Jess Oliver's legacy - AMPEG PORTAFLEX CLUB part 10

[beans-on-toast]

The HB-15 is listed as a current product for those that want to spend that much. Double sigh.

It seems clear that there is a demand for the product. A more affordable alternative will undoubtedly do well.

[beans-on-toast]

Originally Posted by Bass 45

No dolly either.

I missed that. Another cost savings. More in-line with casters the PF cabs.

[awilkie84]

From what I'm reading, all of the PF cabs are rated at 8Ohm.
I'm currently running my PF-500 through a 400W @ 8Ohm Hartke 4x10 cab. Thus, I'm only pushing around 250W to the cab.
I want to open up the headroom on my PF with a 4Ohm cab. Can anyone suggest an easily portable 4x10 4Ohm cab that will pair nicely with it & won't break the bank?

[garmenteros]

I used my b15 in the studio a couple of weeks ago to do a few tracks for my zeppelin tribute band... I also recorded simultaneously with my ebs valvedrive and radial jdi and ended up blending the tracks.

We did immigrant song

https://soundcloud.com/garmenteros/0...-r-d-tribute-2

dazed and confused, and no quarter... but those aren't ready yet.

[spacebassed]

Originally Posted by garmenteros

I used my b15 in the studio a couple of weeks ago to do a few tracks for my zeppelin tribute band... I also recorded simultaneously with my ebs valvedrive and radial jdi and ended up blending the tracks.

We did immigrant song

https://soundcloud.com/garmenteros/0...-r-d-tribute-2

dazed and confused, and no quarter... but those aren't ready yet.

Who says a B15 can't do modern?

I remember buying Zeppelin III as a kid and upon listening to "Immigrant Song" for the first time I thought "I'll only go where there's a western shop" - that's weird. I had a similar reaction when I heard Steve Miller sing "Big 'ol Chad had a light on" or John Fogerty sing "There's a bathroom on the right."

[beans-on-toast]

Nice! Don't be afraid to turn up the bass in the mix. How did you blend, in terms of percentage, the three bass sources?

[Farfetched]

Just got my 60s double baffle back from the speaker guys. Apparently the rattle that I was getting was due to the material between the baffles disintegrating. Also got some foam gaskets which really helped tighten the latches. Sounds good as new.

[spacebassed]

Originally Posted by Farfetched

Just got my 60s double baffle back from the speaker guys. Apparently the rattle that I was getting was due to the material between the baffles disintegrating. Also got some foam gaskets which really helped tighten the latches. Sounds good as new.

If you cover the outer baffle with black felt it will keep the grill cloth from flapping and creating noise. Also, check that there isn't any loose tolex along the ports on the inner baffle, if there is it can act like a reed and create all kinds of weird noise.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by christw

The fact that it's limited production Heritage disappoints me. To me that means it will probably still be too expensive for the everyman. I wanted to see a cheaper overseas B-15 honestly.

I thought that's what Hodgy said this new B-15N was going to be but I guess not. Still, I dig it. The black chassis is hot, and I don't know what it uses for tubes but it's not like the 12ax7 is complete crap. SVT uses them, you know? And Zane said in that article that it's the exact circuit paths. I wonder if they aren't 6SL7's after all and the tubes just aren't installed in that pic or a trick of the light made the bases look like covers and made it look like they're gone.

OK, so that's a longshot But that's how it go.

[spacebassed]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I thought that's what Hodgy said this new B-15N was going to be but I guess not. Still, I dig it. The black chassis is hot, and I don't know what it uses for tubes but it's not like the 12ax7 is complete crap. SVT uses them, you know? And Zane said in that article that it's the exact circuit paths. I wonder if they aren't 6SL7's after all and the tubes just aren't installed in that pic or a trick of the light made the bases look like covers and made it look like they're gone.

OK, so that's a longshot But that's how it go.

Nope, says so right on the Ampeg site - three 12ax7's.

http://www.ampeg.com/products/heritage/b-15n/

[Woodstockz]

Originally Posted by christw

Oh yeah, who can suggest me a good place to buy resistors and other components? I'm going to go about the VT-22 6550 swap eventually. I'm crazy, I know.

I usually get my components from Digi-key.

[ddbassGA]

Originally Posted by spacebassed

Nope, says so right on the Ampeg site - three 12ax7's.

That's sad to me. Love me some 5691 and JAN VT229.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by spacebassed

Nope, says so right on the Ampeg site - three 12ax7's.

http://www.ampeg.com/products/heritage/b-15n/

Well there it is, then. I think it'll sound hot regardless. Not like there's been a bad one yet.

[Apex_speed]

Sigh...it looks like they just went with a cheaper build on the HB-15BN. Black paint is cheaper than stainless, a PCB is cheaper than point to point, the preamp stage cots cost, and stripping features off is cheaper too. I think this is the wrong direction.

It would have made more sense to just take the HB-15 with the cosmetics intact and reduced the cost by putting in a PCB and upping the production to get economy of scale but not saving money by altering tubes or the circuit design and messing with classic cosmetics. That also would probably mean offshore production to get the cost down.

I do have to add that no matter what they do with the basic B-15 design, it would be almost impossible for it not to be a winner in terms of sound.

