Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

[post toastie]

i was talking to a local store dude who told me that when (if) he sold the BA-115 that was in there he wouldn't be ordering any more because no one plays Ampeg anymore.

that was two years ago and sure enough that store hasn't had an Ampeg since then.

are new players not playing Ampeg ?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I don't know if that is true, but if so, it makes sense. They sold to a company who now has them made overseas. They are built badly now. IMO, there is no reason for anyone to buy anything new from Ampeg. There is 50 years worth of some of the best sounding and best constructed amps ever made for bass or guitar out there on the used market, and most of it is very fairly priced. With that being the case, why pay big money for their new stuff?

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I don't know if that is true, but if so, it makes sense. They sold to a company who now has them made overseas. They are built badly now. IMO, there is no reason for anyone to buy anything new from Ampeg. There is 50 years worth of some of the best sounding and best constructed amps ever made for bass or guitar out there on the used market, and most of it is very fairly priced. With that being the case, why pay big money for their new stuff?

That is exactly what I heard. They do have some solid little to mid sized practice or maybe gigging amps but nothing I'd look twice at professionally. Old original ampegs are bomb.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

back before st louis music sold the company i thought they still made great stuff. ive had an svt5pro for a long time, probably close to 10 years and its a great sounding very versitile (and heavy) amp. ive used older ba115's and b100r's and lots of other amps that worked and sounded fine. cant comment on the new stuff from the last few years.

 

[marcboomer]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I love my Micro SVT-VR double stack! And every once in a while for outdoor gigs, I love haulin out my SVT-VR -810. They both still sound authentic to me.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

Loud Technologies currently owns the Ampeg name, and like so many things these days, they're designed here and built over there.
Does that make them bad? I haven't seen the new ones, but there was a similar argument made against the Magnavox models built in NJ in the mid-70s.
People were claiming that the TV-spec parts in some models were diminishing the quality.

In case you're curious, old-school cathode ray analog TVs had some crazy-hot voltages in them.
Magnavox was one of the few US companies doing their own R&D, and making their own tubes.
They eventually sold to Philips, which folded most of the TV manufacturing into Panasonic. They sold the name to a Chinese company.
Anyhow...

My VT-22 (the combo version of the V4) and SVT were both made in the same mid-70s era.
I bought them used (10+ years) and they brought the noise for decades more until I sold them.
All I did was swap the tubes and caps.

If "no one plays them anymore", then those which survive will be getting dumped on the used market for more popular brands, and the price will drop.
If they get popular again, then people will buy a bunch of them, and they'll be as common as potato chips, and the price will drop.
IMO, win/win.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

When Stickmen toured Russia and Europe in 2012, Tony Levin used an Ampeg combo.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

Reliability has never been Ampeg's strength.

Now they managed to go from US production to Asian production with no improvement.

I did like some 15" Ampeg combo I recently tried in a shop but walked home with a Hartke.

 

[Securb]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

That's a shame because they make great bass amps. They never never listened to the guitar market until it was too late and Fender and Marshall dominated the rock world. It would be sad to see them to lose you bass players also.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

back before st louis music sold the company i thought they still made great stuff. ive had an svt5pro for a long time, probably close to 10 years and its a great sounding very versitile (and heavy) amp. ive used older ba115's and b100r's and lots of other amps that worked and sounded fine. cant comment on the new stuff from the last few years.

Is that when Crate went from mid-level gear to making nothing but beginner amps? I mean, in the 90s they at least had a few medium to high gain tube amps in their lineup. If I am not mistaken, Ampeg and Crate were under the same ownership then.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

yes, st louis music

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I wou;d love t own the old 70's tube SVT with the 8x10 cabinet. That was the industry standard. That was the same era, wasn't it?, where the big Acoustic solid State and Sunn Solid state Bass amps were popular.
Ive got me one of the old very early 70's B15n fliptops, that needs restoration.

 

[post toastie]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

i liked the guitar amps in the 70's too. they had a model that was about the size of a vibro champ that is the only amp i've heard that sounded like a quality studio recording. i have searched online for what model that may have been, but i have been unable to find it.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

i liked the guitar amps in the 70's too. they had a model that was about the size of a vibro champ that is the only amp i've heard that sounded like a quality studio recording. i have searched online for what model that may have been, but i have been unable to find it.

Might have been a Jet or a ReverbRocket.

 

[post toastie]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

Might have been a Jet or a ReverbRocket.

i've looked at photos over the years but haven't found it yet.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I currently use a 2008 Ampeg SVT-VR with an SVT 410 cab exclusively for bass tracks in the studio and I've been completely happy with the results, regardless of what bass I plug into it (Fender Jazz, Rickenbacker 4001, Hofner, etc.). I haven't felt a need to search for another bass amp to get any sound I need. I think there isn't a hot market to buy them new anymore, but that's different from not playing them anymore.

 

[dg27]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I think there isn't a hot market to buy them new anymore

There don't seem to be many around...I have been looking for a small one (1 X12) for ages. Have always loved the sound of them.

 

[One Bad Monkey]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

Ampeg (as well as GK) has been an amp that when someone mentions it, you have a very specific sound in your head. An Ampeg is going to sound like an Ampeg, regardless of what bass you run through it. For those that want "that" sound, it's ideal. But, for the bassist that in this day and age has a number of amplification options that rely on newer technology, sound better, are lighter, etc.. Ampeg is seen as a dinosaur from a bygone era.

Nowadays, you can get a fair reproduction of that Ampeg sound from a pedal, running into your amp. Is it exact? Probably not, but it's close enough that the guys going this route really don't care that there's a fridge behind them.

 

[mremic01]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

I've been under the impression that Ampeg's stuff had been at a low point in terms of quality these last few years, but they'd been bouncing back and making stuff a bit better than they had been. Not really something I can back up with evidence, but it's just an impression.

As far as nobody using them anymore, I thought it was exactly the opposite. SVT rigs are ubiquitous. The only reason I don't have one is because they're big and cost way too much. But I really really want one.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Nobody Plays Ampeg Any More ?

Here's the thing: A very large part of the guitarist market wants "vintage tone", which is why vintage reissues dominate the guitar amp realm. Bassists on the other hand are not obsessed with vintage tone. Generally, bassists want max headroom and clarity to their instrument. As such, bassists are much more ready to embrace the latest tech - especially when it means their gear is smaller, lighter, and gives them lots of volume and headroom. You'll even see this reflected in their choice of instruments. I see WAY more bassists willing to pay thousands of dollars for exotic tone woods and high end active electronics than any guitarists.

My former bassist used to use a small SS head that was designed to be compact and light yet powerful (I forget the brand). I know another bassist that is all about his SS head and cab loaded with neo magnet speakers. Bass gear is big and heavy and not fun to move. Ever try moving an Ampeg 8x10? There's a reason it's nickname is "the fridge". Same with those SVT heads - they're heavy as hell. Basically Ampeg is great if you want that "vintage" tone, but that's become somewhat of a niche market in the bass world.