phatbass787 Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) I popped into a large music superstore today to have a look for a new 5 string but as i always do i had a good look around the rest of the shop too and although I stopped using Ampeg years ago found myself looking at the Ampeg display as they had a couple of the American Heritage things and some new combos. I was very shocked however when i started to look at these amps closely. On more than one of the combos the vinyl was coming away at the joints quite badly and others just had huge ripples in the vinyl, some even had both! and we're not talking budget stuff, the worst 2 combos were both £1000+ ! then when i looked at the back of the heritage 810 the backplate was being held on by the speaker cable. I'd heard the rumours that Ampeg isnt what it used to be but really couldnt believe this. Made me think aswell why is the shop displaying these products as it is not only embarrasing for Ampeg but also the shop trying to sell them, if it was my shop i think i wouldve sent them straight back to whence they came... I took a couple of sly pics anyway as proof but am still in shock really - A) for Ampeg producing such crappy stuff and the shop trying to sell them to us! Edited March 24, 2011 by phatbass787 Quote
Ghost_Bass Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) Could this thread be a wake up call to all of those who think that a bass amp or is a Ampeg or is sh*t? I wouldn't sell any of my s/h gear looking like that! A store trying to get away with this is trully shamefull! edit: maybe Ampeg should have thought about using some of those 8 screws on the backplate to secure the sticker also... Edited March 24, 2011 by Ghost_Bass Quote
paul_5 Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 Sad to see this great brand putting profit before quality. I've only ever had positive experiences of Ampeg stuff - but it's been decades since I bought any. Nt surprising that Billy Sheehan has dropped them. Quote
umph Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 looks like they've been kept in a seriously humid climate, on the upside though you could haggle them down a fair bit! Quote
MB1 Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 MB1. No longer made in the U.S.A?....the guy who used to lick the labels charged a fortune! much better and cheaper to have them assembled elsewhere? Quote
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 That's very poor and not inline with the things I hear from the Ampeg fanclub on here, Humid or not that gear is meant to be used all over the world 3 or 4 times a week, Although they may still work well enough there won't be much covering on them after twelve months. Not good enough but I wouldn't lug an Ampeg around these days anyway it's all about class D for me. Quote
daz Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 As Jah Wobble said " back in the day, Ampeg was the only game in town. These days there are any number of high quality manufactuirers out there and that revenue going elswhere really seems to have hit Ampeg hard. It hasn't brought out a decent high quality Amp in ten years, that could come anywhere near to competing with their old stuff" Quote
Fullmetal Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 Whilst it seems alot of the very new Ampeg products are suffering from massive quality control issues, my SVT-3PRO is perfect. It's a few years old but it is a very high quality piece of equipment which was worth every penny. Should it fail me or should I need an upgrade, I don't think I'd go back to Ampeg again for fear that I would end up with a shoddy product. It's a shame really, but I think I got lucky. Quote
icastle Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 That's truly shocking! How sad to see a once fantastic amp manufacturer go downhill like that. Quote
Lozz196 Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 All of the Ampeg gear I had was 2nd hand, although to look at it, you would never have known. Very tough, durable, and well put together. A definate shame that this once revered brand seems to be letting its standards slide, especially with such quality opposition - you`d think they would up their game. Quote
Beedster Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Seems a bit premature to trash Ampeg generally on the basis of the stock in one shop specifically. Might have been abused in the shop, be returned stock, used gear sold as new..... None of these things are unheard of after all? Quote
phatbass787 Posted March 25, 2011 Author Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Beedster' post='1175573' date='Mar 25 2011, 08:23 AM']Seems a bit premature to trash Ampeg generally on the basis of the stock in one shop specifically. Might have been abused in the shop, be returned stock, used gear sold as new..... None of these things are unheard of after all?[/quote] I thought may be secondhand too but was told was all new stock and the prices certainlty reflected this, the combo with the vinyl issues was £1026! Quote
Beedster Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='phatbass787' post='1175601' date='Mar 25 2011, 09:11 AM']I thought may be secondhand too but was told was all new stock and the prices certainlty reflected this, the combo with the vinyl issues was £1026![/quote] Well they're either lying, have treated it very badly (allowed leaking pipe to drip on it or similar), lent it out to someone else who's treated it badly, or they're complete idiots for accepting it in that condition from the importer (our local music guy says he sends back about 20% of new guitar/amplification stock due either to poor QC or damage in transit). Whichever it is, I certainly wouldn't be doing business with them, whatever the price. Quote
