Ampeg Bass amplification

The Ampeg V-4B was originally introduced as the little sister to the SVT. It produces about 100 watts of power, where the SVT produces 300. For reasons to complicated to go into here it is not one-third as loud as the SVT but more like eighty or ninety percent as loud. It has two inputs, with input one going through an extra triode in the preamp for slightly more gain than input two. Each input has its own volume, and they share a three-band active eq in which the midrange can be assigned to any one of three frequency bands. There is no master volume, nor should there be. There is also a bright switch, which is really useful in compensating for the differences in tone between flat- and round-wound strings on two different basses, or between picking and fingering. There is also a Low Boost switch which actually just seems to cut the treble and is basically useless. There are two speaker jacks on the back, and a handy impedance matching switch which allows you to select from 2, 4, or 8 ohms. Due to its huge transformers the amp sounds magical and weighs roughly the same as a girlfriend. It uses 7027a tubes, which have recently become available again, though I've heard mixed things about these new production 7027as. Mine still has the original tubes in it and they sound great. Mine is a late-seventies production, so it's not exactly like the one pictured. It's got no polarity switch and a three prong plug. UTILIZATION Plugged in to the right speaker cabinet (I use an early-2000s Ampeg 8X10) this amp cannot sound bad. I have heard some people complain about volume or tonal balance, and these people usually turn out to be using crappy speakers or too few inches of speaker surface. I usually just leave the eq flat, maybe cut or boost one of the knobs a hair to compensate for the room, and turn the volume to the right level. I've played large clubs with this and never had to turn it past 10:00. SOUNDS It is the sound of rock. It is not quite an SVT, of the same era, but it is ninety-nine percent as good as one and will cost you about a third the price on the vintage market. It also sounds way better than anything Ampeg has made lately, including their various attempts to keep the SVT alive. The new SVTs and the reissue, non-master-volume SVTs are both a waste of time compared to this. If you are choosing between two bass heads, and this is one of them, and the other one is not a 1970s SVT, do not hesitate to choose this one. The second best bass amp ever made for rock music, and at a significantly lower cost than the all-mighty SVT. OVERALL OPINION Just to be clear, I'm talking about a mid- or late-seventies V-4B, not the more recent 100 watt tube head that Ampeg makes, and which has a similar name. I used to have that thing, and it was not such a good amp. There are people who say tube tone doesn't matter for bass, and maybe that's true in other kinds of music. In rock music, both heavy and light, you need a good tube head, and this is one of the best ones ever made.

This is a perfect amp for practice or for beginners. It features tools like a 3-band EQ, MP3 input and a headphone input as well. With power of 25 watts and an 8'' high output speaker this amp delivers the classic ampeg tone with a great mid-low frequency range. It also has a line out so it can also be used for live performances or studio work as well. UTILIZATION Aside from their durability and resistance, most classic ampeg amps also have great warmth and tone control; and the BA-108 is not an exception. The sound you can obtain ranges from a low frequency thump to an agressive, percussive treble. The manual is clear and sufficient too. SOUNDS I used my Fender Jazz Bass with the BA-108 and I was quite happy with the sound I got from it. The tone I use when I record or perform depends on the musical piece I'm playing; sometimes I want a very clear, mid-low range sound, to enhance articulations and the deep end, but sometimes I also like to have a percussive, trebly tone, but without losing the low range frequencies. With this amp you can get both easily and with amazing clarity and potency; even if it's just a 25W amp you can feel the punch when you're practicing. OVERALL OPINION What I like the most about Ampeg is the tone and quality of the sound. I have tried many other models, (Fender, Marshall, etc.) and while some of them can also give you a nice tone, I think Ampeg still has the most clarity even if you are playing with a high treble setting; it makes no unwanted noises (cracks and hisses) and remains loyal to the sound of the instrument. Definitely would buy again, I haven't found a better amp for practice yet.

