
If you don't need the volume, then buying the 50T is the way to go. I use the 50T for recording at home, and I don't think I could do much better with any other tube amp. The TH does have a tuby tone and the weight of the box is fantastic with it's portability, but it doesn't really have the weight of the notes that tubes bring to the party.
 
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#11
Thank you. Great to read opinions from owners of both amps. That strengthens my expectation that there is more weight/dimension (and all those words) to the sound of the PFs that I sometimes miss in the Tonehammer. So I`ll probably go for it.

One concern though, I did not know about the noise/hum issue before now. I`ve been though lots of posts on TB today. From what I read some can´t live with it and for others it doesn`t matter. Looks like there is some variations from amp to amp, and also present in both PF20T and PF50T. In your opinion how severe is it for recording from transformer out? (Sorry for multiple questions in this thread.)
 
#12
niels1 said:
Thank you. Great to read opinions from owners of both amps. That strengthens my expectation that there is more weight/dimension (and all those words) to the sound of the PFs that I sometimes miss in the Tonehammer. So I`ll probably go for it.

One concern though, I did not know about the noise/hum issue before now. I`ve been though lots of posts on TB today. From what I read some can´t live with it and for others it doesn`t matter. Looks like there is some variations from amp to amp, and also present in both PF20T and PF50T. In your opinion how severe is it for recording from transformer out? (Sorry for multiple questions in this thread.)
Click to expand...

Niels the hum I get is not loud at all, and my amp is over a year old. The more recent built 50T's have resisters in place now, and my amp (I believe) is an older build
@JimmyM can verify possibly when the newer built PF amps were made.
JimmyM also is using a 50T as well.

I record with a mic in front of the cab, without any amp noise intruding, nor do I hear the amp when playing, and I'm less then 3 feet away from the amp.
 
#13
PF-50T no question about it. I own a TH500 and a V4B, and have played thru a PF50T a few times. The TH is great for convenience without too much of a sacrifice in the tone dept., but the Ampeg tube sound is the obvious winner (to me at least). Like someone else mentioned, the TH just doesn’t give you the “weight” of the notes.
 
#14
Thanks for this information justbass. I didn`t know this was corrected. The way you describe the noise floor in your amp shuld be ok for me too. Hopefully I will get a recent revision. Either way the only way to find out is to buy and try.
 
#16
justbass57 said:
Niels the hum I get is not loud at all, and my amp is over a year old. The more recent built 50T's have resisters in place now, and my amp (I believe) is an older build
@JimmyM can verify possibly when the newer built PF amps were made.
Click to expand...
Nope, I can't. But that mod has been discussed for a good while now and it's very possible it was implemented when your amp was made.
 
#18
niels1 said:
Thank you. Great to read opinions from owners of both amps. That strengthens my expectation that there is more weight/dimension (and all those words) to the sound of the PFs that I sometimes miss in the Tonehammer. So I`ll probably go for it.

One concern though, I did not know about the noise/hum issue before now. I`ve been though lots of posts on TB today. From what I read some can´t live with it and for others it doesn`t matter. Looks like there is some variations from amp to amp, and also present in both PF20T and PF50T. In your opinion how severe is it for recording from transformer out? (Sorry for multiple questions in this thread.)
Click to expand...
No noise issues at all with my 20T.
 
#19
Hello,

I'm a newbee on TB. I bought a PF50 last week. It's came at home; I was so excited to hear the Sound...
But there is the hum, too big for me!
(sorry for my poor english words, I am a little french, more bad in translation then bass playing)
I call the seller, a great webshop in Europe. They tell me they are not allowed to do the modification...
I can do the mod myself but the warranty will blow up... I dont understand why this "old" problem is still on new equipement... Maybe it's coming from an old stock...
I 've just the possibility to ask for an exchange... but I'm not sure to have a good one in return...
Thanks for this thread, I thought that mine was "alone"...
 

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