Ampeg

Why didn't this amp ever turn into a best seller ? First, I think the reason lays in this amp's history. No one ever associates Ampeg with guitar amps anymore. Still, in the golden age of rock'n'roll, Fender and Ampeg shared most of the guitar amp market - one on the East coast, the other on the West coast. Then came the genius idea (but also a commercial suicide) of choosing electronic circuitry. The Ampeg Jet 20 is nothing but a handwired clone of a Fender Brown Face (6G3). That is, Fender's lesser known period: in between the Tweed and the Blackface and so on. 1964, I think. So, how does is sound? Very raw, rootsy, rock'n'roll, but overall very good! The crunch sounds absolutely beautiful: thick grain, and most important very "organic". The circuitry's simplicity makes its sound depend on tour choice of tubes. Don't hesitate to invest in NOS tubes. Yet, it's true that the "Low" channel sounds a bit dark, and the "Bright" one is a bit too bright, and the knobs interact with each other, and the stand-by wasn't designed by the book, but hell, how good does it sound!! And this tremolo, wahoou!! It affects the power tubes, so it sounds like... pumping. Beautiful! Perhaps too dirty-sounding for jazz and not high-gain enough for metal, this amp is versatile enough for blues, rock, punk, garage and probably hard rock. It's also pedal friendly, and loves fuzz and tube screamers. Its power is perfectly suited for crunch sounds with a band, while using the guitar's volume knob you can get beautiful clean sounds. In spite of the speaker's qualities, I replaced it with a Celestion Gold. I had to have it serviced three times in 5 years: once to add a variable resistor to allow setting the bias, and twice (the first technician failed to identify the problem) because of an oxydation problem on the tube holders. All small and cheap services. All three technicians were impressed by this little-knowned amp's qualities. First sold for €900, it soon sold for a mere €450. If you find one for sale, don't hesitate!

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.

This is a review for the Ampeg Big Stud bass. If I were to be completely honest, I'd say, do not buy this bass unless you get a great deal on it. It was made out of plywood, budget hardware and 2 of the puniest single coil pickups I have ever seen in a bass. Cranked up you can get one throaty, heavy mid sound, but so can most basses. I hear these were made for Ampeg by Tokai. Sigma, Martin Guitars overseas line, also marketed a similar bass, most likely made in the same factory with a different headstock and logo. I acquired this through a trade. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for this bass except for the fact that someone out there will pay more strictly because of the Ampeg name. It does have one usable tone. I spent over an hour messing with it to realize I'm not a fan of this bass. It does look pretty punk rock in that ugly red headed stepchild way. It plays poorly. The neck is a tree trunk and the million and one layers of plywood weighs a ton. I can't imagine playing a multi set night with this beast. Even though it is made out of cheap materials, I think this thing could survive a nuclear blast. I got it after 30 years of neglect and hope to pass it off to a player who will find a use for it. The electronics are a bit noisy. The hardware is cheap, but manages to serve it's purpose in keeping the instrument playable and in tune. I would not recommend this to someone looking for a versatile bass. I do not see this bass being collectible. I would not pay over $200 for this bass. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

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.

100w of all-tube joy (eight tubes in total, which are still the original ones, meaning it's sturdy!). Two channels with separate inputs, one with a distortion control (what for? I'm kidding, you only need to use it with the right power). 3-band equalizer with the possibility to boost the desired frequencies (100 - 300 - 3000 Hz) Reverb Possibility to connect a cab UTILIZATION It couldn't be easier, this amp is about 30 years old. If you have no neighbors within 5 miles, you'll enjoy a great sound. SOUNDS The sound...It makes me think of Pink Floyd, The Wall. It's as if you were there without the need of doing anything except plugging in your guitar! However, the crunch channel isn't easy to handle if you want to remain within acceptable listening levels, but with a pedal it's great! OVERALL OPINION It's my first and last amp!!!!!! With the v-2 cab it weighs almost 160 lbs, which I drag to every rehearsal, although I can still carry a les paul on each hand without a sweat!

