“portable” and “bass reflex.” In other words,
because the amp can be moved around on
its own wheels, it can be considered portable.
However, bass reflex suggests that the speaker
is housed in a cabinet with a hole, tube, or
shelf-cut in the front or back baffle, and is
tuned to increase low-frequency response.
That’s what’s different here—the PF-210HE
cab is actually a sealed design. And if you’re
looking for more mids and a more focused
sound, a sealed cab can be just the ticket. My
experience with sealed cabs is that they often
provide smooth, singing highs, as well. And
that’s just how I would describe the tone of
Ampeg’s new 2x10. The pair of Eminence
speakers—which handle 450 watts RMS—
and a level-adjustable compression horn
(which can be switched between on, - 6 dB, or
off) provide well-defined punch, along with
a good deal of low end. Most of the room
shook at home when testing out the amp at
moderate volume levels. In the studio, the
cab sounded full and warm, holding its own
quite easily against a small Gretsch jazz drum
set and a 335-style guitar running through a
Fender Deluxe.
The cab itself is built from 15 mm poplar
plywood—the good stuff, for both strength
and lighter weight—and it’s lined throughout with sound-deadening material. It also
includes four pop-out casters. Ampeg even
went to the extra effort of providing a small
zipper pouch and a Velcro tie-down for stashing the power and speaker cables during transit—a great way to avoid losing them, while
also keeping the speaker cones safe.
The Verdict
In all, the Portaflex PF-350 head and
PF-210HE make a sweet-sounding rig with
a decent tonal palette and adequate power
for a variety of settings. It’s priced nicely,
too. The main downside is its transportabil-ity—it’s not going to be easy to get up and
down stairs easily with the one strap. But
on flat ground, rolling it should be a breeze.
Further, its build is solid and sturdy, with the
basic features you’d expect in a contemporary
amp. It should do well in studio settings,
much like the B- 15 of old, and as long as
extreme volume isn’t called for, it’ll also do
just fine for club gigs.
Rating:
Buy If...
you need a combo-sized rig with
basic features and nice tones.
Skip If...
you need to shake walls and
flap pants, or you’re a fanatic
for tone tweaking.
Ampeg
Street $700
ampeg.com
or use a mobile device to download
audio clips of the amp at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/sep2011