And yes, now is probably the time to buy any clean vintage B-15 before the prices jump again!

[JimmyM]

Well to be fair, it does have the features of the original HB-15.

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

..... Still, I dig it. The black chassis is hot, and I don't know what it uses for tubes but it's not like the 12ax7 is complete crap. SVT uses them, you know? And Zane said in that article that it's the exact circuit paths. I wonder if they aren't 6SL7's after all and the tubes just aren't installed in that pic or a trick of the light made the bases look like covers and made it look like they're gone.

OK, so that's a longshot But that's how it go.

+1 The Pre Amp Tubes do look smaller. Wouldn't they have to redesign the Pre Amp circuit's to use a different tube? I do remember that the SB-12 had !2AX7's and it sounded fine. It's not like
6L7's are hard to come by

Ric

[beans-on-toast]

A tube is not a tube is not a tube. Each type of tube has its own sonic and performance characteristics. Experience has taught me that an octal tube such as a 6SL7 will sound richer than a 12AX7.

Don't get me wrong, the new HB-15N is going to sound fantastic. Just a little different, to my ears, than a vintage amp or the HB-15 would.

There is clearly a demand for a B-15 beyond the hand built HB-15. They don't make any money on that with short yearly runs. Think about it. If the amp sells for $5K and they make 50 of them the gross is $250K. Let's be generous and say that Loud sells the amp to the retailer for $4K. On a lot of amps, the margins are less. That would mean Loud would take in $200K. Now subtract their manufacturing, sales, support, and development costs. Do you think that anything is left? They aren't doing this to make money.

By offering a prestige product, they gain back in other ways. Hopefully, the new streamlined amp, will allow them to make a bit of profit or at least break even while at the same time keep the bass community happy. Loud will get some PR out of it that will help them sell their other products. Otherwise it doesn't make sense to continue to sell an unprofitable product.

[Drucocu]

I really wonder what the price will be. Given the B-15R was about 2000 Bucks, that would be the right direction...
I wanted a new B-15R oh so much.....

[Ric Vice]

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

A tube is not a tube is not a tube. Each type of tube has its own sonic and performance characteristics. Experience has taught me that an octal tube such as a 6SL7 will sound richer than a 12AX7.

David,
I thought this might be the case, as I remembered you telling me that Ampeg used tubes that were different from most manufactures, like Fender etc.

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

Don't get me wrong, the new HB-15N is going to sound fantastic. Just a little different, to my ears, than a vintage amp or the HB-15 would.

From reading the copy on the Music Radar page it appears that they will no longer be manufacturing the original Heritage B-15's and this amp is their new HB15-N

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

There is clearly a demand for a B-15 beyond the hand built HB-15. They don't make any money on that with short yearly runs. Think about it. If the amp sells for $5K and they make 50 of them the gross is $250K. Let's be generous and say that Loud sells the amp to the retailer for $4K. On a lot of amps, the margins are less. That would mean Loud would take in $200K. Now subtract their manufacturing, sales, support, and development costs. Do you think that anything is left? They aren't doing this to make money.

Makes absolute sense to me. It's definitely a vanity product for a vanity market. They probably lost money on the first run, when you consider all the startup costs that you mentioned. My take is that they built those little gems to attract customers into trying the PF line.

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

By offering a prestige product, they gain back in other ways. Hopefully, the new streamlined amp, will allow them to make a bit of profit or at least break even while at the same time keep the bass community happy. Loud will get some PR out of it that will help them sell their other products. Otherwise it doesn't make sense to continue to sell an unprofitable product.

So those of us who have the originals are sitting pretty.


Ric

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

A tube is not a tube is not a tube. Each type of tube has its own sonic and performance characteristics. Experience has taught me that an octal tube such as a 6SL7 will sound richer than a 12AX7.

Don't get me wrong, the new HB-15N is going to sound fantastic. Just a little different, to my ears, than a vintage amp or the HB-15 would.

There is clearly a demand for a B-15 beyond the hand built HB-15. They don't make any money on that with short yearly runs. Think about it. If the amp sells for $5K and they make 50 of them the gross is $250K. Let's be generous and say that Loud sells the amp to the retailer for $4K. On a lot of amps, the margins are less. That would mean Loud would take in $200K. Now subtract their manufacturing, sales, support, and development costs. Do you think that anything is left? They aren't doing this to make money.

By offering a prestige product, they gain back in other ways. Hopefully, the new streamlined amp, will allow them to make a bit of profit or at least break even while at the same time keep the bass community happy. Loud will get some PR out of it that will help them sell their other products. Otherwise it doesn't make sense to continue to sell an unprofitable product.

They've totally said that about the first run of the Heritage B-15 in the past. It was done not to make money, but to restore the prestige that the former head idiot of LOUD sucked out of the company and help publicize the PF series. A loss leader, if you will. But it sold out quickly and got a lot of interest from foreign countries, so they did a second run. I suspect the second run would put the project more into the black.

As for the tubes...I agree that 6SL7's are quite the special tube, but my REDDI has a 6N1P in it and it sounds like a B-15 (albeit one set for flat clean response). Would love to hear from NAMM-philes who played both. REALLY wish I could have gone. Might talk to our drummer about blocking out a day or two so I can go next year.