Ampeg announce a few 'new' lines

[Musicman20]

They have announced a US built Ltd run SVT setup. Its weird they charge so much for something that was built there before a few years back. Clever marketing ploy?! Perhaps this has been on the cards all the time?! (Eg if you want USA, youll have to pay the price). I just realised the amp alone is 85lbs....no thanks....with a flight case thats got to be over 100lbs. I think i'll stick to Orange (and Matamp possibly) for tube amps.

Heritage line: [url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/heritage/splash.html"]http://www.ampeg.com/products/heritage/splash.html[/url]

Neo cabinets (USA built) - [url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/proneo/index.html"]http://www.ampeg.com/products/proneo/index.html[/url]

Class D Amp - [url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/pro/svt7pro/index.html"]http://www.ampeg.com/products/pro/svt7pro/index.html[/url]

Prices are astronomical on the Heritage line.

[bigjohn]

me likey...

[url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/pro/svt7pro/index.html"]svt pro 7[/url]

[basshead56]

Like the look of the heritage SVT head. nice!

[Cat Burrito]

I'm happy with my beaten up old Ampeg USA gear thankfully or I'd be GASing bad

[umph]

[quote name='basshead56' post='712096' date='Jan 13 2010, 11:36 PM']Like the look of the heritage SVT head. nice![/quote]
for that price you could get someone to custom build you one that'll do the 300watts cleanly and not ring like fook!

[Musicman20]

[quote name='umph' post='712112' date='Jan 13 2010, 11:53 PM']for that price you could get someone to custom build you one that'll do the 300watts cleanly and not ring like fook![/quote]

+1 It is FAR too expensive, and the argument on TBass is that they are designed and 'assembled' in the USA with a few expensive tubes....therefore basically the same except they are put together in an american building.

The Heritage logo is cool, but I think they really need to to try hard to pull them out of the deep pit they made themselves.

[basshead56]

Oh, I agree! was just saying they look cool.
I am not a fan of Ampeg's business strategy of late.
They have really screwed up a fantastic brand (the quality of the product is debatable) with a great reputation.
As much as I love Ampeg, the fact that they are cheaper and more accessable these days does not make them any better.
And now, trying to develop links with the US nostalgia market -not a great move.
Why wasn't there an MBO at the last minute?!

[Russ]

I was checking out the Ampeg site today, as it goes, and came across this new combo:

[url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/bassamp/ba600/210.html"]http://www.ampeg.com/products/bassamp/ba600/210.html[/url]

Looks rather nice, class D power amp with 600W, neodymium speakers, valve preamp, lightweight... but no external speaker out? What's the point of having 600W if you can only shove it through 2 10s? Ampeg missed a trick here - pairing this with one of the new neo 4x10"s could have been a great little rig.

Also, where's Ampeg's long-overdue entry into the small/light head market? I'd love an SVT head that was the same size and weight as a LMII!

[longtimefred]

LOL @ Ampeg!

what are these crazy yanks gonna do next? If moving all there manufacturing to Asia was a bad enough move, as well as keeping the prices yoinked up, they think of a new one buy doing the same gear they were doing 10 years ago for nearly twice the price!

Well done lads.

[umph]

[quote name='longtimefred' post='712471' date='Jan 14 2010, 12:41 PM']LOL @ Ampeg!

what are these crazy yanks gonna do next? If moving all there manufacturing to Asia was a bad enough move, as well as keeping the prices yoinked up, they think of a new one buy doing the same gear they were doing 10 years ago for nearly twice the price!

Well done lads. [/quote]
+1 its amazing how out of touch they've become with the common muscian. They're jumping on the lightweight band wagon a bit late to, lightweight isn't what i think of when i think of ampeg though it really doesn't go with their image.

[Geddys nose]

Really good feature about Ampeg in 'Bass Gear Magazine' if anything the build quality is far better now than in the recent past (Pre US built) with no particle board.

[cetera]

AND they missed out on making their own version of the current 'in favour' 2x12 Neo cabs.... doh! :wacko:

[alexisonfire]

£2,085.20 just for the head

Might be better of finding a used US CL for about £800 and sticking the same valves as the heritage in?

Edited January 24, 2010 by alexisonfire

[Musicman20]

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='723460' date='Jan 24 2010, 07:50 PM']£2,085.20 just for the head

Might be better of finding a used US CL for about £800 and sticking the same valves as the heritage in?[/quote]

Stupid prices.

[thodrik]

Its a lot of money to sure.

Sends a strange message to the made in Asia stuff though, I thought they were still billed by Ampeg (up until the last few weeks) as still being top of the line stuff. No comes off as second rate to the US stuff.

Of course people will pay the price if they really want 'Made in USA' Ampeg, or at least Ampeg think they will. If people don't buy them, Ampeg will just say 'You complained about us moving stuff to Asia, but when we gave you the chance to buy American you didn't take it'.

I always thought Ampeg should be for gigging bassists, but this seems to be a move into the boutique market. I do get annoyed at the 'buy our stuff because we have history' idea though. History as it turns out, is pretty expensive.

I don't have any money but if I did I don't think I would consider the Heritage head. Loads of good second hand Ampegs about for less than half the price.

Neo cabs look interesting, so I will give them credit, but no 2x12 is kind of confusing as others have said.