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Ampeg pf500 to replace my svt3?


bozzbass
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Hi Guys

I have an Ampeg SVT3 Pro which is nice but not so lovely sounding I'm super attached to it these days, especially given for what it is (it doesn't really deliver full on "barking" tube head) I find it quite heavy.

I see these lightweight PF500 heads with the class D power sections and am wondering if this would be a good replacement for my SVT3. I like the Ampeg tone for gigs (my fave amp is my tatty old B100R) but a lighter package would be nice. I also think it would add flexibility in that it accepts 115v for gigs in the states and I could couple it with a 110 cab for radio sessions and little in-stores. For larger stages I would couple it with my Classic series 210 and 115, the cabs I use with my SVT3.

As you can see I have a lot of ideas about how I might use it, so I'm wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to compare the PF500 with an SVT3 in terms of volume, low end delivery and mid range slice? Will I still get the horsepower of the SVT3? Also has anyone had any reliability problems with the PF500?

Any advice or input would be fantastic.

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The PF has some issues, noted on Talkbass. Obviously not ALL units, but that is kinda what happens with such a low price unit with a lot of power/features....something has to give.

If it HAS to be Ampeg, get the SVT Pro 7.

Otherwise, id look at TC RH450/Classic 450/RH750, Genz Streamliner, or Orange BT500.

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Y'know, I did think the PF500 seemed a bit too good to be true for the price. I had thought about the Orange BT but it's a bit too woofy for me, the Ampeg stuff has the depth but still gives a nice point to the note somehow.

I don't know the TC and the Genz at all though they look like super hifi amps to me. I do like a bit of mid range honk rather than scooped mids with sizzling top end.

Bartelby, I saw your posts about the PF500 cutting out here and there. Was it a cab issue in the end? Did you find a solution?

Any other suggestions or advice are welcome.

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Guest bassman7755

[quote name='bozzbass' timestamp='1317674771' post='1393283']
hmmm, i may have underestimated the TC and the Genz, they look kinda interesting. :)
[/quote]

I have both a RH450 and a shuttle 6. They are both great amps but very very different: the 450 very organic and dirty sounding whereas the genz is more hifi with round bottom end. My ideal amp would probably be a fusion of the two but as it is I always gig/rehearse with the 450 because I cant live without the fantastic builtin compressor and tuner.

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Im still getting to grip's with my pf500, settings wise. My only concern is how loud it will go, but from what ive read you can turn everything up all the way. Had a svt3 a couple of years back, and to me the 500 certainly has that same kind of sound etc. Just less button's to play with.

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I guess if you buy new you've got a two year warranty, i know the orange bass terror's have also had problem's. I went through all the posts on talkbass the other week, and it was shocking reading until you got about 3/4 of the way through. By that time people had got used to them and started rating them. Like i say at the moment im still working out the volume setting's, but did read that the svt3 volume contols worked best if the master was turned all the way up. And the gain was used as the volume button, cant say i did it that way on mine when i had it. Maybe the pf500 needs to be used the same way.

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yep, I've found cranking the master and then using the gain to set a level on the SVT3 the way to go.

I've now read about the pf500 cutting out on Talkbass which is kinda putting me off, but then many folk seem to be using without any problems, same with the Orange BT. Reliability is a big deal to me, even at the expense of some tone. I want to plug it in and for it to work with no faff or feelings of "will it, won't it??????".

The more i'm thinking about this though, the more I'm feeling moving on from the SVT3 might be the way to go. Given the feedback here I'll check out the PF500 cos it certainly sounds like the sort of thing I'd like, but really I'm not looking specifically for a super lightweight class d amp, just "lighter" with a bit of upper mid bark.

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It does to me, but I'm half going on what im hearing using a new bass and also how much more I'm turning up the dials compared to my previous amp a peavey tour 450. From what Ive read on talkbass they recon ampeg are normally spot on with they're watt ratings. So I've not made my mind up just yet. If it does end up that I've not got enough headroom without it peaking/clipping or cutting out. I guess I'd try a hartke lh500, as no one has commented on those lacking volume and go back to using my sansamp for that ampeg sound.

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Emailed ampeg this morning and got this reply back

Hi,

Thanks for writing.

The best method for setting the levels on your PF500 is to increase the Gain control until just when the Peak LED comes on, and then turn it down a little. This will insure that you are taking advantage of all the available headroom from the amp. Then you can adjust the overall level of the amp via the Volume control.

If you have almost no headroom, then using the -15dB PAD on the amp, is the easiest way to keep from distorting.

As a side note, one thing I would recommend doing is turning the compression all the way down when you set your initial levels, this way you can guarantee that you have a nice clean signal, and are then applying compression to that same signal.

Compressors are great for warming up a signal, but if one is clipping already it will just turns a very dynamic square wave into a smaller square wave.

I hope this can help.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1317740693' post='1393968']
I'd stick with the SVT3PRO until you've heard a lot more of Genz, Markbass, TC and the rest of the competition.
[/quote]

This, definately. My tastes have led me towards Markbass and I haven't looked back :)

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1317740693' post='1393968']I couldn't believe what they are charging for a PF500! There must be all of £4.50's worth of parts in one of those!!

I'd stick with the SVT3PRO until you've heard a lot more of Genz, Markbass, TC and the rest of the competition.[/quote]

Definitely good advice here. Although some low prices don't automatically mean poor quality, in the case of amps, I would be careful. It seems like Ampeg are quite happy to sell new products and let the public test for problems, eg the problems reported on the PFs, the power issues with the Pro 7, and the Micro VR '2 cab' problem.

I'm biased because I've never been 100% with Ampeg, (the CL tone is great, don't get me wrong) but there is a massive market out there now. LM2/3 plus a sansamp pedal gives you everything Ampeg can offer, plus an amazing flat (ish) clean tone.

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thanks for all the advice guys, i think i'm going hang on to the SVT whilst casting my net wider.

I'm not feeling the TC stuff from pure aesthetics I'm afraid, all those LED displays don't work for me and are not going to go across with bandleaders on the more rock-type things I get hired to do. Markbass stuff is for my tastes a bit on the flat sounding side.

That Genz streamliner looks worth a check tho as does the Tonehammer 500.

Any other suggestions welcome.

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Had a mess around in the shed this afternoon, before a gig tonight. Followed ampeg's suggestions, put compressor on 0. Put volume on 5, turned gain up to 8, clipped slightly so put it back to 7. Then started turning up the volume a notch at a time, after about 7 it really start's to jump in volume. Also noticed that by turning up the treble and bass to 5 it really effects the volume also. Ran it for a short time flat out on the volume with no clipping what so ever. I wouldnt dismiss the PF just yet.

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Some of these mini class D amps seem to claim more watts than they really put out. My Ashdown Supperfly is supposed to put out 250 watts into a 4ohm cabinet and 250 watts into another 4ohm cabinet. It sounds like 100 and 100.?? Is the Ampeg PF500 really 40% stronger than the trusty SVT? If so,I want one!

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