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Ampeg PF-800 800-watt Portaflex Bass Head Reviews

Compact 800W Bass Amplifier Head, 3-band EQ, Mid-tone Presets, Lo/Hi Boosts, Compressor

Weighing in at just 11.8 lbs., the Ampeg PF-800 Portaflex bass head is a dream come true for bass players. You no longer have to dread lugging your gear to the gig. If needed, you can throw this amp in a backpack and hit the subway. Featuring the well-known Ampeg tone, the PF-800 has a large tonal palette with a selectable mid-tone control with five preset mid-tones for all styles of music. With its ultra-high and ultra-low switches, you can get all the snap and deep rumble you desire. If you are looking for tone, wattage, and compact size, then the Ampeg PF-800 Portaflex bass head is for you.

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Highest Rated Reviews

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Ampeg portaflex 800 watt

By Johnny on February 15, 2024

Have gigged with this one now for over 2 years love the ampeg tone, especially for solid state. Have had no issues with it. I think the earlier models may have like the 500. But this thing is great!

Ampeg PF800 Bass Head

By Harril Whitehurst from Mississippi on June 30, 2023 Music Background: Played bass guitar on and off for 60 years.

What's not to like about this bass head? It has adjustability across all spectrums of bass tone while packing 800 watts of awesome power. It is a bit heavy but still very manageable. And it has that awesome Ampeg sound that has stood the test of time. I am 72 years old, have used many different amp brands, but I always come back to Ampeg. And the ONLY place to buy gear is from Sweetwater. You get your own individual tech who is very knowledgeable and will help you pick the right gear for your application. In a world where service has gone the way of the land-based phone, Sweetwater is a breath of fresh air.

Great Amp! Big Bang For The Buck

By Joe C from Anniston, AL on May 23, 2023 Music Background: Professional

Looking at some of these reviews I honestly don't get it. I bought my first PF800 in 2013. Played it for 3 yrs with absolutely no trouble. Decided to try something else so I sold it and bought a GK. Nice sounding amp, just not enough headroom. I kept it less than a month, sold it and bought another PF800. That was 2016. I kept in until February of this year, sold it and bought a new Bassman 800. Plenty of power. And plenty of noise. So noisy. I just couldn't take the hum.
I kept it 3 days and returned it. So now I'm on my 3rd PF800 in 10 years and love it. Tons of power, nice and quiet, light weight, tons of tonal control you can dial up.I think it's the best value out therw for the money.

My PF800 Rules!

By Bud Bremner from Vancouver, BC on May 26, 2019 Music Background: Bassist, Guitarist, retired Audio Mastering engineer.

I purchased my PF800 almost one year ago and have played many gigs from restaurants to corporate ballrooms and it has never failed me once. I run a 210HE & 115HE cabs and it's all the sound I could ever ask for.

I typically run my pre gain about 1:00, post gain at about 11:00 and I use my compressor sparingly to retain my dynamics. I seldom ever hit the Red clip light so I know I'm not hitting the pre amp too hard. I also run my pedals through the FX loop to retain preamp headroom.

It's been a fantastic sounding and portable amp for me and my band loves it!

Problem solved.

By Jake Aikens from Pittsburgh, PA on October 29, 2018 Music Background: Bassist 34 years. Been there, lived through that.

Nothing gets 5 stars. Nothing's perfect. I never give 5 stars to anything, even if I love it. Well, this amp got five stars. I had to wait months for Ampeg to make some more of these and it was worth every second. I had very high expectations. I had specific needs and the first two amps I tried fell short. They were great amps, Sweetwater doesn't sell garbage. But not quite what i needed.

This isn't an SVT. We all search for that tone. If I had a roadie who carried that thing around for me I'd be playing thru an SVT every night. BUT, I can grab this and one little cab and go do a combo slot at some little bar and then turn around a do a huge room where they supply an 8x10 cab and it handles both flawlessly.

If you deal with backline rentals you know that some of those old SVTs are not as lovingly maintained as others. They're getting long in the tooth and showing up to a gig to find a microphonic SVT that's down on power just isnt cool. This little 11lb beauty can be thrown over a shoulder and I know when I turn it on it's going to abuse that 8x10 just like its big brother. And it sounds a lot like an SVT. I don't think you can tell unless they're side by side. It's not an SVT. But man it's close. Not to mention travel! Try taking an SVT on a plane. Go ahead.

So, Ampeg, my ears my back and my balls thank you. I never have to carry an SVT around again. And I still sound flipping great. I can carry this IN either the 2x10 or the 1x15 cab for small gigs, both cabs medium gigs, or power an 8x10 cab for large gigs.

Best all around problem solver ever.

Did I mention it sounds unbelievable?

Oh, and it sounds unbelievable.

I said that twice. I'll keep saying it till they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Just sayin'

PS I bought the 2x10 and the 1x15 with this amp and you can apply the same love found above to them too.

