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Double Bass Ampeg B15
- Thread starter Dave Martin
- Start date
Steve,
As long as the load is 8 ohms the B-15 Head will drive it. They do have a rather unique 4 pin connector between the head, and the cabinet. So you have to make a chord with a 4 pin to phone jack or have the head connecting cord changed over to 1/4". As I still have mine, when it gets back from the shop, I 'll try it out. I loved the Portaflex 15" cabinets, with my Walter Woods MI-100-8 as they are very efficient. JimmyM is using a B-15 Head to drive two of the new PF-115 cabinets from Ampeg. Actually, the PF 350 and 500's are the new SS amps that have a sort of tube vibe.
Ric
Well, heres my Ampeg story . . . .
Im old enough that the reason I have an Ampeg B15N is because when I first started playing, it was the best sounding and most powerful amp that I could find. Also, I first started using it to amplify my Ampeg lap bass (thats the one that had the F holes all of the way through the body). It was a matched set and a great rig!
I finally converted to a Juzek acoustic upright bass and found that, with larger wheels on the bottom of the B15N, it made a great dolly for bringing my ax in and out of gigs.
When the head blew up, I stopped using it and tried several other makes (including the Fender Bass Amp of the early 70s), but was not overwhelmed by anything. I finally migrated to a Walter Woods driving a 15 cabinet.
In the early 80s I got hooked on using a 5 string electric (it allowed me to play a lo Eb with some of these horn players was exciting!) In fact, the reason that I moved away from my Ampeg bass was to allow me to have a flip leaver on the E string so that I could work effectively with the horn players) The 5 sting was the perfect answer!
Anyway, after getting disgusted by having to carry around two axs to a gig, I finally had my 4/4 Juzek converted to 5 string. I then pulled out my old blown up B15N, ripped off the tube amp and bolted my Walter Woods head (which was the best amp on the marker at that time!) in its place. I was an almost perfect sound! (but I still had to boost my low end for the best response with that B string).
I solved that problem by changing out my 15 speaker to an 18 speaker (this could be done because there was more room in the flip top case w/o the tube amp). Life was beautiful!
Then I got a long term gig in a room that had a nice dance floor, but a small band stand. And, as this was a reading gig", I was required to have a music stand in front of me. However, the quarters were much too small to have a full size upright, a B15N and a music stand in the same foot print. So, I had to come up with a new (and smaller) idea.
I wasnt going back to an electric bass, and, as I was required to have the music stand, I first built a cabinet with a down facing 18 speaker that allowed me to put a regular music stand on top. However, this gave me a too much of a boom sound, so I downsized to a 12 speaker. I was fairly satisfied with this, but (even though its sacrilegious for a bass player to say) I wanted better high end response.
Well, things got better in the late 90s (or early 2000s) when I was able to obtain a used Acoustic Image extension speaker to try out. To be quite honest, I only bought it so that I could take it apart, look at the value of the xover network components. (I figures that I could build that into my music stand speaker)
Well, its dangerous to try new things out. After the first time that I played with the 10 AI extension speaker, I was hooked! I converted my music stand speaker to the same 4 ohm environment as the AI extension (and downsized to a 10" speaker) and loved the sound that I got.
I got so hooked on AI that I purchased a head to replace my WW and then got a standalone AI Contra for use in other gig environments. I had finally found a better sound than I had obtained with my original Ampeg B15N.
The problem is that some good things just keep on coming! Last week I acquired the new AI Ten2 and found this to be the best of all possible worlds! I can set this amp on flat response, play loudly in a large room and it still sounds exactly like my acoustic bass. (only louder!)
Not all bass players like the AI down facing speaker idea, but if youre an acoustic player, Id recommend that you check this rig out. I think its the best of all worlds.
Jon
Im old enough that the reason I have an Ampeg B15N is because when I first started playing, it was the best sounding and most powerful amp that I could find. Also, I first started using it to amplify my Ampeg lap bass (thats the one that had the F holes all of the way through the body). It was a matched set and a great rig!
I finally converted to a Juzek acoustic upright bass and found that, with larger wheels on the bottom of the B15N, it made a great dolly for bringing my ax in and out of gigs.
