Will Ampeg ever make a Micro?

[Jughead6]

Since retiring my all-tube head, I have been scouring the market for a lighter head with enough power for bigger gigs. I recently spent a few hours in a local store trying a bunch of SS and hybrid amps, including nano heads.

I'm not a ham-fisted knob fiddler by any means, but I just couldn't get used to something with a bunch of knobs jammed close together.

I am not a fan of Ampeg Portaflex stuff at all, but I do prefer the size of their heads to that of other brands.

Remember when cell phones became impractically small? That's what I feel about nano amps.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Can someone clue me into the appeal of the tiny heads? I'm not being sarcastic here - I simply don't "get it". What is the benefit of having such a small (physical size) head?

when it fits in your bag of cables and pedals and you don't notice the extra weight so you have to check it's in the bag. Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Easy to leave behind too. Jeeze Lois just buy one and see how a 2lb amp that does the bizzo makes you leave ol faithful at home half the time.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Since retiring my all-tube head, I have been scouring the market for a lighter head with enough power for bigger gigs. I recently spent a few hours in a local store trying a bunch of SS and hybrid amps, including nano heads.

I'm not a ham-fisted knob fiddler by any means, but I just couldn't get used to something with a bunch of knobs jammed close together.

I am not a fan of Ampeg Portaflex stuff at all, but I do prefer the size of their heads to that of other brands.

Remember when cell phones became impractically small? That's what I feel about nano amps.

View attachment 881553

grow up and get your spectacles.

 

[Selta]

when it fits in your bag of cables and pedals and you don't notice the extra weight so you have to check it's in the bag. Is that an advantage or a disadvantage? Easy to leave behind too. Jeeze Lois just buy one and see how a 2lb amp that does the bizzo makes you leave ol faithful at home half the time.

Er, I already feel way ahead of the curve with my Axe-Fx II and AX8 setups. I don't have an "ol faithful", especially one that's heavy, to leave behind

 

[Downunderwonder]

Er, I already feel way ahead of the curve with my Axe-Fx II and AX8 setups. I don't have an "ol faithful", especially one that's heavy, to leave behind

Phsht. None of that makes a noise unless you plug into an amp.

 

[Selta]

When I use an amp, sure. Otherwise, IEMs, which it doesn't really get smaller/lighter than that. But, now we're getting pretty far OT from the thread.

 

[Downunderwonder]

When I use an amp, sure. Otherwise, IEMs, which it doesn't really get smaller/lighter than that. But, now we're getting pretty far OT from the thread.

You are the only one straying.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

this is the closest thing to Micro that I'll ever own by Ampeg

SVT 810 is the King of Tone. Been there, done that. One day my poor back said no more find me something lighter. The rest of the bass world is heading there, now I'm looking to see where the future takes Ampeg.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Ampeg, if you build it, they will come.

 

[jdubbass38]

Ampeg did...

All tube v4b-ri, pf-50t and Pf-20t! Ampeg built these small tube amps and people did come...their hot sellers not to mention they blow away any class D amp.

Maybe you should try, you won't regret!

 

[arai]

Ampeg did...

All tube v4b-ri, pf-50t and Pf-20t! Ampeg built these small tube amps and people did come...their hot sellers not to mention they blow away any class D amp.

Maybe you should try, you won't regret!

Sorry if I'm being a little bit slow on the up take, but I'm struggling to understand how this post relates to this thread

 

[jdubbass38]

Ampeg, if you build it, they will come.

Sorry if I'm being a little bit slow on the up take, but I'm struggling to understand how this post relates to this thread

Arai...your not slow...lol

All I'm saying is ampeg does build small amps...if you want class D ampeg...they already do it...right? But their specialty is great sounding tube amps and over the past couple years they delivered.

 

[BawanaRik]

Can someone clue me into the appeal of the tiny heads? I'm not being sarcastic here - I simply don't "get it". What is the benefit of having such a small (physical size) head?[/QUOTE

Easy to move?

 

[Bassic Playing]

SVT 810 is the King of Tone. Been there, done that. One day my poor back said no more find me something lighter. The rest of the bass world is heading there, now I'm looking to see where the future takes Ampeg.

Eh. The vocal Talkbass world is heading there. When I am out gigging I don't see any micros. Everyone I know rocks a big old head, and would kill for an SVT. I don't think the non-micro amps and big cabs are going to disappear. A lot of us want to move some serious air.

 

[Bassic Playing]

Also, I think Ampeg has been a little busy on the R&D front making incredible reissues like the V4B and heritage line, great solid state amps like the PF series, incredible new small tube heads, a line of combos, and a bunch of new cabs to go with all that. They can only do so many things at once and I think they've done a great job not resting on their laurels of huge tube amps (which they totally could, because SVTs are still the business) and instead creating a whole bunch of new things. Name one other old, legendary company that successfully manages to create new products that people gush over and don't complain about 'not being the way it used to be'. Fender couldn't make the Dimensions stick (and even though the Bassman's are cool they are still more or less a reissue), Gibson have given up on basses altogether, whose heard of Acoustic lately (?).

Peavey have done a cool job on the Minimega, but Ampeg has put out a score of new products. You can't have it all. Want a micro Ampeg sound? Play a Scrambler or one of the million Ampeg preamp clones.

 

[TripleDouble]

I hope so, the extra 4-5lbs on the PF series are killin my back injury!!!

 

[Snibborwocky]

I prefer this Ampeg "micro"...

...but I get what you're saying.

 

[lfmn16]

What a surprise!

Someone has to clear up the misinformation spread by the uninformed.

 

[jthisdell]

Can someone clue me into the appeal of the tiny heads? I'm not being sarcastic here - I simply don't "get it". What is the benefit of having such a small (physical size) head?

It fits on my small Barefaced one 10 cab. And my whole rig fits in my Miata.

 

[Burwabit]

I would never buy one class D amp over another based on the difference between 5 and 11lbs. To me that's the same class of head... lightweight. I don't keep mine in the gig bag though.