350-watt (@ 4 ohms) solid-state amp, input gain with clipping LED, 3-band EQ, mid-booster function, 9-band graphic EQ, balance output on XLR, preamp jack output and power amp input, external FX loop, optocoupler limiter. USE Very easy to dial in, I had no problems finding my sound. The sound is always very good, very clean, precise, depending on the settings. I use it with an ampeg hlf410 cab, so...I get a great sound. The manual is very clear. SOUND The amp is quite versatile, I use it for different musical projects: Rock/noise, post-rock, dub... And I always get the sound I'm looking for. If I chose ampeg was because I wanted to have a heavy, fat sound. I use it with a jazz bass aerodyne and a proco rat...And it all works fine. OVERALL OPINION I got it about 3 weeks and 3 gigs later I'm very satisfied with it. At first I was a bit disappointed by the lack of power, but I actually get more than I need (I even tested for an outdoor gig). It's definitely not a tube ampeg, but with the right settings you are not that far.... I also tried Hartke, swr, fender, HH, but I wanted the ampeg sound, so... Granted, this amp head might be slightly more expensive than similar products, Ampeg remains a bit more expensive, but there is simply no comparison in terms of sound. With hindsight, I would buy it again, tube amps being too restrictive to me.

The Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 is a 500 watt bass amplifier, sold both with a speaker cabinet and without one. The preamp is a MOSFET and it's a solid state amplifier. In the back of the amp there are connections in 1/4" form for a speaker output, a send and return effects loop, a foot switch, a tuner output, and both a preamp out and power amp in. It also has an XLR output for taking a direct signal from the amp, and a speak-on output as well. The direct XLR output also has buttons for a ground lift, setting the EQ pre or post, and a -40 db pad. On the front panel it also has a 1/4" input, and 1/8" connections for sending audio in and for headphone monitoring. As with most Ampeg amps, you're getting more than the full compliment of routing options here. UTILIZATION The Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 is a pretty easy amplifier to manipulate in my opinion. The front panel has a slew of parameters to work with, including knobs for compression, gain, bass, midrange (with extra adjustable frequency parameter), treble, fx mix, and volume. It also has 'ultra' hi and low boost buttons as well as mute and a -15 pad buttons. It should be pretty self explanatory, so I don't think most users will need to look at the manual. SOUNDS The sound of the Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 is definitely impressive to say the least. I've only used this for recording inside the studio along with an also Ampeg cabinet, and only for one session where the bass player brought it all in. I was really happy with the sounds we got for bass as this amp has a serious amount of low end presence happening as which is needed of course in a bass amp. Ampeg is widely known for making some of the best bass amps available, and while this isn't one of their best, it's still quite effective. OVERALL OPINION The Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 is an overall really solid bass amp. It's a good way for experienced bass players to get a very nice amplifier without spending a boat load of cash on a head alone. It's of course more expensive to buy this with the cabinet, but I'd recommend finding a cheaper cabinet and buying the PF-500 individually as it seems to make financial sense to do so. Ampeg makes a ton of great amps, a lot of which are better than the PF-500, but it's still very solid in it's own right and one of the best amps you can find for the money.

