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Ampeg is now a brand of Yamaha


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Though the bass players might be the minority here, but I guess everybody knows Ampeg. They have been bought by Yamaha. I always liked Ampeg for bass and sure am interested how they might go on, hopefully with some new products like a 200W tube amp that is lighter than the SVT 2 Pro. Also some lighter cabs, I think their neo cabs are still quite heavy. Hopefully the Ampeg US workers can keep their jobs.

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1 minute ago, Hamer_SS_guy said:

...products like a 200W tube amp that is lighter than the SVT 2 Pro.

I've had automobiles which are lighter than my SVT.  

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Yamaha is a great company, though they really under market a lot of their products. Hopefully they can return the Ampeg brand to glory, advancing it technologically, while retaining the heritage.

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5 minutes ago, Ed Rechts said:

I must be in the minority thinking that the SansAmp Bass Driver could emulate an SVT impressively enough to fool most anyone (maybe it was the decoy SVT cabs on the stage?), and makes the inhouse sound guys very happy to see you during line check?

Most sound guys do love some sansamps. They just need to see the word "Sansamp" and they go 'OH YEAH".

The SVT emulation from them is... incredible. Sure it doesn't liquefy your dinner like an 8x10, but having intact spinal disks is nice too.

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Ampeg switched owners at least a couple of times, so being owned by Yamaha is not necessarily bad.  At least it is a company that knows the musical instrument business. 

Some of the lower priced Ampeg products have been made in China and Viet Nam.  I am with Hamer_SS_guy on hoping any USA employees can keep their jobs.  I still like to think of Ampeg as an American amp.  Even if I never have another two ton Ampeg head or cabinet, thinking of an SVT that is not American made would be like having a Chinese made Marshall stack.  It would not be right. 

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On 5/11/2018 at 3:11 PM, tbonesullivan said:

Yamaha is a great company, though they really under market a lot of their products. Hopefully they can return the Ampeg brand to glory, advancing it technologically, while retaining the heritage.

Old "Jet" combos were the best. They especially came alive when extension speaker'ed through a nice closed back cab. Nice trem circuit too. I had friend who had like a '72 I think. Amazing amp!

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My 'Madison square basement' bass rig is a Markbass Little Mark 800 (6 lbs, fits in my backpack) into a SVT 8-10 (135 lbs, does not fit in backpack). Only problem is the 8 ohm jack on the cab is broken so I use the 4 ohm jack but the Mark delivers 750 watts at 4 ohms so I can't turn it up past 3. The B12L sure sounds nice though.

The other immovable  item in the basement is an early Ampeg VT-22 with a pair of reconed Altec 417s. Non master volume but it sounds great about 3/4 of full volume when it sounds about as loud as a jet taking off (weighs about the same too). Whoever buys the house someday will likely get both items because I'm not hauling them back upstairs lol.

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On 5/11/2018 at 3:06 PM, Hamer_SS_guy said:

If Yamaha-owned Ampeg can make a light class D amp with the signature SVT sound, I'd be more than interested.

I have one - sort of. My gig rig is a Sansamp VT Rack with a Yamaha PX8 class D amp.  The Epifanis can get close but you need that refrigerator 8x10 to complete the package. 

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Yamaha owns one of my other favorites, Line 6.  As bass amps go, I love the SVT, but my  back loves Markbass.  My 4-10 cab is under 40 pounds and my head is in a backpack.  

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My cab is one of the recent Chinese 810s...  Seems heavier than the one I had 18 years ago, but I think that he more to do with my age than the cabs - LOL.  Originally was going to use my 5 pound Mesa Subway D800, but that doesn’t match the tone of my old Mesa Bass 400+, in a rack with tuner and power supply (about 80 pounds...) So gigs are a backbreaking affair.  But, “The Look”.

As for Yamaha buying Ampeg, Yamaha has always made decent stuff, so I don’t think this is a bad thing.

 

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On 5/13/2018 at 4:26 PM, stonge said:

The other immovable  item in the basement is an early Ampeg VT-22 with a pair of reconed Altec 417s. Non master volume but it sounds great about 3/4 of full volume when it sounds about as loud as a jet taking off (weighs about the same too). Whoever buys the house someday will likely get both items because I'm not hauling them back upstairs lol.

Ditto, except it's a first gen VT-40.  VT-40 + 64 SG Junior with the "wrong" bridge (making it impossible to get it to play in tune) +350 mcg LSD = 50 years later I'm still trying to answer the phone when it ain't ringing. 😀

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