Will Ampeg ever make a Micro?

[twinjet]

Older guys?

47" flat screen tv's that weigh 20 pounds and are high def.
Cell phones that weigh ounces and last 12 hours on a charge. Some for days on a charge.
Cars that get 50 mpg.
Laptops that weigh 3 pounds with the computing power of a mainframe 30 years ago.
The Boeing Dreamliner 777 that uses half the fuel of its predecessors and gets better gas milage, and better designed as well as safer.

I appreciate your thought but technical advances benefit everyone. One day a kid will look at a huge amp and think, "I wouldn't drag that boat anchor around." Sounds blasphemous, I know, but the future is about smaller, more advanced, lighter, more powerful. Already we're seeing the swing in bass amps. Look through the classifieds and see how many large amps and cabs are for sale.

By older, I'm talking fellas still gigging in their 60s and 70s, 3-4 nights a week. I know a few. But in terms of all the benefits...you named 'em all. I just listed the first that came to mind, as well as one of the more noticeable features of an Ampeg.

Your "boat anchor" comment made me chuckle, because weight has been something I've taken into consideration since I started playing with cabs and heads. I was always jealous of guitar players and their teeny amps...

 

[meatwad]

I was going to say the same thing. And then with one of those little baby amps, when you go to plug it in you shove it off the back of your cabinet because it's not heavy enough to stay in place.

I personally don't have any difficulty lifting my 11 pound amp. I don't care if it doesn't fit in my gigbag, as my 6x10 cabinet does not fit in my gigbag either.

Agreed. My amp is nearly 22 lbs, that's mounted in a rack bringing the total weight to nearly 40 lbs. Even at 10X the weight, it is much more convenient than 4 pounder I once had, simply because it stays put.

 

[mmbongo]

I think the answer to the thread is....if you want a micro Ampeg, get a TC Electronic amp.

 

[JimmyM]

Amazing how many excuses and reasons people will use to be resistant to change. I believe in the near future Ampeg will have one out.

I think they're waiting to see how the other Class D micros are doing. Maybe R&D and cost/profit analysis needs to happen first.

I think it's more of a thing where their micros sell so well as it is that they don't feel motivated to jump on the micro-micro bandwagon. Maybe they will in the near future. I don't know. They don't discuss R&D with me

If you don't like the idea of a micro Ampeg the answer is simple. Browse to a thread that interests you.

You pitched the idea, and people are saying why they like or don't like the idea. That's how Talkbass works. Plus, let's face it...your OP was worded to be kind of combative. They have plenty of micros. Hell, Ampeg was the first non-boutique company with a micro!

 

[twinjet]

who knows what amps will look like in another 30 years.

Small enough to pickpocket, perhaps.

That'd be the day!

 

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Micro amps are overrated. When is Warwick going to come out with a 3 pound micro Bass?

 

[Bassmaticmatt]

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.

I'm waiting on the rest off the bass world to collectively put them up for sale so I can grab one cheap. I workout so I don't mind the weight.

 

[pie_man_25]

I definitely won't complain about lighter, I was more struggling with the benefit of smaller. I get it now though - some people carry everything in their gig bags and want amps to fit in there. Cool. I'm not sure I'll ever use that kind of setup, but who knows what amps will look like in another 30 years.

The whole discussion around smaller is that, like you said, people want more amps that fit in their gig-bags now. I understand the appeal, since then you could have a light cab in one hand, gig bag in the other, and you're loaded in in one trip. It's a lot nicer than "100 pound cabinet in one trip, 50-80 pound head the next, and lastly your bass", but I figure at this point, a two-trip load in is fine by me, one if a friend is grabbing a ride.

 

[Passinwind]

You pitched the idea, and people are saying why they like or don't like the idea. That's how Talkbass works. Plus, let's face it...your OP was worded to be kind of combative. They have plenty of micros. Hell, Ampeg was the first non-boutique company with a micro!

Really? Which one are you referring to?

 

[twinjet]

The whole discussion around smaller is that, like you said, people want more amps that fit in their gig-bags now. I understand the appeal, since then you could have a light cab in one hand, gig bag in the other, and you're loaded in in one trip. It's a lot nicer than "100 pound cabinet in one trip, 50-80 pound head the next, and lastly your bass", but I figure at this point, a two-trip load in is fine by me, one if a friend is grabbing a ride.