I think the other review is wrong. I have a 1969 gemini 22 in absolutely pristine condition but its actually a 2x12 speaker configuration. I have researched this amps alot and wanted one and when one popped up I had to buy it. Its an all tube design with a claimed 44 watts power from 6l6 power tubes. In actuality the amp is probably a little more like 30 watts from what my amp guy tells me. It has 4 inputs that can be jumpered to achieve even more sounds then is already available. Its two channels. both channels has a normal bright setup. Channel one also can be used to run tube driven tremolo/vibrato as well as world famous ampeg reverb. The tremolo is divine and has a warm vintage feel to it. highly acclaimed in vintage users. There is a treble and bass knob for each channel which is nice to have independent eq. There are also several rocker switches that control the highs and bass as well for both channels independently. The tremolo also has a on beat/after beat rocker switch as well as a vibrato/tremolo selector. Power switch in front with a polarity switch. The standby is in the back. I believe it runs at 4 olm loads but I could be wrong about that. In the back it has hum balance, ext cab output, ext amp input, fuse. UTILIZATION The sound of it is instant vintage creaminess. Its sounds very fendery. Maybe alot like a fender twin. Its a super clean sound resultant from the 6l6's and gets plenty loud!!! I play it with my band and it is more then willing to keep up with drums another guitar, 4x10 bass, and p.a. it wont need to be miked. I also have a ampeg vt-22/v-4 and i can get almost similar sounds as the v4. I think i will make a video a/b both units and put it on youtube and show you what i mean. It has super amounts of headroom and wont break up unless at ungodly levels. A pedal players dream really. I play big muffs, fulltone ocd, phase 90, mxr flanger, clyde deluxe wah, fat boost and a boss eq. The amp is interesting when compared with my v4 in that its a tad bit easier to dial up a vintage sound (fender) where the v4 needs the eq tweeked considerably as well as using the boss eq to get a brighter sound (fender) out of it and not being so muddy. the gv-22 can achieve some of those awesome v4 muddy cleans by turning up the bass and hitting the rocker switch. In addition the v4 is a monster. the cab for that amp is 88 pounds and awkward as hell to move even a few feet. Little lone in and out of back seats. The gv-22 is alot easier to manage at around 55-60 pounds with a smaller enclosure. When I bought the v4 i disregarded people complaining about the weight of the amp but have hence found out that this is a crappy amp to deal with. It sucks to move around. The gv clearly wins. The reverb is awesome in this amp and kind of has a surfy tone to it somewhat (fender) a little different from the v4 but both are awesome. If your into the pixies it sounds exactly like their reverb for guitars. The tremolo is awesome as well, killer sound. Vibrato sounds good but i'm not a big fan of vibrato so i really don't know/care what is good or not. The gv sounds awesome through either humbuckers or single coils. I have a strat and les paul custom and they both sound great through the amp. The v4 i always thought sounded the best with the les paul for some reason but that might just be in my head. SOUNDS The sounds you can get out of this are amazing, pretty much like any vintage amps. You can get the punchy v4 sounds like the rolling stones, country, surf, classic rock if you have a good overdrive pedal. My favorite sound out of it is grungy garage rock ala mudhoney. Sounds sick like that. Also with a big muff this turns into an awesome sludgy amp ala the melvins. The clean sounds are amazing and could be used for jazz, country rock, pretty much anything i imagine. OVERALL OPINION I pretty much consider it a fender twinish amp that is alot cooler because its not a fender! People see it when i'm on stage and ask what the heck is that? Are you playing a bass amp? No, no simple corporate stooges that will buy what ever nickleback tells them too. Its a 1969 amp that I got for a quarter as much as other vintage amps, that is a workhorse amp, with all the features one desires, topnotch build quality and gives a guitar player a rare thing. Finding and achieving his/her own tone and not ripping off jimi, stevie, jimmy, or whoever else is out there that people worship with religious fervor. (p.s. i love all those guys too but people music sucks more now then it has since the 20's we need a change)

Back in the day I was trying to sound like the Edge from U2. Somewhere I had read that he uses this unit on certain effect for different songs. So I decided to try it out. What it does is give an octave sounding fuzz tone to your guitar. It is very smooth in character and fuzzy as you dial up the gain. This is a pedal that sounds its age. I doesn't sound modern at all and once you play it you can instantly figure out which artists used this on recordings back in the 60's and 70's. It has a vintage feel and quality even though this was a reissue pedal for this demo. The layout as follows.... Texture and Balance knobs. and a 9v plug The texture add that gain an fuzz to your tone while the balance really covers the unmodified sound. These two knobs though simple in design can do some interesting sounds when dialed in certain ways. I though that it wouldn't be that versatile with only being two knobs but I was wrong. Let me be clear, when this pedal is engaged it does octave fuzz and there is no way around that, but you can get interesting sounds when playing around with it and your guitar's volume. UTILIZATION Very easy to use with just two controls. The manual was sufficient and added necessary understanding a some basic user suggested settings. This is a unique pedal that has been cloned and sought after for many years for its unusual tones. It is a sound that you will use sparingly but can be fun when in the recording studio SOUND QUALITY For what it does it does it very well. I used it with a Les Paul and an Old Marshall JMP. I found myself playing more with it then actually playing the instrument. Under different circumstances I think I will write out riffs before engaging this pedal because I found myself so focus on playing around then actually playing the guitar. So that being said it did sound very good and unique. I didn't get to try it with a bass since it was made by a bass amp manufacturer. This will be my next experiment. However, the octave fuzz made that guitar sing with a very cool sustain and effect. OVERALL OPINION Again for what it was designed for it does very well. It cannot be a normal everyday distortion pedal or first go to OD when playing in a band, but it will color your tone in a way that a normal amp or OD pedal will never do. I suggest using this pedal sparingly and within the right situation. Given the chance to buy it again I would do it again because nothing really recreates this sound. There are clones...sure...and you can shell out $1000 for an original but the reissues sound almost identical to the old. I would recommend this to any guitar player or even sound engineer who wants to add to his arsenal or collection. It will be a fun and exciting tool when added to existing riff or even maybe writing a riff or hook around the sound of this pedal with a little delay might just be what you need to get the creative juices flowing again.