Ampeg Tone in an 11 pound head?

By Stevie B from PNW on May 30, 2018 Music Background: Classic Rock

I have an old Ampeg VT22 V4 that needs a full rebuild and I needed a head to power my 8x10 Ampeg cab while the work is being done. I purchased my PF-800 from a local music store, took it home and plugged it in. 2weeks later, I am still blown away by the tone and volume of this amp. This will be a regular addition to my sound! Hint, use the tuner out to run another amp for huge sound or Line out to the mixer, or use the pre amp out. I run effects both in line and through the effects send/recv. Amazing versatility in a small package

Ampeg PF 800 Bass Amp Head

By Kerry Leo from Georgia on March 26, 2018 Music Background: Bassist, Songwriter

Awesome rich Ampeg tone dialed up in seconds. This is a full featured head that is versatile and allows you to grab a classic rock tone, modern country, Beatles or othe genre of music.
I love how for the larger venues I can use the preamp out to Drive another amp and cabinet I have but use the controls of the PF 800.
Highly recommend this for any bass player that loves great bass tone!
I have a Jazz Bass, Rick, Electric Upright, Hofner, and Music Man Bass. They all sound great through this head and the Ampeg 212, 210, and 410 cabinets I own.

Excellent bass amp

By Sweetwater Customer on May 1, 2017

I expected solid tone and volume response from an Ampeg bass amp, and I got it. I paired it with two PF410HLF cabs. I can be heard on the moon and I've heard reliable reports this combination has killed several rhinos on the African continent. I like simple amps and this meets my requirement. The on-board compressor is terrific, too. NOTE: You only get 800 watts if you pair this with 4 ohm speakers (like the Ampeg SVT cabs). But 400 watts are more than enough.

Ampeg PF-800 Portaflex Bass Head

By Joe Brown from West Hempstead, NY on December 20, 2015 Music Background: Playing in bands since 1964, Bass, Guitar, vocals, and recording bands.

Works great and sounds great out on gigs with Ampeg Pro Neo 410HLF and PN 115HLF cabs. Light weight head. And great Ampeg bass sound, clear and clean as a bass should be. Oldies, Doo Wop, Rock and Motown. And as always, quick shipping and service from Zack Neels and Sweetwater crew.

Awesome Tone, lots of headroom

By Greig from Texas on June 22, 2015

I needed a bit more watts than what I was using for my small rig, which consisted of 1- 2 X 10 cab and 1 12" cab. Both cabs are 8 ohm's each so pairing them with the PF-800 was a perfect match. When I got it plugged in the chain and turned it on it really was sweet. The variables on this amp allow for killer tone options and I can get the volume up on stage now without any compromise in tone. Very happy with this purchase,

What a difference an Ampeg makes ...

By Richard Caputo from Warren, New Jersey on January 19, 2015 Music Background: Returning musician

Great range of tones, user friendly,versatile, powerful - doesn't break a sweat (no distortion unless you dial it in). I played many set-ups in the past (when the PA system was for vocals only - imagine) - nothing comes close to this for the price. For the advice I got from Danielle at Sweetwater - many thanks! P.S. - put this in a Gator micro-bag and you're on your way.

Fantastic!

By Tracy Martin from Atlanta, GA USA on November 20, 2013

I love this head. I know that I can still add a 15" to my 4x10s as well.

Would Recommend

By Patron from Kansas on March 4, 2019 Music Background: Rock, Southern Rock, Country, Metal

Set up and understanding the head unit is pretty simplistic. I have always used Ampeg equipment, the tone is easy to shape and does what I need it to. I just put this head along with the PF-115HE paired with the PF-115LF through it's paces last Saturday night and it did just fine. Deep, rich lows, coupled with a defining mid. I played a Gibson Thunderbird through it and rumbled all night long. Clear lows as well, nothing muddy. The only issue I had was my guitar players have tube heads and were going through the mains plus their cabinets, I had to push the Ampeg pretty hard to heard, lol. But with that being said, no issues. For the price and what I am doing right now it works. Eventually I will upgrade to the tube series, but that is a year or so away.

One of the best values out there.

By Bryan from Los Angeles on May 22, 2017 Music Background: 30 years of rock / pop live and session

Back in 2013 I had one of the first-runs of the PF-500. I believe there was an overall problem in the design or a component and mine died after just a few uses. Ampeg replaced fixed it with a new board and it was great - it also seemed to eliminate the problem of "cutting out" which many users were complaining about. If the amp was driven hard the signal would completely cut out and Ampeg claimed it was by design and to back off of the gain or ultra-low. After the visit to authorized service that never happened again and the amp was great sounding and solid. At 500 watts it had enough power for about any situation. Sadly, that amp was lost in a flood at storage unit where I kept some gear.