In college I used to gig frequently. I always had to load this big 410 and an amp that totalled 115 pounds. I was cramming it all into a blazer, so I had some room... But man, when I moved to a GK combo that was 70-ish lbs. lighter and more powerful, I was a happy dude... Single-trip loads are nice.

 

[arai]

2011 called, they want their pf500 complaints back.

For the last 4 years or so the pf line has been pretty solid.

Every week there is someone having cutting out issues. Yesterday there were two separate threads on the first page. The issues are real and still happening. Fact

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I think it's more of a thing where their micros sell so well as it is that they don't feel motivated to jump on the micro-micro bandwagon. Maybe they will in the near future. I don't know. They don't discuss R&D with me


You pitched the idea, and people are saying why they like or don't like the idea. That's how Talkbass works. Plus, let's face it...your OP was worded to be kind of combative. They have plenty of micros. Hell, Ampeg was the first non-boutique company with a micro!

I agree to disagree.

 

[Spectrum]

Every week there is someone having cutting out issues. Yesterday there were two separate threads on the first page. The issues are real and still happening. Fact

Back it up.

I want to see a list of every complaint about the pf500 in the last 5 years.

And for a control, I want to see every complaint about every other solid state head from the same time period.

When you've finished your research, post it all here, with timestamps, in alphabetical order, for all of us to see.

Along with the statistical method you're using, and a citation to the textbook you got the method from.

JimmyM will then pass judgement upon you, and then we'll decide what is "fact".

I figure it should take you about a week or so to gather all that up for us.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but given the gush of micro Class D's out there, does anyone think or know of Ampeg putting out a Micro Class D in the foreseeable future? I know the PF series are small but I'm talking Markbass Nano, Gallien Krueger MB500, you know--5 pounds and 8 x 11 - ish....

What say ye TB'ers?

Of course they will. And I'll bet it will be like their other "modern" efforts - not very good.

Ampeg does one thing quite well: Heavy Tube Amps. There's little denying that an old SVT is what it is - big, gutty and fun. To me, they should stick with their core competency... but they've tried everything else (just like every other company) so they'll go to Class D eventually. Behold this new Fender, all dressed up like a Tube amp but really a tiny class-D head (that weighs to much because of the dressing... very "smart", that...). Maybe Ampeg WILL do what Fender did - stick a class D head in an SVT cab. Oh, wouldn't that boil the purists blood!

 

[JimmyM]

Really? Which one are you referring to?

The Portabass series in the early 2000's.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I see everyone got a good night's sleep and had their Wheaties this morning!

 

[arai]

Back it up.

I want to see a list of every complaint about the pf500 in the last 5 years.

And for a control, I want to see every complaint about every other solid state head from the same time period.

When you've finished your research, post it all here, with timestamps, in alphabetical order, for all of us to see.

Along with the statistical method you're using, and a citation to the textbook you got the method from.

JimmyM will then pass judgement upon you, and then we'll decide what is "fact".

I figure it should take you about a week or so to gather all that up for us.

LOL. You couldn't choose are more impartial judge, could you. I think no matter what facts were given the outcome would be the same

 

[alaskaleftybass]

The Portabass series in the early 2000's.

I was sad that I never got to try one of those.....

 

[JimmyM]

Of course they will. And I'll bet it will be like their other "modern" efforts - not very good.

Ampeg does one thing quite well: Heavy Tube Amps. There's little denying that an old SVT is what it is - big, gutty and fun. To me, they should stick with their core competency... but they've tried everything else (just like every other company) so they'll go to Class D eventually.

Yes, maybe they'll go to class D in the early 2000's, which is when the first Ampeg class D amp came out.

Behold this new Fender, all dressed up like a Tube amp but really a tiny class-D head (that weighs to much because of the dressing... very "smart", that...). Maybe Ampeg WILL do what Fender did - stick a class D head in an SVT cab. Oh, wouldn't that boil the purists blood!

Not really...a lot of us think this is pretty cute:

 

[alaskaleftybass]

LOL. You couldn't choose are more impartial judge, could you. I think no matter what facts were given the outcome would be the same

Just like many startup projects, the PF-500 had it's issues. But Ampeg worked hard to take care of the issues, and I rarely see a post about the PF-500's anymore. Fair is fair.

Also, to be more honest, I don't think Class D's are done evolving into more stable platforms. Most of them work just fine though.