AMPEG B-12

[David Currie]

There's a guitar store in Eugene Or. named MacKenzie music, that a few years ago had half a dozen of the oddball portaflexs'. Including the B12XT and others. They were there for several yrs., reading this thread I checked and they had all been sold.

?!!! MacKenzie Music is where I bought my B12X back in the mid-2000's, so it was likely one of those you saw. It had one previous owner, an accordion player who took good care of it, and played it often over the years (decades). It still has the original C12N speaker, and was built intended more for guitar players, but it sounds great with bass. I've always played guitar through it, but recently started learning bass, and it sounds just like James Jamerson's tone - it gets THAT sound (not that I can play like old one finger Jamerson!). I'm worried about blowing the original cone C12N Jensen, so I may take it out and use it in a guitar amp, and put in a higher powered speaker for playing bass. I'm not sure what 12" speaker would be best for this approximately 30 watt amp. It's the same amp as the B15N, with two 6L6 power tubes. I'm also considering getting a 15" Ampeg cabinet for it, and leaving the C12N in the original cab - it sounds especially good with a stratocaster or telecaster, but also good with humbucker and P-90 etc. If I do get another 12" speaker for the B12X cabinet, what would you folks recommend, most of them are high-powered, and this is only a 30 watt amp. Jensen C12N is original, but intended more for guitar, although it works for bass quietly. I want to really crank the power tubes to get that great overdrive tone, so need a new 12" for its cabinet, or another cabinet for playing bass.

 

[David Currie]

You can't go wrong with an old Ampeg fliptop. I have a late '60s B-15N, and I've played the B-12 as well as the SB-12. They're all beautiful sounding amps. If you are lucky enough to find one in good working order at a price you can afford, jump on it. I bought mine used in 1969 (it was my first 'real' amp) and it's still going strong. Everybody who's ever heard it loves the sound.

But I also never met an Ampeg amp I didn't like…so I may not be the most unbiased opinion out there.

I agree with you, my B12X sounds so sweet with guitars, and with bass it gets the "James Jamerson" tone you are talking about - love it! I've got quite a few vintage Ampeg amps, and have to agree they are undervalued, and sound great. My 1961 6V6 Reverberocket is being serviced right now, hope to get it back soon. Also have a B12X (1963?), SuperEchoTwin(1964?), 1963 Reverberocket w/7591 power tubes, and 1963 Superbreverb - like the 7591 Reverberocket with a 15" speaker and 25 watts instead of 15 watts. I usually use my Gibson amps from the 1957 - 1960 era (GA-8,9,14,18,20,40), better sounding than Fender tweeds to me, and cost less, very undervalued. Rarely use my Fender Deluxe Reverb anymore, because the other amps sound better to me, and I have a hardwired 1964 spec Deluxe Reverb clone with a Weber 12F150 that sounds great, but not as great as some Gibson and Ampeg amps!