A couple of years went by using some configurations of other gear I had, and then I was ready to replace the PF-500. After looking at EVERYTHING out there ( I kinda wanted to try something different for fun ), I found myself back to the Porta-flex series but the 800 watt version. Who wouldn't want 300 more watts? This is a solid head, great construction, sounds amazing, not feather-light but that makes it feel not as much like a toy. I use a TC Electronic Spectra-Comp but the compressor onboard will do in a pinch - though not my fav, but way better than none. Oh, and if you find the right laptop bag ( briefcase/clamshell style ), this will fit in there like it's made for it. Also, all of the patching options are here - which many of the small class-d's have to omit due to lack of real estate.

This can make you happy!

By Soupbone from Portland, ME on November 2, 2016

This amp is powerful and can be EQ'd to produce awesome sounds from a variety of quality speaker cabinets. I've tried it with an Ampeg Pro Neo PN-115hlf as well as GK CX210 and loved the results. In its class, I don't know of a better amp value!!

PF-800 Bass Head

By Rob F from NH on November 1, 2016 Music Background: Old shool since the summer of `69

Hi: This head is hard not to like. It`s 11lbs. and easy to use. It has enough power for most anything I can think of. It has a nice soft, deep sound and is easy to listen too. I love it like it is but if you want an overdrive or fuzz tone I would try a pedal. I used Velcro for a Korg rack tuner on top and just wrap it in a blanket when moving.For the money you can`t go wrong! PS: I got a GK cx 2-10 and GK cx 1-15 and this is a keeper!

Ampeg pf800 bass head

By Devon on February 22, 2018 Music Background: Punk rock/ska band

Great head easy to use lots of power.

Wouldn't work in heat

By Charles Triplett from Cedar City, UT on May 8, 2022

I bought this thing to replace a PF 500 that was a few years old. On 3rd gig with it in 100 degree Temps it gave me fault code from start. Had to do this festival gig with di box. I think these made in China version of Ampeg is crap, I want my money back on this piece of crap.

Yes to Sweetwater. No to PF amps

By David from Minnesota on February 16, 2019 Music Background: Guitar and bass 20ish years

Ive had a mostly bad experience with this amp. The first one I bought failed the day I got it. It went from slow to passing sound and cutting out hear and there to not passing sound at all on the second day. Called ampeg and the guy acted like I was crazy. Thankfully Sweetwater sent me a replacement before I even sent the other one back and covered all shipping. Excellent resolution to the problem.

The second one came and after a few weeks started cutting out during rehearsals at least once an hour. Anyone can agree that this problem makes it a non-gigable amp. The last straw was when I was in the studio and had major noise issues, was still passing sound on mute and cutting out. Wasted in hour of studio time and ended up using the engineers amp. Again Sweetwater resolved the issue and I am waiting for the new Darkglass amps to become available.

Long story short PF series as a long history of problems that aren"t fixed despite what you may have read. And if you"re spending the money on a expensive piece of equipment buy it from Sweetwater because their customer service is like nothing I"ve experienced from an online retailer. They care and want you to be happy with your purchase. I only gave it two stars because the tone was good, the price was good, and the costumer service was excellent. However it is an extremely unreliable amp and Ampeg should be ashamed.

Don't buy one!

By Sweetwater Customer on January 9, 2019

A complete disappointment, Look up the issues because Ampeg knows all about them. I've been playing Ampeg bass rigs for 30 years and this new PF line is pure crap!

Cuts out

By Stan on December 8, 2019 Music Background: over 40 years experience.

Nice tone, good instructions on how to set for clipping with active or passive basses.
Turn it up and it cuts out, no 800w to use.
Back to AB class amps for me.
I am an electrical technician so I do understand how to follow instructions on setup.
On review on other reviews it seem to be a problem, perhaps a bad run on components.

DON'T BUY !!

By Gabriel Steele from Colorado on February 4, 2019 Music Background: working pro

ALL THESE YEARS... and Ampeg claims to have fixed the shut down issues in the this WHOLE line of amps. The SVT7 pro, and ALL these PF heads shut down when pushed to a medium level.

You can't run hard on the gain, with low master... it will fail.
you can't run low gain with high master (like you would an SVT)... it will fail.

right here in 2019... they fail.

I LOVE my SVT, and ampeg cabs. (the 610 is the BEST cab ever made...)

but these amps SUCK.

sorry.

I think the tube ones are ok... but these no-tube PF amps ALL shut down when used on a "real" gig.

bummer.

I would recommend the Aguilar Tone Hammer, or AG700, or maybe the Markbass stuff.
(just so I don't come across as a "problem only guy"... with no solutions. :)

By Sweetwater Customer on May 12, 2018

This amp would have the potential to be a decent gigging amp if it weren't for the fact that it likes to cut out at random moments. There's nothing like playing on a stage in front of a bunch of people only to have your bass sound completely go away... The tone isn't bad, but when you have NO BASS SIGNAL it doesn't matter what your tone is...

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