Please share your experience of the Ampeg PF-50T

[ossyrocks]

Having just spent a few days playing around with my vintage Fender Bassman 50, my interest in valve heads has increased, and I'm being drawn to the PF-50T specifically, as it just seems to tick all my boxes. But, I have never even seen one, let alone tried one! I'm listening to whatever I can find, and have spent too much time dreaming about vintage B15's, which may in fact turn out to be an expensive minefield.

 

My Bassman is ok, but it's HEAVY. I expect it's actually heavier than the V-4B Reissue, and I can't envisage me actually gigging it regularly.

 

My band isn't overly loud, not relative to my experience anyway, and at the moment a GK 400RB is doing a great job, whilst just barely ticking over. Having said that, we do seem to be in a constant negotiation with the drummer about acceptable levels regarding his drums. He does love to hit them when he thinks he can get away with it.

 

I would be running it, if I got one, through a Barefaced Three10, with a P bass with flats, playing blues and more funky/greasy 70's blues too.

 

Fire away!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[Lozz196]

I don’t know about loud enough Rob as no experience with that amp, but I reckon that whole set up would sound amazing.

[BassAdder60]

I would say it will just about cope but may sound a little less clean !!

 

My V4B 100w worked well in a loud rock band using a 2x12 and it stayed clean if I wanted it 

 

If your drummer isn’t too heavy handed it would be fine I think 

[Reggaebass]

Hi Rob, I know you’re a long way from me or you would be more than welcome to borrow mine, my experience is they really are a wonderful sounding amp especially with a P bass with flats and very versatile , mine is silent which is great for home use so no hum or noise, volume wise I’ve never had it up full but I’ve had it just over half way and it’s fairly loud , that’s with a Barefaced big baby ll,  but I don’t know how much more it would give, Ive got a feeling that it might not be loud enough for you, I know there’s a few here that do use them in their band they might be able to advise more on the volume , maybe @Beer of the Bass, @Beedster

[ossyrocks]

43 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Hi Rob, I know you’re a long way from me or you would be more than welcome to borrow mine, my experience is they really are a wonderful sounding amp especially with a P bass with flats and very versatile , mine is silent which is great for home use so no hum or noise, volume wise I’ve never had it up full but I’ve had it just over half way and it’s fairly loud , that’s with a Barefaced big baby ll,  but I don’t know how much more it would give, Ive got a feeling that it might not be loud enough for you, I know there’s a few here that do use them in their band they might be able to advise more on the volume , maybe @Beer of the Bass, @Beedster

 

Thanks Tony, I know if I were closer I'd be beating a path to your door. Re volume, this is the crux of the matter, and without understanding it's capabilities first, it's a risk.

 

My band has been making every attempt to play quieter in recent months. The band is relatively new, coming up 2 years since we first talked about this project, and only 18 month since our very first gig, and we set off very enthusiastically allowing and tolerating everyone doing their thing, including the drummer. Now, he's a lovely guy, we're all firm friends now, and we love him to bits, but he can get a little bit excited. He's brilliant though, one of the best drummers I've ever played with (he's played the Royal Albert Hall, twice!). Thankfully, we can talk openly about these things, and some recent gigs have been sublime in their understatement and power. We did do The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival last month, and I think because we were on a big stage with PA, monitors and engineers, he thought he could go for it a bit more. But it was in fact the opposite of what he should have done. The gig was still ok, but the drums on stage were too loud. The top and bottom of this dilemma is that if I can reign in the drummer I think I'll be ok, if not, then I think I'll need more oomph than the PF-50T can deliver.

 

I do so wish I could take you up on your offer Tony!

 

Rob

[Beer of the Bass]

I haven't had the chance to compare to a Bassman 50, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be in the ballpark since it's also a fixed bias push-pull 6L6 pair with the same nominal power rating. We have a drummer with reasonable dynamics who's not a shed-builder, and our guitarist usually uses a Blues Junior, and in that context it does fine. Running the midrange control most of the way up helps things to be audible too, an option you don't have on a Fender tone stack. 

I can hear that it's starting to grit up and squash a little on louder notes when I get to around 2pm on the master volume, though that was at a gig where I was running into a single 12" without PA support and the guitarist had a larger combo than usual. I had it running into a venue's house Orange 8x10 on Friday, and it felt plenty loud that way! 

[Downunderwonder]

My experience of 50W valve amp is lovely sound, short of oomph into 210 cab when getting above rehearsal volume. A bit of a KoolAid experience after reading about so many slaying drummers with theirs.

[Cat Burrito]

I had one and used it for years. It was during my time playing on the Americana circuit, as well as doing a bit of old school rock 'n' roll. In fact, I seem to remember I used it in a CCR tribute band too. It held up against the loudest drummer & guitarist that I have ever worked with. In the Americana band I tended to be on volume 2 1/2 and coming through nicely and with the louder guys I was nearer volume 5 or 6. I tended to put Fender basses through it and run it through the matching PF cab (the 4x10, 2x10 or 1x15 at different times). Plenty of old school thumb. It's heavy for what it is but because it is small, it is light - if that makes any sense!?! I sold mine on here a few years back and mine would have been when they first came out. 

 

Looking at my Basschat pics, I must have had it for years as this was around 2018 so I must have run it for a good 4yrs. 

 

[itu]

I don't think the original Portaflex was that nice: heavy and underpowered. My bass teacher had one, but was always driving it very hot, and then the fuse blew. Once he used a bigger fuse and the x-former melt. Decent sound, but not for gigging. I would see studio use as the only feasible option.