Ampeg PF50-T into Fearful 12/6/1

Muyy

Muyy

Commercial User
Sep 4, 2009
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Orlando, Fl
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Starr Guitars
#1
I was at Guitar Center tonight playing the Ampeg PF50-T and was really floored with the tone. It just really sounded like myself. I have already built a Fearful 12/6/1 that I usually run a Genz Benz Streamliner 600 into. I was wondering if anyone has used the Ampeg into the Fearful cab and had good results. Can it put out the juice to give the speakers what they want? Will I get a drop in volume compared to the Genz? I am planning on taking my cab up to Guitar Center to give it a try but I wanted some others opinions. I also plan on building a 12/6 to pair with the cab in the future for more volume at some point.
 
#3
I'd immagine running a low watt tube amp into a modern supercab that trades off efficiency for full response would make it easy to get the tubes working at lower volumes.

So if you like the sound of a tube Ampeg being cranked, you'll probably love the sound of this combination.
 
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#4
JimmyM said:
Of course you're going to get a volume drop compared to a 600w micro :D Now I don't know what it takes to power one of Greenie's cabs, but I've run a 25w B-15 into an 810e before and it wasn't exactly quiet.
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Well, it's only running about 300 of those watts into the fearful, and the cab isn't sweating at all. So, I wondered if it'd be a big difference. I know the greenboy cabs need a substantial amount of watts to really be kicking, upwards of 800.
 
#5
I was actually able to do a similar combo you are thinking about a couple weeks ago.

I was comparing a 12/6 and 12sub to my SVT212AV. The 12/6 did not have the 1" driver as the guy who built it just didnt like it the sound.

The amp loved the 12/6 by itself. The low end extension as you know is pretty crazy for such a small cab. In my situation, competing with 20-50 watt guitar amps with single 12s, the 12/6 was plenty. With the 12sub as an extension wouldve been too much low end honestly, and just an extra thing to schlep. If you needed to carry a room with no FOH, i could see bringing the extra cab, but that isnt what the PF50 is for.

The amp drove the cabinet perfectly well from what I could tell. I didnt run a big amp through it to see what it would really do. It was plenty loud for my needs. Our band just isnt terribly loud.

As far as I can see, the PF50T into the 12/6 would be about as good as you can get in the tone and stage volume department in a small package. If you actually need 600 watts, I dont think itll be the amp for you in a live situation. I dont care how efficient those speakers are, youre in a wattage problem. A V4B would probably do the trick, or an SVT obviously.

Cliff notes, you cant under power a cab. If it sounds good, it is good, and the PF50 sounds great through the 12/6.
 
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#6
Muyy said:
Well, it's only running about 300 of those watts into the fearful, and the cab isn't sweating at all. So, I wondered if it'd be a big difference. I know the greenboy cabs need a substantial amount of watts to really be kicking, upwards of 800.
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As someone with a PF-50T and a PF350, I can say it's a pretty substantial potential volume difference. And yeah, those fEarful cabs do need a certain amount of volume to get to the levels of most other cabs because they go so low.
 
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#7
jbd5015 said:
I was actually able to do a similar combo you are thinking about a couple weeks ago.

I was comparing a 12/6 and 12sub to my SVT212AV. The 12/6 did not have the 1" driver as the guy who built it just didnt like it the sound.

The amp loved the 12/6 by itself. The low end extension as you know is pretty crazy for such a small cab. In my situation, competing with 20-50 watt guitar amps with single 12s, the 12/6 was plenty. With the 12sub as an extension wouldve been too much low end honestly, and just an extra thing to schlep. If you needed to carry a room with no FOH, i could see bringing the extra cab, but that isnt what the PF50 is for.

The amp drove the cabinet perfectly well from what I could tell. I didnt run a big amp through it to see what it would really do. It was plenty loud for my needs. Our band just isnt terribly loud.

As far as I can see, the PF50T into the 12/6 would be about as good as you can get in the tone and stage volume department in a small package. If you actually need 600 watts, I dont think itll be the amp for you in a live situation. I dont care how efficient those speakers are, youre in a wattage problem. A V4B would probably do the trick, or an SVT obviously.