This is a great tube bass amp, it's most popularly used in recording studios, for various reasons. Perplexingly, it has two channels. One has inputs for both guitar and bass (?) and one is just for bass. There aren't many other features expect for EQ, which is two knobs (bass and treble), and volume for each channel. UTILIZATION One of the glories of this amp, at least when it comes to playing bass, is that there is little to no need for adjustments. The basic eq is all that you would need. It's great for the old-school players who just try to lay down a tasteful groove. For the Les Claypools and Fleas of the world, this might not be enough, but if you play jazz, R&B, Soul, Real rock and roll, or country, there's no reason you couldn't be using this. It even sounds great with upright bass! SOUNDS I like to use this with a Fender P-bass, as it gives me the power that I need. The amp, meanwhile, takes care of the warmth and pop. This is a great amp for the old-school players, as it doesn't rattle the earth the way the new, obnoxious bassists do. It can go from sounding deep and full to light and trebly, it's got a ton of diversity. I don't really like it when played with Ibanez basses with active pickups, or things of that nature, because I think that those basses sound better with other amps (Like Hartkes). This one, however, really keeps it warm and tasty. It also sounds good with a Jazz Bass. A good upright bass, with the right pickup/mic type, will also yield great results with this amp, assuming of course that it's the amplified sound your looking for. I'm not sure why they included the guitar input, I don't think this sounds good at all for guitars. For the most part I've only seen this in the studio I worked at, but most people were really happy with it, if not thrilled. It might not be great for live use, because it's an older model (at least the one I use), but don't take my word for it! Its good in the sense that it totally depends on the bass player and his bass, in the wrong hands, it won't sound great. But that's not the sign of a great amp. OVERALL OPINION I think that the tone of this amp is great, mainly because it responds well to the tone of each player. Some bass amps are very bad about compressing the tone, or highlighting the wrong aspects of the sound. This makes every bassist sound the same! I like this amp because it feels like the antithesis of that. It's pretty expensive, but the quality is in a range that is so good, it couldn't be anything less than great. I highly recommend this.

The Ampeg BA-110 is a solid state bass guitar combo amplifier. It has 30 watts of power and has a 1/4 inch input to plug your instrument in. It has a single ten inch speaker and has control knobs for EQ, volume, and also has a contour switch. The amp is extremely easy to use and basic in terms of its characteristics. UTILIZATION The configuration of the Ampeg BA-110 amp is very simple, and setting it up couldn't be easier. Pretty much just plug in your bass and set the controls to your likings, and you're good to go. It is easy to get a good sound from this as the inherent tone is thick and full. There are a good amount of parameters, which gives you a good amount of control over your tone. I don't have a manual for this, but it is easy enough to use that I never needed one. SOUNDS I use the Ampeg BA-110 mostly as a practice amp, but the sound is definitely suitable for live shows and recording if you choose to use it that way. I play mostly rock and pop music, so I use this amp for those genres for the most part, but the amp is suitable for pretty much any type of music you'd like to use it with. Since you have a lot of control over your tone, you can manipulate it to work for all types of applications. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Ampeg BA-110 for about two years and it has worked very well for me. While I have other bass guitar amp options that I use to record with if I want to record with an amp, this is great amp because it is easy to move around and is perfect for band practice or to bring to gigs. It is pretty cheap in price, but still has the nice tone quality you expect from Ampeg amps. Overall, perfect for those looking for a cheap option with a good tone to practice and gig with.

I have had this head for about 7 years now and the tone and power is great. I have it paired with a 410hlf cab. It gives you that great ampeg tone! This thing is also built like a tank. I have it mounted in a rack and was backed into by a mini van before a gig. Still worked with no issues. UTILIZATION After my previous bass amp blew up for the second time, it was time to go shopping for something more reliable. I knew that an Ampeg wasn't going to disappoint, so it was between this and an SVT-CL. Glad I went with the 3-PRO. It covers any style you can possibly think of. The EQ section is very responsive and intuitive and doesn't take much time to dial in. I only use the graphic EQ to get more volume (it actually provides more than the master) It has that classic SVT tone without having to crank it. I consider myself a modern-purist, so if you want that SVT tone but don't need 300W of ALL tube power, pair this with an Ampeg 410HLF, and you'll be set for the life of your bass playing career. (unless your already playing stadiums and arenas, then you don't need this review). SOUNDS I love the sounds, really great rock and jazz feeling, it fits perfect in almost all genres of music that any one can be creating. I dont really use any of the settings on it though, just a little drive or boost to make it sound full and not dry. OVERALL OPINION Overall I am really happy with my purchase of the Ampeg SVT 3 I would have it any other way, I paid a good amount of money for this, and I take good care of it and im hoping it last me a really long time.

