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Which Ampegs are the good ones?


Cliff Fiscal

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What does that mean?

 

 

It means that Loud Technologies (aka Mackie) bought them and has since ruined the good name by sending things off first to China then to Vietnam.

 

Anything made before that was made in America and stood a fighting chance of being a decent amp.

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I'm really in the market for a decent amp......I've been recruited for a local cover band. Right now, I'm playing an old Traynor YGL-3a Mark III thru a Traynor 4x10. It sounds pretty good.....very vintage and loose in the low end......not to mention lacks the power and volume to keep up. I also tried hooking up my ART tube preamp, Mesa BottleRocket OD, and my SS PA power amp.....while louder, and much tighter....it sounded really sterile and lacked character.

 

So I'm trying to find a cheap head that'll keep up with a live band.....good for practice, and sounds decent.

 

I've been eye balling all of the super cheap used Peavey amps locally, because they're so damn cheap. I haven't played any of them yet though.

 

There are so many ampeg amps, it's confusing. Some say certain SS ampegs are nice but others aren't.....some say tube ampeg is the only true ampeg.

 

:idk:

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If you like your vintage Traynor, you might want to check out the YBA200. I've had one for three years and love it---nice tube tone, decent tone-shaping features, and dead reliable so far.

 

 

+1

 

Also, the vintage Traynor's are notoriously bright, and that is a guitar amp after all, which only compounds your problem.

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Yeah, I had been looking at those......


Can you give me a quick summary of the thing?


Hmmm.....I don't find the Traynor, bright at all.....
:idk:

 

Ah, I misread... I thought you said it lacked in the low end.

 

I use a YBA-1 for the top end of my bass tone, and I have both the treble and mid rolled right off. For bass the treble knob doesn't even do anything.

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Ah, I misread... I thought you said it lacked in the low end.


I use a YBA-1 for the top end of my bass tone, and I have both the treble and mid rolled right off. For bass the treble knob doesn't even do anything.

 

 

Nope. It has a ton of low end.....but is flabby, and loose. It also doesn't have enough volume.

 

 

That's weird......although.....my bass control only works up until "3"....then after that....it's just on. The bright switches, and gain controls really effect the tone controls the most.

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Nope. It has a ton of low end.....but is flabby, and loose. It also doesn't have enough volume.



That's weird......although.....my bass control only works up until "3"....then after that....it's just on. The bright switches, and gain controls really effect the tone controls the most.

 

 

Sounds like your amp has the wrong taper of a pot for the bass. I bet it isn't the original part.

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Sounds like your amp has the wrong taper of a pot for the bass. I bet it isn't the original part.

 

Could be? not sure......sometimes they use linear taper pots for certain things.....not sure why?

 

I know my Rocktron/Egnater Vendetta 100w 2x12 guitar combo has a few linear pots.......it really makes it weird to dial in certain things. You turn the knob 3/4 of the way, and next to nothing happens. The last 1/4 of the way has the full travel. :freak::idk:

I know that's how it was intended....since it says it on the schematic. weird.

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Yeah, I had been looking at those......


Can you give me a quick summary of the thing?


Hmmm.....I don't find the Traynor, bright at all.....
:idk:

 

200 watts, all tube, 12AX7pres and 6550 power amp tubes. You can fit KT88s if you prefer.

 

Front panel: Two inputs (normal and -6dB for active basses): mute button: tuner out: gain: treble/mid/range/bass controls: scoop and resonance: 1/4 in preamp out w/ pre/post EQ selector: balanced XLR line out: 1/4 in amp in: master volume, and standby and power toggles.

 

Edit: Oh, yeah, there's a ground lift button, too...

 

Back panel: speaker out, selectable for 4 or 8 ohm loads. The manual says the amp can handle down to a 2 ohm load.

 

My settings: Gain 6: Treble 8: Mids, Range and Bass all at 7: Scoop and Resonance at zero (I've never cared for the feature). I'm driving Avatar 2x10 and 1x15 Neo cabs in a classic rock band, and I've never had to set the master above 6, even without PA Support.

 

Pro: Reliable, (relatively) cheap tube head: Made in Canada :thu: : Great vintage tone if you like a Bassman 50/100 tone with a nice over-driven sound.

 

Con: Heavy at 44 lbs, but not a ball-buster: Not a ton of clean head room; and some people have had reliability issues. Having said that, mine has stood up to weekly practice and a couple live gigs a month with no issues.

 

Go here to see what the guys at Talkbass say about settings.

 

Oh, and it looks like this:

 

m8.jpg

 

:D

 

Hope this helps.

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Pro: Reliable, (relatively) cheap tube head: Made in Canada
:thu:
: Great vintage tone if you like a Bassman 50/100 tone with a nice over-driven sound.


Con: Heavy at 44 lbs, but not a ball-buster: Not a ton of clean head room; and some people have had reliability issues. Having said that, mine has stood up to weekly practice and a couple live gigs a month with no issues.

 

I thought 44lbs was pretty light for a tube head myself. What would a 200 watt Ampeg weigh? :poke:

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I thought 44lbs was pretty light for a tube head myself. What would a 200 watt Ampeg weigh? :poke:

 

Toroidal transformers are your friend.

 

:D

 

I just checked the company website. Apparently, the head weighs 41 lbs. The aftermarket chicken-head knobs must be the extra weight...

 

It looks like Traynor switched to KT 88s as the standard power tube. I might want to look into that when it's time for a valve job.

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Toroidal transformers are your friend.


:D

I just checked the company website. Apparently, the head weighs
41
lbs. The aftermarket chicken-head knobs must be the extra weight...


It looks like Traynor switched to KT 88s as the standard tube. I might want to look into that when it's time for a valve job.

 

Yours weighs 44lbs, the v2 weighs 41. A little less metal and a few other minor internal alterations shaved a full 3lbs off the weight.

 

KT88 = more clean headroom

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200 watts, all tube, 12AX7pres and 6550 power amp tubes. You can fit KT88s if you prefer.


Front panel: Two inputs (normal and -6dB for active basses): mute button: tuner out: gain: treble/mid/range/bass controls: scoop and resonance: 1/4 in preamp out w/ pre/post EQ selector: balanced XLR line out: 1/4 in amp in: master volume, and standby and power toggles.


Edit: Oh, yeah, there's a ground lift button, too...


Back panel: speaker out, selectable for 4 or 8 ohm loads. The manual says the amp can handle down to a 2 ohm load.


My settings: Gain 6: Treble 8: Mids, Range and Bass all at 7: Scoop and Resonance at zero (I've never cared for the feature). I'm driving Avatar 2x10 and 1x15 Neo cabs in a classic rock band, and I've never had to set the master above 6, even without PA Support.


Pro: Reliable, (relatively) cheap tube head: Made in Canada
:thu:
: Great vintage tone if you like a Bassman 50/100 tone with a nice over-driven sound.


Con: Heavy at 44 lbs, but not a ball-buster: Not a ton of clean head room; and some people have had reliability issues. Having said that, mine has stood up to weekly practice and a couple live gigs a month with no issues.


Go
here
to see what the guys at Talkbass say about settings.


Oh, and it looks like this:


m8.jpg

:D

Hope this helps.

 

Wow, I used to have one of those Ibanez Studio 8 string basses! Very cool!

 

I sure do miss mine.

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