Cliff notes, you cant under power a cab. If it sounds good, it is good, and the PF50 sounds great through the 12/6.
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Thanks for the input, I'll definitely give it a shot, probably just take my cab up to GC to check it out for myself. I'm not big on huge volume levels either, I just want a decent presence, tone, and some ability for clean headroom but I also realize I would need to purchase a power amp in conjunction with the PF50 to really do some earth shaking. I would also be building a 12/6 to go along with my 12/6/1 if I need more volume.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
As someone with a PF-50T and a PF350, I can say it's a pretty substantial potential volume difference. And yeah, those fEarful cabs do need a certain amount of volume to get to the levels of most other cabs because they go so low.
Click to expand...
I'll give it a try and see what I think. I think I'd be fine with the second cab but I've already considered buying a power amp in the future for other rig options. I guess I'm mostly concerned with the fact that I may have to trade in my Streamliner to get the cash for the PF50 and then it not being loud enough for my immediate needs but really the only way to tell is to go try it for myself and hear the volume difference.
 
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#10
Muyy said:
I'll give it a try and see what I think. I think I'd be fine with the second cab but I've already considered buying a power amp in the future for other rig options. I guess I'm mostly concerned with the fact that I may have to trade in my Streamliner to get the cash for the PF50 and then it not being loud enough for my immediate needs but really the only way to tell is to go try it for myself and hear the volume difference.
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I agree. I believe GC in Winter Park has a floor model. They'll let you bring in your cab no problem.
 
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#11
Muyy said:
Well, it's only running about 300 of those watts into the fearful, and the cab isn't sweating at all. So, I wondered if it'd be a big difference. I know the greenboy cabs need a substantial amount of watts to really be kicking, upwards of 800.
Click to expand...

I run my 12/6 with a Carvin DCM100L bridged, and it's absolutely fantastic.
I have bridged a Crest Prolite 2.0 into it as well.. I believe it, at 8 ohms is roughly 1200 watts.
Not that they need it, but they can take it
 
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#14
MTN.bass72 said:
I run my 12/6 with a Carvin DCM100L bridged, and it's absolutely fantastic.
I have bridged a Crest Prolite 2.0 into it as well.. I believe it, at 8 ohms is roughly 1200 watts.
Not that they need it, but they can take it
Click to expand...
Yeah, that is really one rig avenue I would also like to take, I just havent had the dough to pick up a poweramp. Waiting on a miracle deal on a used unit to show up one day! I have a Tonehammer DI I would use, and if I could get this PF50, then I would use it for a different tubier sound.
 
#16
The 12/6 will be a little quieter than mass market 12" cabinet. The 3012LF is good for around 95 dB at one Watt at a Meter, the drivers in many mass market are 3 to 4 dB more efficient, so that same one Watt at a Meter will be good for 98 or 99 dB. That's a big enough difference to be audible.

But, the full lows of a 12/6 can make more of low power than most folks talk about due to no need to boost lows to get a fat tone.

I wouldn't try keeping up with a loud drummer with a PF-50 into a 12/6, but that would be a great low volume rig.
 
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#17
Just the other day i was at the guitar store and the clerk came over to harass me and we got to talking about the pf50t so he hooked me up to one and an ampeg 1x15. Whwn i asked to plug into the fender neo 8x10 they had, he wouldnt let me. And said it might hurt the cab...i laughed as i left, thinking that man probably will never know he lost that sale
 
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#18
Interceptor said:
The 12/6 will be a little quieter than mass market 12" cabinet. The 3012LF is good for around 95 dB at one Watt at a Meter, the drivers in many mass market are 3 to 4 dB more efficient, so that same one Watt at a Meter will be good for 98 or 99 dB. That's a big enough difference to be audible.

But, the full lows of a 12/6 can make more of low power than most folks talk about due to no need to boost lows to get a fat tone.

I wouldn't try keeping up with a loud drummer with a PF-50 into a 12/6, but that would be a great low volume rig.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply! Scientific too! I've already run into some issues with loud drummers but I'd be willing trade some volume for that Ampeg tone. I also need to figure out a solid solution for raising my amp up closer to my ears while on stage.
 
#19
boamedt said:
Just the other day i was at the guitar store and the clerk came over to harass me and we got to talking about the pf50t so he hooked me up to one and an ampeg 1x15. Whwn i asked to plug into the fender neo 8x10 they had, he wouldnt let me. And said it might hurt the cab...i laughed as i left, thinking that man probably will never know he lost that sale
Click to expand...
Sometimes a sale comes and goes, but I had the PF50 plugged into the portaflex 15 with the amp master at about 8 o clock and felt bad for everyone else in the store because it was pretty bumpin. But everyone has a different tolerance for loudness.
 
#20
ThisBass said:
IIRC I was blamed a lot earlier telling exactly this.
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Some people like to attribute unrealistic superhuman qualities to their gear. But my insecurities go way deeper than that :D That's one of the very last things I worry about, and quite honestly, I'm glad it doesn't go louder. In my new band, I'm playing with at least a slightly dirty tone 100% of the time, and now I can have it come from power tubes and not blow away everyone else onstage.
 
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