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Ampeg B-15N questions

#61
Yes it does...love the piping! I haven't heard that type of speaker yet. A bit of an oddball not being centered like most 15" cabs, but I'll bet it sounds great.

Wasn't quite the deal I got on mine, but it was a very reasonable price and you will always be able to get your money plus more out of it in the future.

BTW, after you get it, you should send him a scathing email about what an idiot he is, then tell him he could have got $300 more for it by not splitting it. Then laugh maniacally, like this....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
 
#62
OK, I might do that! BTW, I got the JB doll too. Just got done listening to " Foundations of Funk". Love the live cuts.
 
#65
JimmyM said:
That's OK just getting the head. It works great in any 8 ohm speaker cab. Sounds wonderful through my 4-10".
Click to expand...


Jimmy, just wondering if you did the refit with the head and shock mounts? Mine is so worn out underneath that I'm thinking about replacing it all. Also, one of the rubber wheels cracked in half while I was moving it. Can you buy just one replacement for it, instead of a whole new cart? Oh yeah, my square magnet 15 says " Ampeg Custom Design " on it. Does this date the amp at all?
 
#66
My '66 in Blue (with one wrong transformer), it has the square magnet CTS. Your Emi should really have a code stamped on the rim of the frame that would also indicate the year, I suspect it's a lot newer than your amp, especially if there's no code. I've also got a '72/73 like Jazzmans, but in bad cosmetic condition, it has an Altec as well.

b15n.jpg
 
#67
jnewmark said:
Jimmy, just wondering if you did the refit with the head and shock mounts? Mine is so worn out underneath that I'm thinking about replacing it all. Also, one of the rubber wheels cracked in half while I was moving it. Can you buy just one replacement for it, instead of a whole new cart? Oh yeah, my square magnet 15 says " Ampeg Custom Design " on it. Does this date the amp at all?
Click to expand...
fliptops.net for parts you may need, but save the old ones! And yes, right after the manufacturer code (for CTS it's 137), it should have the year and week it was made.

jimbilly, I looked and looked and looked for any codes...nothing. My guess is the label fell off the magnet. BTW, got your PM, but I bought a CTS this morning on Ebay.
 
#68
JimmyM said:
fliptops.net for parts you may need, but save the old ones! And yes, right after the manufacturer code (for CTS it's 137), it should have the year and week it was made.

jimbilly, I looked and looked and looked for any codes...nothing. My guess is the label fell off the magnet. BTW, got your PM, but I bought a CTS this morning on Ebay.
Click to expand...

The shock mounts are so corroded they are not worth saving. One of them is missing and the other is bent. The rubber gaskets are also so dried out they are crumbling. Was it easy to refit on the old board?
 
#69
If you don't want them, I will take them off your hands. PM if you're interested. Got a gig soon but I'll reply when I get back.

I haven't done any retrofitting on mine. I'm sending it to Jess Oliver on Monday and he will do all that stuff. My parts for attaching are long gone and the head isn't attached to the fliptop currently.
 
#70
JimmyM said:
If you don't want them, I will take them off your hands. PM if you're interested. Got a gig soon but I'll reply when I get back.

I haven't done any retrofitting on mine. I'm sending it to Jess Oliver on Monday and he will do all that stuff. My parts for attaching are long gone and the head isn't attached to the fliptop currently.
Click to expand...

How much does he charge?
 
#72
jnewmark said:
Oh yeah, my square magnet 15 says " Ampeg Custom Design " on it. Does this date the amp at all?
Click to expand...

My CTS has that silver sticker, too. Near that sticker should be an inked 6-digit number in white, that starts with 137. Mine is 137628. 137 is the manufacturer's code, in this case CTS, the fourth digit indicates the year, and the last two digits indicate the week. So mine is the 28th week of 1966. This works for the pots, too. The CTS hum pot is the easiest one to read.

I agree with the person who said that the 6SL7s are integral to the amp's sound. Try to stock up a few NOS to use as spares, preferably Sylvanias or GE.

If you've got soldering skills, mine really tightened up sonically after I replaced the bias diode and cap, and the multisection filter capacitor (the silver can next to the 5AR4). A three-conductor power cord with the green wire tied to the chassis wouldn't be a bad thing, either.

Jim
 
#73
BTW, if anyone knows where I can get an exact replacement for one of the wheels on the dolly, let me know. I've tried all the usual suspects, including a Grainger catalog, but cannot find a wheel that is less than 1" wide. The originals are hard rubber, 3" in diameter and 13/16 " wide tread.
 
#74
Just got a chance to read thru this for the first time.

To reply to a question... Oliver's prices are reasonable. I rescued a '65 that needed a new transformer, and tons more TLC - the head restoration cost $600 bucks shipped back to me. That included a chrome polish, repainting of cage & transformer pots and an autograph to boot!

I loved the P Bass restored by Leo comment! :D

I also thought you might like to see the double baffle thing explained thru pics taken during the build process of a B-15N repro cab. My '65 cab did not have the double baffle design - Oliver recommended a friend of his, Mark Gandenberger at Vintage-Blue.us to do a repro to the original specs. He did an amazing job.

Here are links to the pics - they're huge

Cabinet w/ inner baffles
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Outer baffle w/ spacers
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As far as speakers, I have tried the Altec 421A (loud, clear), and a period correct CTS square magnet (warm) in this thing. Both sounded great but I ended up settling on an early 80's Eminence that I pulled from a '82 Acoustic Control Corp 404 cabinet. It sounds absolutely wonderful. I've found that speakers are a HUGE part of the equation and it takes some real research and some luck to find the "perfect" speaker for your ear.

Anyway, here'w the finished product - an expensive amp and an inexpensive bass!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 

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