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Ampeg B-100r Rocket Aficionados

#302
Thanks everybody, I guess I should try the obvious first. Though it seems to me any 'line out' has got to be way more signal that my Jazz puts out, therefore needing a pad. Remains to be seen if 15db & fiddling with the gain will work out. Will try that tonight after I get the sawdust out of my hair... renovations for a music room!
 
#303
barroso said:
That's true. This is a nice looking combo. In its classy blue and silve outfit. Honestly the 100w only, make this not a superpowerful amplifiers, but I still find it useful for most of the duties of an amateur bass player. It's simple and easy to operate and has a really warm Ampeg sound. In brief, that's still a lovely amp.

Who agrees?
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I wish they would make a re-issue.
 
#304
mtlbasslad said:
Thanks everybody, I guess I should try the obvious first. Though it seems to me any 'line out' has got to be way more signal that my Jazz puts out, therefore needing a pad. Remains to be seen if 15db & fiddling with the gain will work out. Will try that tonight after I get the sawdust out of my hair... renovations for a music room!
Click to expand...

The built in pad is usually too much (-15db is a lot) - I have found that turning the input gain down a bit is a better option.
 
#306
Woo-Hoo again... after getting sawdust out of my hair, I tried the obvious - and it worked!! Just going from line out to input (either 0 or -15db, just had to play with gain on 2nd amp) works great, no hum no problems - yay!
Jimmy M, why are you always right? LOL. Greg T, lucky I had a 90 degree plug on hand...

So once again thanks to all of you, feels like family...

Now, next challenge - how would you EQ the 2 amps, same or...? I expect about &*%$$ opinions on this one, but has anyone out there lived this situation? I'm guessing the amps could be set up differently & cover more (audio) ground... but that might take the rest of my life fiddling - & at 66 I don't know if I have that much time left LOL

Can't wait to hear your opinions, I think this could be a fun discussion...

Peace please, Brothers & Sisters XO
 
#308
mtlbasslad said:
Woo-Hoo again... after getting sawdust out of my hair, I tried the obvious - and it worked!! Just going from line out to input (either 0 or -15db, just had to play with gain on 2nd amp) works great, no hum no problems - yay!
Jimmy M, why are you always right? LOL.
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Because I am cheap, and I always try the most cost-effective idea first ;)
 
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#309
anderbass said:
Yep, I gigged a pair of B100R's linked together like yours. I ended up centering the tone knobs on my second combo to give a fairly neutral response, because the tone knob settings of the first amp effects both combos when using the line-out to input method.
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This works well as long as you leave the volume alone. If you change the volume, the second amp must also be adjusted. This is because the line-out signal does not vary with the volume (or gain). Should be hum-free provided that the amps are plugged into the same outlet (avoids ground loops).
 
#310
JimmyM said:
Why isn't it as easy as going line out from one into the input of the other? That's what it's there for. I wouldn't use the -15db input, though. Even with active basses, I never use them. They're just a big tone suck and are unnecessary in 99.9999% of all cases.
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I didn't have good luck doing that when I had 2. The second one clipped pretty quickly from the line out input. An active splitter would be the best bet IMO. But YMMV. I actually found that 2 used together didn't put out any more low end energy. I have better luck using a preamp (Hartke Bass Attack) and keeping the gain under noon.
 
#311
Lync said:
I didn't have good luck doing that when I had 2. The second one clipped pretty quickly from the line out input. An active splitter would be the best bet IMO. But YMMV. I actually found that 2 used together didn't put out any more low end energy. I have better luck using a preamp (Hartke Bass Attack) and keeping the gain under noon.
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The -15db input should have solved the clipping issue. There is plenty of gain available to make up for the attenuation, just like with hot, active basses.

Two cabs (or combos) allow higher spl's, but will not increase what is not already there. Cabs with weak deep bass will not produce deep bass when used in pairs. You mainly just get more of what you already have tone-wise. If one cab sounds strained (is being pushed hard), a second can add a sense of ease and dynamics.
 
#312
BTW, how I noticed that
AstroSonic said:
The -15db input should have solved the clipping issue. There is plenty of gain available to make up for the attenuation, just like with hot, active basses.

Two cabs (or combos) allow higher spl's, but will not increase what is not already there. Cabs with weak deep bass will not produce deep bass when used in pairs. You mainly just get more of what you already have tone-wise. If one cab sounds strained (is being pushed hard), a second can add a sense of ease and dynamics.
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It seemed that the active input just had to be offset with gain like you said and then it wasn't as clean. And understood, it was just more "B100r" with 2. But I played a gig where I had my dual setup and then the backline for another band had a cheap Peavey going going into a Hartke 410 (old one). Killed the dual B100r setup, so I sold one off.
 
#313
AstroSonic said:
This works well as long as you leave the volume alone. If you change the volume, the second amp must also be adjusted. This is because the line-out signal does not vary with the volume (or gain). Should be hum-free provided that the amps are plugged into the same outlet (avoids ground loops).
Click to expand...

JimmyM said:
Because I am cheap, and I always try the most cost-effective idea first ;)
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@JimmyM - LOL
@AstroSonic - thanks for the info
@anderbass - good place to start, thanks
@Lync - I didn't have any clipping probs...

Thanks to all of you, will be trying out all your suggestions
 
#316
Some basses, especially ones with vintage style pickups like the Jazz, just don't have a butt-ton of output. That's OK...output is cool, but I'd rather have good tone than high output because I can always turn up an amp.
 
#318
Bobby Bass said:
My old B100R has been great since I bought it in 1996-97 new. Never had a problem until recently when the bulb went out & volume was going down. Took it to my friend that does repair. He put in a new bulb & said it had a lot of dust & dirt inside. He cleaned up the pots & jacks & it works like new again. Gonna pick it up on Monday. :hyper:
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Of all the Blue Diamond re-issues and re-vamps that St. Louis Music did, I think the Rockets were certainly among the best, if not the best. When I first heard them, I said to my self, "now this amps got great tone going for it" and
ample headroom for smaller gigs. I actually liked it much better, than the re-issue B15R's that came out at the same time. Just my take, I know others love the B15R, but if you want the vintage B15 sound my B-15N(C) or the Heritage B15's
nail it.

Ric
 
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#320
Bobby Bass said:
I did get a B15R Reissue in 1999. Compared them side to side. The B100R was more what I was wanting sound wise & tone wise. More like the old B15 that I had long ago. I sold the B15R & recovered my money quick. Ampeg must not have any bass players working there that know what we want as bass players.
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It's really hard to say, I remember pictures of Obeid Kahn and Jess Oliver, as part of the promotion for the B-15R. Obeid Kahn, currently works at Killer Vintage, here in St. Louis, maybe I can ask about it sometime when I visit the store, great place by the way.
In those days, Ampeg made as many misfires as it did hits. They tried some solid state B-15's and an SVT 2x8. Then their was the Portabass series that was not a hit with players, among all those bass amps, the B50R and B100R really stand out. Some of
their models like the Portabass 2x8 (which came very late in the game) were virtually impossible to get ahold of here in St. Louis where the company HQ was located. Could be, that the Loud deal had all ready been sealed, and they had already killed the amp.

Ric
 

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