Ampeg PF-500 bass amp

Kevin Barber · From: Marianna, Florida, USA

Hello,

I am currently using a PV Nashville 112. I also have an Ampeg PF-500 bass amp head. Is anyone using a bass amp head, and if so, what brand, type and size speaker are you using with it?

Just trying to lighten the load and the bass amp is really light compared to the 112. I have a couple of P.A. speakers that are fairly light, but the speaker isn't really voiced for steel, but then again, maybe the bass amp isn't either.

Just a thought.

Thanks!!

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 29 Apr 2014 11:38 pm

As much low end as I dial in on my amps, I might as well use a bass head. I actually was looking at that Ampeg head online over the weekend. I've used old Earth and Kustom PA heads for guitar rigs in a past life with great results. And Ampeg makes really good sounding stuff. It's a very lively sound their engineers design. Even super clean, Ampeg stuff doesn't sound sterile. There's a little music store by my house that just put in an amp room. Mostly they stock Fender, but I'm going to take my steel up there and try out a bass amp, see how that sounds. Cool idea, Kevin. I know some folks around here have used Gallien~Krueger's MB200 bass head and are pleased with that sound.

Kevin Barber · From: Marianna, Florida, USA

Hey Daniel,
Thanks for the reply! I saw those MB200 amps when I was shopping for a bass amp a couple of years ago. The Ampeg won out just because of the brand name of the amp and the price I got it for, which, I can't remember now what the price was. hehe.

I have been playing my steel through the Ampeg, but only through headphones and not an actual external speaker. It sounds ok, but then again, I have only been playing the steel guitar for about two months and really don't know what "The" sound that I want is supposed to sound like. I'm sure that will probably change as I progress. The only effects I use is a Zoom MS50 (I think) with only a little bit of reverb and a smidge of delay. Gotta have a little bit of effects until I can get my hands to pull the sounds I like out of the guitar, it helps "some".

Thanks again!!!!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

the only way to know is plug a speaker in and try it. it might sound good!

Daniel Policarpo · Posted 1 May 2014 10:25 am

I agree with Chris. I'd plug those PA speakers in if the ohms match up alright. They might surprise you.

Kevin Barber · From: Marianna, Florida, USA

Thanks for the replies, guys! I will give it a whirl and see how it sounds.

James Wolf · From: Georgia

Yesterday I found a good deal on a markbass little mark 250. My goal was to find an analog rig that was light weight as well as have lots of clean headroom. I haven't tried it live yet but so far I am happy. I use reverb and delay effects. I haven't done any speaker matching yet. I am currently running the 15 that came with it. I don't know why I never considered a bass rig for steel guitar before. My amp before was a fender hot rod tube amp. It sounded great but if you wanted to turn it up the sound would begin to break up and distort especially in the high range of the guitar. When I get some time this weekend I'll jot down some comparison between the two amplifiers to share.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

There's a current crop of bass amps that have some sort of parametric EQ in the midrange, and/or separate controls for low-mids and hi-mids, and they often work great for steel guitar. The famed Peaveys all had that, largely why the are famed. I've been using an SWR SM500 bass head for years now, stereo w/250 watts per, it works fine. The problem with a PA stack will be that the horns and tweeters reproduce the high end accurately, and steels have an awful lot of it - as do electric guitars. The reason for using 12" (or 15"!) speakers with no crossover or horns is to KILL all that high end, put a blanket over it... if you can turn off the horns in your PA speakers, you may want to try that. If you poke through any of the frequency curves here:
http://www.usspeaker.com/
you'll see that somewhere between 2K and 2.5K they all basically murder everything above it - by happy coincidence, that's just what's needed. Very Happy

Susan Alcorn · From: Baltimore, MD, USA

Nine years ago, when playing at a black box theater in Lausanne, Switzerland, they had an Eden amp head in the backline; I loved the sound so much that I bought one as soon as I got back home and have been using it ever since. Strong clean lows and silky highs. However, what David Mason wrote is true - if you use a bass speaker cabinet, you'll most likely want to make sure that there are no horns or tweeters.
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