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Why does everyone love AMPEG so much?

#185
slap5string said:
The only wannabees are Ampeg owners because they want to sound like evryone else or want to have the gear they see on classic rock videos. I've owned Ampeg and sold it dirt cheap to a guy who swears it's the best. When he heard my Mesa he sold his Ampeg stuff within a week!
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Mesa is pretty good, but then again its all about personal preference. I never liked mesa, atleast not the bass amps. I do rock a mesa dual rectifier solo head though :bassist: that guitar amp has so much tone, will never compare to the double cross though
 
#186
KrisWarrington said:
Mesa is pretty good, but then again its all about personal preference. I never liked mesa, atleast not the bass amps. I do rock a mesa dual rectifier solo head though :bassist: that guitar amp has so much tone, will never compare to the double cross though
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Thats because it's been rectified twice, 2x the rectumfication equals twice the guitarist love.
 
#190
Funny I'm quite the opposite: I like Mesa bass gear because they're very refined and rich, but I don't like the Rectifiers because they sounded too cold and artificial. Out of the Mesa guitar amps, I'd much prefer the Mark series rather than the Rectifiers, and if I want a high-gain metal tone, I'd go for the Peavey 5150s. But at some point, I still found myself diggin the appeal of the raw Ampeg tone, so that's what I play now.
 
#191
Marial said:
Well... my Viet Nam-made Pro-4 and HLF410 have been bomb proof and sound great (to my ears) for the indie rock band I'm in and my little BA300 has been perfect for the alt-country band I'm in. I'm a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, though, when it comes to tone. I don't care for active or modern-sounding pick-ups (never played a Bartolini-equipped bass that I thought sounded good) and dig the simple, warm, thump of passive Fenders. That being the case, Ampegs just work.

For me.

To each their own in the quest for tone. :bassist:
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The definition of what good tone is absolutely in the ear of the beholder & a lot people like Ampeg obviously .... I just think its nuts that the Ampeg brand is so deified at this point.
 
#192
It's like wooden verses aluminum bats. When you get to the big leagues you can only use wood. They're not necessarily the most durable, or have the widest sweet spot, or give you more power, better feel, and higher performance.

But they're consistent and it's the only thing the PROs use! You have to use your craft to it's fullest potential to get the most out of it. AMPEG.
 
#193
xray said:
It's like wooden verses aluminum bats. When you get to the big leagues you can only use wood. They're not necessarily the most durable, or have the widest sweet spot, or give you more power, better feel, and higher performance.

But they're consistent and it's the only thing the PROs use! You have to use your craft to it's fullest potential to get the most out of it. AMPEG.
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Ampeg is the only thing Pros use ...really? that's funny
 
#194
I don't understand why people are posting about rectifiers. The whole thing is making me squeamish.

I wonder if anyone has compiled a list of great recordings both studio and live made with Fender basses through Ampegs.

I don't own a single Ampeg product, but when I play outdoor festivals with multiple bands, the sound crew FORCES me to.

I'd be really unhappy, except for two things:

1. I don't have to lug any heavy gear
2. They sound GREAT
 
#195
Ampeg might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you can't dial in a usable tone with an all-tube SVT and an 810 in good working order, the problem's not with the gear. The same can be said for any piece of professional-level kit.

Example: I don't particularly like Eden heads. However, if I get a WT800 as part of a supplied backline, I can dial it in to a close enough to be usable approximation of "my" tone in 2 minutes, forget about it and play the gig.
 
#196
Wow, you wouldn't think the thread would be 10 pages long, when there's an obvious short answer: people like Ampeg amps because they sound absolutely great...when they work. Which, I imagine, is why people like to specify them as backline. If it's the sound company's problem to move it and keep it working, then who cares as long as it sounds good. :/

[edit] Well, and if you don't think they sound great, well obviously some people disagree. That weirdly thick mucky tone sure blends well.

(Any time Ampeg wants to send me a *working* 1000W head and replacement 8x10 cabinet, I'll be glad to be seen in public with their logo again. And yes, I say this any time I talk about Ampeg. It's like an anti-disclaimer.)
 

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