Want to squeeze a LITTLE more juice out of my Ampeg B100-R

Aladinsane1969 · #1 01-26-2011, 11:56 AM

Hey there. I'm new to the forum, and have spent the last few days reading through posts. I really appreciate all the insight you guys have provided and hope you can give me a bit of advice. I have an Ampeg B100-R I bought brand new in 2005. I love everything about it, but it's just a hair too quiet. I play Fender Jazz basses with passive pickups, so I can turn the gain up to 8 before the green light even comes on, and almost up to 10 before the red clipping light ever blinks.

My question is, is there something I can use to safely squeeze a bit more volume out of the amp without overdriving it? I use a Boss ODB-3 when I want overdrive, so I'm looking for more CLEAN volume. Will a boost pedal work for me? Or, am I better off going with a pre-amp pedal like a SansAmp. Or, am I basically screwed and just need to buy something with more power, such as a used B200-R? Like I said, I love the amp, so if there's any way to make it work, I'd like to keep it. I've even thought of putting tilt-back legs on it, thinking that if the speaker wasn't so low to the ground, I'd be able to hear it better, which would solve my problem.

Again, your advice will be greatly appreciated!

TrevorOfDoom · #2 01-26-2011, 12:00 PM

tiltback legs would help. also, if it has a gain and a master volume control, turn the master all the way up and control your volume via the gain knob.

a clean boost pedal could work, but it's more likely to start overdriving your preamp.
could be that 100 watts isn't enough for what you want to do.

blastjv · #3 01-26-2011, 12:07 PM

Mine is very 'big' sounding when I have it set the way I like it, but I can't get too loud with it that way before it starts to fart out. If I wanted to get louder (only used mine alone in my basement so far), I'd dial out a lot of the boosted bass frequencies I like at lower volumes.

The shorthand is that the amp only has a certain amount of power. It requires more power to make the low frequencies louder than it does to make the mid and high frequencies louder. If you EQ with less low end and more mids you might squeak out a little more volume...

-JV

banikek · #4 01-26-2011, 12:23 PM

I had a set of tilt back legs on mine and it helped. I was toying with the idea of switching the stock speaker to 8 ohm and adding an extension speaker but in the end I sold it. It was a nice combo but I also needed more volume.

chris

stiles72 · #5 01-26-2011, 12:51 PM

Not sure if it will help - but here's how I run mine 95% of the time . Sometimes I'll tweak the master volume as needed, and I let the red light hit on hard notes unless there's audible distortion starting to come through. Gives me a big deep clean sound with both a P-bass with flats and my Thunderbirds.

Aladinsane1969 · #6 01-26-2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banikek

I had a set of tilt back legs on mine and it helped. I was toying with the idea of switching the stock speaker to 8 ohm and adding an extension speaker but in the end I sold it. It was a nice combo but I also needed more volume.

chris

I think I'm going to give the legs a shot. Any tips on mounting them?

Aladinsane1969 · #7 01-26-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stiles72

Not sure if it will help - but here's how I run mine 95% of the time . Sometimes I'll tweak the master volume as needed, and I let the red light hit on hard notes unless there's audible distortion starting to come through. Gives me a big deep clean sound with both a P-bass with flats and my Thunderbirds.

Wow, your pickups must be a lot hotter than mine! If I had my gain and master at those settings, there's no WAY you'd be able to hear me with in the room with the guys with Marshall half stacks and Fender Twin Reverbs who I play with!

banikek · #8 01-26-2011, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aladinsane1969

I think I'm going to give the legs a shot. Any tips on mounting them?

I actually had a set of the Fender tilt-backs that were normally put on guitar cabs. They actually worked quite good and looked classy too... as long as you don't mind having "Fender" stamped on them!

stiles72 · #9 01-26-2011, 02:14 PM

The Tbirds are pretty hot, and the 62 pup in the P-bass has some good out put also. In my oldies group, both guitarists run through Fender Twins/Revrb Deluxes. They sound pretty twangy, so even when they get stupid loud- we aren't competing for the same frequencies. When I've used it with a hard rock group - I tend to compete more with the drums than the guitarists.

stiles72 · #10 01-26-2011, 02:20 PM

Early Portaflexes had a tilt back rod on the back. With the B-100R, you could possibly check with Bruce at Fliptops.net to see if he has those rods and sockets. Or just wedge a rod or piece of wood in your B-100R under the amp head, and prop the cab up.

DLEE · #11 01-26-2011, 02:26 PM

I take the back wheels off mine so it tilts a bit.Unfortunately as pointed out before,100 watts is only gonna go so far.

Aladinsane1969 · #12 01-26-2011, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by banikek

I actually had a set of the Fender tilt-backs that were normally put on guitar cabs. They actually worked quite good and looked classy too... as long as you don't mind having "Fender" stamped on them!

Nah, I don't mind--I think I'll give that a shot. Thanks!

Aladinsane1969 · #13 01-26-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLEE

I take the back wheels off mine so it tilts a bit.Unfortunately as pointed out before,100 watts is only gonna go so far.

Now THAT'S a simple solution! I thought about doing that too, but I wasn't sure how stable the amp would be. Yeah, I know that 100 watts is only gonna go so far, but I really love this amp--the only other one I'd consider at this point is the B200-R -- IF I could find one (and I've been looking....)

tjh · #14 01-26-2011, 03:37 PM

.. or a folding amp stand to get it up a bit closer to you ...

Aladinsane1969 · #15 01-26-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjh

.. or a folding amp stand to get it up a bit closer to you ...

Yeah, I thought about that too, but I think it will look a little bit goofy on stage.

tjh · #16 01-26-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aladinsane1969

Yeah, I thought about that too, but I think it will look a little bit goofy on stage.

well, to each his own ... I dont even give a thought to what it looks like, I much prefer to have it up where I can reach the controls easily and hear it clear .... and not to mention it helps with the 'stage coupling' if needed ...

Aladinsane1969 · #17 01-26-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjh

well, to each his own ... I dont even give a thought to what it looks like, I much prefer to have it up where I can reach the controls easily and hear it clear .... and not to mention it helps with breaking the 'stage coupling' if needed ...

Well, sadly, I must admit that I am rather guilty of vanity--sometimes at the expense of pragmatism ;-) I'm sure having it up on a stand is beneficial in several ways!

BTW, it looks like I'm going to pull the trigger on a used B200-R, thus rendering this entire thread rather moot, lol. Provided it doesn't have any of the problems that some have reported (I'm buying it from Guitar Center, so I'm going to put it through it's paces for 28 days or so and make damned sure!), there will soon be a MINT condition U.S. made B100-R up for sale!

Fender4Me · #18 01-26-2011, 08:49 PM

I use one of these tiltback racks with all of my amps. $32.00 at GC and they work great. Very sturdy.

anderbass · #19 01-27-2011, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aladinsane1969

there will soon be a MINT condition U.S. made B100-R up for sale!

You might hold onto your B100R for awhile, you could use a splitter and stack/play through both combos simultaneously after you discover that B200R isnt all that much louder. I used to do this with my pair of B100R combos.

I also installed In-line 1/4" speaker jacks on both my B100R's to use them as cabs with a 300 watt tube powered SVT.

Aladinsane1969 · #20 01-27-2011, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anderbass

You might hold onto your B100R for awhile, you could use a splitter and stack/play through both combos simultaneously after you discover that B200R isnt all that much louder. I used to do this with my pair of B100R combos.

I also installed In-line 1/4" speaker jacks on both my B100R's to use them as cabs with a 300 watt tube powered SVT.

So, you're saying the B200-R isn't that much louder? I take it you have experience with both? How much louder would you say it is?