wally8 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Hello all - i may get slated for this, but.....ive just tried a PF500 connected into a TC 2x10 cab and it sounded very average. I plugged my sterling in keeping its EQ flat and went through the range of sounds on the amp. I cranked it fairly hard with the gain halfway and the volume not far off. The amp was hating the strong signal from my MM and i had to use the -15dB button to stop it distorting as well as reducing the gain considerably. I spent a fair amount of time on it. Now this may sound much better through a 4x10, perhaps using one of my passive basses but initial impressions were not good. To be fair to my old trusty Peavey Firebass700, it sounded just as good if not better than the pf500 and the range of sounds were similar. I was really gutted as i had the readies in my pocket. I think ive just got to stop being a cheapskate and dig a bit deeper for that extra quality. Any one else agree or am i the odd one out re these PF500's which i can only find really positive reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackers Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I have to say I had a similar experience when I tried a PF-500 aswell. I had to use the -15dB pad to stop it farting, and I wasn't all that impressed by the tones I got out of 30-40 minutes of fiddling. I really wanted to like it, cos I had heard loads of people say it was great, but it just wasn't for me. Horses for courses I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I have to be nasty and extend that to ALL Ampeg heads. I've never been able to get a decent sound out of them. I love the cabs though! It'll no doubt boil down to horses for courses and all that but I've never been able to get a decent sound out of the heads. I particularly didn't like the SVT pro 4, no idea why but couldn't get a likeable sound out of it, and it was through a Ampeg 810 to. Again, the cab was lush! Weird how they work for some and not others. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Well I only used my PF500 with a passive Precision, and it sounded great - the regular Precision/Ampeg pairing that works so well. Maybe you should have taken your P-Bass along, Ben? In my opinion, the PF500 is much better for an old-school tube-warmth sort of sound, than a more modern voice (which is why I sold mine, as I need the more modern sound). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I've never tried one but I saw one for the first time in Soundslive last week. Wow, I didn't realise how small they had made it. It was, im sure, the 500 as well. Nice aesthetics. For me, If I went Ampeg, it would be the 7 Pro which is supposed to be their decent high powered close-to-SVT-tone Class D amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1335885493' post='1637544'] Well I only used my PF500 with a passive Precision, and it sounded great - the regular Precision/Ampeg pairing that works so well. Maybe you should have taken your P-Bass along, Ben? In my opinion, the PF500 is much better for an old-school tube-warmth sort of sound, than a more modern voice (which is why I sold mine, as I need the more modern sound). [/quote] Your probably right lozz but I'm trying to convince myself that my mm is better than my p bass when clearly the p bass kicks the sh1t out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) For some reason I don't get the match up with a TC cab. I would have tried an Ampeg cab if I could in the 1st instance to give it its best chance. Also, how did you run the MM as IIRC, the bass is boost only, and the treble might be notched +- 12 BD..which is a LOT of Eq to mess with. Edited May 1, 2012 by JTUK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1335898620' post='1637784'] For some reason I don't get the match up with a TC cab. I would have tried an Ampeg cab if I could in the 1st instance to give it its best chance. Also, how did you run the MM as IIRC, the bass is boost only, and the treble might be notched +- 12 BD..which is a LOT of Eq to mess with. [/quote] Hi JTUK. Yeah i would of tried an ampeg cab if they had one. The joy of modern music stores having bugger all in them and everything is "based in their warehouse". This was DV in cambridge. The only bass cab in the entire shop was this TC. They had to order me the PF500 in. I first of all tried my MM with my normal settings with the treble and Mid on full with the bass at neutral - full farting straight away. i cut them all back to neutral and it was okish, a bit farty when i was ramping the vol up. Then i decided to cut the lot and use the EQ on the amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Have to say I didn't get on with the PF500 much either, and I sooooo wanted to like it, for lots of reasons. I'm smack in the old school/vintage/Ampeg/valvey demographic, too. Well, maybe not so much I didn't get on with it, more that it made me go "Meh". Tried it with a couple of basses and different cabs, too, just to be sure. Best with a P, but even then... I'd still recommend it as something to be tried in competition with the other smaller heads, though: as has been said, horses, courses, and all that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Jamin Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I'm using a PF500 at the moment and, well, it's pretty good. It sounds very Ampeg. Which is great if you want the Ampeg sound - but no matter how much EQing I tried I couldn't get rid of that underlying character, if you get what I mean... But guys, c'mon. It has a cool little purple light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 I wanted to love it, the purple light, the weight, the ampeg sign, but I was left wanting. Bit like that old bird Kate who wills married. She's alright and worth one but perhaps gets more kudos than deserved! