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Will Ampeg ever make a Micro?

#123
Selta said:
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?
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I'm 54 years old, I play at church every Sunday, I play with a Funk band once or twice a month, and both situations need to be quick in and out. I run a PF350 into 2x210av cabs with a pedal board (Nano+). I can carry my entire rig in with one trip. It is the best sounding/most versatile rig I have ever owned, and I have owned A LOT of rigs. My ears and my back love this rig. And I have never had an issue with it.
Johno!
 
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#124
Had the 500 watt portaflex. Nice little amp, really hissy when you push it but a decent amp at the price point none the less. I'm really keeping my eye on the new Darkglass amps that are coming out. I think those bad boys are going to be the real micro bang for the buck. Supposed to be 700 watts under a grande and boasting the most excellent preamp the company has ever built.
 
#125
yup they make a micro.

Yeah. They're a bit bigger than a Darkglass or Mesa micro as they're an earlier generation of Class D tech.

Good amps. I've used a PF800 in a house rig a few times and prefer it to the big solid state Ampeg heads I seem to always run into at cheap rehearsal spots.

As I've said in a few threads I own a Mesa 400 tube amp, a Eden Wt-550 hybrid and a Mesa Subway D800 micro.

After buying the D800 it's pretty much the only thing I use. Warmer than the 550, with more headroom. A ton lighter and more rugged than the 400.

I still use heavy cabs so it's not a weight or convenience thing. That micro Mesa is loud, sounds great, and feels very rugged. It makes my other options just seem dumb.
 
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#126
Bassic Playing said:
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.
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That's interesting: in my neck of the woods literally every full-time professional bassist I know is using a class D. Oh wait, there is one guy I know who isn't: but everyone else is.
 
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#129
For an Ampeg I don't envision anything like the Markbass Nano.
I'm thinking more along the lines of the Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. 8.5 x 7.5 x 3.75.
Weighs 6.5 pounds.

Imagine something along these lines. This to me is an example of an excellent execution of a Class D amp.

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I could see that Ampeg gray face slanted from the top and maybe the tone controls all in a line in front.
Make it an inch shorter in height. Move the XLR to the back and put the a puple backlit logo along the top edge.
 
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#130
This thread is like a couple different threads that frequent often, rolled into one. Ampeg will never get a second chance at a first impression. They blew it with the reliability of the pf500 in that aspect. That being said, they don't have problems anymore, and haven't for some time. The pf500 reliability horse has been beat, buried, exhumed, beat and returned to talkbass once again.

I get the smaller size thing, but physically to any able-bodied human that slings an instrument over their shoulder, the difference between 12lbs and 6lbs isn't enough to blink twice over, especially considering a cabinet is exceedingly bulky and heavy comparatively.

I think some weight and size in an amp is absolutely necessary to secure the amp from falls, easily being pulled down from tangled cords, and quick thefts.

All that being said, Ampeg absolutely IS in the market with their PF series. If your asking if they'll chop their PF chassis' in half to appeal to the niche market of micro'd micro amps, I'm absolutely sure they have a marketing and engineering team that's exploring every possible way to make money in the bass amplifier market above and beyond what you and I can think of.
 
#131
blubass said:
This thread is like a couple different threads that frequent often, rolled into one. Ampeg will never get a second chance at a first impression. They blew it with the reliability of the pf500 in that aspect. That being said, they don't have problems anymore, and haven't for some time. The pf500 reliability horse has been beat, buried, exhumed, beat and returned to talkbass once again.

I get the smaller size thing, but physically to any able-bodied human that slings an instrument over their shoulder, the difference between 12lbs and 6lbs isn't enough to blink twice over, especially considering a cabinet is exceedingly bulky and heavy comparatively.

I think some weight and size in an amp is absolutely necessary to secure the amp from falls, easily being pulled down from tangled cords, and quick thefts.

All that being said, Ampeg absolutely IS in the market with their PF series. If your asking if they'll chop their PF chassis' in half to appeal to the niche market of micro'd micro amps, I'm absolutely sure they have a marketing and engineering team that's exploring every possible way to make money in the bass amplifier market above and beyond what you and I can think of.
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This wasn't a discussion about Ampeg reliability. I don't see anywhere in my original post whee I mentioned that.

Dropping an amp on the floor because it's too light is a silly notion.

My GK MB500 is five pounds. My AudioKinesis H1203 weighs 25 pounds and handles 500 watts.

I have no idea what your comment about R&D at Ampeg is supposed to mean. Being in R&D doesn't mean they're all the brightest visionaries in the business. They're just people for criminy's sake.

None of this discussion insinuates there's anything wrong with Ampeg products. They are the undisputed namesake of the business world.
 
#132
Selta said:
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?
Click to expand...
Two words-downtown load-ins (does a hyphenated word count as 1 or 2 words?). Anyway, when I have to get my gear in the club when the nearest parking spot is 3 blocks away, I have two choices: 1.) double park in front of the club with my flashers on and hope a cop doesn't ticket me, or some onlooker doesn't wait till I'm in the club with a load of gear and swipe whatever gear didn't make it on the first trip or 2.) grab the parking spot and huff it 3 blocks to the gig. In both of these situations, a one trip load in is a beautiful thing (2 Neo 112 Edens on a luggage cart with a GK mb500 with cables in a laptop bag on top, and my bass on my back).

