Jess Oliver's legacy - AMPEG PORTAFLEX CLUB part 9 - Page 39

beans-on-toast · #**761** 01-08-2013, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Yes, the JBL K140's are Black=Pos, Red=Neg. What color wires designate pos/neg with the B15N ?

Green is supposed to be + but you never know till you test it.

kuratacus · #**762** 01-08-2013, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Sure it's not a B-15NB?

pretty sure inside the cab has B15n and the schematic just has b15n as well

JimmyM · #**763** 01-08-2013, 03:35 PM

Well that's an NB circuit for sure, but not having a designation of it on the cab or schematic wouldn't surprise me in the least.

spacebassed · #**764** 01-08-2013, 07:58 PM

Jimmy, the B15NB (and the B15NA) had a solid state rectifier - if its got a 5u4 it's just a B15n (no further designation).

kuratacus, does yours have a Jensen C15n or the EM1500? I'm curious to know when they switched to the EM1500 - it was sometime in '63.

spacebassed · #**765** 01-08-2013, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vintage-Blue

Yep, he added the logo too!

That is AWESOME! Jess was one of a kind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddbassGA

Jess's digs at Hull just crack me up. This was 4 decades later!

Me too! Never a missed opportunity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I do kind of think Ampeg lifted the Thiele cab from the Powerflex. Thought Hull was gone by then, but Jess was there so he should have known. But I had both and I still prefer the double baffle.

I think we surmised, earlier in this thread (maybe part 8), that Hull was still around when the redesign was set into motion. Remember, he was still around for a while after Unimusic bought in - he didn't leave until October of '68.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Ampeg didn't square things off neatly back then. There are several oddballs out there that aren't typical of all models of a given type. They would typically use up old parts before moving on, so it's entirely possible that the 4-pin XLR started at a point after they redesigned the head.

All of the B15NA's I've seen had the octal connector (even though the schematic showed an xlr), while the B15NB's had the 4 pin xlr - this is the only difference I've noted between the two.

JimmyM · #**766** 01-08-2013, 09:24 PM

I keep thinking that Hull left in 67 for some reason. As for the B-15NA, it's not even mentioned in the Ampeg book so I will defer to what you guys say.

spacebassed · #**767** 01-08-2013, 11:34 PM

Mid '67 was when Unimusic took majority control of the company, but Hull was around in a limited capacity until late '68. That must have been a pretty tumultuous time for the company because several employees - including Denniy Kager - left before Hull.

beans-on-toast · #**768** 01-09-2013, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

As for the B-15NA, it's not even mentioned in the Ampeg book...

There is very little known about the NA and NB which is surprising as a different speaker, cab connector, and solid state rectification were major changes. They also put the kibosh on the design changes fairly quickly, they were in production for less than a year. It leaves me wondering what happened to cause the fast turnaround.

The Jensen EM series speakers were used in several amps. Fender used them at one point as well and they are sought after even today. I quite like this speaker. Ampeg dropped them and switched to CTS. Maybe they wanted to be different, perhaps it was a financial issue.

jnewmark · #**769** 01-09-2013, 09:00 AM

Has anyone used a neo 15 as a replacement driver in the B15N ? I noticed nobody seems to like the Bass guitar drivers Eminence makes, but go for the PA types like the Beta 15's. Just trying to squeeze as much volume as I can without adding another cab, by getting a more efficient driver.

**ddbassGA** · #**770** 01-09-2013, 09:19 AM

Fellow here in Athens uses a 70's B15N Thiele cab loaded with a neo Eminence 3015. Sounds fantastic. Not the cheapest solution but light weight and efficient.

**ddbassGA** · #**771** 01-09-2013, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacebassed

Mid '67 was when Unimusic took majority control of the company, but Hull was around in a limited capacity until late '68. That must have been a pretty tumultuous time for the company because several employees - including Denniy Kager - left before Hull.

Interesting to wonder how things might have turned out if Jess had stayed and he and Kager had bought out Hull.

jnewmark · #**772** 01-09-2013, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddbassGA

Fellow here in Athens uses a 70's B15N Thiele cab loaded with a neo Eminence 3015. Sounds fantastic. Not the cheapest solution but light weight and efficient.