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 (edited) I like mine, although I do have to press the -15dB button to get a clean sound (using my active Mex Precision Deluxe). But isn't that what it's there for? Edited May 2, 2012 by Kirky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRAHAM SG1 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I have a PF500 and had farting probs with TC cabs but now I have upgraded to a Barefaced Super Twelve it is fantastic, the cab allows it to run extremely high levels without the slightest hint of a fart, it really does make a difference, maybe the TC cabs are the cause of the farts as I have found out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I used the PF500 with a fair few cabs, no farting out problems with any of them, using a US Precision: Ampeg PF115, Ampeg SVT410 HE, a Barefaced Compact/Midget stack, Eden Nemesis 410, Eden EN 410XST, Peavey TVX410 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRAHAM SG1 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 As a matter of interest, what model was the TC 2x10 cab the OP used with the PF500, if it was a TC BC 210 I could understand the farting as they are not great cabs and only rated at 250 watts at 8 ohms . The PF500 sounds superb through a good quality cab IMO and punters I have played to, not to mention my band mates who are blown away with my rigs tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 The PF500 has known problems with the limiter....I've heard YouTube clips of it clamping down and turning the bass tone into the sound of an amp clipping hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRAHAM SG1 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I must have a good one as it has been 100% reliable so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I haven't had any issues with my PF-500. Originally I thought I had an issue with it cutting out, but then found out the 4Ohm cab wasn't 4Ohms due to it being rewired badly. Playing into a 4x8" and 1x15" I've had no problems using a Fender P, Warwick Corvette nor a Stingray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 [sub]Dunno what the TC cab was, i sure it was a upright 2x10 with the speakers verticle rather than side by side. Had a speakon connecter thats fo sure. It did keep clipping for me as well with the 15 dB - in or out. Perhaps im just too powerful!!!! All joking aside, I semi regret not buying it and trying it at practice at a proper volume with my 4x10. The bloke in the shop said i could trial it for 30 days and get a full no worries refund if i hated it. However, the drummer + guitarist in the band are goons are would like throw water over it or set fire to it and i would be stuffed for a refund.[/sub] [sub]I will forever kick myself for not buying a mesa 200w valve head with a 4x10 and 1x15 in the same enclosure back in 98, that was offered at teh same price as my firebass head and cabs = thicko[/sub] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 You do like the weighty gear Ben. That Mesa gear would have probably weighed the same as a large planet - and made your Peavey gear feather-like in comparison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Ha, Cheers Lozz, the old skool way of thinking "if it weighs a ton it must have balls"!!!!! I remember doing a gig at the twist in colchester back in the day. I lugged the 1x15 and 4x10 in my old astra, nearly killed it. The volume of the amp was approx 10% and they D.I'd me through the main PA anyway - what a chump. The chic's loved it though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I'm cursed with ampeg gear and have always been disappointed with hums, buzzes and rattles. Not a fan of TC cabs tho. I think they're ugly and I don't like the sound. Put the pf500 with a berg or barefaced cab and you may see a difference. Disappointing these days to find an amp struggling with a strong incoming signal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally8 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 I know what u mean mrtcat, ive got a 900 year old soundcity 100w valvehead which has zero issues (apart from generating a small powerplant amount of heat) with my MM signal. You would of thought they would have cracked it by now with modern tech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pendingrequests Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I have just purchased the cab (PF 115HE) and head (PF500) and personally I got the sound I've been looking for out of it. Just a warm and big tone that can handle some picking whenever I need to. Will be giving it a full blast with gigs on Saturday and Sunday, so I can give my thoughts after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxm Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I've got one that I use as a back-up. No issues and for the money a great little amp ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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