Also beautiful is the compliments I get on my tone from sound guys, and the frequency which which they tell me they didn't even end up having to use the DI they grabbed of the back of my amp-meaning the audience heard the sound as I intended it, not filtered through said sound persons preconceptions.

If you find you need the big rig to get what you are going for, then power to you-everyone has their own needs and approach. I get the sound I want out of a microhead, and the size and weight (or lack thereof) make life immeasurably easier.

Also, back on topic, I doubt Ampeg will ever come out with a GK or Aguilar style microhead for the same reason Fender will probably never come out with a headless bass: because it's not part of their branding. Ampeg branding is all about "classic" and "vintage"-which in this case means big and heavy. I suspect they could have fit the Micro VR into a smaller lighter package-but then it wouldn't look or feel like an Ampeg, and people who like Ampeg wouldn't want it.
 
#134
alaskaleftybass said:
This wasn't a discussion about Ampeg reliability. I don't see anywhere in my original post whee I mentioned that.

My GK MB500 is five pounds. My AudioKinesis H1203 weighs 25 pounds and handles 500 watts.

I have no idea what your comment about R&D at Ampeg is supposed to mean. Being in R&D doesn't mean they're all the brightest visionaries in the business. they're just people for criminy's sake.

None of this discussion insinuates there's anything wrong with Ampeg products. They are the undisputed namesake of the business world.
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My comment about reliability was written poorly. I should have said, in any thread about Ampeg, the reliability of the pf500 comes up.

R&D though, has everything to do with what you asked. They ARE just people, people who have chosen to make this a career, and chose to work at Ampeg. They don't have to all be the brightest in the world, but it's naive to think they're resting on their laurels, or taking a "good enough" approach to everything else going on with their competition. As such, there's certain things that have sold well for them, and certain things that haven't. We don't have that information, but they sure do. The pf350 is their smallest, lightest amp that competes with the micro bass amplifier market. Their sales of the pf line will ideally have much to do with whether they decide to go smaller or not. Sorry if this post sounds confrontational, it isn't my intention.
 
#136
The next time I come up with a bright idea I think I'll stomp on my own foot REAL HARD. And think of my last ROOT CANAL.

....And remember to NEVER bring up any ideas that might change the Ampag brand IN ANY WAY.

I'm un-following this thread so all of you can say whatever you want, I DIGRESS on my idea. Buh bye.
 
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#137
alaskaleftybass said:
For an Ampeg I don't envision anything like the Markbass Nano.
I'm thinking more along the lines of the Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. 8.5 x 7.5 x 3.75.
Weighs 6.5 pounds.

Imagine something along these lines. This to me is an example of an excellent execution of a Class D amp.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I could see that Ampeg gray face slanted from the top and maybe the tone controls all in a line in front.
Make it an inch shorter in height. Move the XLR to the back and put the a puple backlit logo along the top edge.
Click to expand...

I have this amp and it's a quality piece of gear that sounds great. I like how only one person builds each amp from start to finish and it's made in the USA!
 
#138
JimmyM said:
He's a TC fan who has been hanging onto a 6 year grudge about me being so vocal about their wattage games when it was first discovered. Whatever.
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Hey, at least tc have the actual wattage out now for anyone to find after Bass Gear Magazine published their findings. Can't really say the same for Ampeg can we? What did Bass Gear Magazine measure the 7 pro at? Let me refresh you memory

457 continuous with bursts reaching 483 watts at 8 ohms, 5%THD
763 watts continuous at 4 ohms with bursts reaching 914 watts, 5% THD


And what do Ampeg still claim it puts out?

SVT-7 PRO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Output Power Rating
600 watts rms @ 8 ohms, 5% THD
1000 watts rms @ 4 ohms, 5% THD

We both remember the butt hurt after that and people calling BGM testing methods into question, don't we? Which led to people running interdependent tests to try and prove BGM wrong but the most anyone could get out of the 7 pro was 960 watts at 4 ohms. Which sounds close enough, doesn't it?
Not when you consider that the only way to get that 960 watts (not 1000) was plugging into the effects return . Who wants to buy a thousand watt amp where the only way you can get close is to plug into the effects return.
Oh yeah it was at 6% THD also, not the 5% that ampeg advertise their supposed 1000 watts at 5% THD

If you're feel comfortable bagging on a brand that came out and admitted a lie and on the other hand endorse a bunch of liars, well good for you
 
#139
alaskaleftybass said:
The next time I come up with a bright idea I think I'll stomp on my own foot REAL HARD. And think of my last ROOT CANAL.

....And remember to NEVER bring up any ideas that might change the Ampag brand IN ANY WAY.

I'm un-following this thread so all of you can say whatever you want, I DIGRESS on my idea. Buh bye.
Click to expand...
I was entertained. It was one of the most bizarre threads I've ever seen, and you started it. Good job...thanks!
 
#140
Don't know if it has come up or not (too much fodder to read through), class D is not the biggest reason for weight savings. Difference between a 500 watt class G/H amp module and the same rated class D module is at best 10%. Class D output design is not where the bulk of weight savings come from.
 

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