I've thought about that one, and also the Faital Pro400.

beans-on-toast · #**773** 01-09-2013, 09:43 AM

Doesn't the Pro400 emphasize the mids more than the 3015? So does the Thiele cabinet over the double baffle. Or maybe it is just more mid clarity. I'm wondering if the combination would be too much of a good thing. I think that the 3015 would be better if you want more bottom.

jnewmark · #**774** 01-09-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

Doesn't the Pro400 emphasize the mids more than the 3015? So does the Thiele cabinet over the double baffle. Or maybe it is just more mid clarity. I'm wondering if the combination would be too much of a good thing. I think that the 3015 would be better if you want more bottom.

Might. I've been told that the Faital sounds similar to the JBL K140, which is my fave 15 of all time. How does the 3015 sound when used full range?

stiles72 · #**775** 01-09-2013, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

Interesting - the inside of the 70's Thiele cab looks pretty close to my '67 BT cab.

The solid state line of BT Portaflexes debuted at NAMM in '66 and used a Thiele design for the porting. Since Jess was still with Ampeg and hadn't branched out on his own yet, the Thiele BT cabs predated the Powerflex, probably by just a matter of months.

beans-on-toast · #**776** 01-09-2013, 10:06 AM

The 70's version looks almost the same. The baffle is mounted a little differently on the BT, more like the double baffle cab with the screws anchored in the baffle. The connector is on the side like the earlier B-15 cabs. The simplest approach is to adopt something from the past and modify it. Makes you wonder if they did a prototype with the BT cab.

beans-on-toast · #**777** 01-09-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Might. I've been told that the Faital sounds similar to the JBL K140, which is my fave 15 of all time. How does the 3015 sound when used full range?

I don't have any experience with either speaker in this cab. If I went with the 3015 it wouldn't be the LF version.

What I find with some of these speakers is that they need a lot of power to make the cab sound good. You'll never know till you try it. Dick's comment about the 3015 sounding fantastic in the Thiele cab is good enough for me. I think that the Faital is close enough in design and specs to sound equally fantastic. You owe it to yourself to try the Faital. You'll always wonder otherwise.

The EV TL-606 and Mesa Boogie 115 cabs are of a similar design. A search might turn up reports of these cabs with these drivers installed.

I have been using a pair of EV SH-1502 cabs for years. Again similar design. The only drawback is that they weight a lot. It has an EVG-15 speaker in it which I like but I've wondered about replacing it with one of those two speakers. I've tended towards the 3015 because I've used them and liked how they perform. Never tried the Faital.

jnewmark · #**778** 01-09-2013, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

I don't have any experience with either speaker in this cab. If I went with the 3015 it wouldn't be the LF version.

What I find with some of these speakers is that they need a lot of power to make the cab sound good. You'll never know till you try it. Dick's comment about the 3015 sounding fantastic in the Thiele cab is good enough for me. I think that the Faital is close enough in design and specs to sound equally fantastic. You owe it to yourself to try the Faital. You'll always wonder otherwise.

The EV TL-606 and Mesa Boogie 115 cabs are of a similar design. A search might turn up reports of these cabs with these drivers installed.

I have been using a pair of EV SH-1502 cabs for years. Again similar design. The only drawback is that they weight a lot. It has an EVG-15 speaker in it which I like but I've wondered about replacing it with one of those two speakers. I've tended towards the 3015 because I've used them and liked how they perform. Never tried the Faital.

I don't know if you are familiar with Greenboy's designs, but he offers his tweeterless 15 cabs with either the Faital or the 3015. The Faital seems to be the most popular, but with 30 watts with the B15N driving either one, it just might be a wash. Tonewise, you are right, I'll never know until I try one. I did try a 3015 in a 3 way bass cab, but was'nt really overwhelmed with it over the stock 15 it came with ( Carvin LS 1505 3 way cab ).

beans-on-toast · #**779** 01-09-2013, 10:52 AM

That's what I was wondering about. How does a Greenboy or BFM cab sound when driven with a 30W amp. An efficient cab is going to sound good. Some cabs need power for them to open up. My EV Thiele cabs sound very good when driven with a B-15 which makes me think that either the Pro400 or 3015 are worth a try.

jnewmark · #**780** 01-09-2013, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beans-on-toast

That's what I was wondering about. How does a Greenboy or BFM cab sound when driven with a 30W amp. An efficient cab is going to sound good. Some cabs need power for them to open up. My EV Thiele cabs sound very good when driven with a B-15 which makes me think that either the Pro400 or 3015 are worth a try.

My whole thing is, I'm wondering if either of those two, or any other 100dB sensitivity driver will get me past noon on the volume dial, or get louder sooner. It seems that, to me, the B15N is just a tad shy of being able to keep up with a reasonable drummer, on it's own.