revolver

Five or six years ago I bought an ex-demo Ampeg PF-350, as well as a PF-210HE cab. Soon after, the band I was playing bass with went on extended hiatus, so other than a quick check at the time of purchase, the amp didn't get any use. Inevitably (and probably unsurprisingly), now that I finally need to use it again I'm consistently getting a fault light / shutdown after a few minutes of use (regardless of gain / volume). I realise that this was a common problem with the earlier model Portaflex heads, so was just looking for any advice on the following: Are these heads generally worth repairing in terms of cost and longer-term reliability? (I appreciate that's a broad question without knowing the specific cause of the fault, but just looking for experience / a general rule of thumb). Assuming it's worth looking into a repair, would people recommend an official Ampeg service centre, or an independent specialist? Coincidentally, one of the three official UK service centres is local to me (Sontec in Norwich), but they appear to cover Yamaha musical instruments generally, as well as TV and home entertainment brands, plus their Yell / Google ratings look pretty poor, at least for customer service. Assuming a repair isn't viable, what's the view on the reliability of Portaflex heads being built today? For example, if I were to buy a new PF-500 from a dealer that offers three or more years of warranty, could I be reasonably confident that it should be as reliable as any other brand of Class D amp, or would I have to be constantly concerned that it might decide to shut itself down mid-gig? Thanks!

[quote name='Stag' post='39254' date='Jul 30 2007, 09:45 PM']What's this shop in Beccles called? My girlfriend's parents live there so we tend to go there quite a bit... wonder if they'll still have it? Im still in the market for one if anyone has one they want rid of.... did fall in love with this one but its already been sold (sob) : [url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/index.cfm?method=site.product&product_id=2979"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/index...product_id=2979[/url] Stag[/quote] Hi Stag, I can help with the shop and a bit of further info, as I had a look at the bass myself off the back of this thread. The shop I think is called something like A. Slane Guitars but, as 3V17C says, it's combined with a craft shop! Anyway, I think it was on Hungate Lane - certainly somewhere around there, and hard to miss since it's got a pub-style sign hanging outside. The bass was still there last Saturday, priced at £220, and I had a good look and a play, so I can give you the following info: - It had a '5....' serial number which I think dates it to around '75 / '76. Also had the 'butterfly' tuners and Jazz Bass style knobs, which suggest early to mid '70s too. - It had indeed been stripped down to the (untreated) wood, although there seemed to be a tiny bit of red left in the neck pocket (I think they only came in red, white or blue at that period). It also had body and arm contours (like a Jazz or P Bass) which I assume must have been added later (as far as I'm aware the Musicmaster only ever came with a slab body). The contours looked like they'd been done well enough and felt comfortable (didn't scream DIY job), but I must admit it was this bit of customisation that put be off making the guy an offer. - The neck looked straight, played nicely and the frets looked to be in good nick. The neck and headstock had also darkened really nicely, which did give a bass a real "vintage" feel. - The guy in the shop said he'd had the scratch plate off and that although the plate itself was a replacement (it was black and the original would have been white), everything else looked original. - As I said, it played nicely, and I really enjoyed the feel and the sound. I did find the E string pretty tricky to tune (by ear) and it didn't ring quite as nicely as the other three, but I put this down to the fact that the strings looked pretty ancient. Certainly needed a new set of strings and a quick set-up to get the best out of it. I didn't buy it, although I was tempted to make the guy an offer, and I'd say it's certainly worth a look at that price. I did however enjoy playing it enough to go home and make a rash bid on Ebay, so I'm now waiting for delivery from the States of an excellent condition blue '72 Musicmaster! Good luck with the search, and let us know what you think of this one in Beccles if you take a look...