When the head blew up, I stopped using it and tried several other makes (including the Fender Bass Amp of the early 70s), but was not overwhelmed by anything. I finally migrated to a Walter Woods driving a 15 cabinet.
In the early 80s I got hooked on using a 5 string electric (it allowed me to play a lo Eb with some of these horn players was exciting!) In fact, the reason that I moved away from my Ampeg bass was to allow me to have a flip leaver on the E string so that I could work effectively with the horn players) The 5 sting was the perfect answer!
Anyway, after getting disgusted by having to carry around two axs to a gig, I finally had my 4/4 Juzek converted to 5 string. I then pulled out my old blown up B15N, ripped off the tube amp and bolted my Walter Woods head (which was the best amp on the marker at that time!) in its place. I was an almost perfect sound! (but I still had to boost my low end for the best response with that B string).
I solved that problem by changing out my 15 speaker to an 18 speaker (this could be done because there was more room in the flip top case w/o the tube amp). Life was beautiful!
Then I got a long term gig in a room that had a nice dance floor, but a small band stand. And, as this was a reading gig", I was required to have a music stand in front of me. However, the quarters were much too small to have a full size upright, a B15N and a music stand in the same foot print. So, I had to come up with a new (and smaller) idea.
I wasnt going back to an electric bass, and, as I was required to have the music stand, I first built a cabinet with a down facing 18 speaker that allowed me to put a regular music stand on top. However, this gave me a too much of a boom sound, so I downsized to a 12 speaker. I was fairly satisfied with this, but (even though its sacrilegious for a bass player to say) I wanted better high end response.
Well, things got better in the late 90s (or early 2000s) when I was able to obtain a used Acoustic Image extension speaker to try out. To be quite honest, I only bought it so that I could take it apart, look at the value of the xover network components. (I figures that I could build that into my music stand speaker)
Well, its dangerous to try new things out. After the first time that I played with the 10 AI extension speaker, I was hooked! I converted my music stand speaker to the same 4 ohm environment as the AI extension (and downsized to a 10" speaker) and loved the sound that I got.
I got so hooked on AI that I purchased a head to replace my WW and then got a standalone AI Contra for use in other gig environments. I had finally found a better sound than I had obtained with my original Ampeg B15N.
The problem is that some good things just keep on coming! Last week I acquired the new AI Ten2 and found this to be the best of all possible worlds! I can set this amp on flat response, play loudly in a large room and it still sounds exactly like my acoustic bass. (only louder!)
Not all bass players like the AI down facing speaker idea, but if youre an acoustic player, Id recommend that you check this rig out. I think its the best of all worlds.
Jon
To all you DB players using the b-15, Has anyone found any of these new tiny amps comparable. As an electric player I have my eye on one. I am playing more and more DB and I am encountering the sound problems of my tube rig being un-wieldly.
top028 said:
Top 028
Since I own a B-15N(C) I feel your pain. As a college student I gigged with it for about 5 years. At the time, it was the best sounding small combo.
I purchased my first Walter Woods MI-100-8 in 1978. It had four times the power, sounded like a tube amp, and the head weighed 7.5. Since I don't know your budget
I'd either a Streamliner 600 or a Aguilar Tone-Hammer as they both have tubes in the pre amp. But, I'm sure there are other possibilities that are totally solid state as well.
Ric
I have a Genz Benz Streamliner 900, and if you love the tube sound, you'll get plenty with this micro amp. It's my go-to amp for electric. But I prefer an EA Micro for acoustic.
I came up with a temporary soulution. I will mod the bass channel to my fender bassman to the front end of the B-15. The big problem is which b-15 is the best? I found a few different schematics using a multitude of tubes and bias points for the gain stage.
Then I will know if it is the preamp, or the whole package.
I will check into those other amps in the meantime. I friend lent me an eden nemesis, and that didn't quite do it for me. (I liked the on board compression though)
thanks for info/inspiration!
Then I will know if it is the preamp, or the whole package.
I will check into those other amps in the meantime. I friend lent me an eden nemesis, and that didn't quite do it for me. (I liked the on board compression though)
thanks for info/inspiration!
