bozzbass Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 My PF-500 doesn't like running into a single 4Ohm cab. Single 8Ohm or 2 8Ohms is fine though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ern500evo Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 If you're after a direct comparison between the SVT3 and the PF500, drop Lozz196 a message, he's had both and could give you some views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 hmmm, i may have underestimated the TC and the Genz, they look kinda interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 What issues with the PF 500 ? i've gigged mine a fair few times now, im very pleased with it, especially with the tone I can get through the DI into PAs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Lozz?! Where are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Clipping issues, impedance issues with certain cabs, and just plain DOA. I will say, its mainly on Talkbass, not here. A few users have put up soundclips of the amp cutting out even thought the gain isnt flashing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 buff, do you find the PF500 lacks volume? You seem a bit worried about it. FWIW, The biggest indoor stages I play are about 2000 capacity so that's what I'm looking to push bass across. Outdoors tend to be the usual rented SVTs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 [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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grenadilla Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buff Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Gigged with mine last night, two 45 minute sets. Set gain at 6 no peaking etc volume up on 7, it was shaking the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) [quote name='charic' timestamp='1317719046' post='1393564'] Lozz?! Where are you? [/quote] I was on holiday But even then, answered a PM about this - that`s dedication Edited October 7, 2011 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozzbass Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Indeed Loz did answer my pm, cheers bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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