The Ampeg B-100 R is a bass combo amplifier great for use in the studio or on the stage. My extend of using the B-100 R has just been in the studio, as I'm an engineer and don't do live sound at all. I recently did a session where the bass player was using this amplifier and we were recording it in tandem with a direct inject signal as well. The amp, as the name suggests, outputs 100 watts of power and also has a 15" speaker. The amp has a slew of 1/4" connections, including for inputs at zero and -15 db, as well as for headphones and a direct line out. UTILIZATION Using the Ampeg B-100 R is overall quite simple. It would be a great amp to learn on since it's so simple but also nice for more experienced users just looking for the necessary controls. The parameters at play here include knobs for gain, a four band EQ with bass, low mid, high mid, and treble controls, and a master volume knob. A manual shouldn't be needed since everything is more or less self explanatory. SOUNDS The Ampeg B-100 R has a really full overall sound that's perfect for recording. It's not too loud in general but can get up there in volume for live shows if necessary. We kept it at a moderate volume for recording and the sound was great. I like having the four band EQ here and it's nice that it's not convoluted but still has enough parameters to work with. Nothing more to say than this is just a really great sounding bass amp. OVERALL OPINION The Ampeg B-100 R is the perfect bass combo amp for the experienced bass player looking for something that sounds great but isn't too big to carry around. I'd probably recommend this to any bass player looking for a great combo amp as it's impossible to go wrong with this. The price is reasonable for what you're getting considering that it's an Ampeg. Highly, highly recommended for any bass player looking for a combo amp.

The Ampeg SVT-DI is a vacuum tube based direct injection box, designed for use in the studio. Like all DI boxes, it can of course be used in a live setting if you so choose, but as far as the SVT-DI goes I'd recommend only using it in the studio since it does have a vacuum tube inside of it, making it more fragile than your standard DI box. The SVT-DI has 1/4" connections for input and thru, and an XLR balanced output. It also has buttons for a pad, a ground lift, as well as for choosing between tube and direct. UTILIZATION There isn't all that much that you need to know about the way the Ampeg SVT-DI runs, as most of it is self explanatory and you will be able to pick it up as you go along. Even if you haven't got prior experience with direct input boxes, I think that you'll be able to figure out everything without much of a problem. Getting a good sound from it is as simple as sending something that sounds good to it, as it will take care of the rest! SOUNDS As far as direct injection boxes go, the Ampeg SVT-DI probably has the fullest and warmest sound of any that I've used. While you can bypass the tubes and go direct, this isn't something that I do unless I'm looking for a specific type of tone. I've used the SVT-DI primarily for recording bass guitar, but it can be used for anything where you would want a thick DI sound. I think that you'd be hard pressed to find an application where this direct box didn't sound good... OVERALL OPINION While they no long manufacture the Ampeg SVT-DI, you can still find them pretty easily used if you're looking for one. There aren't too many other tube based DI boxes that I've used, and the SVT-DI would probably be the one that I'd recommend if you were looking for one. I don't know exactly what these would cost used, but since they weren't the cheapest DI boxes to begin with, I think you're still going to have to pay a bit more than average for this. All in all I would say that it is definitely worth it, as this is built like a brick and is a great sounding tube DI that will last a long time...

