Samson Servo power amp

[dincz]

I've been using a Servo 300 for the past few months with no complaints and am curious about others' experiences with them. Although it's certainly a budget power amp it seems to deliver the goods both on paper and in the flesh. Given that Hartke amps generally rate well, and that Hartke and Samson come from the same factory, why do the Samson Servos (300W and 600W) not show up more often in bass rigs?

[icastle]

[quote name='dincz' post='1041574' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:05 PM']I've been using a Servo 300 for the past few months with no complaints and am curious about others' experiences with them. Although it's certainly a budget power amp it seems to deliver the goods both on paper and in the flesh. Given that Hartke amps generally rate well, and that Hartke and Samson come from the same factory, why do the Samson Servos (300W and 600W) not show up more often in bass rigs?[/quote]

Well they were never really designed for use as a bass amp.
There are no tone controls, output is possible via 1/4" jacks but no speakon connectors which most modern bass amps use.
Input is possible via 1/4" jack - which is the norm but they are on the rear of the unit next to the phono inputs - which isn't!

It's purely a stereo power amp more designed for permanant installations (sound systems in pubs & clubs) and lacks the features that most bassists expect to see in a bass amp.

I'd have absolutely no qualms in using one, but not as part of my bass rig!

[dincz]

[quote name='icastle' post='1041590' date='Nov 29 2010, 09:23 PM']Well they were never really designed for use as a bass amp.
There are no tone controls, output is possible via 1/4" jacks but no speakon connectors which most modern bass amps use.
Input is possible via 1/4" jack - which is the norm but they are on the rear of the unit next to the phono inputs - which isn't!

It's purely a stereo power amp more designed for permanant installations (sound systems in pubs & clubs) and lacks the features that most bassists expect to see in a bass amp.

I'd have absolutely no qualms in using one, but not as part of my bass rig! [/quote]

I wasn't suggesting it as a replacement for a head. Maybe I should have mentioned that I'm using a separate preamp (with tone controls) between the bass and the power amp, so wouldn't things be much the same with any pre/power rig in terms of connectors at the back etc?

[icastle]

[quote name='dincz' post='1041627' date='Nov 29 2010, 08:51 PM']I wasn't suggesting it as a replacement for a head. Maybe I should have mentioned that I'm using a separate preamp (with tone controls) between the bass and the power amp, so wouldn't things be much the same with any pre/power rig in terms of connectors at the back etc?[/quote]

LMAO - I [b]did[/b] wonder how the hell you were getting any sort of control, let alone output from it!

I think in the big scheme of things, more bass players tend to go for a head and a cab (or six) for their rig instead of preamp, power amp and cab.

[i]Having said that I know full well that 472 people are going to suddenly appear and tell me that I'm totally wrong because they've been connecting obscure preamps built in biscuit tins to equally obscure power amps powered directly from a National Grid pylon... [/i]

[dincz]

[quote name='icastle' post='1041668' date='Nov 29 2010, 10:31 PM']I think in the big scheme of things, more bass players tend to go for a head and a cab (or six) for their rig instead of preamp, power amp and cab.[/quote]

That's the impression I get too, but pre/power rigs are by no means unusual. I guess my take on it is that it's easier to train a trickle of electrons to behave as I want them to than to deal with a whole high-power torrent of them. And then there's flexibility as well as the option to upgrade bits at a time rather than the entire head. I'm getting off-topic now and maybe this warrants a new thread.

For those who do prefer a pre-power rig, what are your thoughts on Samson?

[icastle]

[quote name='dincz' post='1041682' date='Nov 29 2010, 09:46 PM']For those who do prefer a pre-power rig, what are your thoughts on Samson?[/quote]

Biggest catch that I can see has to be that you can't run it in bridged mode into anything less than an 8Ω load.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='icastle' post='1041696' date='Nov 29 2010, 10:00 PM']Biggest catch that I can see has to be that you can't run it in bridged mode into anything less than an 8Ω load.[/quote]

The other thing is that so many cheaper power amps struggle with the bass end compared to their rated spec because the power supplies can't keep up for more than a brief burst. The good amps have hefty transformers to match and (if they use traditional designs) are pretty weighty - though I've not tried them I understand the Hartke falls into this category, it's reputedly very solidly built. Don't know about the Samson Servos, if it's heavy then there's more likelihood it's capable.
But at the final analysis and assuming it doesn't blow up - if it sounds good, it is good.