I have been playing bass for about 15 years but my last real gig was nine years ago. It's amazing how technology has changed. My "rig" at the time was an ADA tube pre-amp with a Mackie power amp in a rack with a power conditioner through a Hartke 4 x 10 and a Peavy 2 x 10. The rack itself weighed in at close to 55 pounds and had to be on it's own electrical circuit in the practice garage. Then, the fun of the two speaker cabs. Three apartments, two condos, and now (finally) a house later I'm ready to give up the combos and get back into a rig. I'm amazed at the warmth and depth of this amp, coupled with the available crisp highs that provide the snap when I want it. With a surge protector at the end of the mains I'm weighing my new rig in at less than 15 pounds. Cabs, yeah, still heavy.
The fan is quiet with a "tone" that doesn't irritate me when playing quietly. There is a built in compressor that smooths over the inconsistencies of my playing technique. I still utilize an effects board and the amp has a built in mix control for the effects. I can add some distortion mixed with the original signal into the power amp to add some fuzz all the while keeping the depth and smoothness of the native signal from my guitar. The mid-tone control and hi/low boosts give me the flexibility to adjust the personality of the amp and have fun with the harmonics. I can recreate the tone of the combos I have grown accustomed to as of late. I can get the rumble of a Peavy, the snap of a Hartke, or the bottom end of a Genz and I love it. Still haven't quite found the tone I had with my little Orange combo but I'll keep playing with it.
Be sure to buy a good speaker cable. A standard guitar cable to too light to carry the high amperage the amp sends to a speaker.
Final note: the mute switch is great. I'm so used to putting my tube guitar amps into standby when I need a break so the Mute button, allowing the amp to stay on, just feels right. I realize it's solid state but some of you know what I mean.
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From the manufacturer
Legendary History, Modern Design
Classic Ampeg tone, tons of power and modern features for today's bass player.
PF-500
Specs
- RMS power output: 500W @ 4 ohms
- Tone controls: Bass, mid, treble
- Mid-tone control: 5-position
- Ultra Hi/Lo boosts
- Onboard compressor
- Balanced direct out
- FX loop with dedicated mix control (footswitchable)
- Power amp in/ preamp out
- 1/8” headphone out / line in
- Mute (footswitchable)
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 3 x 14 x 11 in
- Handling weight: 11 lbs / 5kg
Overview
Ampeg’s Portaflex PF-500 bass head delivers a staggering 500W of power in an ultra-compact design providing pure Ampeg tone in an extremely portable package. Precise tone controls and gig-friendly input/output options provide ultimate flexibility.
A Powerful Ultra-Portable Rig
Pair it with our PF Series flip-top cabinets for the vintage styling and portability of Ampeg’s iconic Portaflex originals. The PF-500 can mount directly to existing PF series flip-top cabinets making it extremely easy to transport as well as protecting the amplifier from the elements and abuse.
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| Customer Reviews |
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| Power | 350W @ 4 ohms | 500W @ 4 ohms | 800W @ 4 ohms |
| Onboard Compressor | Switchable limiter only | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5-Way Mid Frequency Selector | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Ultra Hi / Lo | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Balanced Direct Out | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Effects Loop | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1/8" Headphone Out | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1/8" Stereo Aux Input | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Ampeg Portaflex Series PF-500 500-Watt Bass Amplifier Head |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $249.90 | $499.99 | $199.90 | $731.24 | $679.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it Apr 2 - 4 | Get it Apr 2 - 3 | Get it Apr 1 - 3 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Cream City Music | GearTree | Cream City Music | FBA Top G | Amazon.com |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| amplifier type | Solid State | — | Tube | Solid State | — | — |
| number of bands | — | 3 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| output wattage | — | 200 watts | 500 watts | 200 watts | 800 watts | 500 watts |
| connector type | — | usb,xlr | XLR | XLR | aux,xlr | XLR |
| weight | 15 pounds | 1 pounds | 3.6 kilograms | 1 pounds | 10.75 pounds | 45.25 pounds |
Top reviews from other countries
Fernando Harschelao
Una maravilla de amplificador!!!
Reviewed in Mexico on February 5, 2022
Gianluca Manetti
Potenza ,suono clean uno spettacolo
Reviewed in Italy on January 7, 2019Ben G
... amplifier is impressive and allows to obtain a very good sound and a lot of power
Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2017
DEVISMES
le ventilateur est un peu bruyant mais c'est un ampli de 500 w !
Reviewed in France on January 25, 2019