The Ampeg SVT 1000 is a solid state bass guitar amp head that delivers 1000 watts of power. It has a both a high and low 1/4 inch input in the front and a speaker cable output in the back to send this amp to your speaker cabinet. The setting controls are as follows - there are knobs for gain, bass, ultra mid, treble, effects mix, and one that is fixed to choose between different styles. It also has a master volume knob and a ten band graphic EQ. UTILIZATION The general configuration of the Ampeg SVT 1000 is straightforward and easy to follow, even though there are a good amount of parameters to control your tone. It is easy to get a good sound as the inherent tone is great and full of life. I don't have a manual for this, but it is quite easy to use and the average user shouldn't need one if you don't have one. SOUNDS The sound quality of the Ampeg SVT 1000 is great for both recording and live shows. It is great for any type of music, but I use it mostly for rock and pop music. When I use this amp head with an Ampeg speaker cabinet and a Fender P-Bass or Jazz Bass, I always tend to get a great, full sounding tone. The wide array of parameters makes it possible to get a number of different tones for varying situations and applications. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Ampeg SVT 1000 bass amp for about three years and it is one of my favorite bass guitar amp heads out there because of its ease of use and great sound. The price is pretty expensive, but it is really made for the professional looking to get one of the best bass amp heads out there. I can't say enough about the great products that Ampeg makes, and this is a prime example of their expertise when it comes to making bass amps.

Ampeg SVT 6 Pro Bass head RMS Power Output (8 Ohms): 750-Watts RMS Power Output (4 Ohms): 1100-Watts Preamp: Tubes (2 x 12AX7) Driver Tubes: 2 x 12AU7, 2 x 12AX7 Power Amp: Solid State Tone Controls: Bass and Treble Mid Tone Control: 4-Band Semi-Parametric Ultra Low/High Boosts: Yes Balanced Line Out: Yes, Pre/Post with Level and Ground Lift Effects Loop: Yes Preamp Out/Power Amp In: Yes Dimensions (W x H x D inches): 19 x 3.5 x 15 Weight: 41 Pounds UTILIZATION The sound is very good! And running the amp is easy as pie, the keys and fine tuning EQ's are very easy to set. I play metal, and punk, and this amp dose all that and more! Sadly the Manual has a lot of small print and can be hard to read, that being said it dose come with enough photo print to set the EQ's for (Rock, funk, jazz, and pop) SOUNDS I play a 1980's Fender Jazz bass, and a 2009 Fender P-Bass, both American made. I also use a Jackhammer overdrive and distortion pedal. The Ultra-low kicks major ass! The Bright isn't very amazing by its self, but with a Distortion pedal it's very cool. The only problem I have is the pre-amp Frequency needed a little work. I mainly use a Heavy tone with this Amp, but the Clean side is very crisp and clear. OVERALL OPINION I like the the low end the most, it's crisp, has a good thump! Things I don't like? The cooling fan is very loud after playing for an hour or so it also weights 45 freaking pounds, to moving it is a real pain.. I used to use a SVT 3 I liked it, but needed more power and better low end. The sound on this SVT 6, is awesome, and some of the best I've herd, live shows, and just messing around, it's awesome, recording is trouble due to the cooling fan noise. I would buy this amp 100 more times if I had too.

This is a new cab put out by Ampeg. 2 10' speakers stacked to look like the infamous Ampeg 8x10 SVT only smaller. I wanted a bass cab that could rock a small bar gig, yet not be a total buzz kill to carry to my car then later up 2 flights of steps to my apartment. The Answer: The SVT210AV by Ampeg. Normally these are $299 but I bought a scratch and dent model for $220. Once I received I was pleasantly surprised to only find one little dangling string hanging off of the grill. One snip with the scissors and bye bye scratch and dent! <a href="http://www.guitarvideochannel.com">http://www.guitarvideochannel.com</a> It is only 30 pounds! I can easily grab the cab with one hand and my bass with the other. Makes loading and unloading almost too easy. I use the head with my Hartke HA2500 and it is a cookin' rig for a small room. The group I play with is a drummer, guitarist and singer. If you stack the cab up against a 4x10 you will notice you are lacking the low lows, but hey if I'm DI'ing this rig into a large PA with subs, it doesn't even matter. Black tolex and silver grill cloth. It's an attractive looking cab. The speakers are built for Ampeg by Eminence. They are rated 200 watts at 8ohms and I think it's a fair rating. I can crank it, yet I know there is a limit to the speakers. A very handy cabinet for those in between gigs that you don't need a ton of power with. The cabinet has mixed well with all of the heads I have experimented with. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com