Ampeg BA-108 - The little amp that could!

[GG7]

Just wanted to give a shoutout to a great little practice amp that you can pick up brand new for under $100.00 online.





When I first bought it, I was impressed with its sound for the price and the size, but when I decided to buy myself a larger amp for jamming with louder source material and recording, I started to realize just how good a tone and volume this little guy was putting out.

So... If you are looking for a great sounding inexpensive little amp that does have enough volume for jamming at modest levels, and definitely with acoustic guitars and mandos, this would be a great choice!

It even has an effects loop jack set on the back of the cabinet so you can patch in an effects pedal board or rack mount reverb/delay etc. + a LINE OUT jack too!



5-STARS to Ampeg for offering such a great sounding/feature packed little amp at such a low price!

[P Town]

I own a few Ampegs, and they all sound pretty good to me.

[mjac28]

It's rated pretty high on most sites thanks I might grab one for my acoustic bass.

[GG7]

Originally Posted by mjac28

It's rated pretty high on most sites thanks I might grab one for my acoustic bass.

No problem! It would be ideal for that application!

I read a lot of those glowing reviews you mentioned and this is why I decided to pull the trigger on one. I never expected to be this impressed with it considering how inexpensive it sells for! Refreshing in this day and age to find something so reasonably priced that far exceeds expectations!

I also wanted to make clear that it actually puts out a pretty decent amount of volume when set at the 6 value on the volume knob (1 o'clock position). Way louder than you would ever need for just practicing. I have the EQs all set at 5 on the dials with my Deluxe Jazz on the active side with the volume set at about 12 o'clock . My Jazz Bass has a lot brighter tone on this thing at those settings than this Fender Rumble 75 puts out with the treble and midrange nearly cranked up to full boost! Even then, it still doesn't reproduce that nice BITE I get from the little 108! Oh! And I use the regular input jack even with the active side of my Jazz. The preamp provides another jack for hotter inputs, but I haven't felt the need. The preamp seems to be pretty robust with no detectable clipping at all.

I have decided to return the Fender Rumble 75 and just ordered the Ampeg BA112 which is the 12" cab version in this same series. I just don't like the idea of having to have the treble and midrange tone controls on any amp nearly maxed out to get the same tone that the little 108 gets with modest tone boosts.

I posted this thread cause I know that everyone can benefit from a nice small and portable little amp that doesn't suck! And with such a low price tag, pretty much anyone could afford to own one!

[ShowLow]

+1.

Mine lives next to the living room piano for jamming with the kids. It's quite an excellent value for the price, and reasonably portable too. Took mine to a church talent show and kept up with a noisy keyboard.

[GG7]

Cool! Another perfect application for it!

It is definitely right on the line of being able to hold its own with a live drum kit etc. I have been able to get mine to somewhat bottom out if I push it too hard, but the volume is pretty loud at that point.

I also forgot to mention that in addition to all those other features, it also has stereo RCA phono inputs for running an iPod, CD player or computer into the amp to jam along with as well as a headphone jack!

[christw]

I used a BA108 as a stage moniter with my rock/whatever else band at a show before and it got squelched by our rather excitable drummer but I was impressed with what it was putting out for the size. The tone was there but obviously it didn't have enough volume to go up against an ex death metal drummer and a 30w 112 tube amp into light OD. That said, if I didn't already have way more amps than I needed, I'd have picked one up too.

[JimmyM]

I can't quite make do with the BA108 in my oldies rock band, but I can make do with the BA110 and it's quite awesome for gigs where space and loads are tough to deal with. However, I can make do with the BA108 when I do this little upright gig where we play old timey jazz, and it rocks.

[Woodstockz]

Originally Posted by GG7

Cool! Another perfect application for it!

It is definitely right on the line of being able to hold its own with a live drum kit etc. I have been able to get mine to somewhat bottom out if I push it too hard, but the volume is pretty loud at that point.

I also forgot to mention that in addition to all those other features, it also has stereo RCA phono inputs for running an iPod, CD player or computer into the amp to jam along with as well as a headphone jack!

I agree that the BA-108 is a great value. Some have had quality issues with buzzing, but that is easily fixed with a little wood glue.

For mods, you might be interested in this thread:
Ampeg BA-108 Coffeeshop Micro Rig

[FourBanger]

I tried to demo one at GC but their floor model was fried. At first the main input worked but not the -15db active input. By the time I was on the third bass neither worked. I let the guy know but I don't know if they'll swap it out before I go back to look again. I hope they do.

[GG7]

I can see how you could blow out that little 8" speaker if you tried to crank it up too much , since that little amp in the 108 can put out some serious volume! Probably more than the little 8" can handle.

I can push mine into clipping if I push it too much with the active side of my Deluxe J Bass. Thats why I have been trying to find a slightly larger small amp that I can use for situations where I want more volume.

I just ordered a BA112 from the same series with the hope that this will give me the same great tone I get from the 108 but with just a little more output volume.

I never use the -15dB input on mine. Can't get any decent volume out of it using that input. As I mentioned in a previous post, I can use the active side of my Jazz without any problems.

[GG7]

Good info on the 110 Jimmy! I had considered that for an upgrade, but I thought the 112 would be sure to give me that extra volume bump I am looking for.

While I liked a lot of the tones I could get from the Fender Rumble 75, there is something about the tone of the Ampeg preamp that just makes it punch through the mix when I am jamming along with some of my sequences I am getting ready to record. It really brings out that top end BITE of the maple necked Jazz Bass. The Fender just didn't have that same top end, even when I had the rteble and midrange controls cranked up to full. I have the treble on the 108 set to 6.5 and all the other tone controls set to 5. That gives me a great tone!

P.S. I just checked that thread you linked to in your reply. Very interesting! I hadn't considered what you could do with this little guy in terms of modifications. YOu mentioned collectability in one of your posts there. IS this amp seriously considered a collectable amp? I guess if they ever stopped making them, I could definitely see the potential for their value to go through the roof since it is such a damned good sounding little portable!

[GG7]

What brand of speaker are people using to replace the stock 8" in this amp? I thought that might be an easy upgrade I can make to my 108 at some point down the road.

[Turock]

I really like the sound of my BA 112. I mainly use it for home practice. I have used it on a couple of acoustic gigs (electric bass) with a conga player instead of a typical drummer. Kept up, and sounded good doing it. I've also used it for double bass (which is what I really bought it for, but those gigs dried up). I thought it sounded great for both those type gigs.

[GG7]

Cool Turock!

Thanks for the input! That is exactly what I wanted to hear!

All I need is basically a 108 with a little more power! Sounding like the 112 will fit the bill perfectly!

[JimmyM]

The BA112 is actually my favorite of the BA series, but I have a BA108 and 110 already