chris_b Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Beedster' post='1175573' date='Mar 25 2011, 08:23 AM']....Seems a bit premature to trash Ampeg generally on the basis of the stock in one shop specifically....[/quote] True, but over on Talkbass they buy al lot more Ampeg than we do and they are generally not happy with Ampeg's product and QC these days. Large market dominating companies can come unstuck in a big way when their success makes them complacent and arrogant. In the past Fender did a lot of damage to its reputation and IBM came within 5 days of Chapter 11 because it thought the competition "didn't matter". This is what happens when accountants run a company and take their customers for granted. Quote
Ghost_Bass Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 I think the point here is why dit it get to that point? Is Ampeg lowering their standarts? A good and expensive amp isn't meant to get to that condicion, it's buildt to endure hours of road abuse. It's build to stand in the sun or in the rain on a open air gig for hours and keep pumping bass. It isn't meant to peel off before leaving the store! If he got that way during the shipping how do anybody could expect it would last the trips to and from gigs? I never liked Ampeg (i'm a Trace fan and they ARE buildt like tanks) but i always gave credit to their build quality... until recently... Quote
TomKent Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 If Ampeg really are headed down that rocky road of crappy quality amps.. then it's a massive shame. Use to have high regard for Ampeg amps! Quote
Beedster Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='chris_b' post='1175628' date='Mar 25 2011, 09:36 AM']True, but over on Talkbass they buy al lot more Ampeg than we do and they are generally not happy with Ampeg's product and QC these days.[/quote] Ah, OK, fair enough then Quote
JTUK Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='Beedster' post='1175573' date='Mar 25 2011, 08:23 AM']Seems a bit premature to trash Ampeg generally on the basis of the stock in one shop specifically. Might have been abused in the shop, be returned stock, used gear sold as new..... None of these things are unheard of after all?[/quote] Am no real fan of Ampeg but agree with the above. Quote
JTUK Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='chris_b' post='1175628' date='Mar 25 2011, 09:36 AM']True, but over on Talkbass they buy al lot more Ampeg than we do and they are generally not happy with Ampeg's product and QC these days. Large market dominating companies can come unstuck in a big way when their success makes them complacent and arrogant. In the past Fender did a lot of damage to its reputation and IBM came within 5 days of Chapter 11 because it thought the competition "didn't matter". This is what happens when accountants run a company and take their customers for granted.[/quote] Also agree. My, ...I am agreeable today. Quote
icastle Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1175774' date='Mar 25 2011, 11:58 AM']Also agree. My, ...I am agreeable today. [/quote] Can I have your credit card details? Quote
uke Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 I bought a B200 Rocket Combo and had to return it as the rear panel had been bashed in, (packaging was factory perfect,unopened) also terrible cabinet rattle. Returned it and was sent another, and guess what! exactly the same (looked like the panel had been hammered in to fit!) All the screws and bolts were loose which caused most of the rattle,... all tightened and still had a terrible rattle when you played a B or C at gigging volume! No longer trusting or using Chinese Ampeg! Quote
JTUK Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1175790' date='Mar 25 2011, 12:10 PM']Can I have your credit card details? [/quote] You can have my CC debt...I am cash only these days Quote
icastle Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 [quote name='JTUK' post='1175834' date='Mar 25 2011, 12:51 PM']You can have my CC debt...I am cash only these days [/quote] Damn Quote
dan670844 Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) [quote name='phatbass787' post='1174995' date='Mar 24 2011, 05:55 PM']I popped into a large music superstore today to have a look for a new 5 string but as i always do i had a good look around the rest of the shop too and although I stopped using Ampeg years ago found myself looking at the Ampeg display as they had a couple of the American Heritage things and some new combos. I was very shocked however when i started to look at these amps closely. On more than one of the combos the vinyl was coming away at the joints quite badly and others just had huge ripples in the vinyl, some even had both! and we're not talking budget stuff, the worst 2 combos were both £1000+ ! then when i looked at the back of the heritage 810 the backplate was being held on by the speaker cable. I'd heard the rumours that Ampeg isnt what it used to be but really couldnt believe this. Made me think aswell why is the shop displaying these products as it is not only embarrasing for Ampeg but also the shop trying to sell them, if it was my shop i think i wouldve sent them straight back to whence they came... I took a couple of sly pics anyway as proof but am still in shock really - A) for Ampeg producing such crappy stuff and the shop trying to sell them to us! There have been many discussions on here about Ampeg stuff, I am a former user I love the tone its near nirvana to me with the right setup. But what they are selling now is frankly crap, but still very expensive. Good design, but let down, by shoddy assembly, in the outer rim ha ha or wherever they are made these days.I think the problem is they are just a marketing outfit , the company has no real substance, they pay some designer to design something, then some other outfit to make it, the have no factory to speak of apart from a small run unit. This is what happens when you get bean counter to take over a music making equipment manufacturer, its really a low profit, do it for love type of game, that an accountant will never understand. They will decend into the depths I guess and then someone will buy them at some point, and put them back on track,a great shame. Edited March 25, 2011 by dan670844 Quote
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